Mormons go on the record with huge database

THE internet has regularly been used as a way of tracing ancestors and relatives around the world. There are hundreds of sites devoted to genealogy.

But now one has been launched which could make all others obsolete. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormons, has put nearly 400 million names of the deceased on the internet and is planning to add more.

The information comes from the church's Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, which is the world's largest genealogical repository.

The church has been gathering records worldwide for more than a century to help its members in family research.

Members believe family relationships are eternal and are encouraged to trace their ancestors. As well as the library in Salt Lake City, the church has more than 3,400 family history centres around the world.

The new website http://www.familysearch.org received more than 200 million hits in the eight week test period before the official launch.

It is busy - when I logged on for the first time, I was asked to check back in 22 minutes because the server was too busy to deal with my enquiry. But many will feel what the site offers is worth waiting for. You can type in information about an ancestor and find out if any of the resources available through the site contain further details about them.

You can also share family history information with others via e-mail and recommend other genealogy websites for inclusion in the service. And there is an option for users to submit electronic files containing their own family histories which will be indexed and preserved. The whole service is free.

Elder D Todd Christofferson, executive director of the church's family history department, said: "It has been an enormous undertaking. Hundreds of volunteers have been enlisted to evaluate the thousands of genealogical databases already out there - from individual homepages to substantial resources."

For those worried about Mormons turning up on their doorstep, it promises no-one will call.

One worry many users will have is that by using the service, you will be giving permission for a visit from a Mormon missionary.

Site aims to change the face of fashion

ANY woman who has ever looked at a picture of a starving supermodel in a glossy magazine and felt inadequate should turn to About-Face's website.

About-Face is a San Francisco-based organisation which aims to encourage women to feel good about themselves.

It fights against "negative and distorted" images of women.

The website (http://www.about-face.org) says: "We are tired of being inundated with images of women depicted as junkies, stick figures, mannequins, bimbos and sluts. We demand more powerful, positive role models for the next generations of women." The page includes a top 10 of offending images, including adverts and photographs from fashion shoots.

It encourages you to write to the companies responsible expressing your concerns about the effect the images have.

But it's not all negative. The organisation believes there is some light at the end of the tunnel and space is given to companies who promote the image of women in a positive way.

The women involved clearly don't take themselves too seriously and it makes for an interesting read.

Bugs and beasties in focus

EPIDEMIC! The World of Infectious Diseases is a fascinating exhibition currently showing at the American Museum of Natural History and online at the museum's website (http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/epidemic/epidemic_index.html).

It's packed with information about bugs and the beasties which carry them and there are some lovely pictures of microbes.

It'll make you think twice before coughing without covering your mouth, that's for sure.

Calling all coneheads

CALLING all students! Don't steal traffic cones to put on statues' heads after your end-of-exams parties - buy your own! Cones and every other kind of safety equipment imaginable can be found online at The Safety Shop (http://www.safetyshop.com/).

United fans' big chance

A FOOTBALL signed by the entire Manchester United first team could be yours if you bid enough in the online auction being run on AuctionHunter, part of Newsquest's This is Lancashire website.

The ball is being auctioned to raise money for charity.

You have until June 12 to place your bid at AuctionHunter at http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk

SEEN something interesting on the web? Let me know. Send an e-mail to vcowan@lancashire.newsquest.co.uk

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.