Genealogy via the internet is the second most popular use of the renowned World Wide Web. The innumerable resources you can access from the comfort of home have caused internet genealogy to become an incredibly popular research method, and is often the means by which new genealogists are first introduced to their family tree.

As a genealogist who began the search well before the www days, I must first remind the latest generation that the internet can never replace the value of an on-site search. However, if used well, the internet can provide unique advantages that complement the hands-on research and set modern genealogists up for great success.

It is not unusual for a genealogy veteran to snub internet genealogy. It is not necessarily because they avoid computers or technology, both of which have greatly aided genealogy research, but because the internet is an open forum for anyone to publish anything, accuracy often being an unaddressed afterthought.

Be wary of Internet sites that offer ancestor databases, even if they are free. Information in databases on popular sites can be full of errors and unproven information. Quantity is not quality. Seeing the same data repeated by multiple online contributors does not make a fact a fact. Erroneous family trees are often repeated over and over because users copy and republish inaccurate genealogies. You can visit these sites and note the information they provide, but be sure to do your own research to prove or disprove these leads.

The best genealogy sites provide images of original records, or documented transcriptions and abstracts of original records. Research published by individual genealogists should fully disclose sources or provide a way to contact the author so that data can be verified by you in your own search. No one is perfect. Publishing genealogy online is one way to allow errors to be discovered and corrected; researchers posting data on the internet should be prepared to review and answer questions about their material. Genealogy research is always ongoing and web sites are easy to revise.

The internet warnings administered, we can now look at the online advantages. Ancestors generally did not stay in one location all of their lives. They moved for land, work, education, marriage, and other opportunities. Through email and personal web sites genealogists can connect to relatives they have never known. Through national and county web sites created across the USA (even internationally), online birth, death, marriage, Census and military records, to name a few, can be accessed electronically, providing a chance to view records that would have otherwise required an extensive series of road trips.

Many web sites offer education and guidance. Familytreemagazine.com is an example. A free site that regularly provides articles and tips; you can also print free, blank forms to create family trees or record research. If you are interested in taking your genealogy to the next level you can visit www.bcgcertification.org to learn about becoming a certified genealogist.

A few unique sites that I like to visit offer great research opportunities. They are all free and easy to use.

raogk.com: Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness is one of the handiest sites out there. You can go in, search by state, then by county – and find yourself a volunteer in that location to look-up something for you. These volunteers charge only for copies or other research expenses and you can usually locate volunteers who will photograph tombstones or visit the courthouse or look-up an obituary on newspaper microfilm. If you are interested in returning the favor you can sign-up to be a volunteer yourself.

cindyslist.com: Thousands of genealogical links to web sites covering all areas of research. Links to useful sites in every state are also broken down by county. You can find just about any specific genealogy or related topic here. You can even submit your own genealogy web site to be added to the list!

www.vitalrec.com: This site provides links to the vital records offices in every state of the U.S. You can look-up addresses to county courthouses and to state offices. The forms needed to order records and the rules for each state are provided. Every state has their own policy, so check the rules before submitting research requests.

FindAGrave.com: Search graveyards all over the world. This site is made by users contributing tombstone inscriptions and photos, so not all cemeteries are listed or complete, but the site boasts over 5.3 million tombstones listed. Some graves also include pictures and bios of the person they represent.

www.abmc.gov: A military site with full searchable listings of soldiers buried or missing overseas. Site includes WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam. Worth searching if you have any relatives who were killed or missing during these wars.

carlisle-www.army.mil/usamhi/PhotoDB.html: Excellent site for locating Civil War photographs of specific individuals. You can search the site by name, military unit, etc. If you find someone you want a photo of follow the instructions to send an email to the Military History Institute. They will mail you a free photocopy of the picture. When you receive it you have the option of ordering a true photograph-quality print of the picture.

www.classyimage.com/dating.htm: Tips for dating photographs. Photos can tell a lot about your ancestors – identify them while you have living relatives who can help!

Locally, these are a few sites Greene County researchers should have bookmarked:

www.cornerstonegenealogy.com: This is the web site of the Cornerstone Genealogical Society, our local treasure. Visit the site for their hours, and then go in person to research. Their excellent collection extends to neighboring states and counties and the volunteers will help you search.

www.pa-roots.com/~greene/index.html: Lots of free, transcribed original records and a variety of local topics and links.

www.greeneconnections.com: My site! Featured projects include Green Mount cemetery, Waynesburg College Alumni 1852-1926 and an ongoing effort to archive old Greene County photos. I would love to hear from anyone interested in participating in any of these projects.