| If you are planning on building a family tree online, | | | | your online family tree. You may simply be |
| here are some very important issues to think | | | | repeating other people's mistakes. And then |
| about before you start. The Internet has allowed | | | | someone will copy you, and someone will copy |
| individuals to easily find genealogy information and | | | | that person, and so on and so on. Do not make |
| documents, history, and more. However, it has | | | | this mistake. If you find a very likely match, but |
| also allowed the spread of mis-information, | | | | with no sources listed, contact the person who |
| mistakes, legal data on living people, and more. | | | | put it online, and ask them what particular sources |
| Before you start - or if you have already started | | | | they used to support the data for those |
| - make decisions about the following 4 tips: | | | | individuals and families. No sources? They just |
| 1. Living PeopleRemember that living people may | | | | copied someone else's tree? Sigh. Back to your |
| not wish to be found online, with their data easily | | | | searches. Use the information as a rough guide, |
| available for anyone to see. 'Mother's maiden | | | | only. |
| name' is such a common identity question, that it | | | | 4. How To Share Your Family Tree |
| should not be tossed out on the Internet. In | | | | Generally if you have an online family tree, you |
| addition, you may have stories or details that | | | | are able to share it with your relatives using an |
| some members of your extended family are not | | | | "invitation" which allows them access to view the |
| aware of or do not wish to have public in any | | | | tree. Make sure that you are the only person to |
| way. Be respectful of your family members - | | | | have the power to change or edit the tree. You |
| make certain that your online tree does not have | | | | do not want others 'correcting' the tree putting in |
| children, living family members, or juicy stories | | | | what they think is true - when you have actually |
| which might disconcert others. | | | | found documents showing a well-sourced detail! Of |
| 2. Documents & DataAll details in your family tree | | | | course, if another relative is excited about |
| need to have excellent quality sources to support | | | | genealogy and would like to work with you, that is |
| the truth of the information. These could be | | | | great - the two of you can figure out how and |
| certificates, records, registrations, legal | | | | when to edit the tree as either of you find more |
| documents, photographs, wills, and the like. When | | | | information. |
| you put your family tree online, add details of the | | | | You can email a GEDCOM of your family tree at |
| documents which support your data. You do not | | | | any time to a relative, as long as they have a |
| need to scan them online, but do record that you | | | | family tree software program on their computer. |
| have a copy in your files, or record what it is that | | | | There are several FREE versions available for |
| is your source. | | | | download on the Internet. Any software program |
| 3. Other People's Trees, Other People's | | | | you use will have the capability to "import |
| InformationUnless you can see that there is | | | | GEDCOM file" into it. Quite easy to do. Use your |
| primary source material (that is, documents or | | | | Help button on the software toolbar, and it will |
| records made at the time of an event), do not | | | | walk you through the process. |
| use other people's family trees or information in | | | | Enjoy your family tree discoveries! |