By it’s very nature, the Internet allows people from all over the world to connect with each other. For genealogists, this opens up a wide variety of possibilities. Genealogists love to talk with each other about research and exchange stories about their ancestors. One of the places you can REALLY get down to specifics and find people to help with your research or just exchange ideas or chitchat, is a genealogy forum, also known as a genealogy message board. Basically, this is a website where people can post topics or questions and other people can answer or have a conversation. You can find so many clues or other tidbits that will lead you down the right path in your genealogy research. There are a few large genealogy forums and many, many more smaller ones where you just might find that missing link. Read more »

If you have not run across the site Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness (RAOGK) while searching your ancestors for free online, you are in for a real treat! The RAOGK has over 4000 volunteers who are willing and able to perform a variety of genealogy research tasks for free! The volunteers donate their time just to help out other genealogists. However, you are required to reimburse the volunteer for items such as postage, copies, or mileage, which seems only fair if someone is going to drive out to a cemetery and take pictures for you! Only recently did they allow volunteers to charge for mileage since fuel prices have gone up.

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