STEVE LACEY'S GENEALOGY GATEWAY TO THE WEB

As information useful to genealogists grows on the Internet (as well as family surname homepages) there is more than enough to keep me busy. The problem is finding what I need. The major search engines have their usefulness, but they are often cumbersome. For one thing, the amount of hits can be overwhelming, and it may take hours to scroll through all of them. Add the annoyance of usually having to wade through pages of commercial sites first, and my teeth begin to get on edge. Sure, I try to narrow down my search, but that takes time too. That is why, what I call genealogy "big sites" are my salvation.

These sites organize genealogical information in a way that is easy to find. The Genealogy Gateway to the Web by Steve Lacey is one such site. He uses "gateways" to simplify your search. This week, we'll take a closer look at his site.

But, before you get lost in exploring, list your surname homepage at his site. Don't have a homepage yet? Scroll down his page to Web Builder 101. There you will find places on the web that will give you free homepage space. When your homepage is ready, go to Steve Lacey's listing form, which you can find by scrolling down this page. Even if your surname homepage is very simple, it gives others a way of finding and contacting you. Trust me, a surname homepage can be an easy thing to make, even for a beginner computer user. It's fun, too.

Now, you are ready to go exploring. For a targeted search, you will find a search engine on his main page. Here you can enter a search for a surname or topic. For a general look at what Steve has cataloged, try the long sheet. Scroll down to his gateways, and find a topic that interests you.

Before you leave, go to the Gateway 21 to post a query. Maybe, you will get an email reply to break down your brickwall.

NEXT WEEK: A close look at what Rootsweb has to offer.

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