Ancestry Magazine

Unlimited information is waiting for you and, if you have a computer and modem, it’s only a phone call away. You can find records of surnames, free software, and expert advice, lessons for the beginner or advanced genealogist, group forums, and private chitchat among new friends.

How do you get there? By modem, a device that attaches to a computer. The modem allows communication with computers at other locations over regular telephone lines.

Who do you call? A BBS (bulletin board service) either local or national. How do you find these BBSs? Local computer stores and college computer labs can tell you about the available local clubs; information on national services accompanies this article. National BBSs are set up on Eastern Standard Time, so be sure to take that into account when calling from your local area.

Who do you talk to? Fascinating, some well-informed, some just-browsing people who share your interest in genealogy.

When Ward Christensen started the first privately owned BBS in 1978, he had no idea that it would expand to 60,000 BBSs with more than 13 million users. Today, the services range from local area groups with only a few lines to international setups such as CompuServe.

The modems used to access BBSs transmit and receive information at various speeds from 1200 bps (bits per second) to 14,400 pbs; however, most BBSs work only at 9600 hps.

A BBS allows people to join in a forum atmosphere to discuss common interests and pursuits. A forum is a specific area or location on a BBS for similar information and services. America Online, a national BBS, offers a formal forum the first Sunday of every month in the genealogy area. CompuServe and Genie also offer discussion forums. All three services offer both beginner and advanced classes in genealogy, Prodigy, another national BBS, provides a message center under genealogy, but does not provide set forums.

All BBSs have people who can advise you about how to find what you are looking for. For example, a Prodigy user who was traveling to England to find her roots, received information from another Prodigy user who had already been there on the best places to go and how to get the re, and other information about the area, including the name of a bed and breakfast inn. Several other users provided travel tips on what to take to make the trip more enjoyable.

On the BBSs, both software and non-computer tools are discussed at length, so the genealogist can get a pretty good idea as to the ease-of-use, availability, and prices of various items. There is constant patter about which companies are going out of business or not fulfilling their promises. “Musts” are also discussed. Musts are programs or tools that at least one person has found it impossible to do without. Some BBSs, such as Software Creations, which do not have designated genealogy forums, do have free software in their file index and hold general open forums where you can ask for help on just about any topic.

Every BBS that I have used, whether national or local, has “bent over backwards” to help me with my modem and computer problems. All BBSs have help lines that you can call to have someone talk you through a problem.

Uploading and downloading files requires protocol agreement between software as to how the data will be sent. (Protocol is a common set of rules.) X-modem and Z-modem are two common protocols. Although BBSs take every precaution to make sure that all information transmitted is virus-free, I use my virus-protection program to check all new data. A computer virus is a program that can replicate itself and destroy data. MS-DOS 6.0 has a virus protection system that runs continuously in background. Dr. Watson is an example of a virus-checking program for Windows.

Several publications are available to help the computer genealogist. To help you use your modem and BBSs more effectively, I suggest reading Genealogical Computing (published by Ancestry Incorporated in Salt Lake City). The National Genealogical Society also offers publications to help the computer genealogist use automated tools more effectively. There is even a computer service, Automated Archives , that searches databases for people who don’t own computers.

For new BBS users, here is a walkthrough of the process of getting on a BBS. First, pick one from the list accompanying this article. Call the number which is usually an 800 number (if it isn’t, you will be charged for a long distance call). Tell them you would like to try their network and ask about a trial membership. Many BBSs offer a free, one-month trial membership to new members.

If you don’t have the software necessary to access the BBS phone lines, ask about the best place to obtain it and what brand to buy. I have the official Prodigy and America Online software which was sent to me for my trial month, but I communicate with CompuServe through my modem program, Crosstalk. Commercial packages are for sale for either a DOS or Windows environment.

When you receive the information, try the sign-on process. Then take the free tour designed to introduce you to the various departments offered by the BBS. Explore. You can get everything from airline rates to games.

BBSs can be expensive if you don’t pay attention to the areas you are accessing. Some BBSs use icons or pictures that keep track of the time you use if you click on them. Most BBSs give you a certain amount of free time in the core area (a BBS area contains sources of information and/or services) before charging you. Premium area charges are handled differently by each BBS; some give you a set amount of free time while others charge you every time you enter. All BBSs have a no-charge access to keep track of your bill which is broken down as to the various time allotments.

Try several BBSs until you find one that suits your needs. If your friends are using BBSs, ask if you can see them. Several services allow users to sign on their friends and family for a free 1-month membership. Computer magazines often have tear-out cards to send in that are postage paid or advertise 800 numbers to call. Everything is waiting for you. If you can’t travel, it makes no difference; your computer can take you across the country and back again.

National BBSs

Compuserve
P.O. Box 20212
5000 Arlington Centre Blvd.
Columbus, OH 43220
1-800-848-8199 (U.S.)
1-614-457-8650 (Canada)

America Online
8619 Westwood Center Dr.
Vienna, VA 22182-2285
1-800-827-6364

Prodigy
4/Gray
P.O. Box 8667
Gray, TN 37615
1-800-776-3449

Software Creations
26 Harris St.
Clinton, MA 01510
1-508-368-8654

A longer list was published in Genealogical Computing 12:1 (July 1992). Also, Richard Pence, system operator for the National Genealogical Society Bulletin Board, keeps a national list of all current bulletin boards. Write: 3211 Adams Court, Fairfax, VA 22030.

Publications

Genealogical Computing
P.O. Box 476
Salt Lake City, UT 84110-0476
1-800-531-1790

NGS/CIG Digest
(enclosed with NGS quarterly newsletter)
National Genealogical Society
4527 17th Street North
Arlington, VA 22207
703-525-0050

Searches

Automated Archives, Inc.
1160 South State St. #250
Orem, UT 8405
801-266-6066
(Sells disks to vendors who perform searches)

Sharon Plankers was born and raised in Germany. She is a writer, and has had poety and short stories published.