> You might be remembering 'FINGER.'  Most
> implementations of FINGER in *private* (dot.com)

I thought the same thing.. since WHOIS doesn't give diddly about a poster,
only about the domain.

> Today, IP address tracing is your best bet,

and it seldom gives you info you can use identifying a poster unless
reporting abuse ...  or unless whomever you are looking up owns the
doman.

Since most who are abusive via the net are using throw away accounts,
like hotmail, aol.com .. WHOIS is not really of much use at all in checking
identities of most senders of emails or posts.

ISPs [who you find using WHOIS]  will not give out info on their clients
unless something illegal has been done and then only to the proper
"authorities" as a rule.

  ...Cleo  [log in to unmask]