How to design your digital family tree

How many of you remember the 1970s’ book and mini series called Roots. For those of you that may have been to young or just can not recall what it was about; it was about a mans quest to uncover and record his own genealogical story. It took him several decades to accomplish that end.
Well, one of the factors that prolonged his search was the distance between the information that he needed. The travel between libraries and other public records storage facilities consumed a large amount of time and resources. Fortunately for us, these obstacles have been tremendously reduced. Those seeking to uncover or record their own genealogy or family history have many options.
Online government databases that store many historical records can be accessed by just about anyone for free or a nominal fee. This is generally one of the least expensive options as a starting point for your search. The next option can be to register at an online genealogy website. Ancestry.com is probably the largest on the web right now, but it is not your only choice. There is a plethora of online genealogy websites to choose from including genealogy.com. Expect registration fees to start at around $50.
If you already have a significant amount of information that you want to organize into a coherent family record document, then you can let cost dictate your decision. For those that are on a tight budget, here is a suggestion. If you have Microsoft Access on your computer, you can create a family records database for the cost of a floppy diskette. If you do not have Access on your computer don’t despair. You can usually find them or a comparable equivalent on systems at school libraries or other public computer labs.
For those that don’t mind investing a few bucks to cleanout the family closet, as always there are commercial software to aide you in your endeavors. The price can start out from about $20 and can vary depending on the features that you are looking for. Some software of note are Create Family Trees, Ancestral Quest, and Family Tree Maker. You can also look to your favorite freeware or shareware websites to find more software.
If none of the above options suits you because you feel that it may have sounded a little too complicated for you, don’t fret there is still hope. You may also want to consider taking a class or two. You may let out a chuckle at the idea, but there are classes that can spend a little more time on this topic and answer more detailed questions. Online, you can look at familyhistory.byu.edu or oplin.lib.oh.us as good places to find genealogy tutorials. If you prefer a more hands on or face-to-face format, then you can usually find a class being offered at your local community college or genealogy society. If nothing else, hopefully you will learn that computers can bring families together.