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Genealogy is a perfect hobby for those who are
interested to learn more about themselves and
their families. People are naturally curious
about their families and that is why they trace
family roots to satisfy their curiosities about
their ancestors, descendants and family
relationships. By tracking down family roots,
people learn more about their family history and
themselves. Another factor contributing to the
popularity of genealogy is the existence of the
Internet which makes it easier to track
long-lost relatives. As a result, genealogy has
become one of the fastest growing hobbies in the
world. However, there are several principles
that a novice genealogist needs to adhere to in
order to master genealogy. Novice genealogists
need to avoid the common mistake of focusing
their search on their rich and famous relatives
simply because they are easier to locate.
However, ordinary relatives should not be
underestimated as they might have interesting
tales to tell and could provide significant
clues in tracking both living relatives and dead
relatives. All have family stories to share.
A budding genealogist needs to verify family
stories as not all of these stories are
accurate. It
is a dangerous practice to accept all stories as
truths. The validity of these stories must be
checked with other family members. An
experienced genealogist would know whether the
story of granduncle Man who travelled the world
over in a steamer was a fact or just a tale. So
for each family story heard, it is essential to
check whether it is a fact or fiction.
An expert in genealogy knows it is important
to organise family facts properly. Information
needs to be organised and categorised to enable
more efficient research to bear fruitful
results. There is a need to invest in reliable
tools to record and organise files on
individuals, families and events more
efficiently. There are many genealogy programmes
available in the market such as Genealogy J,
Gramps and Family Historian which could help
budding genealogists organise their information.
It is wise to use appropriate genealogy software
which caters to unique family needs. In the
beginning, it is advisable to take advantage of
free trials offered by genealogy programmes
before purchasing them. Purchasing reliable
software enhances and refines the search for
family history.
Another good practice for beginner
genealogists is to use their living relatives as
links to discover unknown family histories and
mysteries. They should never underestimate the
powerful memories of living relatives. These
relatives could share information on deceased
family members and lead to the discovery of
other long-lost living relatives. It is also
good to bring along a voice recorder and a video
recorder to record interviews. Start talking to
parents and close relatives so that they can
recommend other relatives who could help in the
trace-back. It would not seem
foolish to
make this a family hobby as family members can
reach out further and help in obtaining
information.
Sharing findings with people online is
essential as
this could educate and assist people in looking
for long-lost relatives. Furthermore, people
could reveal new information about relatives.
Novice genealogists should not feel that
whatever they have is
insignificant. However, they should
be aware of privacy issues regarding information
about others. Respect the fact that some people
do not like sharing family details with others
publicly. It is important to remember not to
reveal any sensitive issues. Genealogy is an
exciting journey which lets people learn more
about themselves through family stories,
sacrifices and journeys. |
