The Internet has been very helpful in our daily existence. From answers to the most inane questions to the most complicated matters such as medicine and health, the World Wide Web is more than willing to give us answers. It has also provided the largest boost in genealogy in the recent years, making it easier to discover your family’s roots and search for your relatives without leaving your house. Genealogy ranked third in the most researched topic on the virtual world and gaining access to a number of records is easy with the use of your computer.

Family and history databases such as National Archives and International Genealogical Index are just a mouse click away. If you use the Internet to search for your ancestors or first generation relatives, you need to dig deeper into it because some sites contains listings of other sites. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of using the Internet in tracing your family’s roots.

Advantages:

•  It is undeniable that the virtual world makes it faster to search for your ancestors. It is also more convenient to trace your familial history online. Before, it takes several days, months and even years to collect data from sources.
• You only pay a small price to gain access to the records that will reveal your roots as compared to going back to your ancestor’s homeland (most probably in other countries) and paying airfare, tour packages, hotel accommodations and other transportation costs.
• Because web forums or message boards are abundant all over the Internet, other people could also be looking into your family tree. Exchange of information can be really helpful if you are trying to find your relatives or your ancestors.

Disadvantages:

• The Internet is something that continuously develops, so it has several limitations.
• If you are planning to trace your family tree as far as the 15^th century, that would be impossible to do because the records collected and stored in the virtual world do not go beyond the invention of writing and publishing tools.
• Some genealogy sites require payments, so you might see it impractical to pay for information which can be flawed, riddled and incomplete.
• Searching for some information online could lead you to the wrong sites and give you wrong data.

The Internet can be used as a stepping stone in creating your family tree but it is advisable not to rely solely on it. It is still best to use online sources along with the tangible public records to ensure that your data is accurate.