19 July 2007

Genealogy Chats & Forums, Part 1

I am going to start a series of posts discussing genealogy chat rooms and forums. Today I will list a few that I know about, but if any of you know about any I'm missing please let me know so I can add them to the list.

It's always helpful to have a place to go and bounce ideas off of other people. It's amazing at the little suggestions people have given me when I'm stumped that have opened the flood gates once again on a family with so much more to find.

A Genealogy Experience
"It's not just genealogy its an Experience!"

Boy isn't that true. I think many of us started doing genealogy for a reason. Maybe it was for medical history, to find adopted parents, curiosity, because it was your duty, and so many more reason. But in the end I think we keep doing it because of the experience. It's a one of a kind experience. It's addicting. Once you find one piece of the puzzle you can't stop looking for more pieces. It's like a computer game that you just can't quit playing until you've beat it.

This group helps make that experience great. In the evening the room actually gets quite full with lots of people looking for information, but even more willing to help you find it and share information with you. I was in there one night when two gals discovered they were cousins. It's a great feeling.

This group also has scheduled chats based on geographical location or topic. Just check out their calendar and write it on yours. Then come join the chat.

You will need a passport account to get it, but if you don't have one the site will walk you through it to get signed up.

Come join. This is a great group of fellow researchers.

Genealogy.com Chat

This is another big group. Again it gets busiest in the evening, but you might also find some of us on during the day. Pretty much a great group just like the group above. They are always willing to help each other out.

One night I was on there really late. I think it was about midnight for me. Since my hubby drives truck for a living that isn't unusual. I had been researching a part of a friends family in the south. I don't remember the state now. I had no luck finding anything more. So the group started asking me what I had search, websites and records. They knew that I was a stay at home mom and just unable to travel. So after we talked for a while they started throwing websites my way that I could search for more records. Low and behold if I didn't find more records on the family in land records.

You will need to create an account at Genealogy.com, but you don't need to purchase a subscription. If you have trouble with getting in the room there is a drop down box to choose your preferred chat client. It has a default, but sometimes may not be right for your computer. I always have to set mine to JavaLite.

GenealogyForum.com

This one is often empty in the main room through the middle of the day. But what I really like about this room is their different rooms of chat topics. You can join rooms that are based on Irish, Canadian, Main, General Genealogy and so much more. If you have another topic to add, I'm sure you can contact them and schedule another time for your subject.

Looking4Kin

This one is rather new and a bit slow for the moment, but maybe we can get them up and going. Again if you have family you want to chat with on all your research to compare your notes. Drag them all here. Chat live about your family.

Or maybe you are a part of a genealogy society and all of you want is a way to chat and discuss genealogy online. Come here. Others will start to join and before you know it we'll have a full room!

I'm sure there are many other chat rooms and live forums out there that I don't know about. So please post them here so I can add them to the list and even check them out myself.



1 comment:

Unknown said...

Thank you for mentioning Looking 4 Kin Genealogy Links & Chat

We welcome all with a serious interest in genealogy to join us.

We are looking for room monitors and assistants. If you enjoy helping others, are willing to promote Looking 4 Kin, and have some free time to spend in the room please let me know.

Please drop in and give us a try

Thanks again

Just_M

http://www.looking4kin.com/

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