Cyndi’s List without doubt is one of the top websites I use, but it is also one of the top ones worldwide for genealogy.

While when people think of the big names in genealogy, they automatically thing of Ancestry, Findmypast, MyHeritage and FamilySearch … right? But in my thinking, Cyndi’s List is just as important. No, it’s not a site that contains billions of records like the others, but rather a mega-portal site that can direct you places that may well have what you’re after.

Having known of Cyndi for years and years, it was a true honour to meet her in person for the first time in 2013 at RootsTech, and I’ve been fortunate enough to catch up with her several times since. She is not only a dear friend both personally and in the genealogy industry, but in my opinion I believe she has changed genealogy … or more specifically I should say, her website has.

In thinking about this post I was asking myself to describe in one sentence what what Cyndi’s List is, here’s just a few I came up with:

– It is one the the most important genealogy websites around, and everyone should be using it
– It is the mega-portal for genealogy (the stats speak for themselves)
– It has provided me with places to search, that I never would have known existed, and am therefore I am indebted to it
– and it has been a labour of love for the past 20 years by one women, Cyndi herself

On the 4th of March 1996 Cyndi’s List was born. It started as a list of 1025 top genealogy links which she had compiled for her local genealogy society, and by the end of the first year she was up to 9600 links divided into 50 categories.

Fast forward 20 years and this site now has a phenomenal 330,000+  links in 207 categories, and continues to grow daily.

What I find astounding is not only is this the work of one person, but also that her site is free, and in Cyndi’s words “it always will be”.  Her site is supported by advertising, and a donation button. And anyone who has used Cyndi’s List knows the true value of this website, and how hard it would be to do genealogy without it. So let’s spread the word about Cyndi’s List. Send in a link or two, or update one. And donate a little if you can.

If you’d like to follow Cyndi you can find her everywhere: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and Mailing List. And you can read the official Press Release here.

Cyndi’s List is an integral part of genealogy worldwide.
Here’s to the next 20 years!

www.cyndislist.com

 

I’d like to thank Judy G. Russell (aka The Legal Genealogist) for giving me the idea for this post. She recently wrote one titled “2015 Top Posts: Family” in which she lists her “top 10 family-related posts of the year, not by reader ranking… but by the ranking of the heart…”.

While I do totally love this idea, I was also intigued to know what my “top looked at” posts for 2015 were. So to find out, I headed to Google Analytics, and now have the results …

So my top 15 looked at blog posts for 2015 are:

15. EVACUATE!
This is a post I wrote after having to evacuate my home at the beginning of 2015 due to a bushfire. And when faced with having to packup things in a hurry, it made me realise what really is important.

14. Discovering Links: 25 Free Links for English Genealogy and History
It was June 2014 when I started my “Discovering Links” series of posts. These are a collection of links that I have found, or have found useful, and wanted to share – and I decided to group them together in themes, this one being English ones.

13. Discovering Links: Convicts, Australian Royalty
Who doesn’t like convicts and convict records? This post gives readers links to 23 convict related sites.

12. 13 Tips for First Time Geneacruisers
This is an old post from 2013, and I was must say I was surprised (but pleased) to see it in the list. Hopefully that means that there are more people who are (or are thinking of) taking a genealogy cruise.

11. My Favourite Cornish Genealogy Websites (and They’re Free)
This was a pre-curser to my Discovering Links posts, and this one lists 23 links relating to Cornish genealogy.

10. Australian History: The Bits You Didn’t Know About
I had great fun doing this post, and I hope others do when they read it. As the title suggests it covers the tidbits of Australian history that you don’t normally get taught.

9. More Free Websites for South Australia Genealogy and History
This is a follow-on post from #3 (33 Free Websites for South Australian Genealogy). That one was written some time ago, and as I knew of a bunch more links, decided to group them and do another post.

8. The Importance of a Catalogue
This was another one that I was surprised that made the list. But again, very pleased that people are reading it – because it does have an important message.

7. The “When I Was Young” Geneameme
I loved creating, and doing this Geneameme. And was so pleased that others took it on as well.

6. Discovering Links: 14 Free Links for New South Wales Genealogy and History
Another Discovering Links post made the list. This one lists 14 links for those researching News South Wales genealogy.

5. Favourite Family Tree Quotes
I am a quote person. I love quotes. So I decided to compile a collection of my fav Family History related ones. And I’m pleased to say that others have found my list, and loved them too.

4. Australian Birth, Death and Marriage Records
Written some time, this is a little out of date now, but still largely correct … and it makes it easy for me to refer people to the places they can find Australian BDM records.

3. 33 Free Websites for South Australian Genealogy
This is one of my fav posts. I had fun compiling it, an I love seeing people’s reactions when I refer them to it. Man, I find didn’t know of most of these site, so I’ve just opened up new possibilities for them.

2. 27 Golden Rules of Genealogy
I wrote this about a year ago now, and it has had a lot of views over the past year, so I do hope it has helped others along the way. While this is just my collection of “rules”, be sure to read the extras that others have written in the comments.

1. 21 ANZAC Day Facts
I wrote this for ANAZC Day back in 2013, and it got a lot of exposure then. And while I’d expect peaks around Anzac Day and Remembrance Day, what has totally blown me away is just how constantly it is looked at … all year. This one post has had more views than the rest of the top 15 all put together. Anyway I hope everyone who reads it, finds it useful.

So that’s my my “most looked at” posts for 2015 … now let’s see what 2016 brings.

 

 

While I was writing this post, I had a feeling that I had written something similar some time ago. And sure enough back in 2013, I wrote “Tips for Geneablogger Readers and Writers“.

In rereading that list, I still find all of those points are 100% valid, so won’t repeat the whole thing, but rather have summarised them below, and now I want to add a couple of extras.

Summary list … 
1. Allow comments on your blog
2. If you use photographs on your blog, label them
3. Put share buttons on your blog
4. Have a search function on your blog
5. Use images, there’s plenty you can get for free
6. If you a blog post and you liked it, leave a comment

Now for my extras …
1. Include details
By this I mean if you are writing about an ancestor be specific. Include names, dates and places as Google indexes these, and people search for them will end up on your blog. It’s pure cousin-bait.

2. Use your own voice
Write in your own voice, your own style. You don’t have to be a novelist or author to be a blogger. Just simply write like you talk. As the title says “use your own voice”, and it will sound natural to people. And natural helps connect with people.

So in essence, make your blog look good, people like pictures. And make it easy for people to share, and find their way around your blog.

That’s just my suggestions, and I’m no pro-blogger by far. But these are things I’ve just picked up over the years of reading and writing blogs, so hopefully someone will find them useful. And by the way, these apply any blogger – not just genealogy bloggers.

Genealogy has rules. There are Do’s and there are Don’ts. There are Rights and Wrongs. Commandments to follow. And it pays to know and follow these rules from the beginning of your research.

So let me share some Golden rules of genealogy with you …