It is so, that the new players place on the map depends from the registration date. So player 10.000 is normaly the neighbour of player 10.001. If you know the registration date of some other persons, you can find your friend easierly.
A help can be the forum. I have there the ID 206 und you have the ID 544. Many people start to play the game and register to the forum in the same time.
So if you find same known names on the map you have a unsave help.
But if your friend is far away, it make no difference who the friend is. You cannot trade or help him than.