Back in the day, there was Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness, a website where frustrated family historians could request help from strangers. And receive it. It was created by Bridgett and Doc Schneider in 1999, but closed down in 2011.

The subscription site Mocavo has created a similar site, Genealogy Karma, in tribute to the Schneiders and the volunteers who made Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness so valuable. Launched just last week, this site allows people to make requests for genealogical help in far-flung areas and be matched with volunteers who can help them. When you go to Genealogy Karma, you have the opportunity to either volunteer to help someone or to submit a request for help. You can also read the current requests and responses.

Reading the responses to the requests has been very educational (and rather enjoyable) for me. I haven’t seen any requests directly relevant to my research, but I’m fascinated by the resources mentioned in the responses. It’s very inspiring!

If you’re looking for help, if you want to help others, or you just want to learn about some ways to go about getting past brick walls that you may not have thought of, Genealogy Karma is definitely worth checking out. Bravo to Mocavo for making it available!