Spacebar Scrolling
Most of us are happy to use the up and down arrows that allow us to scroll through a webpage, as the up and down arrows on a keyboard are not that conveniently located. One alternative method is so easy I am amazed it took me so long to use it. To scroll down a page you simply hold the Spacebar down .To scroll up, press Sift and tap the Spacebar. This saves lots of time, as you don’t have to take your hand off the keyboard. Give it a try!

Control Key Zooming
How often do you find yourself squinting at a map, image document, or historical photograph that you come across online? Believe it or not there is a simple shortcut solution that can help you to quickly zoom in and out of an image so that it is the optimal size for your viewing.

You simple hold the Control (Ctrl) key while tapping the Plus (+) or Minus (-) key. You can do this for an entire webpage to make the fonts bigger or smaller as well. If you are using a Mac, the Command (Cmd) key combined with the Plus and Minus keys does the same

If you want to return the page to its original size, simply substitute the Zero (0) key for the Plus or Minus on both PC and Mac.

Tip: On a laptop keyboard, you most likely don’t need to hold the Shift key to access the Minus and Plus keys when performing this shortcut.

Ctrl F for Find
If you are searching for a particular word on a website that contains lots of text, it can be time consuming reading or scanning through it all to find the word or name you’re looking for. Many use the find feature located in the toolbar of most browsers, however a simple keyboard shortcut is to press the Ctrl (Ctrl) key on a PC or the Command (Cmd) on a Mac and hold down the F key. This will bring up the Search Bar, and you can simply type in the word you are looking for.

Alt V for Full Screen Viewing
This feature can vary between browsers, but it is possible to sometimes temporarily eliminate the Search Bar or Menu in order to view a large image that doesn’t completely fit on the screen. You can suppress the Alt tab on a PC while pressing the V or F key (depending on the browser) or Control and Command and T on a Mac.

Tip: On a PC you can sometimes use the F11 key, depending on whether the browser you’re using supports that option. To get out of Full Screen mode simply press the Escape (Esc) key.

To Reopen a Webpage
When a webpage closes accidently when you are in the middle of your research, it can be quite irritating. Most of all, having to then go into your history to search for it and reopen it from there can be time consuming. Depending on the browser you’re using, you may be able to quickly reopen the page by using Ctrl and Shift and T on a PC, and Command and Shift and T on a Mac.

There are literally hundreds of keyboard shortcuts that you can use to speed up your online experience. The above are simple ones that you may find quite useful on a daily basis. If you’d like to learn more about keyboard shortcuts that you can utilize, the links below will take you to a comprehensive listing for each of the corresponding browsers.

• Apple Safari
• Internet Explorer
• Google Chrome
• Firefox

Your Publishing Options
The choice of how to publish your family history online really rests between two options; creating your own website, or submitting your pedigree to an online database. Each has its own benefits, and if you have the technical skills, creating your own website can be fun and fulfilling. But not everyone has the technical knowledge necessary or the aptitude to create their own website, for them submitting their pedigree to a database might be a better choice. Let’s have a quick look at the advantages and disadvantages of both options.

Submitting to an Online Pedigree Database
This is a very fast way of getting your pedigree published online, and will also gain your pedigree exposure to a wide audience. There is a constant flow of visitors to these websites and it is a great way to make genealogical contacts as well. On the other hand, because your data will be held in a database that is only searchable through the particular website hosting it, your information will not be available to anyone making a general search of the internet. Your data can only be searched on the website hosting it, and with their search facilities. Also, your ability to add any new material that you may obtain from sources outside your existing database will be limited or in some cases impossible.

There is also the possibility that you may need to give up some of the rights of ownership of your material, so make sure if submitting to a pedigree database that you thoroughly read their terms and conditions. For no reason should you allow the disadvantages of submitting to a pedigree database to dissuade you from using that method. As long as you are clear on the terms and conditions it is an effective way to publish your family tree. But, you may want to consider building your own website as well.

Your Own Website
This option may be a bit intimidating if you don’t have the technical knowledge or time to invest in it, but there are certain advantages to going this route. They are:

• Submitting your data to your own site is almost as easy as submitting it to an online database
• You are able to material from outside sources
• You can add your own images and scanned documents
• Your pedigree can be found by anybody searching the internet for information on your pedigree
• You maintain complete ownership rights to your material

Building your own website is very muck akin to creating a picture of your life online. You can do it at as leisurely or as fast a pace as you want, and also make it as detailed as you desire. There are a few issues to be aware of however, when building and publishing your own site. The first is; if you build your website of free web space by one provider and later switch to another, you’ll have to inform all of the search engines and anyone who has linked to your site. This could get a bit messy and complicated, so consider your options carefully. You’ll also need to learn how to create web pages if you want to add additional information rather than just displaying your family tree. It’s worth the effort however, and once you’ve learned you can create a website that is both informative and attractive.

Building your own website is the way to go if you want to share your information with other genealogists. After all, that is how most of the information is displayed on the internet. Whichever option you decide to go with, one thing to be careful of is posting information about living people. Even though they are your relatives, privacy issues are involved and you’ll want to have permission in writing form any living relatives you share info on.

Finding Records fast

You can begin finding ancestry records online in no time at FamilySearch.org. They maintain the largest collection of ancestral records in the world. Their collection currently holds over 6 billion records and is growing daily. FamilySearch is run by the Mormon Church (LDS), and is an excellent starting point for anyone tracing their family history. In addition to their massive record collection, they also give excellent advice on how to access them, interpret them, and request copies of them from the various repositories. Their collection is of the highest calibre, and it is recommended you register with them to take full advantage of the superb resources they offer – all for free!

Pick an Ancestor to Search 

The first step to even finding an ancestor is to select one to search for. If you know the name of any relatives who are deceased, choose one that passed away before 1940, as they are the easiest records to find. Some records after that date have not been added to the online databases yet. If you don’t know the name of any ancestors ask other family members to choose one for you. If you can, ask for their date and place of birth or death as well, but don’t worry if you they don’t have that information. A name is enough to start off with, as discovering those other things about your ancestor such as their place of birth, where they lived, or when and where they died, is all part of the fun and challenge of genealogy.

Learn More About How to Search Genealogy Online at Obituarieshelp.org

The genealogy section right here at Obituarieshelp.org has tons of information and advice about how to research genealogy online. Our genealogy pages are chock full of resources with everything from Free Printable Blank Family Trees and Genealogy Forms, to instructional and informative articles about how to research every type of genealogy record.

The best thing about the genealogy resources at Obituarieshelp.org is that they are genuinely free. There is no registration involved, no hidden fees, and absolutely no obligation of any kind. We pride ourselves on being a genuinely free provider of quality genealogy resources, though if you like you can subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to find out about any new free resources we discover, and regularly access award winning content from experts in the field of genealogy.

Joey Robinson and Theresa Coggins love to spend their time adding to genealogy indexes. They spend hour upon hour indexing at least three days per week, and often imagine the stories behind the names they encounter. They are much like the many volunteers who donate their time and energy to organizations like the LDS FamilySearch.org, but they differ in that they perform their work from behind bars at the Weber County Correctional facility in Ogden, Utah.

In conjunction with the LDS church, the corrections facility implemented the program about 6 months ago, and it has been so successful that there are plans to extend it to every county jail in the state of Utah.

The initiative was begun by Ogden East Stake President Reed Richards a few emeritus Seventies in the area after holding meetings with those members from the LDS branch at the Utah State Prison. “The state prison is the largest extractor in the world. The inmates don’t have a lot going on, and this gives them purpose,” Richards said.

The Ogden East Stake (administrative unit composed of multiple congregations in the area) included the LDS branch in the Weber County Correctional Facility, so Richards was convinced the success at state level could transfer to the local level — and he was dead on.

The indexing program is run by twelve service missionaries from the stake, which holds two or three sessions composed of women and men every week. There is so much interest from inmates who want to get involved that sessions will soon be increased to twice daily, five days a week.

Seventeen laptops were donated by the LDS Church, and the jail subscribed to an internet provider in order to give inmates access to the databases. It took some time as the internet had to be set up, so that the inmates couldn’t visit any other websites, but it was managed, and the program is in full flow.

The inmates thoroughly enjoy the work. “I enjoy computer work, and I know we are helping someone,” Theresa Coggins said as she adroitly inspected data on her computer screen. “My mom is really into genealogy. I’m a federal inmate, so I have a lot of time here to do this.”

Coggins listed reason after reason that performing the indexing is a positive endeavor. Not only does it provide inmates with an opportunity to use their brains, but they acquire computer skills they can utilize upon their release. The situation is really a win-win-win one; for the inmates, the LDS, and genealogists like ourselves. It has given many of the inmates a sense of purpose, and accelerated the creation of the genealogy databases available at Family Search.

An added bonus of the program is that many of the inmates develop a genuine interest in and passion for the work, and continue after they get out. The prison staff also benefit as well, as the inmates stay busy and out of trouble. According to Weber County Sheriff’s Sgt. Joe Porter, “We like to keep the inmates busy. The busier we keep them, the easier they are to manage,” he said.

The indexing has helped many of the inmates to develop a greater appreciation of family and its importance in our lives. Some have reconnected and even mended broken relationships since they begun the work. That of course is understandable; as every genealogist experiences the same appreciation of family once they begin to discover their past. The great thing of course is that even more records will become available online for future genealogists, and that can’t be a bad thing at all!

The collection includes:

• Griffith’s Valuation – A collection of over two and a half million property records from Ireland covering the period 1847 – 1864.
• The Tithe Applotment Books – Contains over 600,000 records of land holders who paid a tax in the form of a tithe to the Church of Ireland (regardless of religious affiliation) between 1824 and 1837. Details of property acreage, names of tenants and land owners, and the amount of their tithe are included.
• Ordnance Survey Maps – The very first maps detailing Ireland during the peak of the Great Famine from 1824 – 1846.
• The Lawrence Collection – Contains twenty thousand images and photos from the albums of William Lawrence and cover the entire country from east too west and north to south.

The collection which can be viewed at Ancestry.com is comprehensive and cross-referenced so that subject matter such as photographs and other records can be viewed in relation to specific names. Some of the data regarding famous personalities that can be viewed is:

• John F. Kennedy’s great-grandfather Patrick Kennedy rented a home in County Wexford.
• President Obama’s great-grandfather Fulmuth Donavan was living in Tipperary in 1829.
• Conan O’Brien’s great-grandfather Daniel O’Brien had both a residence and a business in County Limerick.
• The great-grandfather of Walt Disney – Arundel Disney – had several residences in Kilkenny and Rathbeagh in County Kilkenny and Clone in County Tipperary.

These records are especially useful to genealogist searching their Irish ancestry as they may provide the earliest records of their ancestors which can be used to trace forward to establish current connections. Nearly 100 million people around the world claim Irish ancestry, and this collection is a valuable resource for those doing so. Why not read some of our informative articles on tracing your Irish ancestry in our section for Searching Ancestors to get started in tracing your own Irish ancestors.

If you were not already aware, I am a big fan of gathering, providing, and attempting to understand historical context of genealogical events and activities.  I believe, very strongly, that context helps place family decisions in a more realistic light. And videos, when done well provide visual, audio and even textual context.  They are simply wonderful.

In order to provide a personal anecdote (story) I would share the following:

My mother grew up in Nazi Germany.  Her family home, farm and possessions were lost to Poland as part of the Allied Ethnic Cleansing of Eastern Europe following the victory over Germany. Because my grandmother was sent to a Soviet Gulag, my grandfather was forced into Russian servitude, my uncle was in British captivity and my mother was in the American Zone… I never received or saw images of their loss, expulsion, or imprisonments.  I can assure you each event was important but all I ever had was small verbal acknowledgments of the facts and few tellings of the stories along with no images.

As a result, I have been searching and gathering images and stories of the time.  American, German and all western history tends to gloss over the time frame, circumstances and events- but not YouTube.  I have found a wealth of videos. Naturally, many are disturbing.  However, many are very informative.  I have a much better idea of the time, place and circumstances of my families post-WW2 life and events.  I have been able to build a context that otherwise I would never have attained.

Here are a few examples:

• http://www.many-roads.com/2010/11/30/der-zerstoerung-elbings-das-ende-1945/
• http://www.many-roads.com/2009/12/05/hansestadt-elbing-videos/

As I said at the outset… YouTube is a wonderful traditional source of genealogical information.  You never know what you might find there!

copyright 2010 Mark F. Rabideau – ManyRoads

I asked Miriam these questions:

This is what Miriam had to say when I asked her these questions:

What do you think the future can bring with regards to online genealogy research?

Anyone who has done genealogical research in the past ten years has seen many changes to the sources that are available, especially online ones. Universities, libraries, and state archives have been digitizing documents and microfilms used in genealogy at an incredible rate! I believe that this will only increase in the future. As the cost of digital scanners decreases, we’ll see more and more small libraries and institutions being able to digitize and put their collections online as well. These will include items like those found in vertical files, newspaper clippings, and obituaries.

What online tools do you use to research your genealogy and why?

My main tool for researching online resources is Google. It’s simple and easy to use, especially once you learn the different search tips and operators. It’s important to remember, though, that Google and other search engines cannot search what is known as the “deep web,” those sources, images, and texts found in many online databases. However, you can use your favorite search engine to find the databases themselves. For instance, using Google I may not be able to locate letters written by an ancestor that are now located in a state archive online collection, but I can find the archive using the search engine.

What is your general opinion of the advantages and/or disadvantages of using some of these online research tools?

It’s also important to remember as we do more and more online research that not everything is available on the Internet, nor will everything someday be there. Private holdings, including items like your own personal family history collection likely will not be digitized for others to view. It’s important to remember to use courthouses, libraries, archives, and other offline repositories to find the information you need. We live in exciting, amazing technological times; with resources our predecessors could only dream about!

Other Guest Posts About Online Genealogy You Might be Interested In:

Joan Miller: Passionate Genealogist

Craig Manson’s Genealogy Motto: Learn, Share, Enjoy, Appreciate

Gena Philibert Ortega: Professional Genealogist

This is what Gena had to say when I asked her these questions:

What do you think the future can bring with regards to online genealogy research?

Overall, the future will provide greater online access to photos and documents for family history researchers. I think we will see more genealogists using social networking tools to network with other researchers and family. I think that this will allow more photos and documents to be available as family historians upload these items to share on social network sites and on the internet.

I also think we will see more archives, museums and libraries digitizing their materials for easier access to researchers. This both benefits the repository so that they are able to preserve the item better, less people touching it, and allows researchers greater access.

What online tools do you use to research your genealogy and why?

I have subscriptions to several genealogy websites that I use regularly. I use these sites as a starting point to gather items about my ancestors. I also refer to state archive and library websites. I use WorldCat to find books and other materials I may need for research.

I am a big fan of Google, Google Books and Google Scholar. I use these sites regularly to find books and journal articles.

I use social networking sites like GenealogyWise (where I am the Community Manager), Facebook and Twitter. Facebook has been very helpful to me in contacting family members, asking them questions and having them help me identify old family photos.

What is your general opinion of the advantages and/or disadvantages of using some of these online research tools?

We are greatly blessed to have so many online tools at our hands. There is no comparison between how my grandmother worked on her genealogy more than 30 years ago and how I research today. But it’s important to remember that you cannot do all of your genealogy online. Genealogy is about going out and finding primary documents that tell the story of your ancestor’s life. It’s about interviewing family, seeking out home sources, visiting libraries, archives, churches, courthouses and museums. Compared to all that is available, the internet holds just a small portion of the information we need to do our family history research.

I also like to point out privacy issues to those that are on social networking sites. It’s important to be smart about what you post and reveal on a social networking site. Social networking is a tool and just like any tool you use for genealogy, it’s important to know how to use it and what the benefits and drawbacks are.

Other Guest Posts About Online Genealogy You Might be Interested In:

Joan Miller: Passionate Genealogist

Craig Manson’s Genealogy Motto: Learn, Share, Enjoy, Appreciate

Craig Manson runs a blog called GeneaBlogie and is the second Genealogist in this series of posts who replied with his opinions of online genealogy. Craig Manson has a diverse and varied ancestry that spans African American slaves, Native Americans and Colonial Settlers.

Craig Manson’s heritage is truly an American heritage and he chronicles his research on his blog. In my opinion, he is one of the foremost genealogists for American ancestry but he would tell you he is just researching his own ancestry and sharing what he learns along the way. Check out GeneaBlogie and see if you agree.

This is what Craig Manson had to say:

What do think the future can bring with regards to online genealogy research?

I think one thing that is coming is “person-centered” searching; that is, the ability to find and see records on an individual across many platforms. MyHeritage does something like that right now, but it needs refinement. I think two words that online providers are hearing are “content” and “collaboration.” Researchers want more of both, and I think they’ll get it.

What online tools do you use to research your genealogy and why?

I use a variety of online tools in my research. I use the large commercial providers like Ancestry.com and Footnote.com. I like these because of the two words I mentioned above: content and collaboration. Ancestry and Footnote both have great content and the ability to collobarate by contacting other researchers or by commenting and annotating records. I also use NewspaperArchive.com for its great content. That site was instrumental in my breaking a top sports news story about the first African-Ameican to drive in a NASCAR stock car event in 1955 (turns out it was my grand-uncle Elias Bowie).

I make great use of the online resources of various state archives. Missouri, Tennessee, Texas, and Georgia seem to have particularly good genealogical content online. There are several local libraries with superb content and for public records, several agencies of local government find me visiting often. Finally, I’m also a regular user of FamilySearch.org; there are records there to be found nowhere else online.
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What is your general opinion of the advantages and/or disadvantages of using some of these online research tools?

On balance, I think the advantages outweigh any disadvantages. One must keep in mind however that just because it’s on the Web doesn’t make something true or authentic. And, of course, most research is not online yet at all. So, it’s too early to give up on a good pair of research shoes and library specs!

I recently asked a few genealogists to comment on the following questions related to online genealogy research:

I was amazed by some of the answers I got back, and I can’t wait to share them with you! My first guest post is by Joan Miller, a passionate genealogist who enjoys sharing her research techniques with others through the use of genealogy social networking and interaction online. This is what Joan Miller had to say:

What do you think the future can bring with regards to online genealogy research?

I feel the future of online genealogy research will be about global community and helping each other. There is a dramatic increase of people writing genealogy blogs, twittering and creating Facebook pages.

These avenues produce results. For example, a blog post and subsequent twitter about your great grandparents or perhaps that brick wall surname can lead to connections that could give you fresh perspectives on where and how to research.

We will also see additions to the large genealogy databases, books and history resources on line. It is important to remember that online records represent only a small fraction of the resources available to the genealogy researcher and are only one part of the genealogical research process.

What online tools do you use to research your genealogy and why?

I subscribe to or have access to many of the large online paid genealogy databases through genealogical society memberships. I also own a genealogy blog called Luxegen Genealogy and Family History which produces connections on a regular basis. When I publish a post, my blog automatically sends a tweet to Twitter (which is indexed immediately in the search engines) and I can choose to have it update to my Facebook page. I also use Google’s Buzz. These online social networking tools have the potential of reaching many millions of people which can lead to family tree connections.

I also find it valuable to subscribe to other researcher’s blogs, newsletters and Facebook pages in order to make connections and gain valuable research insights from fellow genealogy researchers. There is a wealth of genealogy expertise being presented by both individuals and genealogical societies in the online world. Ask a question and you will be answered.

Other valuable tools that aid the sharing of genealogy techniques and tips online are podcasts and video.

What is your general opinion of the advantages and/or disadvantages of using some of these online research tools?

The advantages of using online genealogy tools are many. These include the convenience of researching on your own computer in the comfort of your own home. There are plethora of online databases and more information coming online daily.

We can reach a global genealogy audience quickly and efficiently through the power of social networking. And we may interest a younger generation in genealogy by using the social networking platforms that are part of their online realm.

The disadvantages are to be very aware that online databases represent only one small part of the genealogy research tool kit. Many millions of resources are still only available in paper held in remote churches, public archives and records offices.

It is also important to remember that online records had to be interpreted, indexed and recorded. We are only human and handwriting could be misinterpreted. When researching a surname online try every possible surname variation. Also be aware of the historical boundaries of counties, provinces, states and countries. Your ancestors may have been located in one county in one era and another county several years later due to boundary changes. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t find what you are looking for in the online databases. Try other resources and ask the online genealogy community for help.

This is not an comprehensive list of the online genealogy tools and their advantages and disadvantages but instead is a quick overview. I suggest you embrace the technology but understand the limitations.

Good luck in your research!

Joan Miller has been pursuing genealogy for approximately 20 years and enjoys sharing her research techniques with others through the use of genealogy social networking and interaction online. A published author with scientific, genealogy and photo journalism credits, she writes primarily about Canadian genealogy resources, news and views, including summaries of genealogy talks and meetings she has attended worldwide. She blogs at Luxegen Genealogy and Family History
and is on Twitter as @luxegen. Empty nesters, Joan and her husband (and their daughter’s cat) live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.