Genealogy Reviews Online

24/7 Family History Circle

Here you have a blog reviewing another blog…it kind of sounds like one of those movies or plays where actors play the parts of actors. I want to say up front that I like  24/7 Family History Circle which is produced by Ancestry.com.  I guess I like it because it’s free – well, it’s free if you are not a subscriber to Ancestry. I already get access to most of the articles by way of my World Annual Deluxe subscription that costs $347.40. Now, I’m not saying this is a bad thing because most of these articles are very good. It seems, however, that 24/7 Family History Circle is more of a marketing effort to boost subscriptions rather then to provide a free service or unique content.

Il Circolo Calabrese

Il Circolo Calabrese (also known as ICC) is probably the warmest and most welcoming community on the Internet. When I say “community”, I really mean it. While the site is run by Bill Girimonti all the way from New Zealand, it’s really a community made up of almost 1000 members who are passionate about their Calabrian heritage and make it a wonderful experience every time you visit.

I imagine that most people join ICC looking for genealogy resources – I know that’s why I joined. While genealogy is a major attraction, there’s so much more on this website. You can learn about all aspects of the culture: history, language, food, music, poetry, proverbs, and traditions that most people with a Calabrian family history would recognize. In addition there are databases for surnames and towns where you can find members who have similar interests…there’s even a database for Calabrian verbs. The site also has a form letter section where you plug in what you are looking for and out comes a letter in Italian.

Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter

I’m an Internet junkie – especially when it comes to genealogy.  However, I’m  probably one of the few people who had never heard of Dick Eastman until a couple of months ago. I was searching on a subject in Google and got a hit that took me to Ancestry.com. It was there that I found a bunch of old newsletters of his and started reading. Then I discovered that not only was this newsletter on Ancestry.com, but that Eastman produces daily articles that can be delivered right to your inbox. Now I’m hooked.

Family Tree DNA - Is it Worth the Price?

I had been reading a lot about using DNA testing as a part of genealogy research for sometime, and my curiosity finally got the best of me. I decided to take the plunge, but found that there are many choices out there. After surveying (not a scientific survey by any means) a number of DNA testing sites on the Web, I just kind of closed my eyes and picked. The site I picked to give my money to was Family Tree DNA. I really don’t know if they are any better then the others, but I did discover that they currently have the largest database in the business – their website says that as of January 29, 2007 they have 127000 records.

Welcome to my Blog!

The focus of my little corner of the Internet is to provide reviews of online resources, books, and software devoted to genealogy research. I’m an amateur genealogist and have no advanced degree or certifications in the field. I’ve spent the last 4 years stumbling around the web looking for genealogy focused websites and, through trial and error, have found many locations that are very helpful…and some that are not so helpful. I figure I might as well share my adventures – and hopefully my observations will be of some use.