A database is formed and maintained by computer-automated means extracting information from a global computer network. The database contains information about people and organizations. The present invention method provides continual updates to the information stored in the database by the people named in the database and by the automated means. Integrity of the automatically extracted information is maintained. A link from the invention database to a third party data system provides updates in the information in the database to be communicated to the third party data system for updating and maintaining data of the third party data system. The database may serve as an email communication clearinghouse where senders do not need to know the email address of a person named in the database but rather leaves messages through that person's record in the database. Targeted advertising to a named person is provided during his accessing the database. The targeted advertising is based on information about the named person as stored in the database. The database may be queried by any combination of person name, job title, organization name and field of business of the organization. The invention method provides clipping service which monitors changes in the information stored in the database and notifies interested parties of detected changes.