Blogs are more than just junior websites. Although a blog could be a static stand-alone site, the genre is designed for frequent updating and a measure of interaction between the originator or originators and the readers. If you intend to enter into a conversation with your readers, you are really searching for a social networking environment. But sharing genealogical information is fundamentally different than sharing recipes or discussing personal family matters.
It is abundantly apparent that the vast majority of people sharing genealogical information online are interested in the structured, family tree environment best represented by the huge family tree website such as Ancestry.com's Public and Private Trees and MyHeritage.com's huge collection of contributed family trees. There are dozens, perhaps hundreds of other alternatives with the same fundamental relationship between the information and the users.
There are a number of considerations to take into account before settling on one type of online venue for sharing family information. One of the first concerns is whether or not there is really a cooperative and supportive family organization behind the effort. Is the idea to have an online presence originating with an individual who is seeking family connections or an already established family organization that is funded and been in existence for years.
Individual efforts can be monumental, but are highly dependent on the dedication of the individual. A short online search will show a lot of abandoned family history blogs with last postings dating back a year or more. Maintaining a regularly posted blog requires an adjustment in life style and a passion for the subject matter that transcends an on-again off-again interest in genealogy. Genealogy is one thing, maintaining a blog is another. The same could be said for a website. But in the case of a website, benign neglect can turn into collapse of the site.
Blogs exist in a structured environment. Usually associated with either Google or WordPress, blogs are not dependent on the payment of annual fees or the vagaries of server issues. Websites do not maintain themselves, they requires frequent updating and maintenance to stay online. For example, you can build a website on any one of hundreds of server companies, such as BlueHost.com or similar sites, but then you are dependent of the server's viability and the payment of the periodic fees. The smaller or less commercially viable the server, the more likely that maintaining a website will require substantial periodic maintenance.
I suggest that until you have a formal family organization and as long as the online effort is mainly individual, that you may wish to see if a blog will suffice. Once you find that your family has an ongoing interest in family matters and is willing to maintain a regular fee payment, you could consider expanding into a website. Unless you have someone in your family willing to dedicate a lot of time to programming a website, you may have to also pay for third-party services for changes and maintenance.
If your main interest is just to get your information out there on the Internet so that it is available to other interested and potentially interested family members, you may consider many of the options available for building large information bases such as I mentioned with Ancestry.com, MyTrees.com and MyHeritage.com. A middle ground is available with the wiki based family tree sites such as WeRelate.org and FamilySearch.org's new offering Family Tree. These are free sites but backed by large, permanent organizations.
Personally, I do not have a supportive family organization. I blog about genealogy but do not necessarily share family information through this venue. I have my personal genealogy family trees parked on FamilySearch.org, New.FamilySearch.org, WeRelate.org, MyHeritage.com, Ancestry.com and some other sites. Although I do get an inquiry from time to time, I do not see the support necessary to justify either the time or effort to create a formal website.
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Friday, May 18, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Anticipating the Market -- When Do I Buy a New Computer?
The dilemma posed by the ever more rapidly changing electronics market is the tendency to wait for the next upgrade or product release. The trouble is that you may end up waiting forever. In a merchandise based economy, it is given that there will always be new styles. The difference between a change in the style of a dress or suit may seem little different than a buying a new tablet computer, but there is a fundamental difference. A new suit or a new dress is still a suit or dress. Materials and assembly may evolve over time, but what you get is still a suit of clothes. On the other hand, what is happening in the electronics industry is the creation of new products.
Take Apple's iPad for an example. When the first news began to circulate about Apple releasing a "new" type of computer, generically called "a tablet," reactions from the media were almost uniformly negative. There was no need for such a device. What use could it possibly be? No one would buy such a device. I must admit that my reaction was very similar. My first real contact with the iPad was walking into an Apple store, just to see the new product. The store had a large table near the entrance to the store with 15 or 20 iPads tethered to the table. After a few minutes, I became more fascinated in watching the people come into the store and pick up the device for the first time than I was in trying to use the product myself. The remarkable thing about the iPad was that everyone who picked one up, immediately and instinctively knew how to use it. The was true for children who could barely see over the edge of the table and for much older people dragged in by their grandchildren. I spent over an hour just standing there watching people use the iPad. At the end of the hour, I bought one.
Now, at the time I purchased the new iPad, I could have waited. I have been around electronics long enough to realize that there would likely be an iPad 2, an iPad 3 and so on forever. I could also have guessed that many other manufacturers would come out with similar products and that someone, like Google, would probably come out with a similar operating system and method of using hand and finger gestures. In short, I could have waited for the next round of updates and releases. Why? If the product had an attraction and a use, why not buy one at the time I was attracted and had the use?
In genealogists this tendency to wait, manifests itself in the almost universal reaction to any technological change; how much does it cost and is there a annual fee? Whenever I suggest to someone that they just might want to consider upgrading their Personal Ancestral File program to something a little more powerful and currently supported, 95 times out of a hundred, I will get that same reaction. Will I have to pay for updates? This reaction is exceptionally bizarre from a PAF user because there haven't been any updates since 2002. This reaction is even more strange, when you realize that nearly every genealogical database program on the market today costs less than $100.
I am not advocating unbridled spending. I do not wish to drive all of us dependent on Social Security in some form or another to the poor house. What I am saying is that genealogy, as it is today, is a technologically sophisticated pursuit that requires some pretty technological tools. If you are going to survive in the genealogy world today, you need a set of computer skills and part of that set of skills is the ability to keep your tools (computers and software) up-to-date.
So when do you buy a new computer? Watch the market. There is no real need to be the first to buy any change in technology. But, like the iPad, if there is something that is manifestly new, innovative and reasonably priced, there is no reason to wait for the next iteration. On the other hand, if the issue is when to upgrade your existing computer system, you need to look at exactly what is happening around you. There are two things that change rapidly; operating systems and the underlying processing chips. When you figure out that there are new operating systems, such as the soon-to-be released Windows 8, then you know that there are also new processor (CPU) chips either already released or on the horizon. New Intel chips or whatever other manufacturer usually drive new or very updated operating systems. Once you get two or more iterations behind, you will find it difficult to buy programs and may run into problems in maintaining your computer.
One thing you can assume, the new system will be faster and have more features than the old. If you want to keep a comparable level of computer, the new system will probably cost less.
Take Apple's iPad for an example. When the first news began to circulate about Apple releasing a "new" type of computer, generically called "a tablet," reactions from the media were almost uniformly negative. There was no need for such a device. What use could it possibly be? No one would buy such a device. I must admit that my reaction was very similar. My first real contact with the iPad was walking into an Apple store, just to see the new product. The store had a large table near the entrance to the store with 15 or 20 iPads tethered to the table. After a few minutes, I became more fascinated in watching the people come into the store and pick up the device for the first time than I was in trying to use the product myself. The remarkable thing about the iPad was that everyone who picked one up, immediately and instinctively knew how to use it. The was true for children who could barely see over the edge of the table and for much older people dragged in by their grandchildren. I spent over an hour just standing there watching people use the iPad. At the end of the hour, I bought one.
Now, at the time I purchased the new iPad, I could have waited. I have been around electronics long enough to realize that there would likely be an iPad 2, an iPad 3 and so on forever. I could also have guessed that many other manufacturers would come out with similar products and that someone, like Google, would probably come out with a similar operating system and method of using hand and finger gestures. In short, I could have waited for the next round of updates and releases. Why? If the product had an attraction and a use, why not buy one at the time I was attracted and had the use?
In genealogists this tendency to wait, manifests itself in the almost universal reaction to any technological change; how much does it cost and is there a annual fee? Whenever I suggest to someone that they just might want to consider upgrading their Personal Ancestral File program to something a little more powerful and currently supported, 95 times out of a hundred, I will get that same reaction. Will I have to pay for updates? This reaction is exceptionally bizarre from a PAF user because there haven't been any updates since 2002. This reaction is even more strange, when you realize that nearly every genealogical database program on the market today costs less than $100.
I am not advocating unbridled spending. I do not wish to drive all of us dependent on Social Security in some form or another to the poor house. What I am saying is that genealogy, as it is today, is a technologically sophisticated pursuit that requires some pretty technological tools. If you are going to survive in the genealogy world today, you need a set of computer skills and part of that set of skills is the ability to keep your tools (computers and software) up-to-date.
So when do you buy a new computer? Watch the market. There is no real need to be the first to buy any change in technology. But, like the iPad, if there is something that is manifestly new, innovative and reasonably priced, there is no reason to wait for the next iteration. On the other hand, if the issue is when to upgrade your existing computer system, you need to look at exactly what is happening around you. There are two things that change rapidly; operating systems and the underlying processing chips. When you figure out that there are new operating systems, such as the soon-to-be released Windows 8, then you know that there are also new processor (CPU) chips either already released or on the horizon. New Intel chips or whatever other manufacturer usually drive new or very updated operating systems. Once you get two or more iterations behind, you will find it difficult to buy programs and may run into problems in maintaining your computer.
One thing you can assume, the new system will be faster and have more features than the old. If you want to keep a comparable level of computer, the new system will probably cost less.
The Glacial Method of Genealogical Data Preservation
I am just getting into another six or so boxes of genealogical paper. I am always most anxious to obtain any older relative's collections but it always seems like my relatives are organized in the same way I am, that is, the glacial method of genealogical data preservation. You might remember that glaciers are formed as excess snow fall over the years builds up until the bottom layers turn to ice. What has been discovered, is that glaciers are a window into the past. Everything is laid out in neat layers concerning whatever fell into the glacier. After sometimes thousands of years, the things that were dropped into the glacier, show up at the terminus.
I have the same very conservative method of document preservation. If you pile it up deep enough, the lower layers sort-of form a glacier-like solid mass. So you can tell if something is recent or old by the layer it appears in. The acquisition date of the document can be determined by stratigraphy of the accompanying layers. Ho, Ho, you say. That is all well and good, but what happens if you actually want to find something?
First of all, you know that the document is there and that it is well preserved. So what do you do about finding a particular document? You take a core sample. In my case, the core sample is a scanned image of all of the documents. My system breaks down somewhat at this point, I have to admit, because I fail to keep up with the deposition of the documents. I am way behind in adding metadata but hopefully, that task will be accomplished before I die. I also have a tendency to accumulate new documents faster than I can scan them into the computer. So even though I have been scanning and naming files for years and years, I am really further behind than when I started.
I can see a future problem as I enter feeble old age. Some of the piles of boxes are almost six feet high. The bottom boxes may contain something interesting but as I get older, I am less inclined to move the heavy boxes around just out of curiosity. I am comforted by the fact that the documents are scanned and are somewhere in the 2.2 Terabytes of information I have on my latest hard drive.
What happens to the relatives who are waiting for me to scan all this stuff? They either wait patiently or die, I suppose. So far, no one has offered to help and they must be all well employed or independently wealthy because I can't even seem to be able to hire any of the younger ones who might be able to move the boxes to talk to me about the project. I certainly realize that most people, including my relatives, have a real life and are not at all interested in genealogy, but it would be helpful to have at least one or two willing to tackle the glacier.
I have the same very conservative method of document preservation. If you pile it up deep enough, the lower layers sort-of form a glacier-like solid mass. So you can tell if something is recent or old by the layer it appears in. The acquisition date of the document can be determined by stratigraphy of the accompanying layers. Ho, Ho, you say. That is all well and good, but what happens if you actually want to find something?
First of all, you know that the document is there and that it is well preserved. So what do you do about finding a particular document? You take a core sample. In my case, the core sample is a scanned image of all of the documents. My system breaks down somewhat at this point, I have to admit, because I fail to keep up with the deposition of the documents. I am way behind in adding metadata but hopefully, that task will be accomplished before I die. I also have a tendency to accumulate new documents faster than I can scan them into the computer. So even though I have been scanning and naming files for years and years, I am really further behind than when I started.
I can see a future problem as I enter feeble old age. Some of the piles of boxes are almost six feet high. The bottom boxes may contain something interesting but as I get older, I am less inclined to move the heavy boxes around just out of curiosity. I am comforted by the fact that the documents are scanned and are somewhere in the 2.2 Terabytes of information I have on my latest hard drive.
What happens to the relatives who are waiting for me to scan all this stuff? They either wait patiently or die, I suppose. So far, no one has offered to help and they must be all well employed or independently wealthy because I can't even seem to be able to hire any of the younger ones who might be able to move the boxes to talk to me about the project. I certainly realize that most people, including my relatives, have a real life and are not at all interested in genealogy, but it would be helpful to have at least one or two willing to tackle the glacier.
What is a census?
Here is an informative new video from FamilySearch about censuses.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Using FamilySearch Trees to Preserve Your Files -- Part Two
I am afraid that you will likely get lost in the terminology unless you are very familiar with FamilySearch's use of the terms, Tree, New.FamilySearch.org and etc. I would refer you to my first post on this subject, if you need some help in this regard.
Assuming you now have all of the terms figured out, I will launch right into the subject of this post; preserving your files on FamilySearch.org's Trees.
Here is a screen shot of the FamilySearch.org startup page with an arrow pointing at the Trees link.
This menu item refers to a way to search the records formerly used in the old FamilySearch.org website, including the Ancestral File and the Pedigree Resource File. Essentially, although it is no longer mentioned as such, FamilySearch is inviting everyone to store their user generated family trees online and allow the files to be searched using this Trees link. Here is a screenshot of the sharing page:
You should note, that unlike sharing your family information on MyHeritage.com or Ancestry.com's Family Trees, you cannot view your file, yet, on FamilySearch.org. Clicking on the Submit Tree button shows the following page:
Once you sign in, you can see the following:
Interestingly, I could now delete the old incomplete backup file I up loaded in 2000. I could also store a copy of my current files online. You will notice that the upload is done with a GEDCOM file, which essentially means that some of the features of the newer database programs are not likely to be online for viewing or anything else.
This was always available as a contribution of your file to the Pedigree Resource File, but what is new is the ability to delete old files.
Assuming you now have all of the terms figured out, I will launch right into the subject of this post; preserving your files on FamilySearch.org's Trees.
Here is a screen shot of the FamilySearch.org startup page with an arrow pointing at the Trees link.
This menu item refers to a way to search the records formerly used in the old FamilySearch.org website, including the Ancestral File and the Pedigree Resource File. Essentially, although it is no longer mentioned as such, FamilySearch is inviting everyone to store their user generated family trees online and allow the files to be searched using this Trees link. Here is a screenshot of the sharing page:
You should note, that unlike sharing your family information on MyHeritage.com or Ancestry.com's Family Trees, you cannot view your file, yet, on FamilySearch.org. Clicking on the Submit Tree button shows the following page:
Once you sign in, you can see the following:
Interestingly, I could now delete the old incomplete backup file I up loaded in 2000. I could also store a copy of my current files online. You will notice that the upload is done with a GEDCOM file, which essentially means that some of the features of the newer database programs are not likely to be online for viewing or anything else.
This was always available as a contribution of your file to the Pedigree Resource File, but what is new is the ability to delete old files.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Proving your case - Part Two
Why do you think the information you have is correct and that another family member's is wrong? I have been primarily involved in civil litigation. What that means is that I represented clients that thought they were right and someone else was wrong. As an attorney I represented my client's interests. Usually, the other side of the case identified me with my client and so I was vilified and of course was dishonest because I represented the other party who was obviously wrong and falsely claiming to be right.
Eventually, one of three things happened. Somebody ran out of money, died or otherwise quit fighting. The parties got tired of paying their attorneys and got together and settled the case or, the case went to trial and a judge or jury decided the case. Sometimes the judge or jury agreed with my client and then of course, we were right all along. Other times, when we lost, of course we were still right, but the judge or jury was either stupid, dishonest or didn't understand our position.
Any of this sound familiar? I see the same kinds of attitudes among highly possession oriented genealogists. They are right and everybody else is wrong. Hmm. That might be true. It is entirely possible that the opinionated genealogist is right and everybody else is wrong. But unfortunately, there are no genealogy police, courts, judges or juries. So if we think we are so right, how do we prove we are right?
Here is the great mystery of practicing law. How do you represent a client when you know that they are wrong (or guilty or whatever)? In criminal law the answer is simple. Our law system is supposed to abide by the principles of due process and equal protection. Everyone, guilty or not guilty is entitled to representation in court. On the other hand, civil law is a little more problematic. No one has any kind of constitutional right to an attorney in a civil case. In fact, many people represent themselves. As an attorney, I had to represent my client, so I chose my clients based on what I thought were the merits of their case. If I didn't think a client had a chance to win, I didn't take the case. When a client didn't have a case, if allowed to do so, I would explain why I thought the case was weak or non-existent and send them on their way to try another attorney or drop the matter.
Here is the problem with genealogy. We do not have anyone who has the role of an attorney, judge or jury that can tell someone when their evidence isn't good enough. So one genealogist can believe that the family members and births are "proven" by one census record, while at the same time another genealogist my still question the accuracy of the information after logging thirty or forty sources. When is enough, enough?
In law, if we keep going, some day the case will end. No matter how persistent the litigator, no one can keep a case going forever. Somewhere, sometime, a judge will finally decide a party has had enough opportunity in court and end the case. In genealogy, on the other hand, we pass our problems on down to the next generation. Some genealogical issues never get resolved because there is no one around to say "It is over."
So how do you "prove" you are right? It depends. Even if you read all 800 plus pages of Mills, Elizabeth Shown. Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace. Baltimore, Md: Genealogical Pub. Co, 2007, somehow you have to come to a consensus with the opposition (it there is any) and agree to disagree. You many be the best professional genealogist in the world and write the ultimate proof statement of all time, but guess what? I don't have to believe a word you say. I don't have to agree with any one of your carefully reasoned conclusions. I don't have to even read your proof statement and I can hold my own opinion based on the flimsiest of evidence or lack of evidence and what can you do about it? Absolutely nothing. Genealogy isn't court and the law. I can't force you to agree with me or pay me money if you do not.
Think about this aspect of genealogy for a minute. I have a family group record with a husband, wife and five children. I have birth dates for most. I have no places of birth at all and I have no marriage date or any other information. When you ask me if I have checked the Census records, I respond, "What is a census record."
In this first case, is there any room for discussion about the identity and personal information of the family members? Of course, you say. How can you tell you have the right family? What if I don't care? What if I think I have all I need to substantiate the family?
You see proof is kind-of slippery. I might think I have all the "proof" I need and you might disagree, but if we are genealogists, how do we determine who is right or do we care?
Eventually, one of three things happened. Somebody ran out of money, died or otherwise quit fighting. The parties got tired of paying their attorneys and got together and settled the case or, the case went to trial and a judge or jury decided the case. Sometimes the judge or jury agreed with my client and then of course, we were right all along. Other times, when we lost, of course we were still right, but the judge or jury was either stupid, dishonest or didn't understand our position.
Any of this sound familiar? I see the same kinds of attitudes among highly possession oriented genealogists. They are right and everybody else is wrong. Hmm. That might be true. It is entirely possible that the opinionated genealogist is right and everybody else is wrong. But unfortunately, there are no genealogy police, courts, judges or juries. So if we think we are so right, how do we prove we are right?
Here is the great mystery of practicing law. How do you represent a client when you know that they are wrong (or guilty or whatever)? In criminal law the answer is simple. Our law system is supposed to abide by the principles of due process and equal protection. Everyone, guilty or not guilty is entitled to representation in court. On the other hand, civil law is a little more problematic. No one has any kind of constitutional right to an attorney in a civil case. In fact, many people represent themselves. As an attorney, I had to represent my client, so I chose my clients based on what I thought were the merits of their case. If I didn't think a client had a chance to win, I didn't take the case. When a client didn't have a case, if allowed to do so, I would explain why I thought the case was weak or non-existent and send them on their way to try another attorney or drop the matter.
Here is the problem with genealogy. We do not have anyone who has the role of an attorney, judge or jury that can tell someone when their evidence isn't good enough. So one genealogist can believe that the family members and births are "proven" by one census record, while at the same time another genealogist my still question the accuracy of the information after logging thirty or forty sources. When is enough, enough?
In law, if we keep going, some day the case will end. No matter how persistent the litigator, no one can keep a case going forever. Somewhere, sometime, a judge will finally decide a party has had enough opportunity in court and end the case. In genealogy, on the other hand, we pass our problems on down to the next generation. Some genealogical issues never get resolved because there is no one around to say "It is over."
So how do you "prove" you are right? It depends. Even if you read all 800 plus pages of Mills, Elizabeth Shown. Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace. Baltimore, Md: Genealogical Pub. Co, 2007, somehow you have to come to a consensus with the opposition (it there is any) and agree to disagree. You many be the best professional genealogist in the world and write the ultimate proof statement of all time, but guess what? I don't have to believe a word you say. I don't have to agree with any one of your carefully reasoned conclusions. I don't have to even read your proof statement and I can hold my own opinion based on the flimsiest of evidence or lack of evidence and what can you do about it? Absolutely nothing. Genealogy isn't court and the law. I can't force you to agree with me or pay me money if you do not.
Think about this aspect of genealogy for a minute. I have a family group record with a husband, wife and five children. I have birth dates for most. I have no places of birth at all and I have no marriage date or any other information. When you ask me if I have checked the Census records, I respond, "What is a census record."
In this first case, is there any room for discussion about the identity and personal information of the family members? Of course, you say. How can you tell you have the right family? What if I don't care? What if I think I have all I need to substantiate the family?
You see proof is kind-of slippery. I might think I have all the "proof" I need and you might disagree, but if we are genealogists, how do we determine who is right or do we care?
Monday, May 14, 2012
Researching Your Roots: 5 User-Friendly Features of Familysearch.org
This is a guest post by Brent Rasmussen
Brent Rasmussen is a freelance writer who enjoys writing about genealogy and other areas of family history.
Brent Rasmussen is a freelance writer who enjoys writing about genealogy and other areas of family history.
With the release of the 1940 Census and the rise in popularity of the reality TV show “Who Do You Think You Are”, more and more people are flocking to the internet to research their roots. One of the more popular family history websites is Familysearch.org, and for good reason. Familysearch.org is a user-friendly site that makes looking up family history simple and convenient for both seasoned genealogists and beginners alike. Here’s a look at just a few of the many reasons you should consider Familysearch.org for researching your family history.
-
Ease of navigation:
Familysearch.org was designed with ease of navigation in mind. With its crisp, uncluttered, and clearly organized home and webpages, even first time users of the site will find it surprisingly easy to begin researching their family history. -
Multiple search options:
Familysearch.org offers a number of options for obtaining ancestral information. The search for a specific record begins by typing in the first and last name(s) of a relative, either living or dead. To narrow the search, a “Search by life events” option may be used to type in a birthdate, marriage date, date of death, or a place of residence. A “Search by Relationships” line is also provided for typing in the name of the spouse or parent’s names of the ancestor being searched. To narrow the search even further, a “Search by Batch Number” line is provided, should the person doing the search have a batch number from the IGI or International Genealogical Index. Another search option clearly provided on the homepage is “Trees”, allowing for the searching of family lines. Access to all of the records found in the Family History Library in Salt Lake City may be obtained by clicking on the “Catalog” option. In addition, by using the “Books” option, the user may gain access to over 40,000 digitized family history and genealogical publications found in the archives of many of the world’s premiere family history libraries. -
Free learning resources:
For those who have a genuine interest in researching their family history, but aren’t sure how to get started, one click on the “Learn” option, found at the top of every page, gives users access to a variety of free learning resources, including: 1) The Research Wiki, a collection of useful articles and tips on family history research provided by experts and enthusiasts from all over the globe. 2) Free Research Courses, both live and online to help you find out more about your family tree, and 3) Free Research Discussion Forums utilizing over 2,000 registered volunteers worldwide to answer your family history research questions, such as “How can the 1940 Census release help me to find out more about my ancestors?” In addition, by clicking on “Help”, a vast array of informative options appear, including FAQ’s, text, and video tutorials, and contact information to assist you in getting the help that you need when you need it. -
Free forms and PAF software:
When doing family history and genealogy it’s vital to be able to collect, organize and share the information you have gathered. For this reason, Familysearch.org offers free forms such as pedigree or ancestral charts and family group sheets or records. In addition, the website also offers Personal Ancestry File (PAF), a valuable family history and genealogy desktop software program that may be downloaded free of charge. -
Live local assistance:
Along with all of the great features Familysearch.com already provides, one unique feature that sets it apart from other family history and genealogical websites is the ability for online users to utilize a vast network of brick and mortar Family Search Centers. Open and free to the public, Family Search Centers and the volunteers who staff them offer a wealth of knowledge and information, including computer access to billions of online records and millions of microfilms from all over the world.
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