One of the best resources that we have today, with the advent of the internet, is the chance to connect online, not only with family members, but also with others who might be able to help us in our search. Genealogy Forums are among the best way to meet people who may be able to help you with your research and people with whom you may connect on the way to collecting your own personal family data.

There are a few common sense things that we need to do to assure that we get all the help we can, and that those we ask are able to assist us in our searches. Using a forum has a few rules and in fact a few bits of etiquette that will serve you well when using them, but more than this, its important to be able to put the data you’re seeking in the right place and use the right format or set up so that its easy to view and  doesn’t have to be sifted through to find out exactly waht yo’ure asking or looking for.

One of the most heinous posts I ever came across on a gen forum, was one that sounded interesting and I”d have loved to help research if I’d actually been able to glean any real information from what was posted there. The trouble was that the mishmash of information that I found there was bordering on rambling and I wasn’t sure how to decipher it all and make sense of it..

It was written in this fashion– and I will apologize in advance in case that post was yours–

“I am looking for anyone in my family. My name is ~~~~ Davis, and I’m from Nebraska. I don’t know anything about where the rest of my family is from , but I think maybe they were from Nebraska too. My mothers name was Lydia (no maiden name here) and my fathers name is Frank. My father died when I was young and my mother died just a few months ago. He was from somewhere in Nebraska, and thinks he lived here all his life. I haven’t met many of my relatives but I have an aunt called Davida (again, no last name, no mention if this was a mother or a fathers sibling) and if anyone can help me, I’d like to get in touch with some of my cousins or family members that I remember from a child”

Now while this is a poignant request from a woman who would love to find some living relatives, as you can see, its just not all that helpful. To assist with that request you would need to assume that fathers name was Frank Davis, find his date of death, which will be a bit of an effort since the woman gave us no indication of how old she was, h ow old HE was when he died or any idea how old she is now.. so.. to begin we’d have to search out Frank Davis date of death, find the right city near to this woman,  get a death certificate,  then find a mention of his birth, then from that find his parents name, and then start digging a bit more..    A LOT of work when someo of it could have been avoided.

When you’re asking for assistance on the board of a gen site, be clear and concise about what you know, even if its not much. Lay it out for them so that you’re comfortable that you’ve done the best you can with what you’v e got to work with, and given them as much information as you possible can.

One great format to do that is this:Take the information that you have and lay it out so that its easy to read.

For example:

I am seeking information on the family of Frank Davis of Somecity Nebraska.  He died approximately twenty years ago, and would have been fifty years of age at the time of his death. He was married to Lydia (maiden name) Davis, who was also from Nebraska. Lydia had one sister, Davida, who never married. I’m uncertain of the date of her death.  (also give any other information that you may have–i.e. Franks fathers name was Jeffrey.. etc..    each tiny tidbit of info that you can provide may be just the thing that someone else is seeking out. Who knows whether your reader has googled the name Frank Davis, looking for her long lost uncle and you can compare notes.

Make sure that you are courteous and polite to the members of the forum and don’t forget to say thank you. Even if they haven’t helped you, they are trying. Do your best to treat them as you’d like to be treated.

Happy Hunting.

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