By rootsyapp-blog on August 22, 2012

We believe that family is the most important thing on earth.

Family brings you into the world and gives you life. Family knows you better than anyone. Family is always there for you when you need them most. Family is also the building block of a healthy and prosperous society.

So why isn’t family given more attention in the online world?

A few months ago, we set out with the vision to bring families closer together. We wanted to build a site where families could map out their relationships and roots, from parents and siblings to aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and great-grandparents. It would be a place where they could share photos, videos and memories of one another and with one another, both for special occasions like weddings, reunions and graduations as well as everyday moments. The site would give them a strong reason to stay in touch, and also create an opportunity to reconnect with distant relatives. Most importantly, it would be a place where everything was private and shared only among close family.

When we browse the social web today, we find many places to connect with people but few places to connect with family. It’s no secret that most social sites treat family as an afterthought. They bolt on family features to existing functionality or leave them out completely, saying it’s too difficult, too complicated and not worth the effort. Worst of all, they have little regard for growing concerns about privacy and sensitive personal information.

Families deserve better. They deserve an experience that is custom-built for their needs, one that celebrates their diversity and facilitates connections between its members.

Very soon, we’ll be launching a new site to the world that’s made just for families. We’re calling it Rootsy - after the roots that connect one individual with a larger group of people. Rootsy has been several months in the works; like family, it represents the building blocks of something bigger.

If you’re interested in our launch, head over to Rootsy.com to sign up and get notified. And check back here for regular updates about our company as well as our thoughts on family.

Stay together,
Team Rootsy

PS: You can also reach us at family@rootsy.com and on Twitter and Facebook.