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[Helplist] [Boettcher Tree] [Holt Tree]
[Contents]
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Welcome to genealogy! So, you got bitten by the bug, did you? Thought you'd
come online and find out where your family came from, what your ancestors did
and where the skeletons are? You can do it. It just isn't as simple as
entering your name into a search engine and finding your whole family tree
waiting for you to download. However, you don't have to live down the street from the courthouse either. A great deal of information and resource material is available online.
What Branching Out OnLine is notThe Branching Out OnLine is not a collection of links. Others have already done that. (Links relevant to each topic will be found in the text and at the bottom of the page.)The Branching Out OnLine is not an Internet tutorial. I assume that you have some fundamental knowledge of the Web, Usenet, IRC and e-mail. What Branching Out OnLine isBranching Out OnLine is my contribution to the ever-growing world of Internet genealogy. By sifting through and organizing the various resources available, I will show you how to best utilize the Internet to further your genealogical research.
Starting OutFirst, you need to learn the basics of genealogy. Web pages abound, newsgroups team and books are waiting to be purchased. You can do this online. Next, you'll need to determine what organizational method you'll use to record your findings. Most folks online will use a computer software program. You can read reviews, download trial copies and even purchase a program online.
Climbing Out Further on the BranchYou can find relatives, post queries, hire researchers, ask for help, help others, search databases - all online. And the following articles will show you how.Just realize that this isn't easy and probably wouldn't be fun if it were. The fun is the chase, the puzzle, the mystery, discovering conflicting reports, weighing evidence. You can do all of this online. Oh, and if you do happen to discover your family tree online, going back through Charlemagne and on to Adam and Eve, well, are you sure it's right?
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