Linda McMeniman October 2009 1

Genealogy Message Boards

Online "bulletin boards" -- You can read queries and post replies or questions about people (surname boards), places,(location boards) or type of resource (cemeteries, DAR, etc.)

Ancestry >

RootsWebv

< Genforum

How to find ANCESTRY Message Boards

< Ancestry Library Edition "All databases" page

Near the bottom of the database menu along the right side, find Message BoardsV

Go anytime to read archived messages

Linda McMeniman October 2009 2

Ancestry Message Boards

Ancestry took over the message boards started at RootsWeb.

Like USGenWeb & WorldGenWeb, RootsWeb is an umbrella site maintained by volunteers for the sharing of genealogical information.

Ancestry Message Boards are the same as RootsWeb Message Boards in content. BUT

In Ancestry Library Edition the message boards are read-only.Sometimes posters provide an email so you can write to them invidually--but you can not post as a Lib Ed user.

RootsWeb message boards: A different portal to the same message boards, one that offers you free, full use as a reader and poster.

How to find the RootsWeb version ofthe message boards:

# 1, Go to RootsWeb home pagehttp://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/

Click on Message BoardsOR, # 2,

Go directly to the RootsWeb message board page:

http://boards.rootsweb.com

Linda McMeniman October 2009 3

RootsWeb Message Board Page

Search:• Free, no registration

required• This box searches all posts

on entire site = possibility of hundreds of hits

• "John Smith" in quotes finds posts in which both words appear, not necessarily together!

INSTEAD!Find a Board:

Surname or Location

<--Type in a surname,or choose a letter to find surnames

A NOTE aboutMAILING LISTS

These are email "bulletin boards."Posts are sent automatically to subscribers and also are archived.

RootsWeb mailing lists contain all the posts put up on the Ancestry/RootsWeb Message Boards.BUT emails sent to the Mailing Lists are NOT put on the Message Boards.

Mailing list archives are the most complete record of conversations

Linda McMeniman October 2009 4

Search page, cont.At the bottom of the Rootsweb home page you can browse for boards:

U.S.--There is a board for every county in US + additional boards in a state for unique events, regions, etc.

Advantages of registering as RootsWeb user:Be allowed to post messages & Build a list of favorite boards

Easily find newest posts

Linda McMeniman October 2009 5

Surname Message Board

Recommendation

Search within one board and get more relevant hits.

Default is to "search allboards." Instead, click on button to search one board at a time unless your target has a very distinctive name.

Message Board Post Example To reply you must be registered (free)

Poster may keep identity & email address private.

To contact someone with a private email, you must be an Ancestry subscriber (even though this is the "RootsWeb"message board.)

• Responders may provide family details, may even be co-descendants

• Some board participants own resources such as family genealogies or records books for a locality and offer to do look-ups

Linda McMeniman October 2009 6

BUT: Rootsweb posts are searched by Google and other search engines

To find out if a person you are researching is mentioned in RW boards, do a Google search for the person using "first + last name" in quotes format

Advanced Search still doesn't let you link first and last names!

GenForum, another message board sitehttp://genforum.genealogy.com

Simliar to Rootswebmessage boards

• Free• Registration

option: Post, reply• Keep list of your

frequently visited boards "My GenForum”

Also owned by Ancestry!