Genealogy Wise: My New Home

When you first get the keys to a new home you are overcome with cognitive dissonance. The uncomfortable tension of feeling elated that you have purchased a house, but overcome with fear regarding the enormity of the responsibility. On a smaller scale, signing up for a new social networking site can have the same feelings of cognitive dissonance. A new member is excited about the possibilities of meeting new people, networking and learning with and from other members, and excited to share their life with others. At the same time, new members can feel overwhelmed by the amount of content on a site and it takes awhile to truly feel at home.

In a new home, at least in my experience, stumbles occur. The first couple weeks are spent learning the house's quirks. What works and what doesn't work so well, what needs to be fixed, and what can be improved upon or upgraded. One of the toilets needs a new toilet seat. The back door could use a spritz of oil to stop the creaky sound it makes when it open and closes. A couple plants could be added to the front yard to give the house a more home like feeling. My time so far on Genealogy Wise has felt much like those first couple weeks in a new house.

Without going into detail about the stumbles Genealogy Wise has gone through, I want this blog to be about the incredible response the developers of this site deliver to us members. At no other social network site I belong to have I ever felt at home. I use the sites to socialize with friends and have fun on those sites, but those sites do not feel like a home. Genealogy Wise has made some stumbles, but the sincerity and hard work of those working to develop this site is why I feel at home. Nobody is perfect and I do not expect Genealogy Wise to ever be perfect, with no glitches, no more stumbles. On the contrary, I expect this fast growing site to have more stumbles and more opportunities for growth and learning. I am proud that the developers work hard to make us all feel at home. I am beyong amazed and again proud that the developers are working hard to get to know the genealogy community and what we want from this site. Genealogy Wise has apologized for their mistakes and reached out to members to improve the site. I think this behavior is wonderful and encourage everyone to see the benefits of belonging to a site that not only make mistakes, but takes responsibility for those mistakes and works to improve.

Another reason Genealogy Wise is my new home is because of the incredible people I have had the chance to meet. From group creators to angels to distant cousins to people I have yet to meet I have felt welcomed. Thank you to everyone who has read my blogs, joined the groups I have created, welcomed me into their groups, responded to my forums, and been gracious enough to answer questions I have had. I am having so much fun getting to know people who share my passion and obsession for genealogy. I look forward to participating more in this amazing community. I look forward to being apart of the Genealogy Wise family and enjoying this home for as long as you will all have me.