The Freshest Links!
Welcome to Genealogy Jam! I hope you enjoy the links to the many free searchable databases on the internet (many are just one click away) as well as the rss feeds. It's the ultimate starting page for the frugal genealogist!
Noob Nodes
When I first began my search for ancestors in earnest, my mysterious mentor in an IRC genealogy chatroom told me to not bother doing anything until I graduated cum laude from RootsWeb's Genealogy-U. "Don't darken my doorstep again until you've done this" she typed in capital letters. I have since graduated, and although I haven't actually talked to her since (been busy), I'm grateful for her stern admonition.
Another good starting point for beginners is Branching Out OnLine, where one can discover how to truly exploit the resources available online and learn more about how to research effectively.
Free Stuff N'Things
Misc. Genealogy Forms and Documents is a selection of Websites that have free downloadable Genealogy related Forms & Misc. Documents. Family Tree is a great online resource and genealogy magazine (I'm a subscriber) and here is their listing of free genealogy schwag. Schweet!
Links A'Plenty
The first place a genealogist goes when he's looking for a particular website is, erm, Google. But the very next place to locate a genealogy resource would be the staggeringly huge (and well organized) Cyndi's List. It's so magnificent and useful, you'd think it was one of the seven wonders of the world and devised by an ancient alien race. To my knowledge it's not, but rather by a smart person named Cyndi. Another incredible website I plan on spending more time with is the Genealogy Home Page. You won't be disappointed!
Tips, Tricks and Secrets!
Genealogy Today has got everything for today's net-savvy genealogist, including instructive articles for professionals. It's in the Advanced Topics section. Tips & Tricks for the Beginner: Genealogy 101 by Charles F. Kerchner Jr is also heavy laden with record keeping/research suggestions, as is Genealogy Tips n'Tricks by Bill Norin.
My favorite in this section is Mark Howells' look at the genealogists most powerful Internet tool. Killer article. I won't tell you what that most powerful tool is (I want you to read the article for yourself), but I'll give you a hint.
Randomness
Not sure where exactly to relegate these next links, but they might be of interest and usefulness to you and me in the future. The first is Ancestors, the companion web site to the PBS family history and genealogy television series. The other is completely different, and that is Google's Language Tools, which may help you translate documents and websites and the like.
About the Webmaster
My name is Jason Comely and my online handle since forever has been rinkjustice. You can email me here if you find a dead link or have any comments, suggestions or questions. I'm a relatively new genealogy hobbiest and also the author and webmaster of Zero to Superhero, a fitness/diet program and ebook. I'm also a Latter-Day Saint and I invite you to visit Mormon.org to learn more about our faith.
One more shameless plug: my dad (Richard Comely) is the writer/artist/creator of Captain Canuck, Canada's superhero, and Captain Canuck Legacy,
a new Four Part Mini Series which is coming out in July of 2006. Richard is also teaching a bleeding edge Comic Design & Scripting course at Mohawk College. 'Nuff Said.