| You could be working on your family history chart | | | | feature. |
| in minutes - really! Don't waste another | | | | [Note: You really should join Facebook as a tool |
| unproductive moment! If you've been putting off | | | | for helping you with genealogy research. Watch |
| building your family tree because you didn't want | | | | for an article about using Facebook from me.] |
| to spend a lot of money purchasing expensive, | | | | Are you prepared to begin? First, you must have |
| hard-to-use software, then there's good news for | | | | an email account prior to registering on any of |
| you! Stop waiting! | | | | these free genealogy sites. If you don't have an |
| Fifteen minutes from now you could be looking at | | | | email account, then you should get one for free |
| a completed family tree of your immediate family. | | | | from or or |
| What are you waiting for? Let's get started now! | | | | Next, visit any of the websites listed, register and |
| It seems that almost overnight the Internet has | | | | create a free account. Some sites will let you |
| dramatically changed the way people live and | | | | start immediately creating your family tree |
| work - and how they design and share family | | | | diagram. Other sites will require you to confirm |
| tree diagrams. It doesn't matter if you are a | | | | your account through your email address before |
| genealogy novice or an experienced veteran - no | | | | you can begin. If that's the case for you, simply |
| matter your level of experience - you should | | | | go to your email account and look for the |
| consider creating and sharing your family tree | | | | confirmation email. Follow the steps in the |
| online. | | | | confirmation email. |
| A truckload of free websites are out there on | | | | Finally you can start to create your family tree |
| the Internet with the primary purpose of helping | | | | diagram! Most of these sites will start with you as |
| people build their family history charts - and it | | | | the center focal point of the family tree. As you |
| seems like new ones keep popping up on the | | | | input the names of others in your tree it will |
| Internet every month or two. Basically each and | | | | quickly grow until it is quite impressive. The faster |
| every one of these sites all perform the same | | | | and the more information you enter, the bigger |
| primary functions, with only slightly minor | | | | and faster your tree grows. |
| differences between them. | | | | It won't be long until you have a diagram to be |
| Here is a list of the features you can expect to | | | | proud of and share with your family and friends. |
| find on a free family tree website: | | | | And this is where the real power of the Internet |
| - easy to get started | | | | kicks in and multiplies your efforts! After you |
| - no software to install (but an Internet | | | | have a basic foundation of a family tree, you |
| connection is required!) | | | | should invite family and friends to help you build |
| - free to use | | | | the tree further. They can join online and add |
| - user-friendly interface (for the non-geek person!) | | | | more names to the tree, which cuts down on |
| - share your family tree with others easily | | | | your work and research time! |
| - online collaboration (work with others online) | | | | Adding names to your tree is so simple, that |
| - control access to your site | | | | even a child could do it. There are arrows pointing |
| Here is a list of websites I have used (this is not | | | | in each direction around each name on your tree. |
| an exhaustive list - there are more sites out | | | | Click on an arrow and enter the information for |
| there on the Internet!): | | | | that person. The "up" arrow is for parents. The |
| - - - - These sites are great, free, easy | | | | "left and right" arrows are for spouses or |
| applications designed to help you and your family | | | | "partners". The "down" arrow is for children. Most |
| create a good-looking family history diagram in a | | | | of the sites also allow you to include a picture of |
| very short time. I prefer because I'm a Facebook | | | | each person in your tree as well as indicating if |
| user and will integrate with Facebook very easily. | | | | they are living or deceased, married or divorced. |
| The other sites do not have the Facebook | | | | |