FAMILY WEB

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)


Can you help me research my family tree?

Not at this time. Hopefully automated search tools will be available in the future.

How do I create a Family Web page in hypertext?

I was scanning the Internet as a new user when I happened upon your Family Web idea. I have been a genealogist for about 10 years, and your idea is exciting! However, as a new Internet user, I don't have the slightest idea how to program in hypertext. I can format my family pages in the manner you show, but how can I find out how to allow people to move from page to page?

At the very top of your WWW browser, there is probably an option called "View". From this, select view "Document Source". This will show you the hypertext markup language (HTML) code use to create the web page you are currently viewing. While you will be able to see, by example, the HTML codes used to create a Family Web page, some browsers will allow you to save the HTML source file to disk as well. You can then rename it, pull it up in a text editor, and just change the names and dates where necessary.

An example can be viewed and copied at http://www.alumni.caltech.edu/~croft/familyweb/David_Wallace_Croft.html .

How do I create a web page?

I know how to browse the web but I have no idea of how to create a web page, such as a Family Web page, so that others around the world can view it. How do I create a web page?

I recommend the book HTML for Dummies, IDG Press, $30.00. That's how I learned.

How do I set up my Family Web page to be found by search utilities?

First, see if you can get your web page linked to one of the major search engines such as Yahoo or Lycos. I have not been able to but then I have not been very persistent.

If your Family Web page has a line similar to the following

(TITLE)FAMILY WEB:  David Wallace Croft (1968-)(/TITLE)
(where the parentheses around TITLE are actually angle brackets) there is a good chance that it will be found by a WWW search utility looking for the string "FAMILY WEB:". If the search utility is really good, it will compare the name and year to other pages that it finds elsewhere and report possible links.

What about privacy?

What about privacy issues, especially when documenting individuals that are still alive?

Good, tough question. Consider if you wanted to publicly record the cause of death. A living individual might have some real problems with you publicly announcing to the world that all of his ancestors died of cancer when he himself is having problems getting health insurance. On the other hand, such circumstances could be considered irrelevant to the historian/journalist/genealogist in search of the truth. I have no firm answer for this one.


http://www.alumni.caltech.edu/~croft/familyweb/familyweb_faq.html
last updated 1996-08-13 by Web Genealogist David Croft.