Mom always said there's no such thing as a free lunch, but Mom never surfed the Net. Every day my e-mail box is filled with messages about free Internet access or free software, but in my case those offers are like giving dog food samples to a cat owner. If you want to make my day, give me something I can actually use, like genealogy stuff. Free genealogy stuff.

It's out there, if you know where to look — just like finding the free prize in a box of Cracker Jack. Whether you're after facts about your ancestors, clip art for your family history album or even free software to organize your genealogy, you can get it gratis. With some bargain-conscious Net surfing — yes, most genealogy freebies require an Internet connection, in part because it's so much cheaper to deliver bytes than non-digital goodies — I found enough free stuff to make Mom eat her words. Here's a sampling.