to your family site—and to approach the project with patience. “We have so much instant grati cation with the Internet,” she says, but the person with the information you’re seeking “may not be a genealogist yet, or online yet.”

family,” says Darcy. What started with basic family history blossomed into something much larger, something that bypassed generations and geography. Something that, even a er Sue’s death, continues on. at makes the hassle of running a website worthwhile for Darcy. “It was [a place] for her to celebrate current families as well as past families,” says Darcy. And the best part? It still is.

How Far Do You Go?

Want to build a website but don’t know what to include? Consider the following suggestions from the experts: family history lecturer and family website designer Ceil Wendt Jensen, CG, and Cyndi Howells of Cyndi’s List:

Who They Meet Determine your goals—Who are your visitors?

_{Darcy tells a story of a relative of her} What are you trying to do? What information
are you trying to collect?
mother’s: a man living in England _{Keep it simple—Says Cyndi Howells,} “_{Make it}
^{who had been trying, unsuccessfully,} easy [for visitors] to negotiate the site, and
^{to connect with relatives he thought} make it easy for people to contact you.”
^{he might have in the United States.} Make a commitment— Once you post a site,
^{en he discovered Sue’s Denton} keep it updated and check back often—even
family website. Together he and Sue minor maintenance can reap major rewards.
determined they were very distantly Include elements of privacy— Ceil Wendt Jensen
related. Sue helped him nd more- suggests password-protected areas where
closely related relatives and even living relatives can share information about
extended an invitation for him to ^{themselves safely.}
stay at her house when he visited the Do something. Do anything—If creating even
_{United States.} a simple website is more than you’re ready
for, never forget the power of an online post.
“Her website was a way for her to
Message boards at Roots Web, Ancestry.com,
^{help people and make contact with} and other sites have been very effective in
linking long-lost family. Ask Ceil—a post she
made on Roots Web indicating that she was
looking for descendants of her great-uncle
helped her discover his granddaughter. More
surprising? That granddaughter lived only five
doors away.

ESTHER YU SUMNER, a professional writer and usability specialist, is a regular contributor to Ancestry Magazine. She can be reached at esumnertime@gmail. com.