FamilySearch Family Tree logo: Wikimedia Commons Why Not? Many of us hesitate to use the FamilySearch Family Tree (FSFT) because we don't have complete control over the profiles of those who've died, nor to whom they are linked. These are valid points. However, if each user carefully links all the important sources to each profile and writes informative "reason statements" when adding them, the profiles are rarely changed. Instead, they are found by other relatives who can attach records and images you may not have access to, such as family photos, Bible records, etc.  The FSFT is different from sites where you can build your own tree, such as Ancestry.com or in software on your own computer or on paper.  World Tree + Records It is a "world tree," where the goal is to have one, and only one profile for each person ever born, linked together as families. Wikitree and Geni are the two other world family trees; together they are smaller than the FSFT, which is

  Image from Wikitree.com "Wikitree, Where genealogists collaborate" Why do you want to use Wikitree? Short answer is that it will make you a better genealogist, because you will be demonstrating  all the parts of the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS). Each profile, ideally, will show your: 1. Reasonably exhaustive research. 2. Complete and accurate source citations. 3. Thorough analysis and correlation. 4. Resolution of conflicting evidence . 5. Soundly written conclusion based on the strongest evidence. 1 Wikitree is feature-rich - this is just a short introduction. See Wikitree.com for more information. There are excellent videos on youtube as well a new project: WikiTree Academy . There is even a Help page for Wikitree itself:  https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Help:How_to_Use_WikiTree as well as a wonderful forum, G2G (Genealogist to Genealogist). Wikitree Profiles The heart of Wikitree are the Profiles. Each profile is a final resting place for your research, stories, ph

Collaboration The logo above is one of the main reasons I love WikiTree and the same reason some do not. Collaboration means working with other genealogists, who sometimes disagree about the facts! The WikiTree community really is collaborative and helpful. In fact, many members spend their time welcoming new members, answering questions, helping people with problems, and even adding sources to unsourced profiles.  Privacy Controls The privacy controls on WikiTree profiles are unmatched by any other site I've seen. Every profile on WikiTree has an independently-managed Privacy Level and Trusted List. If you're on the profile's Trusted List you can access everything. If you're not on the Trusted List, what you can see and do depends on the Privacy Level. -  https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Help:Privacy For instance, profiles of living people where the person is not a WikiTree member are unlisted .  Unlisted profiles are entirely hidden from everyone except those on the Trus

Why I Use FamilyTreeDNA  (FTdna) and You Should Too .... But only if you have family mysteries you have been unable to solve!  Don't we all have such mysteries? Years ago, my father's family had done some family history, then I did some research, and got my dad's Cowan line back to the Borders of Scotland and the tiny village of Yarrow Feus in Selkirshire where they lived before emigrating to Ontario, Canada in 1832.  However, the records before 1700 are scarce, and so the question remained - did the Cowans always live in the Scottlsh Borders? Were they always sheep herders? Y DNA testing When FTdna first introduced Y-DNA testing, I got a kit for my Dad for Father's Day one year. It was thrilling to see matches come in. He had an identical good match at 35 markers, which was what was available at the time. His match Chris Cowan and I compared notes, but his bunch came from Ireland and mine from Scotland. My dad and he both paid for more markers, and they w