A Blend of Facebook & FamilySearch Sites

Social networking using a computer, tablet, iphone, etc. is the fastest method to connect with people from around the globe.  If you want to link up with people in an ancestral home country, the FamilySearch has made it very easy for you to do so.

When doing family history research, you look for surnames, but you also check in depth where a relative lived, the country, the state, their hometown. Using the special set up of social communities across the world set up by FamilySearch you can have instant access to regional databases and people also interested in the same location.

Click on the site done by FamilySearch and they have a very complete listing of places anywhere in the world. It is all in alphabetical order based on regions such as Asia, Europe, North America, etc, so scroll down to a selection. For a state or territory within the United States, go to North America and in alphabetical order will be the states. Selecting Michigan for example, as you scroll down on the Facebook page for Michigan Genealogy Research Community, a variety of databases and information relating to Michigan are there. There will be added links for genealogical societies from various counties in Michigan. The best part, you can post a question or share some information with others also interested in Michigan genealogy.

For those wanting an ethnic community within the United States, there are ones for African-American, Native Indian and Hispanic.  Even one geared more for children interested in their family history.

If you are not already registered with Facebook, this allows you the opportunity to do so. Scroll to the bottom of the alphabetical listing and complete instructions of how to register FREE with Facebook is provided.  You don’t have to register, you can also just visit that particular Facebook Community whenever you desire.  Joining the Facebook community, you would be notified when anything new comes on the that community page.

Those familiar with Skype, the online chat community where you can interact and see different participating groups, FamilySearch has also set up that program. There are not as many different regions and countries signed on as Skype genealogy communities, but that list will grow also.  All the states of the United States are in the Skype communities.

There are some 95 different communities with FamilySearch Facebook to select from with new ones being added. Not all the national communities have people as members yet, but FamilySearch has added any available databases to assist those researching.  One important item to remember with the Facebook or Skype communities, those members are in the actual selected locations; be it Spain, Norway, Mexico, Italy, etc., and not all write or speak in English. Many do write in at least a rough form of English.

So try something new and different plus a way to connect with an ancestral state, country or region from your own home.