How did you originally learn about wikitree?

Question

Wondering how everyone first heard about wikitree. If we can get lots of input then it will help know where our advertising strengths are and where we could increase awareness. If you used a search engine, forum or other site, which one was it if you recall?

I'll start the answers, I first heard of wikitree on an ancestry.com forum page. Then the second place was from the director of The New England Historical Society when he recommended it as one of the top five websites to conduct research.

Comments

My brother showed me my profile that had been started by a GEDCOM
for our family.  It was transcribed from an unpublished family record that
was put together when I was a child.

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From a very good friend I know from Scotlandpeople , he help me how it was use

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My free trial on Ancestry had ran out, so I decided that I would attempt to Google and see what I could find for free family tree sites. That's when I found WikiTree and FamilySearch. Been very thankful for WikiTree and have told many family and friends about it.

Answer 1

Several years ago I was Googling my surname & came across the Wikitree G2G forum.

Answer 2

Back in Nov 2014 when I was researching descendants of Ephraim Flemming of Rhode Island; "google" lead me here. Since it was free, and I had been working on Ancestry (so I had some information), I signed up. Been here adding relatives ever since. Even found an "unknown sister" to my family from my father's first marriage that no one knew about.

The g2g forum is the greatest asset because everyone jumps in at one time or another to help research and break down our roadblocks or brickwalls as they like to call them. Ancestry gives you hints but they could be any number of similar surname connections. Here they keep searching until the whole family unit is connected correctly.

Comments

Thank you Linda B. for Best Answer!

Answer 3

I actually came across WikiTree by accident. A pleasant accident at that. I was Googling trying to find something that would connect me to my great grandparents and saw a post that someone had made on a WikiTree profile under the same surname as my great grandparents. I hadn't heard of WikiTree before, so I Googled it to see what it was all about. I had, at one time, started a tree on Ancestry, but could no longer afford to pay for it. After seeing that WikiTree was free and that there is so much information on here, I started up a profile. And I am glad I did, as I have found more information on my ancestors here and through other sites that fellow WikiTreer's have posted about, that I never knew existed. A number of members have been very helpful and pointed me in the right direction. So glad I found WikiTree.

Answer 4

Good post Cynthia!

I have a cousin (Rutherford-448) I met through genealogy circles (I forget the way he contacted me...maybe ancestry.com) who convinced me to try WikiTree out...I came kicking and screaming and then fell in love with the concept. I'm now a big "word of mouth" promoter (or maybe just "big mouth promoter").

Comments

Word of mouth has gotta be one of our best avenues of wikitrees ultimate goal. If ever active user made a point to share wikitree with at least one person a month we'd really grow.

Answer 5

I Googled words like online genealogy. First time I found it there seemed little more than Chris' family.  I moved on.  About four years ago I did the same thing and saw the small DNA icon and liked the descendant charts and ancestral trees and expecially liked that they could be linked to with a url by someone who was not a member.  I figured if the DNA features could be improved then it would be almost everything I had imagined for genetic genealogy.

Comments

Knowing the words people used on search engine can help drive more traffic here.

Answer 6

I'm another of those accidents.  I was just looking around the web and came across WikiTree and wondered if I'd perhaps joined it before.  I looked and I hadn't but found the concept interesting and joined.  Having had some experience with Wikis before I was prepared for a steep learning curve and immediately headed for the help files to figure things out.  I found out about G2G and I've been here about every day since.

Comments

Dave reminding new users to head towards the help section is good advice.

Answer 7

I learned about it while searching for information on a family connection. I was pleasantly surprised at the level of detail, the freedom to write biographies and add sources. I was also very fed up with the restraints and not so user friendly changes on some of the other sites.

I learn something new about the site every day and I am here to stay.

Comments

Best Answer by the OP? Seriously!?!

You're too sweet and Thank You.

Answer 8

I found WikiTree when I returned to genealogy and learned that my database program of choice (The Master Genealogist) had been discontinued. I came across a reference to WikiTree while searching the TMG Refugee forums and haven't looked back. I love the collaboration and the emphasis on sources.

Comments

Forums any of us might belong to seem like a good way to spread WT by world of mouth.

Answer 9

A few years ago I googled an unusual surname and discovered the profile of a distant cousin.  Looking through the site, I was impressed that it seemed to be a community of genealogy researchers rather than a "dumping ground" for gedcoms.

Comments

I like the way you described wikitree; I'll have to remember it when introducing the site.

Answer 10

I came across the site by accident while searching also.  I loved the concept.  Unlike others, very few of my connections were here, or they had little to no detail, so I have lots of work to do!

Comments

Do you happen to remember any of the wording that drove you here?  If/ when we drive more traffic here your family tree is bound to grow. Btw we are 18th cousins once removed by our common ancestor Richard Cornwall.

Answer 11

Season's Greetings. 

WikiTree was recommended to me by a genealogy colleague.

The colleague impressed upon the recommendation the advantages of collaboration, connectivity, quality objectives and open access. 

Great recommendation !

C'est Bon Magnifique ! 

        

Answer 12

I was told about wikitree by a fellow wikitreer I met at a non-genealogy related church event. I'm so glad I joined!

Answer 13

My second cousin Lynn Ballard introduced me to Wikitree a couple of years ago. Its been very interesting....

Answer 14

While researching a family member I found one "Richard Belcher" had violated federal copyright laws by stealing one of my photographs and using it on a commercial genealogy site.

Additional search engine work showed a "Richard Belcher" as a member of WikiTree. That's how I landed here.

Comments

Hope you can find a silver lining to this story by utilizing wikitree to help with your family search.

Answer 15

Back in 2014 I was looking for a free online family tree website.  This is it!  I entered some profiles but had not really started researching yet until this year and bamn!  I never knew a person could find out so much about their own family tree just by researching online.

Now I am a genealogy addict.  ;)

Answer 16

I found WikiTree while researching my Gould family. There were several times where I needed to collaborate dates and locations. WikiTree was very helpful; however, I cannot update before 1500, since a badge is needed and can only be obtained after a month. So, once I get the Pre-1500 badge, I plan to update my tree back to 1200.