The Internet is vast. New travellers will get lost without a map. At first, genealogists might feel as if they visit one site after another without finding anything useful. Not every website in the results of a search engine, such as Google (http://www.google.ca/), will pertain to genealogy. So the question becomes, “How can I navigate the Internet without spending endless hours bumping into islands and rocks?”

The simple answer is, “Get a map.” One such map will guide you to the 50 Most Popular Genealogy Websites for 2009 (http://www.progenealogists.com/top50genealogy2009.htm). The ProGenealogists website, created and maintained by professional genealogists, contains the list of popular sites with a brief explanation for each. The sites that cost money for access are noted.

Each site is rated for 2009. Last years rating is included to show if the site has gain or lost appeal.

Topping the list is the notorious Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/). I say notorious because the massive website is well-known, and not always for pleasing its paying customers. When it comes to the website, researchers either love it or hate it. It all depends on what you are looking for and your personal experience with the data and company. But don’t be fooled, Ancestry.com is in business to make money. Many databases found on the website, including the 1881 Canada Census, can be found free elsewhere on the Internet.

Coming in second on the 50 Most Popular list is another website where payment is required for access. Genealogy.com (http://www.genealogy.com) was previously ranked fourth.

The first free-access website on the list is MyHeritage.com (http://www.myheritage.com/), a place that, “focuses on genealogy community building and networking.”

One of my favourite websites, RootsWeb (http://www.rootsweb.com), ranks fourth, down from the number two spot. This is the free cousin of Ancestry.com. Of all sites in the top 50, I’ve used RootsWeb more than any other. Just guessing, I’d say I’ve visited several thousand pages of the website that holds information for many countries, and each Canadian province.

Not all the websites on the 50 Most Popular list will be of interest to everyone. Some are specific. For example, number 20, EllisIsland.org (http://www.ellisisland.org/) will appeal only to those researching ancestors who have a connection to Ellis Island. It includes a passenger lists database.

If you seek census records, you have several places to search. Number 29, CensusFinder.com (http://www.censusfinder.com/), contains free access to links to census records for Canada, United States and United Kingdom. Number 38, Census-Online.com (http://www.census-online.com/), links to censuses and census abstracts. US-Census.org (http://www.us-census.org/), coming in at number 40, provides free access to census abstracts and is part of the US GenWeb Census Project.

There are many more wonderful sites to check out in the top 50. In some cases, it may be the only map you’ll need to guide you on your search in the World Wide Web for your family tree.

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