Archive for category Genealogy Family Trees

Social Networking As the New Family Reunion

Posted by in Genealogy Family Trees on August 7, 2011

I must admit when I first started using social networking websites, I really only wanted to see how I could possibly improve my relationship outlook. I was either looking for someone who was single, announcing that I was single or pleasantly surprised by who in my immediate community was suddenly single. And my interest in social networking sites remained that way until an old school friend looked me up on what was at that time the it place to be on the internet, Friendster. When Friendster no longer had the shiny new mouse appeal for the masses, Facebook was launched and poor Friendster became a mere figment of our short term memories.

When I signed up on Facebook, I threw caution to the wind and really started to investigate and utilize all the features of the website and to use the numerous avenues available to not only seek out childhood friends, but family I hadn’t spoken to or seen in awhile.

Then it happened, I realized it wasn’t a cool thing to do when I was board on the train ride home, I was actually growing closer to my family with the information that was being shared. It was also saving me money, because not only was I able to chat with my relatives in Panama for a fraction of the cost in comparison to placing an international call, but I could instantly share photos of what was going on in my life and they could do the same.

In addition, I discovered so many other relatives I didn’t even know I had and found out more about my family through the status updates that I had ever known about them prior. Then one day my cousin inquired about photos of his mom. She had long since passed away when he was still in junior high school and it hadn’t dawned on me that he didn’t have photos of her in his possession. I began the search through what photos I had and I ended up posting a photo of my aunt when she was still in high school which my mom provided to me. The response I received from my cousin was one of emotional resolve. He said seeing that photo of his mom had simply made his year.

Another of my cousins who is in the military was able to notify us all quickly of his pending deployment to Afghanistan and we were able to send our well wishes and prayers as quickly as the initial notification was sent to us.

In reality, I have never had so many conversations, discussions and mere check-ins with my family until these social networking sites came into existence. For that I am grateful for the unique advancements in technology. Sometimes these sites tend to get a bad rap because there have been some tragic occurrences when a few individuals have decided to utilize these sites for their own illicit agendas.

As for me, I say thanks, it’s strengthened the

By Michelle Lee Dixon

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Free Genealogy – Do Free Genealogy and Family History Websites Exist?

Posted by in Genealogy Family Trees on August 4, 2011

Do free genealogy sites and other free family history resources really exist?

The short answer is yes. But it doesn’t mean that it’ll be easy for you to search your family tree. Let me explain…

Genealogy research used to be a very time intensive and difficult task. When you began to research who your grandparents REALLY were – their full names, dates of birth, locations of origin, and their siblings, you’d have to begin with the first resource available – normally your parents.

You would rely on your parents for stories about your grandparents, but you couldn’t necessary rely on these stories as fact. The next step would be to search through old filing cabinets and boxes stored away in various locations for any possible genealogy records which normally included old newspaper clippings, old photos, and similar research. Pending how successful this initial search, the next step would be the time intensive and expensive investment to visit local libraries and review microfilm and original documents searching for any information to validate: full names, birth places and dates, parents names, and locations. Your aim would be to find original documents such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, wedding announcements, business advertisements, and etc.

Today, the internet has made it much easier to perform this task – both with free genealogy websites and sources that require a small to significant fee. Commercial organizations such as Ancestry have taken the time to scan, transcribe and digitize this information. Most commercial sites which have complete family databases recover their costs through charging a yearly subscription rate. It’s important to note, that you can often save yourself some money by subscribing to one site for one year, then move on to another site once that subscription has expired to gather each site’s unique information.

However, in addition to these subscription based companies, there are many many more free websites and sources available if you know where to look. One of the benefits of the internet is that people are empowered to share their own personal research and family stories. If you know where to look, you can find vast amounts of information through small websites, blogs, social media and more.

In addition to all of the free genealogy websites, common search engines can be your best friend to discover even more free information. A quick Google, Bing, or Yahoo search for your ancestor’s name such as “[full name]” in quotations can quickly provide you with numerous free genealogy websites related to your query. You never know what you’ll find online – you might find an original document, family tree records, or another distant relative who is also searching for the same individual.

Good luck and happy researching!!

Daniel J. Pinna is the founder of AncientFaces free family history and vintage photo community. To date, AncientFaces.com hosts over 55,000 unique vintage photos shared by a community of over 30,000 registered members.

By Daniel Pinna

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