Rootsweb, and how to Use it

How to search the mailing list archives: http://genweblog.blogspot.com/2007/04/searching-list-archives-by-joan-young.html

List Archives: start at http://archiver.rootsweb.com/ to browse, or click the Search link to search one or all of the Rootsweb lists. http://lists.rootsweb.com/ if you don't know what list you want.

Formulaically - Archiver (browse): http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/LISTNAME

One wonderful tool Rootsweb has, that many people fail to use, is the Post-Em. You can place Post-Ems on individual records found in WorldConnect, the Social Security Death Index, User-Contributed Databases, and some of the other available vital records databases.

Don't forget to register your research interests in the Rootsweb Surname List. If you have a website, add a link to the RootsWeb Resource Pages. If you don't have a website yet, get one! Once you have created it, register it.

Search all of Rootsweb with Google, by clicking Advanced Search, filling in your search terms, and then putting rootsweb.com into the line 'Domain: ONLY return results from the site or domain.' Shortcut - put your search term(s) then site:rootsweb.com, like this: searchterm site:rootsweb.com . If you wanted to search all of freepages, you could use: searchterm site:freepages.rootsweb.com .

Joan Young recently published an article in Rootsweb Review which highlighted a number of oft-forgetten little useful tools at Rootsweb. Read the article for more detail, but here are links to some of them:

• Getting started in your research: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/roots-l/genealog/genealog.fhsearch


• Relationship chart: http://www.rootsweb.com/~rwguide/chart_relations.htm


• And Kinship (or Consanguinity) Chart: http://www.rootsweb.com/~longstrt/consangu.html


• Free PDF Ancestral Charts, Research Calendars, Research Extracts, Correspondence Records, Family Group Sheets, Source Summaries, U.S. Census Forms, 1790-1930 (plus 1850 and 1860 Slave Schedules and 1890 Veterans Schedules), and UK and Canadian Census Forms: http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/get_started/charts_forms.html


• Official dates of U.S. censuses: http://www.rootsweb.com/~rwguide/lesson9.htm#Official


• Understanding Soundex: http://www.rootsweb.com/~rwguide/lesson9.htm#Soundex


• RootsWeb's Soundex Converter: http://resources.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/soundexconverter


• Acronyms and Abbreviations: http://www.rootsweb.com/~njmorris/acronyms.htm

I use this one almost daily

• Town-County finder will tell you which county or counties in the state had towns by that name. If you are not sure of the state but have a town name, type in the town and leave the state blank and you will get a list of all the states in which towns by this name are found: http://resources.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/townco.cgi


• RootsWeb County Finder - Type in the county name and leave the state blank to obtain a list of all the states with counties of a specific name: http://resources.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/county.cgi

Hint for those using Outlook Express to read Rootsweb list digests: To read inline, instead of displayed as separate attachments, highlight the first Digest item which is called ATT, then hold down the control key and click on the F3 key while still holding down the control key to open the message source. Maximize it, and you will then be able to read the entire Digest as a continuous document.


Don't sit down and wait for the opportunities to come; you have to get up and make them. - Madame C. J. Walker

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