7 February 2011 by Libbi.

RootsTech Conference Will Broadcast Select Sessions Free Online

SALT LAKE CITY—RootsTech, a new family history and technology conference held in Salt Lake City, Utah, February 10-12, 2011, announced February 4 that six of its popular sessions will be broadcast live and free over the Internet. The live broadcasts will give those unable to attend worldwide a sample of this year’s conference content. Interested viewers can watch the live presentations at RootsTech.org. The first-year conference has attracted over 2,000 registered attendees.

The free online sessions include some of the keynote speakers and a sampling of technology and family history presentations.  Following are the six broadcasts, speakers, and times of the presentations. All times are in Mountain Standard Time (MST):

Thursday, February 10, 2011

·       8:30-9:00 a.m., A world of Information, Shane Robison, chief technology officer, Hewlett Packard

·       9-9:30 a.m., Turning Roots, Branches, Trees into Nodes, Links, Graphs, Jay L. Verkler, chief executive officer, FamilySearch International

·       3-4:00 p.m., Digitally Preserving Your Family Heritage, Barry Ewell, founder of MyGenShare.com

Friday, February 11, 2011

·       8:30-9:30 a.m., The Changing Face of Genealogy, by Curt Witcher, manager of the Historical Genealogy Department, Allen County Public Library

·       9:45-10:45 a.m., Cloud Computing: What is it and how it has been used to create the next familysearch.org, by Brian Pugh, senior engineer, FamilySearch International               

Saturday, February 12, 2011

·       8:30-9:30 a.m. Personal Archiving and Primary Documents, Brewster Kahle, founder of the Internet Archives

·       1:45-2:45 p.m., Virtual Presentations Round Table and Collaborative Panel Discussion, Thomas MacEntee, professional genealogist and technology specialist

·       3:00-4:00 p.m., The Power of PDF: Tools for Every Genealogist ,  D. Josh Taylor, Director of Education and Programs at New England Historical Genealogical Society.  

About RootsTech

RootsTech is a new conference designed to bring technologists together with genealogists to learn from each other and find solutions to the challenges faced in family history research today. The conference’s activities and offerings are focused on content that will help genealogists and family historians discover exciting new research tools while enabling technology creators to learn the latest development techniques from industry leaders and pioneers.

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3 February 2011 by Libbi.

I have a chapter in my book, Genealogy Online, 9th Edition,  on how to go about hiring a professional genealogist, and how to know when you need one. Until this month, one place you could go to find a pro was Ancestry.com’s Expert Connect, but the  company has discontinued that listing. In response,  Directory of Genealogists has emerged. STEPHANIE HOOVER is the owner and operator of not only DirectoryOfGenealogists.com but also PennsylvaniaResearch.com.    She has the site up and running, with a Twitter update feed @DirofGens!  Here is the press release about this new site:

DIRECTORY OF GENEALOGISTS
ESTABLISHED JANUARY 2011
A Global Network of Professional Genealogists
DirectoryOfGenealogists.com
February 2, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Stephanie Hoover, Owner
DirectoryOfGenealogists.com
directoryofgenealogists@gmail.com
Free Directory of Genealogists Debuts This Month

A new web site set to debut this month offers both genealogists and those looking to hire them a valuable free service: a worldwide directory of professional researchers.
The recent closure of Ancestry’s ExpertConnect program prompted Pennsylvania genealogist Stephanie Hoover to create a tool that fills the resulting large void in marketing and networking opportunities. Her answer is a simple concept, but one she hopes will be highly beneficial.

“I know that there are professional organizations for genealogists,” says Hoover, “and even other directories. But this directory will be a little different. For one thing, the scope is quite large. Many former ExpertConnect researchers have asked to be included so the directory already represents a number of countries outside the United States. And, basic listings will always be free. A genealogist will never have to pay to have his or her name on DirectoryOfGenealogists.com.”

Hoover is currently absorbing all costs to design and host the site, gather researcher profiles, and database this information.

“I have had generous offers from participants,” she says, “but at this point it would be difficult to delegate tasks.” She has also taken on the role of social media coordinator using services like Twitter and LinkedIn to publicize the directory. “I believe it’s time for genealogists to take control of their own industry,” Hoover says. “Trade groups are in the business of growing the group – and that is certainly reasonable. ExpertConnect was a revenue generator for Ancestry – and here again, that’s to be expected. But this directory benefits no one but the researchers. We are the ones who know what we need to survive in this field. We are the ones who know that clients need direction and education. We are the ones who need one another, to compare notes and share stories of both success and failure. That is my goal for this web site.”

A special discussion board, to be called “The D.o.G. Pound,” will be a researchers-only forum where genealogists can communicate with one another privately. This service will not go live until the directory is posted. Hoover is honest about possible future premium content on DirectoryOfGenealogists.com.

“Once the directory is operational, and if I am confident that premium services or listings benefit researchers, I may eventually charge a nominal annual fee for enhanced directory entries. As I’ve already mentioned, however, basic listings will always be free and I can promise that any future premium fees would be
affordable for one-man-shops or part-time genealogists.”

Researchers wishing to be considered for inclusion in the directory can complete a simple form found
at:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?
formkey=dGYwLWlxMW5iME9YR2ZDbHNQUVFBVWc6MQ
While the web site is still currently under construction, the basic design and framework are clearly visible to visitors who are encouraged to go to  DirectoryOfGenealogists.com and offer feedback.
Comments or questions about the directory can be emailed to Stephanie Hoover at: directoryofgenealogists@gmail.com
A Twitter account has also been established: twitter.com/DirOfGens
###

 

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28 January 2011 by Libbi.

http://history.msfc.nasa.gov/book/chptnine.pdf

I was at work. I was pregnant with Matthew, due in about a month. It was my husband’s grandfather’s birthday.

Mama called me, knowing my desk was out of range of a radio or TV. “The shuttle exploded,” she said. “It’s just awful.”

Dad was working at McDonnell Douglas, having retired from NASA in 1980.  But Dad had worked in propulsion, aeronautics and  avionics at NASA most of his career. An explosion that soon after launch meant a problem with one of those, he knew.

Later, investigations would reveal that a combination of things from design and testing flaws, to a decision to launch at colder temperatures than ever attempted before, to joints and seals all played a part.  “The commission decided that since Marshall officials had prior knowledge of the hazard, the accident primarily resulted from ineffective communications and management at the Center.” says the history at the Marshall Space Flight Center site. But that’s not the whole story, the history goes on to say. MSFC officials disagreed with that conclusion, saying they communicated, and tested.

Lessons learned, as this article at Space.com, http://www.space.com/10708-shuttle-challenger-anniversary-nasa-lessons.html, says, include being aware that small mistakes have big consequences. And that when you are attempting things that have never been done before, sometimes it’s hard to see everything that might go wrong.

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26 January 2011 by Libbi.

The FamilySearch January 2011 Bloginar recording is now available online. If you were unable to attend the event on January 18, 2011, you or your subscribers can now listen to and view the free presentation and discussions at FamilySearch Wiki. Go to Wiki.FamilySearch.org, and search FamilySearch Bloginar.

Following is a summary of the January Bloginar agenda.

·       FamilySearch latest collection updates

·       Indexing milestone(s)

·       RootsTech 2011 Conference Update: Overview of Scheduled Open Panels and Discussions

·       FamilySearch Research Courses Online
· 90 day outlook of upcoming developments
· New webinars and podcasts offerings
· Big picture of research curricula coming online
· Community involvement and free training recording services

ABOUT FAMILYSEARCH INTERNATIONAL
FamilySearch International is the largest genealogy organization in the world. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch has been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. FamilySearch is a nonprofit organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Patrons may access FamilySearch services and resources free online at FamilySearch.org or through over 4,600 family history centers in 132 countries, including the renowned Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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21 January 2011 by Libbi.

I’m posting twice today because I never got around to posting Jan 20. (What’s the smiley for sheepish?) and also because it’s been a long time since I did a round up of interesting DNA genealogy news items. So here goes:

Newer DNA Tests Uncover Hidden Jewish Bloodlines Forward - Elie Dolgin -

Genealogy: From top, Pickrell, Voss and Moore discovered their Jewish heritages through recently available DNA testing. By Elie Dolgin Last April, …;Forward

NEW Scholarly path had early roots for speaker Walla Walla Union-Bulletin - Joe Volpert -

“Doing your genealogy and doing your DNA is the ultimate way of being exposed to knowledge — complex knowledge about yourself,” Henry Louis Gates Jr. said …

Timeless tenets at core of Palladio’s classicism Washington Post - Roger K. Lewis -

Trace the architectural genealogy of many of western civilization’s … America enthusiastically absorbed the DNA of European classicism, …Washington Post

Looking for his birthright: Lebanon toddler’s grandparents blocked …Foster’s Daily Democrat - Aimee Lockhardt - “Where the DNA is and everything.” DNA would turn out to be the biggest hurdle …. it would allow for Mason to find out his medical history and genealogy. …

Black Heritage Festival packed with an array of events for the …ABC Action News - Martin Luther King III - … “Old School Saturdays” and “Gospel/Jazz Sundays” at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park to a genealogy luncheon examining the use of DNA in family research. …ABC Action News

Chin-Kuki-Zo: Plight and Glory? Mizoram Express - Joseph Suantak - … of the recent/latest human genome mapping and DNA test of Asian people, … Regarding their genealogy it is believed that the less important ones, …

What a Weekend: Events in Indian River County, Jan. 21-Jan. 24 TCPalm - Tyler Treadway - Child Safety Event: Biometric fingerprinting, DNA identification kit. … Genealogy Workshop: Seminar. Morningside Branch Library, 2410 SE Morningside Blvd. ..

Hi Matt!

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19 January 2011 by Libbi.

Press Release from the US National Archives:

History is made with first National Archives mobile app!

Washington, DC… The National Archives has launched its first mobile application, Today’s Document [http://go.usa.gov/rnm/].

Explore American history with 365 of the most fascinating documents and photos from the extensive collection of the National Archives. Today’s Document is an interactive gallery showcasing anniversaries of fascinating historical documents and images from the National Archives. With the Today’s Document application, people can learn what happened on their birthdays, search for a document by keyword, or just browse leisurely though historical highlights from the extensive National Archives’ holdings.

Zoom in on the high resolution images to get a closer look at the featured documents and photographs, use the calendar feature to select a specific date, or choose “Surprise Me” to show a document at random. Want to learn more? Tap the “info” icon to read background information on the selection. And share these historical features via email, Facebook and Twitter, and add documents to “favorites” lists by tapping the “star” icon.

Today’s Document is part of the flagship initiative of the National Archives Open Government Plan which includes a redesigned web site and new, user-friendly search engine. For more information on these developments, see Open Government at the National Archives [http://www.archives.gov/open/].

The Today’s Document free mobile app is now available in the Android marketplace and the Apple iTunes Store, http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/todays-document/id412969819?mt=8.

And oh by the way, while you are in iTunes, you can also download the 28 episodes of the  NARA Presidential Libraries’ monthly podcast, Presidential Archives Uncovered. Topics included The Peace Corps and the Gulf of Tonkin. Fascinating stuff.

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14 January 2011 by Libbi.

On Facebook, besides a personal profile, you can create a “page” or public profile. A Facebook public profile gives a voice to any public figure or organization to join the conversation with Facebook users who have personal pages. Quite a number of genealogy companies, groups and sites have used pages to create connections with clients, customers, members and friends on Facebook. When someone “likes” a Facebook public profile page, then that user will get any news and notes posted to it on the user’s news scroll. 

To find a page that might interest you, use the search box at the top of any Facebook profile, and type in your search term. Then use the tab at the top of the results to see only “Pages” as opposed to all pages and personal profiles. 

I did that today, searching for genealogy pages, and was amazed at the number that popped up. I put them all in a table and sorted by the number of people who “like” each one, and came up with the top 20 by popularity. Interesting, at least to me! 

1.       Genealogy – As an Interest	119,223 people
2.       Genealogy – A News and information page	27,064 people
3.       Ancestorville Genealogy	14,398 people
4.       GenealogyBuff.com	10,221 people
5.       Genealogy Research	10,195 people
6.       Genealogy Family History	7,457 people
7.       AfriGeneas ~ African Ancestored Genealogy	4,896 people
8.       GenealogyWise	4,287 people
9.       Family Genealogy	3,813 people
10.   Genealogy Tip of the Day	2,664 people
11.   RootsMagic Genealogy & Family Tree Software	2,607 people
12.   Olive Tree Genealogy	2,224 people
13.   GenealogyBank	1,448 people
14.   S and N Genealogy	1,402 people
15.   Genealogy Center	1,343 people
16.   Genealogy	1,317 people
17.   The Genealogy Gems Podcast	1,092 people
18.   Genealogy Today	1,036 people
19.   Heritage Genealogy Corner	832 people
20.   Apple Manor Press — Genealogy and Local History books	777 people

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10 May 2010 by Libbi.

GenSoftReviews, the website where genealogists and family tree researchers review and rate their software, now lists over 500 different programs  GenSoftReviews is a website that allows users of genealogy software to rate and review the programs they’ve used or tried. This allows others who are looking for programs to better compare and select software that will help them. The site is located at: www.gensoftreviews.com  Now there are more than 500 programs for genealogists listed at the site. Those who are unhappy with their current software can use the listings to find a program they may find more suitable for the way they work. The site includes 244 full featured programs that allow full recording of your family data and more. There are 170 utility programs that do something useful by reading the data produced by a full featured program. And there are more than 80 programs that do not work directly with your genealogy data, but perform useful functions for family researchers.Over 300 of the programs are for Windows. There are 44 for the Mac, 36 for Unix and 26 for handheld devices. In addition there are over a hundred online programs listed, many of which are full featured and allow you to store and share your data online.Almost half of the programs listed are free. In January, GenSoftReviews awarded its first User Choice Awards based on user ratings of their programs. The top program was Roots Magic with an average rating of 4.94 out of 5. Other top programs included Legacy, The Next Generation, Brother’s Keeper, Personal Ancestral File, Reunion, Family Tree Builder and GRAMPS.”Most genealogists are unaware of how many different software packages they have to choose from. Each have different capabilities and benefits, and there is no reason why anyone should be stuck using a program they don’t like” says Louis Kessler who developed and maintains the site. The Genealogy Software Reviews site is free to use and does not require registration About Louis KesslerLouis Kessler has been a genealogist and programmer for over 30 years. He has published newspaper articles on genealogy, given presentations on genealogy, and is Past President of a regional Heritage Center. He is the developer of the genealogy program known as Behold that can be found at www.beholdgenealogy.com. Contact InfoLouis Kessler  111 Wallingford Cres.,Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3P 1L5   Phone: (204) 488-2858  Website: http://www.lkessler.com

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4 May 2010 by Libbi.

Talking about Census Bureau News - Facts for Features Special Edition - 2010 Census by the Numbers:… — WASHINGT

Quote “72 The number of years census records are kept confidential before being released for genealogical research.  ”

So many times, I hear pundits questioning the use of the questions on race in the census: It’s very simple. 72 years from now, when your grandchildren are doing their genealogy, that race question will help them differentiate you from someone else with the same name….I cannot tell you how many times that has helped me in my research…

Census Bureau News - Facts for Features Special Edition - 2010 Census by the Numbers:… — WASHINGT

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14 April 2010 by Libbi.

1. Roots & Branches: Shay or Harper? DNA holds the answer ‎Lebanon Daily News - James M. Beidler - 2 days agoOnly in the brave new world of DNA genealogy can you start out looking for Shays and end up finding that you’re a Harper. …

2. Ask a genealogist ‎South West Review - 1 day agoQ. What answers can genealogy research provide that DNA tests won’t? A. The two actually go hand in hand. DNA will tell you in general terms what part of …

3. 2 elderly Fla. men discover they are half brothers ‎MiamiHerald.com - 5 days agoNichols’ granddaughter helped him get on the genealogy Web site Ancestry.com, and eventually … A DNA test later confirmed they have the same father. …From strangers to siblings: Brothers, both in their 70s, meet for …‎ - Ocalaall 15 news articles »

4. San Antonio Current

   Uprooting the ancestors ‎San Antonio Current - Callie Enlow - 9 hours agoSpurred on by his Uncle Lico’s previous genealogical work, Santos feels … but, thanks to a detailed DNA test, many scattered and surprising origins. …

5. DNA: The Future of Jewish Genealogy ‎Shalom Life - Dan Verbin - Apr 3, 2010Today, Jewish genealogy is more popular than ever thanks to a plethora of … Jewishgenealogy’s ongoing popularity in Israel and using DNA to trace your …

6. World News

   Eva Longoria shocked by DNA test ‎NDTV.com - Apr 4, 2010… star Eva Longoria was left stunned by recent genealogy results because she’s …when the results of an indepth DNA test came back because her ancestors …Eva was an “Aztec princess”!‎ - Times of IndiaEva Longoria Launches Easter Tent Crusade‎ - Actress Archivesall 25 news articles »

7. History buffs head to Salt Lake City for genealogy events ‎USA Today - Jennifer Dobner - Mar 20, 2010… understanding DNA testing and writing and editing family narratives. … The week also includes several special events, including a genealogy ”kids …

8. KISSIN KUZZINS: A glossary of terms one may encounter in genealogy … ‎Lufkin Daily News - Carolyn Ericson - Mar 31, 2010Perhaps FamilyTree DNA holds the answer to your problems. FamilyTree DNA providesDNA testing for genealogists and is the pioneer in the new field of …

9. Legislature passes limits on vital records access ‎Bangor Daily News - Roxanne Moore Saucier - 2 days agoWith DNA testing, exciting new doors have opened as tools to discovering one’s …Another session of Genealogy for Kids Day, GEN4KIDS, will be held 11 …

10. OnMilwaukee.com

    OnMedia: NBC turns genealogy into TV drama ‎OnMilwaukee.com - Tim Cuprisin - Mar 26, 2010… news to former NFL running back Emmitt Smith that DNA evidence showed his roots …Smolenyak runs her own “reality” channel, an online genealogy outlet …

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