| You can build family tree online databases and | | | | need to decide which hosting service to choose. |
| web pages, regardless of your level of | | | | Many companies allow you to build family tree |
| experience. Hundreds of options are available for | | | | online databases for free. The sites are similar to |
| today's genealogy buff. Here's a look at just a | | | | social networking sites. |
| few of them. | | | | Actually, I guess they are a kind of social |
| If you are new to genealogy and to building | | | | networking website. Many of them have message |
| websites, the first step is to become familiar with | | | | boards and forums where you can interact with |
| the best ways to research your ancestors. It all | | | | other people. You might even find a distant |
| starts with a name. Eventually, you may be able | | | | cousin, who has done most of the work for you, |
| to research every branch in every direction, but | | | | if you're lucky. |
| most of us agree that it is easier to start with | | | | To build family tree online databases, you will need |
| just one. | | | | some resources. Unless you have already |
| It is by no means a rule written in stone, but | | | | completed your research, you will need access to |
| most people start with their surname, which | | | | things like the Social Security Death Index and |
| would mean they are researching their father's | | | | passenger lists for immigrants. |
| ancestors. It may be tempting to branch off, | | | | If you want other people to be interested in your |
| especially if you run into an interesting name, but | | | | database, you will want to include facts about |
| you will get a lot further down into your roots if | | | | your ancestor's lives, rather than just their names. |
| you stick with your dad's ancestors. | | | | It's a good idea to include information about your |
| Once you have gone as far as you can go with | | | | family's origins, where the name originated, for |
| one branch of the family, you can add others. In | | | | example. |
| some cultures, the family's heritage is normally | | | | It's easy to find the origin of most European |
| traced through the mother's, rather than the | | | | names online. Usually, they were associated with a |
| father's name. At some point, you'll want to add | | | | place name. |
| everything that you can about that side of the | | | | Software packages are available to help you build |
| family, too. | | | | family tree online databases. You might find them |
| Once you know just a little bit about genealogy, | | | | to be a worthwhile investment. |
| which you can learn on the internet, too, you will | | | | |