Ask questions in online forums
Participate in online genealogy forums. Ask questions in online forums to gain insights and share knowledge with the community. Asking questions helps you engage more deeply and find the answers you need.
On the Internet, there are a large number of discussion forums and mailing lists dealing with Norwegian genealogy. In this article, I would like to share some thoughts and experiences I have had as a member of various genealogy groups since the Internet began. You should ask questions in online forums often to gain the most benefit from these experiences.
Participate in online genealogy forums.
Look around the Internet and see if you find something that seems interesting and relevant. Facebook hosts the most such forums, but you can find discussion groups and forums outside of that platform, as well. Please make sure to ask questions in online forums to help you learn.
Most groups have a “Group description”, a “Newbie notes/read this” or a “Beginners FAQ” or something similar. Check out these first. The description will tell you what the group is discussing, what matters may be raised, and sometimes what matters are not to be discussed, so you can limit your questions.
As an example, there are groups dealing with “paper-trail genealogy”. Some of these groups may state that “DNA genealogy” is not to be discussed because there are other groups that are dedicated to that subject. On Facebook, there is often a “Files section” linked to the group. This section often contains reference material relevant to the discussion topic. The “Files section” may hold the answer to your question, supporting the information you seek when you ask questions in online forums.
How to get into these groups?
Some groups are open so that you can read and post messages without being a member. Some groups are closed. You may still be able to read, but if you want to post you need to be a member. On Facebook, you click “become a member” and an administrator will check to see that “you are a real person” and that you are properly identified. No hard interviews!
On mailing lists, you send an email to a posted address. Sometimes it is enough to write “subscribe” in the message body and then a server will do its magic, and you’re in. Other times an administrator has to add you to the list manually. Again, be sure to read all the information posted about the group and how to join, and when in doubt, asking in online forums can help with clarification.
You are in the game
Ok, you’re in the group and ready to begin. If you have not already had the opportunity to do so, I think you should lurk a little while, to see what is going on. Take the time to read through as many of the postings in the group as your time allows. We can learn a lot just by reading questions people have asked before.
To get the best possible results from your group postings, you need to do your homework. Ask about one person/couple/nuclear family at the time. You need to share all the information you have, relevant to the topic/person(s) you are asking about.
Read about linking to sources in my article Link to the actual source
I also think that you should focus your question on one or a few items. “When was he/she born?”, “When did they get married?” or “Did he/she have any siblings?” There is no need to get as much information as possible into/out of each posting. Nobody will find it strange if you are back frequently with new requests.
Posting on international groups, the time difference causes people in different countries to be logged on at different times. Norway is 6 hours ahead of EST. Depending on your question it might be good to have views from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
If you are a member of several groups dealing with the same topic, don’t post the same question in several groups. It is annoying having spent time answering, only to find that the same person has posted the same question on another genealogy group and got the same answer as I just gave.
When someone responds to your request, be sure to thank them for their interest in your case.
Answering questions
Many of the things I have touched upon above can be good to keep in mind when answering. First, you need to read the question thoroughly. What is asked about? Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification and additional information if the question is unclear. Then read previous responses! It’s nothing more boring than to have to wade through a long list of similar responses.
Don’t take over the search from the one who asks the questions. I think the search is as much fun as the results. Stick to answering the question and let the one who asks stay at the helm of his/her search. You may indicate that you have related information on the matter and are willing to share it.
The information you provide should, of course, be of the same quality as you expect from others, preferably with attached sources.
Be careful about discussing living persons. If you are trying to get in contact with living relatives, I suggest you post your question without giving much private information. Stick to the information that might be found in a public phone-, or address books. Ask people to respond through email or private message. If you are able to answer a question like that, you should respond in the same way. You can post a message in the group to tell them you send them a message.
Remember; The only stupid questions there are, are those that are never asked. Don’t be afraid of participating in online genealogy forums and always ask questions in online forums; it is how you learn best.
Genealogical forums
Here are solid places genealogists regularly ask (and answer) questions online:
Norway-focused
Slekt og Data – Slektsforum (large Norwegian genealogy Q&A forum; good for local knowledge and “brick wall” questions). Slekt og Data
Arkivverket / Digitalarkivet – Brukernes eget forum (user forum tied closely to Norwegian archival sources; great for help with Norwegian records and how-to). Arkivverket
Overview of Norwegian discussion forums (useful directory) (lists Arkivverket/Digitalarkivet forum areas and more). Norsk Slektshistorisk Forening
Big international Q&A communities
FamilySearch Community (very active; good for Family Tree, record search, and general how-to). FamilySearch Community
WikiTree G2G (Genealogist-to-Genealogist) (fast responses; good for research methods and specific ancestor questions). wikitree.com
Genealogy & Family History Stack Exchange (best for well-defined, “how do I…?” questions; answers tend to be thorough and sourced). genealogy.stackexchange.com
RootsChat (classic, busy genealogy forum—especially strong for UK/Ireland and diaspora research). rootschat.com
Message boards and broader communities
GenForum (Genealogy.com forums) (surname- and place-based boards; can be useful for older threads/leads). genealogy.com
Ancestry Message Boards (topic/surname boards; good for connecting with researchers on the same lines). support.ancestry.com
Reddit – r/Genealogy (active general help; be mindful of privacy rules for living people). Reddit
FamilyTreeForum.com (discussion-style forum with research questions and tools/software talk). Family Tree Forum
Quick tip to get better answers anywhere: include who/what/where/when, what you’ve already checked (with links/citations if possible), and the exact question you want answered (one question per post usually works best).
I hope you find this information useful. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have questions or comments on this topic. There may be things that should be added or things that need clarification. Go to contact and send me a word. I am also happy to try to help you out with your Norwegian genealogy.
