Mapping your family tree used to mean going to the library, tracking down old books, deciphering worn documents, and searching through dimly-lit archive shelves (to call it an undertaking would be putting it lightly). But thanks to social media, you can map your family tree more quickly and efficiently than ever before.
Whether you’re looking to trace your family history, find a long lost loved one, or map out a physical family tree, there are plenty of social media tools to provide you with a keen understanding of your heritage. From genealogy Twitter handles to family research wikis and heritage social networks, here are 7 of our favorite ways to delve into ancestry online:
Genealogy Wise: Created by the National Institute for Genealogical Studies: is a social network built just for users who are looking to learn more about their family history. Users build their own profiles and pages, and join groups to connect with other users who are interested in genealogy. You’ll find forums, a chat interface, and tons of old family photos. It’s also a good resource for learning more about genealogy courses. Genealogy Wise is a great way to connect with friends and family to learn more about the past.
Family Search Wiki: This is a great wiki for any family historian. The site is offered by FamilySearch.com (another great genealogy spot), and it serves as a community search engine to find more about the research you’re interested in. The articles provided offer research advice from other family historians. Just type what you’re looking for into the search bar, and scroll through relevant information posted by community members. It’s a great spot to check often for new articles about your research subject.
@SocialMediaGen: This great Twitter handle keeps followers informed of news and interesting insight happening at the intersection of genealogy and social media. While you’re at it, be sure to check out socialmediagen.com. It’s a great resource for discovering new ways to connect with the past via social media.
MyLife.com: MyLife is one of the most comprehensive people searches online, which should come in handy for anyone looking to connect with long-lost family members. Whether it’s a distant cousin, or a great aunt, you just might find and reconnect with a distant relative you never knew you had! Plus, MyLife will keep track of your relatives and associates in a distinct section of your profile, so you can keep track of what your family members are up to. The site also provides the ‘Who’s Searching For You’ feature, so you might just discover that a relative is looking for you.
Ancestry.com: Perhaps one of the most well-known genealogy sites on the web, Ancestry.com is a subscription site that boasts 7 billion genealogical records all in one place. You can build a family tree, collaborate with other historians, conduct quality research—you can even hire an expert, if you feel so inclined! Simply input what you know about your family and Ancestry.com will scan its records to provide you with hard-to-find documents and photographs related to your ancestors. And you can find more genealogy-related news via the site’s Facebook account, Twitter handle, and blog.
Geneabloggers: Geneabloggers is a fantastic community of genealogy bloggers. You’ll find a bevy of smart, funny, credible, and authoritative bloggers who are committed to learning more about their ancestry. You’ll find links to many of their sites, as well as a blogtalkradio channel, webinars and more.
MyHeritage’s Family Tree Builder 6.0: This free family tree builder app has been downloaded over 30 million times, in 37 different languages. Users can build a visual family tree, with the ability to add literally thousands of family members, in a variety of languages for bi-lingual translations and trees. You’ll find maps to unearth where your relatives are from and you can even host a private family site, so that only your loved ones can see your family tree handiwork. Store family pictures, make easy-to read charts, and even conduct research all in one spot.
The information above was provided by Social Web Daily.
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