June 24, 1997
The Future?
Where is genealogical research heading? Are there things we should prepare for? Such are legitimate questions that deserve answers. Perhaps the answers can be found best by examining the movement of genealogical research from the past to the present.
Original genealogical research depends and relies heavily on requesting records with important data from government, business, or private collections. This is a process in which you search out which records would have the data you need, then discovering and doing whatever protocol is needed to obtain them, and finally to hope that results would occur. In the past, this primarily entailed asking for vital records from governmental agencies or cemeteries by mail or by actual visit. People began publishing their collections and genealogy (or family history) libraries began to form storing those collections as well as other records. These libraries began to be alternative sources of obtaining genealogical data, greatly simplifying the process of obtaining pertinent records. The computer age dawned and collections of genealogical data was transferred to electronic formats. Computers have simplified research even more as well as keep data in a more condensed format. We are now at the dawn of the Internet age, in which genealogical data is being transferred to online warehouses accessible by all.
Yes, yes, that is all true but what of the future? Evidently the trend seems to be greater simplification in obtaining necessary data, greater, faster, and wider access, better storage, and greater amounts of data being amassed in centralized collections. I expect to see relevant governmental records, censuses, newspaper archives, and cemetery records moved online, accessible by all. I expect mass genealogical archives to form on the Web, far beyond anything we see now. I expect to see interactive genealogical websites replacing our own personal genealogical software packages, allowing online users to put together their family trees, sort them, print them and store or export the collected data. I then expect to see websites linking all these resources together in a seamless fashion, in which you will do research, move relevant data to your personal records by a click of the mouse, print it for your own use and store it in a universal archive.
Groups would form from all over the world, working in conjunction on single family lines or individuals, able to see the others' discovery instantaneously since they would be accessing the same databases. These databases will not contain just names and dates but also pictures, movies, biographies, audio clips and much more. Eventually we may see virtual representations of ancestors within virtual reality, giving us the ability to see and hear them as they would have been in real life.
One thing that seems prevalent in the genealogical community is a willingness to share and help others. For many this is a labor of love as new cousins are discovered. Already we have the tools to build most of what I expect to see and already many are working on the beginnings of such endeavors. It would take but one volunteer Java programmer to make an online genealogical program available to all. The Java program would probably start out somewhat simple, but upgrades would be a simple matter without the cost of packaging, advertising and shipping. It would need to be able to import standardized GEDCOM files and to store all data in a universally accessible database. I believe that once the concept was seen that organizations would rally behind it, supplying necessary funding and support. It would grow as word spread, forcing genealogy software companies to quickly adapt (perhaps by offering their own online version) or surrender.
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World Genealogy Web Project
This began as an ambitious project to gather the records of various sources of Kentucky and to make them available on the web. Then it spread to include all the U.S. States, and finally the whole world. At this site you will find the broadest range of databases and records available on the Internet.
Cyndi's List
This is the web site to began your searches at. It is clearly organized into the various areas that research can be done, drawing on more then 11,000 links to provide a sort of crossroads of what you can use on the web.
The Genealogy Home Page
Great reference materials and wonderful links in a large spectrum of areas
Ancestry Search-the #1 Genealogy Site on the Internet
As the site puts it: "We specialize in providing genealogical information, books, techniques, and computer products to help you easily and efficiently find your ancestry." But the most exciting feature is the online searchable databases (i.e. U.S. Social Security Death Index)
Genealogical GEDCOM Server System
This is a database of GEDCOM files with over 6,000,000 names on file. You can have one free surname search done. If you submit a GEDCOM they will give you 2 months of access but after that they require $1 per month for their services. You submit a request by email and you get an extensive reply.
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Genealogy
