We’ve added some new features to the BillionGraves website, and we are excited for you to try them out.

The first is the ability to message other BillionGraves users. Go to a specific cemetery page, and below the map, click the tab labeled “Contributors.” You can view every user that contributed to documenting that cemetery.

If you click on a contributor’s user name, a box will pop up with basic information about that user—their user name and location, if they’ve disclosed it—and an option to send them a message.

Messaging other users is a great way to collaborate picture collecting efforts and thank others for the work they’ve contributed.

When you send a message, it will be sent as an email from you via BillionGraves to that user’s email inbox. By sending them a message, you are disclosing your email address. If the user chooses to reply, you will receive an email from them. You won’t have access to their email address unless they reply to you directly.

The second new feature is an updated records view. When you search for an individual in our database, you’ll find a page like this one:

You can see the transcription of the information on the headstone, view the image of the headstone and the map of its location, and share the record with your family and friends via Facebook, Twitter, and email. You can also contact the user who uploaded this image to our database. Clicking the Description tab will show you any additional transcribed information from the headstone, including the epitaph. You can view or add a personal history on the History tab—this is a fun way to share stories and information with family or other users. Tapping the Other Individuals tab will show you any other records associated with this headstone; in the above example, that tab would show Sheldon Laurie Nicolaysen’s record.

We hope you enjoy these updates—check them out for yourself on BillionGraves.com.