Another social networking site has joined the genealogy scene. In fact, the online social networking genealogy scene seems to be getting crowded with more and more players joining in. We already have GENI.com and FamilyLink.com. Now you can add FAMILLION to the list.
Based in Israel, FAMILLION plans to add one million family trees to its database by the end of 2007.
The company was founded by 34-year-old Danny Rolls. He got his idea for his software start-up six years ago when his wife was pregnant and they went to the doctor to check if the baby was at risk from genetic diseases. "We had to give our family histories, and I had a vision of thousands of family trees flowing into a circle in the middle of a room. I almost fell from my chair as I really realized that everyone in the world is connected." He knew there were plenty of genealogical web sites, but he wanted to map the whole world, create a "GPS [global positioning system] for humanity".
Rolls has conducted a pilot project in Israeli schools for pupils to map their family trees. His company's software differs from other genealogy websites because its patented technology can merge and connect different family trees based on the barest of information. Even if names are spelled differently, it can recognize and link different families.
Rolls, who served in the Israeli army as an intelligence officer, views technology simply as a means to an end. He explained, "I don't just want to create a company which just does something better than another company. If we present a revolution in the health care of humanity, that is what's interesting."
It will be interesting to see if FAMILLION is able to reach its goals. Here is the official announcement of the new service, written by FAMILLION:
RAMAT-GAN, Israel, August 21 -- FAMILLION™ (http://www.famillion.com) has found the solution to genealogy's greatest setback. With its new merging family tree technology, family trees no longer grow in isolation. FAMILLION™ made it a point to provide a central place for users to connect to family members and relatives beyond their knowledge. With little information inserted, overlapping family trees from all around the world automatically merge, gradually forming a global family forest.
FAMILLION™ is a pioneering social network that allows users to build their family tree, free of charge. It now presents the latest innovation in the genealogy world as well as in the social networking world- automatic merge of family trees that helps users discover new relatives worldwide.
FAMILLION™ provides its users with more than just a canvas to lay their genealogical search on - it offers an experience. While watching their family tree grow to unimaginable extents, users can contact new relatives and familiar ones with the many features the site has to offer.
All social network options are incorporated - features such as sharing photos, stories and adding events to an inherent calendar add up to the internal message board and the ability to control your content and contacts. Users can enhance their personally designed family tree by attaching ancestors' photos, relevant information, stories and more.
FAMILLION™ has been initiated by Dan Rolls on March 2006 as a worldwide family project undertaking a great mission - to connect the world. This is now made possible due to the site's first of a kind family tree merging system. As family trees start to overlap, FAMILLION™ links similar branches together allowing members to track their ancestry and see their distant relations living throughout the world.
FAMILLION™ is free of charge, easy to use and is available to anyone. With these great qualities comes great responsibility, and FAMILLION™ attends to that with strict privacy features and rules. Users are completely on top of their content and are able to decide exactly who can and can't see the information they enter. In addition, FAMILLION™ merges users' trees only upon getting their consent, and allows them to add in or exclude tree members at any stage.
FAMILLION™ invites you to take a fascinating journey into your past and present. Discover the amazing result of combining innovative technology, resource and family information at http://www.famillion.com
