Genealogy 2.0 sites use advanced social computing and networking technologies like wikis, RSS, mapping, and online family tree building to help people connect with family members and other researchers - sort of MySpace or Facebook for families. This list highlights many large, popular genealogy 2.0 sites, such as Geni.com and Amiglia, as well as other lesser-known sites from around the world.
MyHeritage got off to a rousing start in 2005 due to a buzz over its facial-recognition tool that compares an uploaded photograph of an individual with photos of celebrities. Yet the robust site offers muh more than just gimmicks, including family tree building, family calendars, and Smart Matching technology (thanks to their merger with Pearl Street Software/GenCircles.com), which allows the service to compare family trees for overlap. Th Israeli-based site also offers a robust, free genealogy metasearch engine, and is available in 17 languages. No wonder it's the second most trafficed genealogy company on the Web after the Generations Network according to Comscore.
Launched in January 2007, Geni.com has attracted a lot of interest, receiving nearly $11.5 million in venture capital, and registering nearly 1 million users. It's primary focus is connecting family, allowing you to easily create a family tree and invite other family members to join you. Each individual in the tree has a profile; family members can work together to build profiles for common ancestors. Other features include a Family Calender, an editable Family Timeline and a Family News feature which highlights new additions and upcoming events from sites within a user's Family Group. In coming months they also plan to introduce a family-tree widget that can be embedded into other Web sites (such as your own personal family page).
Family trees and photo albums combine in this fun genealogy 2.0 site - think Flickr meets Facebook. The site is designed around families, so there is also a family calendar, and even some fun games for the little ones. You can even link your photo album to others in your family network so everyone automatically gets your newest photos when you upload them - and you get theirs. The family tree is also a nice touch, although this site is more geared toward connecting living family members than researching your family history. Due to the high cost of hosting online photos and videos, Amiglia is a subscription-based site.
This free, public service genealogy Wiki (Wikipedia is type of Wiki) allows you to create a profile to tell others about your research interests, to receive and respond to emails from other users without publishing your email address, to create online family trees and personal research pages, and to collaborate with other users. The service is completely free, thanks to the Foundation for Online Genealogy, Inc. and the Allen County Public Library, and very easy to use. But if you're looking for a private family Web site option, WeRelate isn't the place for you.
Paul Allen left Ancestry.com in 2002 to try a new approach to online genealogy - and is seeing it grow at World Vital Records. The free online family tree component of this service, known as FamilyLink, focuses on connecting genealogy researchers with other genealogy researchers. You can browse by city or country to view uploaded photos of that city and the names of FamilyLink registered genealogists who live there or have experience doing research there. If they are online you can IM them or Skype them. If they are offline, you can send them a message. You can also give them permission to view your uploaded family tree so they can offer help and suggestions. How cool is that?
MyFamily was one of the first online family genealogy communities on the Web, launching in 1998. The new MyFamily 2.0 version allow families to share photos, news and events for free. You can upload photos and then use them to create fun things like photo books, family photo calendars, and narrated slide shows. Family members can use a special toll-free phone number to record family stories and memories for sharing on your MyFamily site. The basic site with unlimited storage space (100MB per member per month of uploads) and content backup protection is free. Subscription options offer extra features such as customizable templates and themes, a custom domain, and up to 10GB per month of new photo and file uploads per member.
Family history is about so much more than family tree charts and GEDCOM files. This is where Story of My Life fits in, offering a unique way to preserve your life memories (or those of your relatives or ancestors) through writings, pictures, videos and voice recordings and leave a legacy for future generations. Stories can be made private, or available only to people that you designate, if you wish. This non-profit foundation vows to "keep your story forever," although the permanent storage option comes with a reasonable price tag. A basic free story service is also available with 250MB space, which will remain accessible as long as your account is active.
The collaborative family tree feature on the free Famiva social networking site makes it easy for you and your family members to build a family tree together, complete with profiles and photos. You can also upload, organize and share family photos; share family news, events, stories and recipes; and create family maps. The interface is simple, but the service is free with unlimited storage.
This DNA-enabled family history sharing Web site integrates genetic genealogy with digital media software - sort of a DNA Facebook. Online software allows families to build and collaborate on family trees, as well as to share digital videos, photos and memories. The site also offers a genealogy DNA testing service, and notifies you of a DNA connection with others in the database, providing the opportunity to make a connection with that individual if you wish. Alternatively, you can enter mtDNA test results obtained from another testing lab. The site is still in beta and has a lot of growing to do, but looks very promising so far.
