Why participate in GeneaNet?
Both individuals and genealogical
associations have good reason to use GeneaNet. Genealogical databases,
which address an individual's area of interest, are often inaccessible
because they seem "lost" in the databases of their own genealogical associations.
These databases may be abstracts of registers, lists and directories of
families researched, and indexes to research deposited at associations
by members.
The best way to know of the
existence of any information of interest in the databases of another association
is to have a central database of all the databases. GeneaNet does this
and more as GeneaNet will, also, index the information of independent researchers.
GeneaNet is no more than
an index or directory which refers the researcher to another location where
the information sought is in its' complete form. Nothing prevents an association
from restricting access to that information to its own subscribers. The
purpose of GeneaNet is to make known to genealogy researchers, the existence
of information and conditions (subscription in an association, for example)
for access to that information, if any.
GeneaNet's genealogy surname
search engine originated in France and Belgium where it has now become
the most popular. GeneaNet is growing rapidly in other European countries,
as well, where Genealogy Societies and individual family genealogists are
well-known for maintaining much larger reservoirs of genealogical data
and history.
Many Australian, north, central
and south American people must refer to Europe to trace their surnames
further back in time and will find GeneaNet's database useful for that
purpose. Equally, many European family researchers look forward to connecting
with New World citizens who share in common ancestors.
Although access to GeneaNet's
database is free, the greater the number of contributors the more invaluable
the database becomes for everyone. GeneaNet is the ideal opportunity to
mix the power of the internet with the drive to learn about our family
histories and unite as one human family.
In addition, you always maintain
control over your database contribution. At anytime, you may purge GeneaNet's
database of your files or revise, expand, and update them.