Embodiments are provided to enable a user to easily and conveniently assign, share, and/or locate characteristic and other information associated with others. In an embodiment, a user can assign, share, and use one or more characterizing tags. A user can use the one or more characterizing tags to characterize a person of interest and/or a relationship or association between the user and the person of interest. A user can also perform searches using one or more characterizing tags to locate others who may be associated with the one or more characterizing tags. Users can also view user profiles including any characterizing tags and/or communicate with others based in part on a characterizing tag. The various embodiments provide a forum for social tagging, allowing a user to apply and use one or more characterizing tags that are associated with a person of interest.