1/1/2004
By Allison Stacy
You don't have to be a computer whiz to create your own genealogy Web site. Follow these 10 steps to share your family tree online and start extending those branches.
Genealogy as Jo Autrey of Dallas knew it changed on July 18, 1998. That's when Andréa Autrey of Seattle launched a Web page for all variations of the Autrey surname <www.autreyheritage.com> (the women aren't related). After the two connected electronically, Andrea helped Jo set up her own simple site.
A few months later, while researching her Texas ancestors, Jo met Kristy Williams of Stafford, Va., a coordinator of several USGenWeb <www.usgenweb.org> pages. When Williams learned that Jo's Internet Service Provider (ISP) was going to charge $50 an hour to improve her site, Williams offered to revamp it for free. It's now called Jo's Front Porch <www.usroots.com/∼jautrey>. Jo was so impressed with her friend's skills that she encouraged Williams to start her own Web-design company, KD's Designs <www.kd-designs.com>.