If you're interested in family history, this thread's just for you.
To begin my research on the internet I went to Google, put in 'Genealogy' and lots of sites came up. From then on, it's a matter of looking at sites that are pertinent to you. There are Family Name Boards and Surname Boards, where you can find information and leave messages. Some countries, such as South Africa and the US have searchable archives too.
Happy Ancestor Hunting!