This is a tool to discover the details about users at a host. It uses the well known “finger” service.

This is a tool for discovering user details at a server on the network. The application uses the well known “finger” service. This tool will report the details available at a server about users in the system. The interface is absolutely simple. There is a large listing area. On the top of the interface area, you have place for entering the email address. When the query button is pressed, you get the details in the listing area. For example if you were trying to find out about where to notify abuse at a particular server, you could find the abuse@prontomail.com. You will get the abuse@mailcentro.com for prontomail.com in the finger response section.

The Finger user information protocol is based on RFC 1288 (The Finger User Information Protocol, December 1991). It returns a friendly, human-oriented status report on either the system at the moment or a particular person in depth. No specific format is required; the protocol specifies a single command line. The program returns information on who is currently logged-on, e-mail address, full name etc. Because all sorts of information may be given out, these can be misused, the figure service fell from grace in the late nineties. These days many servers may have the response to finger queries disabled. This is a good product, has useful features and could be handy in finding details about some users on a particular server as long as response is enabled.