Genealogy Website Know-How

What websites can you find on the internet? Family trees, photo sharing, social networking, blogs, newsletters, genealogy groups, forums, special interest clubs, sources, record management, etc.

Storing Your Data Online
Genealogy programs can help with record management by storing and organizing your heritage. Either as PC software or online offer many benefits over recording and storing your ancestor’s folklore on paper. The two main advantages of websites over software is the ability to collaboratively work and share your data; as well as have a built-in backup copy of your precious time consuming research. To choose a program and what is right for you, get to know what features are available with the program that you are considering. Hopefully they offer a free trial to see if the program is right for you. For a comparison and rating of online programs, click here.

Searching with Web Browsers
Find books, photo, blogs, newsletters etc. by using your web browser. Learn to refine your search terms to get better results. By understanding how web crawlers work you can create search terms that will return relevant webpages. Try using various browsers because a page that is indexed on Google might not be indexed on Yahoo. Click on the link to better understand online genealogy.

Family History Etiquette with Genealogy Websites
Sites that give you access to genealogy trees with the same surnames that you are researching and the person who submitted the information, have made communication with people from around the world easier. Some sites are enabling people to help each other find sources and share data. If you download facts to add to your tree make sure you verify any shared ancestry; otherwise your tree can become a document of misleading history. While communicating over the internet, remember people have different backgrounds, different degrees of knowledge and capabilities. You need to become aware of “diversity.” Be respectful and remember not everyone has the same intentions that you do. Someone may approach you for your knowledge and won’t care how they obtained it. Make sure you feel comfortable in sharing your hard work. Before sharing any personal history ask questions like “what is the intent of wanting the information”; “do you plan to post the data in a public realm, like a genealogy website”; if so, “are you going to cite the source properly with who, what, when, where, and from whom they received the information from ?” You can then make an informed judgment to share your history or not.

Special Interest Genealogy Clubs
Whether you are a beginner or an experienced genealogists, don’t rely solely on the internet for building your tree. Attend genealogy seminars and classes. Become a member of your local genealogical society. Learn how to look for and cite sources. Find your ancestry through various documents. Don't make common mistakes by only copying information from other people. Personal history is a story about ancestry and needs to be written down and shared with your relatives. Cite various sources to help build a reliable and informative genealogy tree.