The Hearst Corporation, owner of over 500 newspapers nationwide, HoustonChronicle.com, the Chronicle's online website, and TalkCity.com , a national chat hosting website, will sponsor a genealogy chat from 8 PM to 9 PM on Monday, January 24. Mic Barnette will be the host of the Chat. He is an author, lecturer, and a genealogical instructor. He writes an award winning weekly genealogical column in the This Week section of the Houston (Texas) Chronicle. His column may be read at http://barnettesbooks.com. Mic is a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, Sons of Confederate Veterans, Sons of the Republic of Texas, a number of genealogically related societies and is an Admiral in the Texas Navy.

To join the Genealogy Chat go to http://www.chron.com/chat or http://www.talkcity.com. A greeting on the website will prompt chatters to sign-in as a member or as a guest and will give further instructions on how to download the chat software to join in the fun. Both members and guests are able to ask questions and see all the action.Ü Those that sign in as members on the Chronicle's website will receive the Chronicle's Weekly Online E-Newsletter with schedules of other chats and activities.

Chatters who use AOL as their only means of access to the Internet will need to have either a) a full version of Netscape or Microsoft Explorer 3.0 or higher installed separate from the "mini-browser" that comes with AOL, or b) upgrade to AOL 4.0 which does allow the AOL browser to reach Talk City.