Genealogy: History becomes virtual

Faces stare back at you from across decades. Names written and recorded for generations to read. Traveling to far away places you've only heard of, only to know that somewhere, a small part of you, originated there. Miracles of modern technology, yes, but so much more. The virtual reality that is now genealogy research.

Years ago, when I first began researching my families surnames, it was labor intensive to say the least. Summers spent traveling to courthouses, libraries and churches was exhausting, time consuming and costly. However, with the invention and localization of the World Wide Web, virtual information is at your finger tips 24 hours a day. What used to required being on location from 9am-5pm in some stale, stuffy records room can now be accomplished from home, in your pjs at 2 in the morning. Got to love the internet!

Genealogy hosting sites sprung up over night and what once was only available to professional is now open to the average Joe. Sites such as Ancestry.com, GenForum and World Family Tree began to post ads on websites and EVERY one was now interested in genealogy. Most states began to offer record listings through GenWeb and other databases. Even the Church of Latter Day Saints went on web and offers a semi-free search application for genealogy in cooperation with some of the bigger hosting sites. Fortunately, or unfortunately, genealogy became big business.

Most amazing to me, to look into the eyes of a relative from generations ago. See an expression of yourself, a trait you could not figure out how you acquired, see the face of your brother, child, grandchild in a photograph from the 1800s. To travel to places of origin for the surname that you have just searched, with one mouse click. To look at the rolling green hills of Ireland, after finding a great-great-great grandfather who was born there. To see the headstone of your great-grandmother and read the inscription and never leave your living room. While nothing can take the place of actually being there, until you can venture to these places, through the help of other genealogy enthusiasts, you can catch glimpses of the past, in the present.

Family reunions are now a thing of the past, people can hardly get together with immediate family in this day and age. Finding a social network dedicated to genealogy was an exciting discovery and one that I am anxious to explore. I am looking forward to finding my virtual cousins and becoming acquainted. Thanks to WWW, we may all be one, big family after all!