Alan
E. Mann, AG
alan.familyhistory@gmail.com Accredited
Genealogist
BYU 2007 Annual Family History & Genealogy conference www.alanmann.com/articles
Wednesday, 1 August 2007 4:00
– 5:00 pm
What’s
New in Family History
on the
Internet
This session looks at some
new things on the Internet. There are so many new web sites we can’t possible
begin to look at even 1% of what’s new. Rather, I would like to show you
several new data sites, demonstrate some new technologies or concepts,
examine some new products or services, and give you a few hints on how to keep
find more of the same on your own.
New Data Sites
FamilySearchLabs is
demonstrating the long awaited access to Family History Library microfilm
records online. It is called the Record Search and is available at http://labs.familysearch.org.
The new service has a mix of records, some of which are images only, some are
indexes only, and others have both. Your search includes all records that have
been indexed. You can browse records, as well. The image viewer has many
options and controls. If you haven’t seen it yet, try it out. It requires an
email address, but registration is free.
World Vital Records (www.worldvitalrecords.com)
has a rapidly growing collection of data. While this site has been around for
over a year, the site has found recent success. I mention it here because it
has a lot of recently added databases and because it is now available at Family
History Centers at no charge. Databases worthy of note include the small town
newspapers collections and a large collection of US Directories. Their
International collection is getting started, as well. Check out the list of
databases available at www.worldvitalrecords.com/genealogy-databases.aspx
(NOTE: you will need to click on “see all
databases in this category” or you will miss many of the databases they
have available)
Footnote.com is another site
which has shown recent development and which is also now available at Family
History Centers at no charge. I am impressed with the number of state
naturalization indexes or records they’ve added as well as the unique
collection of revolutionary war records. They have contracts with
RootsUK is a surprisingly
comprehensive new site for British genealogy. It has Complete Census
Transcripts with Images for 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1891 and 1901, as well as a
searchable index to civil registration 1837-2005, and a few miscellaneous
databases such as London Electoral Roll. It is fee based, but seems reasonably
priced. Check it out at www.rootsuk.com.
FindMyPast (www.findmypast.com
or www.ancestorsonboard.com)
has begun transcription of the BT27 records of passengers leaving the
New Technology or Concepts
FamilySearch.org affiliates
program. In cooperation with archives, societies, and businesses, FamilySearch
is partnering with others to provide access to data and coordinate the indexing
of the data.
Social Networking is a
pervasive, significant development which has the potential to change our lives.
Social network sites include MySpace, Facebook, and many similar sites. Now,
there’s a social network for genealogists. Founded by Paul Allen, FamilyLink is
off to a fast start. Listen to Paul talking with Kory Meyerink about what
FamilyLink is at www.familylink.com.
GenealogyPays.com has
launched a new type of genealogy portal. This site offers cash rewards for
completing a series of puzzles. The idea is to attract people, offer them
useful information and links to good genealogical sites, keep them informed,
and pay for the site through advertising. It’s an interesting business model
and only time will tell if it succeeds. Check it out at www.genealogypays.com.
For other examples of
technology application to genealogy, see my syllabus material on New and
Emerging Technologies, also available online at www.alanmann.com/articles/newtech807.htm.
New Products and Services
LifeBrowser (updated &
expanded) is an experimental service of which a demo is available at http://labs.familysearch.org.
This service will allow individuals to upload photos, scanned documents, videos
etc. on their family and associate it with both pedigrees and with source
information and analysis. The experiment is asking for comments and
suggestions, but shows a lot of promise in promoting more accurate, documented
research.
Timelines are an important
research tool. While there are good products to help with creating timelines
(e.g., GeneLines), there are also a number of useful online timeline tools. A
new one can be seen at www.xtimeline.com/history/History-of-Immigration-in-the-United-States
BiographicalWiki is a free
collaborative project located at www.biographicalwiki.com. This site allows
individuals to upload biographies on their deceased ancestors, and to update
and collaborate on getting accurate information. The whole concept of Wikis is
one which holds promise for application to genealogy.
There is a growing number of
genealogists who use mapping tools for genealogy trips. One idea is to use
Google, Yahoo, or Ask Maps to plot out key points you want to visit, which will
aid in trip planning. You can also use software such as FamilyAtlas to plot
your data on a map, then look at places you might want to stop or things you
might want to research at archives or libraries in the area. One example is
Kimberly Powell’s genealogy trip at http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&q=%2B38%C2%B0+34'+24.00%22,+-109%C2%B0+32'+57.00%22&layer=&ie=UTF8&om=1&msa=0&msid=112175121695916852526.00000113401e815c4fefe&ll=35.835629,-77.975464&spn=1.567541,2.883911&z=9.
Other useful mapping sites
include
·
http://home.earthlink.net/~dcreeves2000/data/gen_map_dr_web.htm
and
I’ve often mentioned
automatic backup services, and I’ve tried to use several. Several services
offer free online storage, but you have to remember what to save there and
manage the use of the space and the files stored there. An automatic backup
service does this for you automatically. One of my long time favorites, Mozy,
has introduced a backup service for a fee of only $4.95/mo. Alternatively, you
get a free 2 gb (+256 mb if you use this link - https://mozy.com/?ref=6H24GG).
How to Find More on Your Own
There are thousands more such
sites on the internet. It would be impossible to list them all here. Even if I
could list them all, there would be more that weren’t listed by tomorrow! So
how can you find more? There’s a lot you can do to be aware of developing
technology. I would suggest:
·
Read
online newsletters, chiefly Dick Eastman’s newsletter (www.eogn.com).
See www.cyndislist.com/magazine.htm#E-zines for
a list of many others.
·
Participate
in or read Genealogy Blogs (http://genealogyblog.com, www.genhelp.org,
http://genealogysites.blogspot.com,
www.dearmyrtle.com,
www.randomgenealogy.com,
http://genealogy.about.com,
or others. Check back—I hope to soon have a NetVibes Universe for genealogy
blogs, but it is still in beta testing.
·
Subscribe
to blogs, podcasts, and searches via RSS (see www.rssgenealogy.com,
or The Bluster about Blogging).
·
Review
Wikis (www.eogen.com)
and similar items.
·
Attend
conferences & institutes like this one. Check both speakers and vendors.
·
Participate
in societies with technology topics or publications (such as Blue Chips, www.ucs.org/index.php
and Utah Valley PAF, www.uvpafug.org).
·
Read
industry publications such as Genealogical Computing, PAFology (www.uvpafug.org),
and Internet Genealogy (www.internet-genealogy.com) , and society
publications--most include technology articles in current issues.
·
Use
search tools and directories, such as
o
Linkpendium
(www.linkpendium.com)
o
Search
Systems (www.searchsystems.net)
o
Genealogy
Sleuth (www.progenealogists.com/genealogysleuthb.htm)
o
State
Archive site list (www.sos.state.ga.us/archives/what_do_we_have/other
_state_archives/default.htm).
o
Cyndi’s
List (www.cyndislist.com/primary.htm#Online)
o
Genealogy
Links (www.genealogylinks.net)
©Copyright 2006-7 by Alan E. Mann. All rights reserved.
Written permission to reproduce all or part of this syllabus material in any
format, including photocopying, data retrieval, or the Internet, must be
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