Previously, we asked you to share how the Internet or e-mail
has helped you. We received
more wonderful and intriguing responses and have included
several in this column. Watch for
other stories in months to come.
From Jim:
When I began researching
my genealogy about nine years ago, I didn't know there
were genealogy programs
available, even though I had been a programmer since the
mid-sixties. I spent lots
of time in the Federal Archives, Mormon Family History
Centers, and libraries looking
for links to my family. Unlike most, I didn't try to
research all my family lines
-- just the Lees on my mother's side. I began with 12
names, only 10 of which
were correct, and the list grew very slowly.
After about a year, I discovered
the NGC (National Genealogical Conference), a free
genealogy-only Bulletin
Board Service. I made contact with many people, and added
many names to my list.
Mostly due to the Internet,
I am now the second largest source of Lee data in the
World (outdone only by the
Mormon Church!). I have over 24,000 Lee-related
names on file, with over
8,000 of them being "my" Lees.
When you consider that some
people have been researching for 20-30 years and have
a list of perhaps 1,000-2,000
names, while I have over 24,000, you can see that the
Internet makes quite a difference.
