Genealogy Search is probably the most searchable (and searched) genealogy and family history web site on the internet. Since inception in 1995, the Genealogy Gateway has been well ahead of others in providing instant genealogy search and surname search access and convenience free for users. Here is how to search:

Surnames - on any page use the handy pull down menu on the top left hand site of each page. Enter a term and click search.

Resource Listings - on any page use the handy pull down menu on the top left hand site of each page. Enter a term and click search.

Entire Site- on any page use the handy pull down menu on the top left hand site of each page. Enter a term and click search.

Ancestry, Family and Surname Searches Worldwide - from the main page (home), click on any of the photos to enter this section. Multiple search forms are provided to increase your chances of locating needed information.

These compose the genealogy resource listing centers. As you will note, there are a variety offered. Different web sites provide listing categories in various ways, some with dozens of confusing and inter-related subjects. Our belief is that the fewer categories, the better. However, within our categories are literally thousands of listings. Each can be located in several ways: use the pull-down numbering to advance your browsing through alphabetical listings, or advance using the "next" link, or merely use the web site search engines. The Surname Gateway also offers an A through Z alphabetical list to all of the tens of thousands of surnames on the web site -- this list is visible on each page of this web site. Below are the 12 gateways to everything genealogical on the internet:

Beginners Gateway

Database Gateway

Ethnic Gateway

History Gateway

Listing Gateway

Military Gateway

Obituary Gateway

Scottish Gateway

Surname Gateway

USA Gateway

Vital Records Gateway

Worldwide Gateway

The Genealogy Gateway was the first major family tree web site to offer multiple message boards as a free service to all visitors. Many others have since sprung up and some have gone on to merge with on-line commercial interests.

There are 6 separate family messages boards (Genealogy Guides) and 1 family query forum which are offered free to all users:

Surname Guide - the forum to enter information about your family names. Follow-up replies are possible to each entry and threading is automatically performed on the fly.

Genealogy Guide- the forum to enter information and details about your family trees and lineage's. Follow-up replies are possible to each entry and threading is automatically performed on the fly.

Family Historian - the forum to enter information about your family tree manuscripts and publications. Follow-up replies are possible to each entry and threading is automatically performed on the fly.

Family Home page Listings - the forum to enter information about your family home pages. Follow-up replies are possible to each entry and threading is automatically performed on the fly.

Professional Services - the forum for experts and for those providing professional genealogy and family history services and products to create a listing about their activities and businesses.

Genealogy Search Entry System - this is the latest genealogy message forum for you to enter information about your family trees and lineage's.

Family Query Forum - this is a generic query forum which also has it's own separate searchable genealogical and surname database and family tree search engine, so make use of the surname search form. Access this from the Query Forum link.

In addition to all of this above, there are some specialty listings available. These include Vital Records, Family Homepages and Obituaries (largest collection of Obituary Searches anywhere on-line). Find and access these from the main page (home) near the bottom middle of the page.

Update Listings 1 - this is a unique feature for family history and genealogy sites. If you find that your home page, service, product or information is listed, and it is incorrect or needs to be updates, just enter it here. Access this feature in the top middle of the main page (home).

Update (or ADD) Listings 2 - if you find that your (or your favorite) genealogy home page, family tree service, genealogy product or surname information is NOT listed on Genealogy Gateway, then enter it here and it will be added to our database and included in the listings. Access this same feature in the top middle of the main page (home).

E-Mail Submissions - your may also send your entries directly to the webmaster if you wish, rather than entering them into the family database.

GenGateway.com is owned and operated solely by Steve Lacy, widely known as the "Genealogy Webmaster" See This Newspaper Article). He has provided free user services and genealogy search listings on-line to the genealogy community since early 1995, well before many other genealogy sites were more than a hope. Prior to that and since 1990, he was active in publishing and editing 3 internationally read family newsletters and developing family databases on other on-line service centers.

Steve is widely known and respected as the "genealogy webmaster". He has authored, edited and published genealogy texts, newsletters and articles since the 1980's. Steve is an accomplished family researcher and genealogy home page developer. In August 1998, his home page was voted the Number 1 favorite genealogy home page in the on-line Family Chronicle Magazine Poll and remained in that position for nearly 3 months. Today, it remains in the top ten of all such sites. The list of awards, honors and recognition is a virtual Who's Who of on-line authorities, including Yahoo Internet Life's "Incredibly Useful Web site of The Day", nationally syndicated columnist Rick Manning's Gizmo Page feature, the NBC Today Show, Golden Web Award, Webmaster Award, and many other 5-star reviews.

To ensure quality of services and an active on-line presence, it is often necessary to attract worthwhile advertisers, products and services to offer to users who have interest in small purchases. Income from such sales help to bear the costs of servers, computers, ISPs, web development teams, software, telephone and electricity costs, and miscellaneous expenses too numerous to list. Our focus and commitment is to only offer high quality products in order for us to be able to provide genealogical services to the on-line genealogy community worldwide. One such family tree product is the very popular and inexpensive software Genealogy Detective, a personal research assistant which makes finding what you seek faster, easier and takes a lot less effort. This is a highly ethichal company responsive to customer needs and satisfaction. The family oriented ownership is personally involved in all aspects of the business. It is not associated wiht products of similar sounding names which have a less than satisfactory track record.

8. Other Useful Family Websites - Steve has not sat still. He has developed other highly useful sites of interest:

Surname Guide (the website) - the is the ultimate in a surname search center on-line. If you cannot find it here, you may not need it.

Genealogy Search - this is the sister site of the Genealogy Gateway with some additional genealogy searches and surname forums added to boost your fun and successes.

Genealogy-Geneology - looks similar to Genealogy Search and the Genealogy Gateway, and it does provide direct access to all databases. But this one has other family related surprises not found elsewhere.

Genealogy Tutor - this is the newest professional research center for family history and genealogy online. GenealogyTutor.com is your entry way to very special activities, products, programs and services designed to maximize your Internet genealogy experiences. Whether you are a beginner and require some gentle assistance and guidance, or a seasoned researcher seeking tools for more efficient and productive use of your time, this Web site will be of refreshing help. Genealogy Tutors is a tri-level professional research program developed by active internet and genealogy professionals.

Level I - was established on a 5-step family research system. This level includes, the Guide To Internet Genealogy which you are now reading, the very popular Genealogy Detective personal research assistant software, and the free on-line search guide and services available to you on the GenealogyTutor.com web site. We have found that a lot of fun for the new user is waiting on-line. The excitement enjoyed from finding a grandparent, uncle or lost cousin, ones self cannot be over estimated. Users can locate ancestors and kin or all kinds, from mayflower descendants to mormons to royalty of noble bloodlines.

Level 2 - is a family research assessment service performed by a skilled professional guide. Your personal guide will review your family information, interests and research needs to make suggestions for how to proceed with your family tree project. The initial personal guide assessment service will be offered free to users. For more detailed and in-depth assistance, reasonable fees will be required. Your guide may also recommend the best professional researcher required for your specific genealogy project.

Level 3 - includes the services of professional researchers and genealogists worldwide. These gifted professionals are hand selected from among the best researchers available today around the globe. You are assured courteous, helpful, prompt and reasonably priced services. Skilled strategies to fulfill your genealogy needs will be targeted to your specific family tree interests, so that both time and money will be conserved, and the results that you want can be obtained.

Genealogy Tutor is a brand new service system, which takes your online genealogy experience to new heights and rewards. Come visit today and explore the site to enjoy all the free things offered. Then, when you decide to push forward, contact your professional guide for a free evaluation. And be ready to launch your family project on your own or through the services of a focused professional.

Genealogy Life - the web site for locating family related newsgroups for genealogy and surnames. This is the most replete source for all your needs.

All users have our absolute promise to never intrude on your privacy. In fact, our web site does not use "cookies".

Additionally, because of our new dynamic NT web site platform and secured database, the security and confidentiality of all your entries are assured. Our servers do log IP traffic data, however those logs cannot identify you in any possible way and no attempt is made to identify you persoanlly.

Many of the listings we provide are to genealogy services, resources and products around the globe and take our visitors off our web site. Some of those listings may be to web sites that do use cookies and we have no control over their policies and practices. Furthermore, you have my promise as owner of GenGateway.com, that we will not provide your e-mail address which you list on my site to marketing mailing lists or thrid parties. We will not submit family information added to our forums to any third party including developers of CD's.

We do not hide behind anonymous or assumed names, titles or hidden mailing addresses. To contact us about anything to do with this web site or other of our family service centers, simply write to Steve Lacy (the owner) at this address: steve@gengateway.com -- a prompt, courteous and personal reply is always assured. Best wishes to you in all your family searches and personal endeavors.

I've been around for awhile on-line and have seen a lot of things (and events & people) come and go. Much of the change has been for the better I think, and there are lots of great people coming online all the time. Below are some thoughts for all of us to consider which may help make on-line experiences more positive and productive for all of us (Otherwise known as "Netiquette" and common courtesy):

1. Flagrant use of anonymity - Privacy aside, maybe not much good can really come out of this. Without personal accountability, anyone can say anything at anytime about anyone and wrongly think they might not bear the consequences such inaccurate and misleading comments can bring. My guess is that mature and highly ethical people do not use this avenue to get needed attention, to launch personal or anti-competitive attacks, or to attempt to sway public opinion in one way or another. Possibly they are adolescents acting out their unusual fantasies on-line and deserve to be ignored. But, who knows for sure without first checking. Take a peek by trying a reverse e-mail search at this link: http://www.phonedirectorysearch.com/email.htm
2. Pointing fingers - too common of a practice on-line and it has reflected badly on the community in some situations. As a group, genealogists do not aspire to be biased, self righteous, nervous ninnies, miserable moo's or even worse, nit-wits. Please do not be one of the finger pointers, otherwise hard feelings and controversy may follow. Life also has a way of evening things out over the long-haul. Make your life simpler, not more complicated.
3. Being Right - I hate to break the news, but we all make mistakes and say things that are in error. No one is right all the time. Be willing to yield to others once in awhile and to reserve judgement until all the facts are in and fully accounted. Arguments and flame wars seem to start by exercising the right to get our two-cents worth into any conversation. Sometimes it may be better to just stay on the sidelines, watch and listen. Try to remember the saying about the wise old Owl -- "the more he spoke the less he heard, the less he spoke the more he heard, that wise old bird." Could apply to gossip as well. Try to keep rumors to yourself until you know all the facts.
4. Slander, Defamation & Libel - Too often negative "labels" are attached to people and products of whom the slander-writer probably has never met, has no personal knowledge or cannot prove. Such destructive behaviors are no longer being overlooked. Be smart and considerate about what you say. Avoid the "lynch mob mentality". It might be wise not to repeat things publicly until you have rock solid factual proof that will stand up in a court of law and under scrutiny of the national press. Try to give the benefit of the doubt to the "defendant" until proven otherwise. Maybe not everyone who cries "wolf" has all the facts or even clean motives. See number C above.
5. Commerse - With the increase in numbers of people going on-line and in finding their family trees, growing numbers of businesses and products have sprung up on the web. Along with that, as in any business environment, exist the requisite behaviors. Discretion, ethics, fair competition, good neighbor policies, rational thought and quiet dignity are always good safe personal values and practices on-line or off. Live and let live.
6. Political Correctness - Judgmentalists, and personal or political agendas, are things to avoid. See D above.
7. Genealogy Sites - This is America, a country full of diversity, plurality, opportunity and individualists. Life is beautiful and refreshing, so enjoy it and it's on-line variety. See B above.