05.17.2006

Noteworthy , Technology

One of the Top Three Vices

Amiglia is a smart, best-of-breed Web 2.0 genealogy application created by fellow ITP alums, Paul and Milena Berry. And, it's free during their beta period. "[Genealogy] is the third most popular pursuit...behind the twin vices of gambling and porn," according to Matty Sallin during his thesis presentation of Family Hedge, another genealogy application (Quicktime video + chat transcript).

Family linkages are the most basic social networks and, therefore, easily lend themselves to social applications that are meaningfully relevant to all of us. Amiglia focuses on the social aspects among family members rather than the taxonomy. For one, it has hooks into Flickr, making photo-sharing (a natural family activity) simple and accessible. It has a calendar so you can track birthdays and other important dates. You can even add photo journals of trips courtesy of an integrated Google mashup. It even has a fun family tree game for kids. Best of all, it's free during the beta period -- no software to purchase or install. It's all online and collaborative so the onus of maintaining the family tree can be shared across its members. Take it out for a spin: Family 2.0: Amiglia.com.

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