How to Share Your Genealogy on Websites
To know where you're going, you must first understand where you've been. Genealogy is the study of family history and heritage. Learning about your heritage will give you answers about the origin of your family's roots, past traditions and belief systems and cultural tendencies. You can gather this information from other family members, birth certificates, journals and obituaries. In recent years, however, family websites have become popular repositories for genealogical information dumps and are accessible to all family members. These websites become a place to share family history as well as current events.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Choose a site. It is important to examine your options before uploading your information to a particular website. In a day of mistaken and stolen identities, consider a secure website such as myfamily.com or ancestry.com. These websites become forums to share history, information and are great ways to stay in contact. Occasionally, genealogical researchers request to join your site to aid in the study of your family tree.
-
2
Research family trees. Compile birth certificates, deeds and wills, obituaries and wedding announcements to piece together the tree. Researching your last name will also aid in this process. Because America is a melting pot of cultures and people groups, the majority of Americans trace their origins to other countries. Discovering your country of origin may also help to fill in missing gaps in your family tree. Enter this information into the family tree on your website. Explore different branches, including those of your grandparents' siblings.
-
-
3
Share family stories. Although documents are important for compiling information, sharing family stories is an efficient way to compose a complete genealogy. Contact the oldest members of your family and ask questions. Check their information against your documents and the recollections of other family members. Add the results to your online family tree and share the stories on your family website.
-
4
Upload photos, recipes, journal entries and birthdays. All of these components are also part of your family genealogy and history. Make sure your website has an area or forum to display this information. While this allows other family members access to the information, it also creates a place for the next generation to learn their heritage.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
After choosing a family site, assign one or two family members as administrators on the account. Because people often lose or forget passwords and user names, the administrators will be able to access the information and grant new passwords. Admins also control who is admitted to the family website, which ensures protection of privacy.
Family trees are often frustrating and hard to trace. Don't be discouraged. Learn what you can, consult library and city records and study history to fill in missing information.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
