Hi Everyone, In lesson one we learned to start with ourself and then ask relatives for information. This lesson is about Using Your Computer For Genealogy. Finding the Right Genealogy Program for you. There are many different programs available. We will discuss some of them and what you are looking for. Family Tree Maker- This is a basically good program that prints out good forms and reports. The creator (Bronderbund) also sells CD's of other peoples information and useful information from their web site at: http://www.familytreemaker.com Family Origins- I like this program. The newest version 6.0 is better than ever. It prints out good reports, forms and even books on your descendants and ancestors. You can find out more at their web site at:http://www.parsonstech.com Personal Ancestral File- This program was created by the LDS Church. It prints out good programs and is a good inexpensive program ($15). There are many other programs out. I have not had experience with them but all are basically good.Ancestral Quest-- Roots IV-- Reunion-- Family Roots-- Brothers Keeper--Ultimate Family Tree-- and many others. It might be good to hear from some of you as to what program you have and what you like about it. Once you have a program, you start entering your information in to it. It will be much easier to keep trackof and to find relationships once this is done. We had discussed research logs previously. Now we will talk about documenting your information. It is very important to document your sources of information. If you can get photo copies of records it is great. These are called primary sources. Things in a newspaper or hearsay are called secondary information. Many times you can get valuable information about your ancestor by finding these records. A military service record will often have a general description of the person. Family bibles, pictures, old diaries or journals are also good ways to learn more about your ancestor. It is up to you as to what information you find important to find. Birth marriage and death certificates will often lead you to other relatives. I would like some input and suggestions from all of you as to what other information you can find and what you learn from it. Well, thats it for this time. Happy Hunting and Good Luck! Dianne