My Journey Sharing Genealogy Online

How long have you been sharing your genealogy research online?

For me, that journey goes back to the early days of the internet.

At the time, I was a high school librarian and technology coordinator. While I was responsible for the computers in the school, much of my job involved teaching teachers and students how to use technology effectively. I’ve always considered myself more of an information specialist than anything else.

Thus, when the web was still relatively new, putting my genealogy online served two purposes. It was a way to share my family history research, but it was also a way for me to learn about the technology itself. Building web pages taught me about HTML, website structure, and online publishing.

The GeoCities Years

My first genealogy website lived on GeoCities.

Those who were online in those early years likely remember GeoCities as one of the first places ordinary people could create a website. Long before social media, before online family trees, and before blogging, GeoCities gave hobbyists a place to share their interests with the world.

For me, that interest was genealogy.

Those early pages were simple by today’s standards, but they represented something exciting: the ability to share my research with anyone who might stumble across it.

Around that same time, the USGenWeb Project and Kansas GenWeb were getting started. I became involved with both efforts and even managed county pages for a while. Those volunteer projects reflected the collaborative spirit of early online genealogy—researchers helping one another make local records and information more accessible.

The Master Genealogist and Second Site

As my genealogy database grew, maintaining individual web pages became less practical.

When I switched from Personal Ancestral File (PAF) to The Master Genealogist (TMG), I found a much easier way to share my research. John Cardinal’s Second Site software allowed me to transform my genealogy database into a searchable website.

Instead of manually updating page after page, I could regenerate the site directly from my database.

That was a game changer.

By 2006, Heartland Genealogy had become a full-featured genealogy website hosted at heartlandgenealogy.org. Visitors could browse surnames, view individual pages, and explore family connections.

While I also maintained a tree on Ancestry, it did not contain everything from my files. My own website allowed me to share my research on my own terms.

Software Changes and New Directions

Eventually, support for The Master Genealogist ended, and I migrated my database to RootsMagic.

RootsMagic initially offered website creation features similar to what I had used before, but those capabilities eventually disappeared. Like many genealogists, I had to rethink how I wanted to share my work online.

After retirement, I wanted to do more than simply publish database information. I wanted to tell stories, share discoveries, and connect with other researchers.

That led me to Blogger.

Blogger was an easy way to begin sharing regular genealogy content, but Google has a reputation for discontinuing products and features. Wanting more long-term control, I eventually moved Heartland Genealogy to WordPress, where it remains today.

Why Sharing Online Matters

Living in northeast Kansas, I am about 75 miles from the nearest genealogy library or society. I do not live near my ancestral homes. I do not live near cousins who share my research interests.

The internet changed that.

What began as a technology learning exercise became a lifeline to the genealogy community.

Through websites, blogs, online trees, and now social media, I have been able to connect with cousins, fellow researchers, and genealogists around the world.

The tools have changed dramatically over the years.

GeoCities gave way to database-generated websites. Those gave way to blogs. Blogs now coexist with videos, podcasts, online trees, and even AI-assisted storytelling.

But the purpose remains the same:

To preserve family history.
To share discoveries.
To connect with others.

And perhaps, to keep learning along the way.