Orientation for New Visitors to this Site

Congratulations! You've just found the most comprehensive resource on the Web pertaining to genealogy, one of the world's favorite hobbies. As your Guide, I would like to personally welcome you and to let you know that I am available at any time to answer your questions and listen to your suggestions.

This site is designed to be as interactive as you wish it to be, so there is no need to feel like you have to announce your presence. If you would like to meet new people who share your interest in genealogy, however, please don't roam around the site unnoticed. Click on anything which interests you and come to as many chats as you would like. This site is yours, so if you have any suggestions or comments please let me know what you would like to see. Thank you for visiting our genealogy community and please bookmark this site so that you can come back again and again!

The vast amount of information available on this site can be a bit confusing at first, so I would like to you to come with me on a tour of its major features.

Welcome
First there is the Welcome page - also known as the home page.  This page has links to all of the sites information featured in one concise, eye-pleasing layout.  This would be a good page for you to bookmark as it contains links to current topics "In The Spotlight".  There is no need for you to always start at this page, however, as links to all of the sites features are available on the Navigation Bar at the top of every page.

Net Links
On the left hand side of the welcome page, and also available from the menu at the top of each page, you  will find Net Links. This is a comprehensive library of links to the best of the genealogy websites - the ones that bring you terrific tips, timely information, and useful data to aid you in your quest for knowledge of your ancestry. Each of the categories listed here will take you to a list of the best links on the Internet specific to that category. No more fruitless searching through the hundreds of thousands of genealogy websites. If you're new to genealogy, you might want to start with Genealogy 101, which gives you information on what you will need to start tracing your family tree.  If you are searching for families in countries other than the United States, then visit the International Resources category.  There should be a category for you, whatever your needs.   If you have a new category which you would like to suggest, please feel free to email me.

Articles
These are weekly features written either by myself or a guest writer.  They are on current, up-to-the minute topics selected to appeal to a wide audience of genealogy enthusiasts.  I would like to gear these to the needs/desires of you, the user, so please email me if you have any topic suggestions.  The current weeks feature article will always be located as the top link under "In The Spotlight" on the Welcome page.  An archive of   previous articles is available by selecting Articles on the Navigation Bar at the top of each page.  I have also posted a list of upcoming articles so you can see what's in the works.  Please take a peek and let me know what you think!  I would love to hear your ideas and suggestions.

Below the feature article you'll find hand-picked resources from this site, this network, and around the Web. These are also updated weekly.

Quote of the Day
Each day I will post a new genealogically oriented quote, story, poem, epitaph, or tagline.  Visit each day for new inspiration and/or check out the archives for past quotes orgainzed by date or category.

Stellar Sites
If you have a great personal genealogy Web page - and I mean outstanding - then submit it here for review.  I am looking for ones that show dedication and creativity in the preservation of family history.  The best of the sites I look at will be included on this site and will receive an award to display on their site.

More Genealogy
Here you will find links to some of the most requested pages on this site, including a fun genealogy quiz, as well as topics I am working on for upcoming feature articles.

Chat - Weekly chats are scheduled at a variety of times. Genealogy enthusiasts can get together at these for a fun, informative time. Bring your questions or share your knowledge. Or just stop by to laugh and have fun with a group of community members who share your love for family history.. The current chat schedule is available from the Chat entry page. Other times/days can be scheduled at your request. Do you have a specific topic that interests you?  A chat can be scheduled for that as well.  If you are an expert in a given area and would like to host a chat I would love to hear from you!  Chat is available from the Navigation Bar at the top of every page or the Community section of the Welcome Page.  It is simple to use, even for a beginner.  Just choose your username (no password is required), type what you want to say into the box and hit "Enter".  See, you are a pro already!

Guide Bio - This is background information on yours truly for anyone who might be interested.  Guide Bio is available from the Navigation Bar at the top of every page.

Email - I can be contacted through my Email / FAQ page. This page can be accessed by clicking on my name at the top of every page. Please be sure to read the Frequently Asked Questions before contacting me to make sure that someone else hasn't already asked your question. I look forward to hearing from each and every one of you!

I hope you have found this tour to be of help.  Genealogy is a big site loaded with lots of information, so be sure to bookmark it and return regularly to see what is new. In addition to visiting this About.com site, I encourage you to visit other sites in this Home/Family Channel that might interest you, and to visit the About.com home page for a complete listing of over 700 topics!

Thanks again for visiting.  Hope to see you here often!