Why I may give up blogging

DearREADERS,
In case you haven't noticed, there have been a lot fewer posts from Ol' Myrt lately. While it's true taking Elizabeth's course at Samford University's IGHR, wrangling with internet connectivity issues, and unpacking have taken their toll, fewer blog posts are also the result of what's happening elsewhere:

LIVE DearMYRTLE's Hangouts on Air - also archived on DearMYRTLE's YouTube Channel where you'll find lively conversation during:

• Mondays with Myrt - A great way to start out your genea-week! You may JOIN the panel or VIEW via DearMYRTLE's YouTube Channel as we discuss genea-news that comes across Ol' Myrt's desk. Usually 90 minutes, Mondays beginning at Noon Eastern (New York) time.
• Mastering Genealogical Proof Study Group Sessions - see description and schedule posted here. Usually 90-120 minutes, Sundays beginning at 8pm Eastern (New York) time.

To VIEW a live event, first check the GeneaWebinars Calendar for the latest info about the specific dates and times. Then a few minutes before the appointed hour, go to DearMYRTLE's YouTube Channel and click the small down arrow to the right of the home icon, and select "Feed" from the drop down menu. With certain browsers you may need to hit the refresh button if the live Hangout on Air doesn't begin for you.

To WATCH an archived video or Hangout on Air, merely go to DearMYRTLE's YouTube Channel and click the "Videos" tab to find an entry that interests you.
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DearMYRTLE's Genealogy Community on Google+

It's free to join, and is as easy as activating a G+ account from your Gmail menu bar. If you click:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/104382659430904043232
the screen will prompt you to log in to your Google+ account, or to create one. Then click to join DearMYRTLE's Genealogy Community, is where comments about our Hangouts on Air and my blog and content curating posts are listed.
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DearMYRTLE's Facebook Page
My March-May 2013 experiment comparing interaction on FB and my newer G+ Community concludes with two thoughts:

• Currently there are more family and genealogy friends on Facebook.
• There are more responses to my posts on Facebook than on Google+.
• Responses to posts on Google+ appear less frivilous.

For these reasons I'll continue to (usually) cross post items on both Facebook and Google+. The exception is that my Facebook postings may refer people to my Google+ community, where the more "in depth" discussions are going forward.
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WHY I WON'T GIVE UP BLOGGING
The DearMYRTLE Genealogy Blog located at www.DearMYRTLE.com was once the main method for publishing my original works - Ol' Myrt's thoughts on various genealogy, organization and technology topics. The goal has always been to "get people talking about how to do research."

But as you can see, technology advances have changed things, and blogging seems somewhat usurped by conversations during my Hangouts on Air. (I put in several hours of prep work for each hour in a hangout.) My DearREADERS may still follow my blog though you'd only be getting 1/10th of the content I curate. Here are recent examples of posts I made to Facebook or Google+ that didn't make it to my blog:

• A worthwhile discussion about calculations... Referencing Dr. Jones coming from Evidentia software users where Ol' Myrt writes: There is a difference between calculate and infer and I think that is why we seem to be at odds with Dr. Jones' thinking. With 'calculate', the doc has concrete info we can work with, say for calculating his birth year from info in his death record. Contrast this with the "purely in our minds" inferences we draw from a document such as "since he was dead by this date he cannot possibly be the father of my ancestor proved to have been born seven years later."
• Goodbye, Google Reader. Here are 5 alternatives posted by usatoday.com, where Ol' Myrt comments "Better switch TODAY if you haven't done so already. Google Reader goes way tomorrow. I chose FEEDLY, by the way." I also added the link to Lifehacker's opinion: Final Warning: How to Prepare for Monday's Google Reader Shutdown.

• After reading PrawfsBlawg: Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl (2 of 4): 3/256^th Cherokee? Ol’ Myrt wrote “Cultural diversity and bloodlines. It seems the political impact of being 1.2% Cherokee outweighs a greater percentage of Hispanic blood. A lot of thought went into this law professor's blog post. My opinion? Regardless of an ancestor's lifestyle, genealogists must report findings in an unbiased manner.”

• Top 10 Reasons I use Evidentia More and More. Ol' Myrt here has read this and several other posts by +Bart Brenner. This guy describes the impact Mastering Genealogical Proof and Evidentia software have on his genealogy research. When not unpacking, I am making similar progress.  Thank you, Bart, for articulating what I hope many others are thinking. Looking forward to meeting Bart in a hangout one of these days.

• +Hilary Gadsby has some good thoughts here. Thank you for a "meaty" blog post titled Should I Change the Way I Do MY Genealogy Research?

Happy family tree climbing!
Myrt     :)
DearMYRTLE,
Your friend in genealogy.

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