Presentations and Speakers at RootsTech 2012

You might want to keep track of the list of speakers and presentations at RootsTech 2012. The new list is much expanded and includes an impressive array of ideas and topics. What I noticed was different from last year's lineup was the focus of the topics. They seem to cover a more limited area but with a more identifiable emphasis on technology and genealogy. To get to the list, click on the Schedule link. The list is way too long to reproduce here and, of course, subject to some change, but here are some highlights I saw. The original list has a short synopsis of the content of the presentation which I didn't include:

• D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS: A user’s perspective: developing a universal metadata structure for genealogical content providers
• Janet Hovorka MLIS: Advocating genealogy and growing the market: issues of the new genealogist
• Luana Darby, B.A.: Can you hear me now? voice recognition software and genealogy
• Robert Raymond: Citation principles for tech creators
• Stephen P. Morse, PhD: Deep linking and deeper linking: how I get the most out of existing search applications   
• Lisa Louise Cooke: Genealogy podcasts and blogs 101 

That small sample shows the technical nature of the presentations. I personally proposed four topics, but given the focused technical nature of the presentations, I can see why only one of my proposed topics was accepted, Copyright law and genealogy (and the fact that I am not known for presenting at conferences). There are lot more topics that I am sure will satisfy the most technical of the attendees. Here is another sample:

• Samuel Fletcher: Implementation of a rest api for the FamilySearch family tree
• Don Stringham: Implementing a continuous interaction and deployment strategy for php/lamp applications 
• Bill Carroll: Introduction to groovy and grails
• Reed Powell: On the road to mashups: integrating data from api providers  
• Amy Johnson Crow, MLIS, CG: Php and mysql: a powerful combination for presenting data
• Robert Lee: Refactoring, the neglected art

 Am I supposed to know what this stuff is? I think that there will be something for every level of interest, but if you are looking for help with early Kentucky probate records or how to to "jump across the puddle" as they say, you many find a much more technical lineup than the usual conference. They are going to announce even more sessions but I am certain they will follow the same pattern. I attended BYU Family History and Genealogy Conference and if you are looking for down home, talk about the records in Cayuga County, that is where you need to be, or perhaps, at the Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference in 2013. But if you want the real story on genealogy and technology, it looks like RootsTech 2012 will live up to its name.