Tuesday, September 30, 2014

FamilySearch: It's not all THAT bad!

DearREADERS,
Double bubble, toil and trouble. What's been brewing over on Facebook is less than cheerful feedback about some new changes to the layout and design on FamilySearch.org. Personally, I like it, once you get used to where things are. For instance:

Ol' Myrt here loves the helpful links to online video courses, FamilySearch Catalog and +Cousin Russ' favorite - the FamilySearch Wiki. This is a smart move designed to get researchers oriented to researching in areas where they have little or no experience. (Circled items in column marked C below.)

Here's a screen shot for the FamilySearch England landing page. How I wish the word "INDEXED" (at point "A" above) and "IMAGE ONLY" (at point "B" above) were posted in reverse text, to make the distinction more obvious.

Here's a short subject video we've made to explore the new changes.

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

Blog: http://blog.DearMYRTLE.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DearMYRTLE
G+ DearMYRTLE Community
Twitter: @DearMYRTLE
Second Life: Clarise Beaumont
http://www.youtube.com/user/DearMYRTLE

Monday, September 22, 2014

Timestamped: Mondays with Myrt - 22 Sept 2014

DearREADERS,
This is the *#TimeStamped* version of *Mondays with Myrt for 22 September 2014*. Remember that you can click on the TimeStamp and you will be taken to that portion of the video. We have included links to websites discussed during the show.

00:00 » DearMYRLTE welcomes everyone to Mondays with Myrt
00:47 » Comments from Mr West in the community
03:05 » Comments from Lisa in the community
03:47 » Rockstar Blog

Genealogy Rockstar compendium at
http://www.geneamusings.com/2014/09/genealogy-rockstar-poll-results.html

09:11 » Comments from the community
09:30 » Carmen talks about her new Genealogy Community on Google+

Virginia Beach Genealogical Society Google Community:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/101585995477335340796

13:30 » Comments from community about this new online group
17:30 » Coaching vs Lecturing discussion
28:35 » Comments on this from the community
37:30 » Comments from the community
40:55 » Worldwide blog post

Pauline Cass
My 3 R's of Genealogy Research
http://worldwidegenealogy.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/my-three-rs-of-genealogy-research.html

43:20 » FAN Club

Mastering Genealogy Software community
Hilary Gadsby
Dealing with the "FAN CLUB"
http://masteringgenealogysoftware.blogspot.com/2014/09/dealing-with-fan-club.htm l

37:37 » Road Altas of Great Britain and Maps
53:06 » Parish Locator
http://www.parloc.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/parishlocator.html

54:20 » Google Earth and Lisa Louise Cooke

Google Earth
lisalouisecooke.com

David Rumsey Maps
www.davidrumsey.com

Old Maps
http://www.oldmapsonline.org

59:10 » Ordance Survey
1:02:00 » USGS Topographic Maps

http://www.usgs.gov/
http://nationalmap.gov/historical/

1:06:15 » 85% of the Scottish Election turn out
1:08:31 » Bruce brings up Railroad Maps and documentation
1:09:54 » Finding your Roots

Eastman's post on Finding Your Roots at
http://blog.eogn.com/2014/09/19/reminder-finding-your-roots-with-henry-louis-gates-jr-returns-to-pbs-on-tuesday/

Judy Russell shares links to genetic genealogy conference recordings and credits organizers CeCe Moore and Tim Janzen
http://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog/2014/09/21/if-you-missed-the-conference/

1:14:21 » More than one database program and/or 3rd party programs

Mary Foxworthy: Advisability of using more than genealogy database program
https://plus.google.com/109209963365406777547/posts/XEurE6wpCb2

Clooz and Evidentia

clooz.com
evidentiasoftware.com

custodian4
http://www.custodian3.co.uk/

1:30:35 » Comment about transferring from 3rd party programs to genealogy database programs

Legacy Virtual User Group
https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/102471840504878929586

1:43:20 » Set up for Wacky Wednesday
1:44:44 » Genealogy Game Nite - Who's in your line?

Practical, down-to-earth advice for family historians.

VIEW and COMMENT over on DearMYRTLE's Genealogy Community:
http://bit.ly/DearMYRTLEonGoogle

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

Blog: http://blog.DearMYRTLE.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DearMYRTLE
G+ DearMYRTLE Community
Twitter: @DearMYRTLE
Second Life: Clarise Beaumont
http://www.youtube.com/user/DearMYRTLE

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Genealogy hangouts, webinars and online chats this coming week

DearREADERS,
Thanks to the centralized calendar at GeneaWebinars.com, genealogists interested in learning more about our craft may reagister for these online seminars coming up this week. Be sure to verify the time in your neck of the woods. If you need a time zone converter see: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html

This centralized calendar provides information about how to attend genealogy-related online meetings, classes, hangouts, seminars and webinars, where there is a visual slide share and/or website or software demo for attendees to view.

Hosts may use a variety of platforms including Adobe Connect, AnyMeeting, Captera, Google Hangouts on Air, GoToMeeting, GoToWebinar, Live Meeting, Skype, Web-Ex, and Wiggio, to name a few.

There are currently over 40 hosts with posting access to this calendar and blog, and over 200 hours of scheduled instruction for genealogists wishing to hone their research skills during the coming year.

AMAZING!

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

Blog: http://blog.DearMYRTLE.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DearMYRTLE
Twitter: @DearMYRTLE
G+: +Pat Richley-Erickson
Second Life: Clarise Beaumont
http://www.youtube.com/user/DearMYRTLE

Thursday, September 18, 2014

FGS: 2015 conference promotion through blogging ambassadors

NOTE from DearMYRTLE: The following was just received from our friends at the Federation of Genealogical Societies. Unlike previous conferences, the 2015 FGS annual conference will be held in the winter, in conjunction with RootsTech. If you were ever thinking about coming to Salt Lake City to do research at the world famous Family History Library, 2015 is the year to do it. Arrive a week early or stay a week after the conference. Attending the conference and applying what you'll learn right away is perhaps the best way to incorporate those new research ideas gleaned from the class sessions you attend. If you have a blog, you may also consider becoming a FGS Blog Ambassador.

http://www.fgs.org

BECOME AN FGS AMBASSADOR

FGS Invites You to Participate

September 18, 2014 – Austin, TX. The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) is pleased to announce an invitation for FGS Ambassadors. If you are a blogger, social media enthusiast, writer, editor, or in any way interested in spreading the word about the FGS 2015 Conference, FGS is looking for you.

The 2015 FGS Conference scheduled for February 11–14 in Salt Lake City, Utah, will be a one-time special event with RootsTech. FGS Ambassadors will blog, share, like, +1, and tweet to spread the news about this unique FGS conference to their friends, colleagues, and everyone interested in genealogy.

Benefits to FGS Ambassadors include:

Link to your blog, website, Twitter, or other social media accounts on the FGS 2015 Conference Ambassadors Page.
Potential to be a guest blogger on the FGS Voice Blog.
Direct contact with the FGS 2015 Marketing Committee.
Advance notice of press releases and other important updates from the Conference Committee.
Participation in the FGS Ambassadors Facebook Group.
Meet up with other Ambassadors at FGS 2015 - group photo for publicity.
Ambassador badge ribbon at the conference.

Having a genealogy blog or planning to attend the FGS 2015 conference are not requirements for participating.

Visit FGS Ambassadors at https://www.fgsconference.org/media-center/ambassadors/ to review the full guidelines for participating and to register as an FGS Ambassador. Please register by October 8, 2014.

About the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS)

The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) was founded in 1976 and represents the members of hundreds of genealogical societies. FGS links the genealogical community by helping genealogical societies strengthen and grow through resources available online, FGS Forum magazine (filled with articles pertaining to society management and genealogical news), and Society Strategy Series papers, covering topics about effectively operating a genealogical society. FGS also links the genealogical community through its annual conference -- four days of excellent lectures, including one full day devoted to society management topics. To learn more visit http://www.fgs.org.

Follow us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/FGSgenealogy), Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/FGSgenealogy) and on our blog at (http://voice.fgs.org).

Monday, September 15, 2014

Timestamped: Mondays with Myrt - 15 Sept 2014

DearREADERS,
This is the *#TimeStamped* version of *Mondays with Myrt for 15 September 2014.* Remember that you can click on the TimeStamp and you will be taken to that portion of the video. We have included links to websites discussed during the show.

00:00 » DearMYRTLE welcomes you to Mondays with Myrt
00:38 » Celebrating Myrt's father's birthday with a family photo
01:10 » Randy's newest Grandson
01:48 » Myrt canvases the panel for what they want to talk about
08:13 » Comments from the community
09:09 » Preview of Wacky Wednesday
11:45 » WiFi Extenders

Amazon: NETGEAR AC750 -802.11AC Dual Band Gigabit Wi-Fi Range Extender (EX6100)

http://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR--802-11AC-Gigabit-Extender-EX6100/dp/B00HHRP11C/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1410791860&sr=8-3&keywords=wifi+extenders

17:48 » FHISO Conversation fhiso.org

19:54 » Kinship vs Cousins
22:40 » Andrew expands on FHISO and includes the Kinship issue
30:20 » What do we do when a website goes away?

Missing ProGenealogists’ Online Citation Guide question from Pam Sayre, CG,
https://www.facebook.com/pamelaksayre/posts/10204911152879841
answered by Drew Smith, one of The Genealogy Guys:
http://web.archive.org/web/20140718005750/http://www.progenealogists.com/citationguide.htm

LOST PAGE DUE TO SITE REVAMP?
The Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine can help: (426 Billion web pages saved)
http://archive.org/web

34:06 » Are you citing your sources with a generic format or a Template from your software?
37:26 » Transcribe or capture facts or events
41:45 » Can you add a person not related into your database
53:44 » Kinship vs Relationship

A.J. Jacobs Cousin Connections - Um, Not Really: http://www.geneamusings.com/2014/09/aj-jacobs-cousin-connections-um-not.html

Cousins, Kinship, AJ Jacobs and King David: http://www.geneamusings.com/2014/09/cousins-kinship-aj-jacobs-and-king-david.html

1:01:15 » Dave and Randy are related
1:03:09 » Hilary about Google Alerts

Hilary Gadsby's website that she was sharing
http://worldwidegenealogy.blogspot.co.uk/

1:17:59 » Lifehacker Post on Citations

Cousin Russ: Lifehacker’s Post about Inserting Citations in Multiple Formats Easily with Google Docs:
http://lifehacker.com/insert-citations-in-multiple-formats-easily-with-google-1629738089

1:21:25 » How to publish to Google Drive

Google Drive – Drive Bunny’s Blog
Improved Publishing Interface for Docs, Sheets and Slides:
http://www.mousewhisperer.co.uk/drivebunny/improved-publishing-interface-for-docs-sheets-and-slides/

1:28:00 » Community comments about Cloud Technology
1:30:29 » John and his Blog

John Laws Blog
http://lawsandlawes.blogspot.co.uk/

1:38:45 » Happy tree climbing, that's a wrap

Monday, September 08, 2014

Timestamped: Mondays with Myrt - 8 Sept 2014

DearREADERS,
This is the *#TimeStamped* version of *Mondays with Myrt for 08 September 2014*. Remember that you can click on the TimeStamp and you will be taken to that portion of the Show. We will include links to any websites discussed during the show.

00:00 Myrt Welcomes everyone
01:20 Comments from the Community on *Transcript*
03:03 Comments from Community on use of Transcript ( #Transcript )
03:20 Gathering of Topics for Today

07:21 Why Pharrell Almost Didn't Exist

Megan Smolenyak
Why Pharrell Almost Didn’t Exist
https://plus.google.com/118360375753126381346/posts/Wqkdmy1nXWw

09:35 Carmen's presentation on Ordering Microfilm

Link to Carmen's HOA
https://plus.google.com/107941607363534146959/posts/fApRpkAbreR

20:28 Comments to Carmen from the Community
27:27 *Transcript* Program Program

Link to Jenny's Blog Post on Transcript
http://aremyrootsshowing.jenny-ology.com/2014/09/02/tuesdays-tip-transcript/?fb_action_ids=10204481605581874&fb_action_types=news.publishes&fb_ref=pub-standard&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map

35:55 Comments from the Community about Transcript

*TRANSCRIPT*: http://www.jacobboerema.nl/en/Freeware.htm
51:56 Myrt asks Randy about *Rockstar*

GeneaBloggers
Who Is Your Favorite Genealogy Rockstar? 2014 Voting Now Open
http://www.geneabloggers.com/favorite-genealogy-rockstar-2014-voting-open/

58:27 Randy and Crowd Sourcing

Randy's Crowd Sourcing Blog post
http://www.geneamusings.com/2014/09/help-me-crowdsource-dorothys-denmark.html

1:12:58 Comments from the Community
1:13:37 Roots Magic for the Mac (MacBridge)

Announcing MacBridge: Run RootsMagic on Your Mac without Windows
http://blog.rootsmagic.com/?p=2217

1:15:00 Ellis Island

Genealogy Insider
First Look: Relauched Ellis Island Immigration Passenger Search Website
http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2014/09/05/FirstLookRelauchedEllisIslandImmigrationPassengerSearchWebsite.aspx

The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc.
https://www.facebook.com/116541691900/photos/a.382018616900.175269.116541691900/10152213216696901/?type=1

1:36:05 Occupations found on the Ellis Island from Ship Records by John
1:39:20 Comments from the Community about Ellis Island
1:39:50 Coming week's schedule

Practical, down-to-earth advice for family historians. It's all about sharing the latest info for finding documents providing evidence of those elusive ancestors.

Saturday, September 06, 2014

Genealogy hangouts, webinars and online chats this coming week

Friday, September 05, 2014

RootsMagic on a Mac - FINALLY?

DearREADERS,
YAY! Finally, some good news for us Mac users -- RootsMagic will run on a Mac without requiring Windows. You can bet I'm going to download MacBridge and see how this works. (Codeweaver's CrossOver 13 was such a disappointment, as it looked like Windows 3.x.)

From RootsMagic's Facebook page, we find the following announcement posted a mere 55 minutes ago:

"One of the most common questions we are asked is, “When will RootsMagic run on a Mac?” With today’s release of MacBridge for RootsMagic 6, the answer is “right now”. MacBridge for RootsMagic 6 allows you easily install and run RootsMagic on your Mac in mere minutes with almost no additional setup or configuration.

MacBridge for RootsMagic is different than other solutions you may be familiar with. For starters, it does not install Windows on your Mac. It also does not create a slow and bulky virtual computer. It runs right on your Mac, using your Mac file system. You can even put the RootsMagic icon on your dock for easy one-click access! So while we are busily working on an actual native Mac version of RootsMagic, MacBridge for RootsMagic 6 gives you the ability to work on a Mac today.

Want to see it for yourself? Here’s a short video demonstrating how quick and easy it is to download and install RootsMagic onto your Mac:

Still have questions? Take a look at our answers to some Frequently-Asked Questions about MacBridge for RootsMagic.

Currently, MacBridge for RootsMagic 6 is available only as a download. The regular price is $14.95 but for a limited time, you can get it for only $9.95. So if you or someone you know uses a Mac and has felt left out of the RootsMagic magic, do yourself (or them) a favor and check out MacBridge for RootsMagic today!"

All I can say is finally, finally, finally.

And it remains to be seen how this MacBridge for RootsMagic 6 looks and feels. I'm going to take it for a test drive later today, and plan to report during the next Mondays with Myrt.

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

Blog: http://blog.DearMYRTLE.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DearMYRTLE
G+ DearMYRTLE Community
Twitter: @DearMYRTLE
Second Life: Clarise Beaumont
http://www.youtube.com/user/DearMYRTLE

Thursday, September 04, 2014

NARA: Virtual Genealogy Fair 2014 to be held 28-30 October

DearREADERS,
GREAT NEWS! Online genealogy classes from the National Archives (US). Thank heavens our federal government is saving taxpayer dollars by making excellent use of technology. This year the National Archives Virtual Genealogy Fair 2014 will broadcast live October 28th-30th with sessions starting daily at 10am Eastern.

National Archives Virtual Genealogy Fair

October 28, 29 & 30, 2014

Day 1: Tuesday, October 28 (Eastern Time) Watch live on YouTube

#	Time	Topic	Presenter
1	10 a.m.	Introduction to Genealogy	Claire Prechtel Kluskens National Archives at Washington, DC
2	11 a.m.	Preserving Your Personal Records	Mary Lynn Ritzenthaler National Archives at College Park, MD
3	noon	When Saying ‘I Do’ Meant Giving Up Your U.S. Citizenship	Meg Hacker National Archives at Fort Worth, TX
4	1 p.m.	Overview of American Indian Records and Resources on the National Archives Website	Jessica Hopkins National Archives at Kansas City, MO

Day 2: Wednesday, October 29 (Eastern Time) Watch live on YouTube

#	Time	Topic	Presenter
5	10 a.m.	Great Granny Eunice came from Ireland, Grandpa Fred was in the War, Can Access Archival Databases (AAD) Help Me?	John Legloahec National Archives at College Park, MD
6	11 a.m.	World War I Draft Registration Cards	Zina Rhone National Archives at Atlanta, GA
7	noon	Ancestry.com	Quinton Atkinson Ancestry.com
8	1 p.m.	Finding the Correct Ancestor: Using Civil War and Census Records	Jean Nudd National Archives at Boston, MA
9	2 p.m.	FamilySearch	Carol Petranek FamilySearch
10	3 p.m.	U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services	Zack Wilske U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
11	4 p.m.	Federal Land Records at the National Archives	Rick Martinez National Archives at Denver, CO

Day 3: Thursday, October 30 (Eastern Time) Watch live on YouTube

#	Time	Topic	Presenter(s)
12	10 a.m.	Family History and the FOIA: Researching 20th Century FBI records	Britney Crawford & Netisha Currie National Archives at College Park, MD
13	11 a.m.	Discovering Your Family’s Past in Military and Early Veterans Administration Personal Data Records and Selective Service Records	Stephen A. Smith, Daria Labinsky, & David Hardin National Archives at St. Louis
14	noon	Individual Deceased Military Personnel Files (IDPFs)	Bryan McGraw National Archives at St. Louis
15	1 p.m.	Vets and Feds in the Family Tree	Theresa Fitzgerald National Archives at St. Louis
16	2 p.m.	Alien Ancestors during Times of War	Elizabeth Burnes National Archives at Kansas City, MO
17	3 p.m.	Patently Amazing: Finding Your Family in Patent Records	Christopher Magee National Archives at Kansas City, MO

For more information see:
http://www.archives.gov/dc-metro/know-your-records/genealogy-fair

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

Blog: http://blog.DearMYRTLE.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DearMYRTLE
G+ DearMYRTLE Community
Twitter: @DearMYRTLE
Second Life: Clarise Beaumont
http://www.youtube.com/user/DearMYRTLE

Wednesday, September 03, 2014

FamilyHistoryExpos.com - Kearney, Nebraska 23-13 Sept 2014

NOTE from DearMYRTLE: The following was received from our friends at Family History Expos. Please address all inquiries to Holly Hansen.

Dear Friends,

It is not too late to register for the Midwest Family History Expo this coming September 12-13, 2014 to Kearney, Nebraska. We have extended the Early Bird Pricing through September 5^th.

https://www.familyhistoryexpos.com/viewevent/index/72

Holiday Inn Convention Center
110 South Second Avenue
Kearney, Nebraska 68848

Here are some of the highlights of the event:

Welcome from Kearney City Mayor Stanley Clouse
Scandinavian classes being taught by nationally known expert Ruth Maness
Technology classes on Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, MyHeritage.com, and Google by James L. Tanner
Scanning and multi-media presentation classes from experts and vendors
A special panel discussion on the genealogical value held in museums of all levels

Classes on:

Historical records
US military records
New England Research
Scots-Irish Research
Organization
Online Cemetery research
Migrations
German websites
Classes for beginners
Immigration and Emigration
Naturalization
And more!!

Don’t miss this exceptional opportunity to increase your research skills. Learn about sources you never knew existed! Gain insights on new strategies.

AND, be sure to bring your personal research questions for our professionals to give you some expert advice on what to do next in your research! This usually would cost you from $50 to $75 dollars and is included with your registration at no additional cost!

Read up on all presenters before you arrive so you know who is teaching the classes you really need.

https://www.familyhistoryexpos.com/event_professionals/index/72

You will have the opportunity to win door prizes every hour we will give away 5 prizes valued at $100.00 or more; receive a great good bag loaded with fun stuff for genealogists.

The grand prize includes 6 nights stay at the Crystal Inn in Salt Lake City and one week with Family History Expos professionals. This gift is valued at over $1,000 dollars.

https://www.familyhistoryexpos.com/event_doorprizes/index/72

Don’t delay, register today! If you have already registered be sure to tell and bring a friend!

https://www.familyhistoryexpos.com/viewevent/index/72

We look forward to presenting you with answers to your questions and expert advice on how to find your ancestors now!

See you in Kearney!

Holly T. Hansen, President
Family History Expos, Inc.
PO Box 187

Morgan, Utah 84050

Sign up for our Free Newsletter and special offers

http://FamilyHistoryExpos.com

IMAGE: www.FamilyHistoryExpos.com

Virtual Meetings: What about equipment?

DearREADERS,
It doesn't take thousands of dollars of equipment to host virtual #genealogy society meetings. In fact, you probably already have most of the equipment in your genealogy tool kit right now. This is another segment in our Why Host Virtual Meetings? video series:

WHAT ABOUT EQUIPMENT?

PREVIOUS VIDEOS IN THIS SERIES

Virtual Meetings: Consider your audience

DearREADERS,
Offering virtual meetings benefits your society in many ways:

Current members who cannot attend in-person can watch the live version from the comfort of their home computers, tablets and smart phones.
New members may be encouraged to participate, particularly those who live outside the region. The commute is as little as clicking to attend meetings virtually.

These and other benefits are discussed in this segment of our latest Why Host Virtual Meetings? video series:

CONSIDER YOUR AUDIENCE

PREVIOUS VIDEOS IN THIS SERIES

Why Host Virtual Meetings?
More to come...

2015 CSIG - Carl Sandburg Institute of Genealogy

DearREADERS,
There's a new kid on the block when it comes to in-person genealogy institutes, namely the Carl Sandburg Institute of Genealogy. The course coordinators and instructors, however are not newbies. In fact, they are some of the most recognizable in the world on professional genealogy. From CSIG Director Michael John Neill:

"We are proud and excited to announce the dates and course coordinators for the first Carl Sandburg Institute of Genealogy (CSIG). This event will be held in Galesburg, Illinois, in 28 May-1 June 2015 on the campus of Carl Sandburg College."

Course coordinators are:

● Cyndi Ingle of Cyndis List

● Michael John Neill of Genealogy Tip of the Day

● Debbie Mieszala, CG^SM

● Teresa McMillin, CG^SM.

4.5 days of lecture tracks will be offered on the following topics:

● Refining Internet and Digital Skills for Genealogy

● Advanced Methodology and Analysis

● The Advancing Genealogist: Research Standards, Tools, and Records

● Germanic Research Sources and Methods

Additional information is on the CSIG website http://www.sandburggenealogy.com

Questions can be sent to Michael John Neill at mneill@sandburg.edu

See also the CSIG Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/sandburggenealogy

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