With all the acronyms online and on social media these days, it can be tough to navigate through what you’re reading.
You may have even had a conversation full of acronyms with a teenager that was also using abbreviations, whether they’re trolling you or not.
What can seem like a new language also extends to research. When it comes to looking up family history, you may have come across an abbreviation or acronym you hadn’t seen before.
One such example is WFT. At first, you might have mistaken it for another popular phrase.
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To the World Wide Web and Beyond
On a mission to discover what scientific phrase WFT is associated with, you might have done some research.
In that case, you likely used the internet to satisfy your curiosity. If so, you might have been a little overwhelmed with the resulting answer search.
Never fear, the experts are here! We’ll explain what WFT stands for as well as its potential.
What Does WFT Mean in Genealogy?
WFT stands for World Family Tree. The definition of a World Family Tree is a culmination of family records from around the world.
The Geni World Family Tree is actually the most worked on and biggest WFT around.
Millions have collaborated with information to make the World Family Tree encompass as massive of a scale as possible. Thanks to the internet, you can sign up for a free account in seconds.
World Family Tree Project
In addition to Geni, there is also Family Search website where over 1 billion ancestors have been accounted for.
The overlying goal is to connect as many people, both past and present, to this project.
Getting Started on the WFT
Once you’ve signed up and become a member, you can contribute immediately. The first step is to use the dates provided by your personal family tree to input on the World Family Tree site.
As you begin filling in family members, don’t feel like you have to know the specifics right now. If you’re unsure of the details for multiple events, use an estimated date.
Building Out the Family Tree
Once you get going, the world family tree algorithm will give you hints to help spread out the tree more broadly. There are even computer-assigned WFT dates to help fill in the gaps.
You can always go back and edit information as it becomes available.
Checking the Data
Using a site like Geni or Family Search to feed into the WFT will be similar to putting together a family tree on Ancestry. The big difference is you might have access to a bigger range of data.
Perhaps not DNA matches but, due to the addition of active genealogists, there might be more unique family links. By definition, you can create a family tree and input as much info, with a date or two, as you can.
You can compare what records you have with someone else’s branches and perhaps there is an answer there you didn’t know you were looking for.
The Deeper Meaning of a WFT
With over 100 million living users adding to the WFT, it’s possible we’ll learn a whole lot more about who we are as a civilization.
If getting back DNA results have taught us anything, it’s that we are a lot more mixed than many originally thought.
The more we learn about where we’ve been genetically, the more we can see people from a new perspective.
Spread the Word
The more people who contribute to the World Family Tree, the more connections can be made. Send an invite out to your friends and share the WFT with organizations you work with.
Heck, why not even a business you frequent?
We are a Family
You may find that the more people become a member of a WFT website, the more people you’re connected to.
After all, we are all connected to each other, in a circle, in a hoop that never ends. At least, that’s how Disney’s Pocahontas looked at life.
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