Want a new way to search for your ancestors? Instead of surfing to the big database sites or using search engines, why not explore the fun world of Web rings? A Web ring is a group of related Web sites, all linked to one another. Some Web rings are for general genealogy; others have a common theme such as a surname or locality.

Once you're on a Web ring site, all you have to do to travel through the ring is to click the link. You can choose to view the next five sites in the ring, any random site or see a list of all of the sites in a specific ring.

Rings are a fun way to explore Web sites that may have valuable genealogical information but never show up anywhere in the top results of a search engine. I love using Web rings when I'm starting a new area of research, just to get a feel for what's out there. For example, I used a ring to begin Ohio research. You may want to try them for finding out more about ethnic resources or regional roots.

Here are some sites that will get you started using Web rings:

• WebRing

• Genealogy Web Rings (categorized by state, surname, topics)

• Cyndi's List: Web Rings

• Web Ring Surfer Paradise