Genealogy Gems News

Open-Source Genealogy Database of Name Variants Announced

2012-02-12T19:34:00.000-08:00

Here's the latest from Ancestry:

"Ancestry.com, BehindTheName.com, and WeRelate.org announce an improved approach to finding variant names in genealogy searches. Up to now, most genealogy websites have had to rely upon Soundex to return variant names in response to searches. These approaches often miss variants that should be returned, or include variants that aren't very similar.

Ancestry.com, BehindTheName.com, and WeRelate.org have created an open-source database of name variants that is free for any website or genealogy software developer to use. Tested against pairs of names provided by Ancestry.com, it reduces the number of missed name variants by over 25% in comparison with Soundex.

How you can help: A large portion of genealogical expertise involves learning variant spellings for the surnames in your tree. By adding your variant spellings to the database, searches on any website that uses it will include your variant spellings automatically. You can review and add variant spellings here:

http://www.werelate.org/wiki/Special:Names

In addition, we need people to review the changes that others have made to the database, to make sure that we have multiple pairs of eyes reviewing the names that are being added and removed. You can review changes that others have made here:

http://www.werelate.org/wiki/Special:NamesLog

More information about the project can be found at:
http://www.werelate.org/wiki/WeRelate:Variant_names_project"

RootsTech Announces Winners of the Developer Challenge

2012-02-12T15:15:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the winners of the of the #RootsTech Developer Challenge:

First Place: Jimmy Zimmerman, NoteFuser

NoteFuser connects your Evernote® notes to Geni.com or new.FamilySearch.org person records. It also allows you to easily create Evernote® powered research logs and other notes with one click. Make sure you watch the NoteFuser Demo video on the homepage http://notefuser.herokuapp.com.

Second Place: Brooke Schreier Ganz, LeafSeek

LeafSeek helps you turn your genealogical or historical record collections into searchable online databases. LeafSeek includes features such as built-in geo-spatial searches, pop-up Google Maps, Beider-Morse Phonetic Matching, name synonyms, and language localization to help you turn your spreadsheets of names and dates into a full-featured genealogy search engine. Check it out at leafseak.com.

Third Place (tie): Brigham Young University Computer Science Department, 20 Minute Genealogist

20 Minute Genealogist is a site that will visualize your family tree using your new.FamilySearch.org credentials. You can see who in your tree needs work and instantly link to FamilySearch and Ancestry to search for the missing information. Sign up to be a beta tester at twenty.byu.edu.

Third Place (tie): Ellie Rasmus, Facetree

Facetree has been developed as a way of using genealogical data from GEDCOM files as context to improve the accuracy of face recognition.

FamilySearch Launches Mobile Indexing App

2012-02-12T15:09:00.000-08:00

FamilySearch launched its much-anticipated mobile device for indexing. The device will expand the capability of volunteers to help make the world’s historic records searchable online. The mobile device app works on Apple iPads, iPhones, and Droid smartphones.

To download the free app, search for the FamilySearch Indexing app in the Apple app store or Droid Market store online.

In the iTunes store

In the Droid Market store

Brightsolid Enters US Genealogy Market With Censusrecords.com

2012-02-09T16:49:00.000-08:00

Here's the latest from brightsolid. Stay tuned to the free Genealogy Gems Podcast and Genealogy Gems YouTube channel for my interview with Brightsolid's CEO Chris van der Kuyl:

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH. brightsolid, a leading online provider of historical and genealogical content, announces its entry into the US genealogy market with the launch of a ground-breaking, "pay-as-you-go" site: www.censusrecords.com.

The new site will let customers search all US census records from 1790 to 1930 and is the first dedicated to US genealogy by British-owned brightsolid. It will also house the 1940 US census records, when they are released later this year.

What makes it unique to the market, however, is it's the first genealogy site in the US to give customers access to census records on either a pay-as-you-go basis or via the subscription model that is currently the only choice offered by other sites.

The new site is being launched as an early beta version, with brightsolid inviting user feedback and suggestions.

Every visitor to censusrecords.com will be able to search for free. Customers wanting to view documents, and download them to their computer to keep and access later, will then have the option of either buying a subscription in the conventional way or buying pay-as-you-go credits, starting at $7.95. Pay-as-you-go customers will be able to buy further credits at any time, giving them the freedom to spend as much or as little time and money on their research as they want.

"The launch of censusrecords.com is just our first offering to the US market", says Chris van der Kuyl, CEO of brightsolid. "It will be followed later this year by the launch of findmypast.com, which will be our flagship American brand."

brightsolid is proud to be part of the 1940 US Census Community Project, a joint initiative with Archives.com, FamilySearch and other leading genealogy organizations, which aims to make the census searchable as quickly as possible after its release this April. The completion of the project will allow anyone to search for their ancestors in the 1940 census for free online.

Genealogy RPAC Group Responds with Petition to Possible SSDI Removal

2012-02-08T09:13:00.000-08:00

The following press release comes from RPAC c/o Federation of Genealogical Societies:

February 7, 2012
RPAC ANNOUNCES STOP ID THEFT NOW! CAMPAIGN WITH WHITE HOUSE PETITION
Genealogy Community Responds To Efforts To Remove Access to Social Security Death Index and Other Records

February 7, 2012– Austin, TX: The Records Preservation & Access Committee (RPAC) – a joint coalition of international genealogical societies representing millions of genealogists and family historians – announces the launch of its Stop ID Theft NOW! campaign with its We The People petition posted at WhiteHouse.gov.

Call To Action For IRS To Do Its Job
Each year, fraudulent tax refund claims based upon identity theft from recently deceased infants and adults are filed with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The current target is the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) or Death Master File since this file, as found on numerous genealogy-oriented websites, could possibly be the source of identity thieves acquiring a deceased person’s Social Security number.

The IRS could close the door to this form of identity theft if, in fact, it were to use the Death Master File for the purpose for which it was created: to reduce fraud. If returns claiming a tax refund were screened against the Master Death File and matching cases identified for special processing, the thief should receive a rejection notice for the filing.

Tax Fraud and Identity Theft: Genealogists Are Not To Blame
The House Ways and Means Committee Subcommittee on Social Security is proposing to completely shut down use of the SSDI by genealogists as well as other industries such as banking and insurance that rely upon its information. Such an attempt is short-sighted and runs counter to the original purpose of the SSDI: to actually combat fraud.

Loss of Access to SSDI Affects More Than Genealogists
The SSDI is accessed by many different companies, non-profits and other entities besides individuals researching their family history. Forensic specialists utilize the SSDI when reuniting remains of military veterans with their next-of-kin and descendants. Law offices, banks and insurance companies utilize the SSDI to resolve probate cases and to locate heirs.

All of these entities would be required to spend more money and more time leveraging other resources of information when the SSDI has served this purpose, uninterrupted, for over a decade.

RPAC Petitions Obama Administration
The We the People petition, now posted at http://wh.gov/khE and accepting signatures, has a simple yet effective mission:

Take immediate steps that would curtail the filing of fraudulent tax refund claims based upon identity theft from recently deceased infants and adults.

No need for lengthy hearings in front of a Congressional committee. No need for filing statements for or against any House action. No need to waste time and effort which could be directed to more pressing national issues. In fact, the National Taxpayer Advocate in 2011 issued suggestions which do not require additional legislation but can be implemented collaboratively between the IRS and Social Security Administration (SSA) almost immediately in time to impact the current tax filing season.

About Records Preservation & Access Committee (RPAC)
The Records Preservation & Access Committee (RPAC) was formed to advise the genealogical community on ensuring proper access to historical records of genealogical value in whatever media they are recorded, on means to affect legislation, and on supporting strong records preservation policies and practices.

The genealogical community works together through The Records Preservation and Access Committee (RPAC), which today includes The National Genealogical Society (NGS), the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) and the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) as voting members. The Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG), the American Society of Genealogists (ASG), ProQuest and Ancestry.com serve as participating members.
To learn more visit http://www.fgs.org/rpac/.

Newham Council’s burial records available on Deceased Online

2012-02-07T10:13:00.000-08:00

Another large important London cemetery added to growing database

From the Deceased Online press release:

Newham Council will be helping both local people and family history and genealogy
researchers worldwide to find their ancestors in this fascinating and historical area of East
London. Newham, the borough which hosts many of the Olympic Games main venues, joins
a growing number of councils to have placed burial and cremation records on
www.deceasedonline.com, the UK’s only central website for these statutory records.

Newham manages West Ham Cemetery (located in Forest Gate), created in 1857 as one of
London’s first publicly-owned cemeteries following the Metropolitan Burials Act of 1852. The
Act was introduced as at that time London’s small burial grounds were overcrowded causing
serious health problems and lacked good management and accountability. All of the burials
since its opening were manually catalogued and these have now been digitised and indexed
for the Deceased Online website.

Deceased Online allows users, free of charge, to search the national database by name of deceased, date, and location. If relevant records are found, the online user has the option to purchase access to these to view, print and/or download.

In its 22 acre site, West Ham Cemetery comprises over 180,000 burials over its 150-year
plus history and Deceased Online will have a range records for all of these. Initially these
will comprise computerized records, details of grave occupants and scans of burial registers
which will enable online searchers to establish information about the deceased. In addition,
there will also be maps indicating the section within the cemetery where the each grave is
located thereby helping researchers to establish almost exactly the place where an ancestor
is interred.

Deceased Online is also adding records from over 50 Scottish burial grounds and cemeteries.

To start searching, go to www.deceasedonline.com

RootsTech Registration Winner Shares Her Conference Experience

2012-02-07T10:11:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that another RootsTech conference has come and gone. It was a whirlwind weekend packed full of genealogy, technology, and live social networking.

While at the conference held at the gorgeous Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City I managed to squeeze in interviews with the movers and shakers in family history between the classes I was teaching. (You can view the video of my Genealogy Podcasts and Blogs 101 presentation that was streamed live at RootsTech which is part of the Saturday Recap video on the RootsTech homepage.)

In this first video I'll introduce you to one of the 4,000 genealogists and technologists that attended the event. Carol is a Genealogy Gems Podcast listener and winner of a free RootsTech registration that we gave away on the Genealogy Gems Podcast Facebook fan page. In this interview, Carol shares her experience and what she learned at this innovative event.

Does Martin Sheen Search on Ancestry? Who Do You Think You Are? Season 3 Debut

2012-02-03T12:51:00.000-08:00

Martin Sheen's enthusiasm for this recent Who Do You Think You Are? journey bubbled over during a recent telephone interview with the media. I asked him what he thought was the #1 reason folks should research their family history search - he identified personal enrichment as the key. But it was another reporter's question that generated a surprising answer:

Question: "Before your experience with "Who Do You Think You Are?" were you were aware that there were family history resources like that online?"

Answer: "In fact I have watched the show. I am a big fan of the show...And so when they asked me I said yes without hesitation because I don’t own a computer and I'm way behind on these new methods of gaining information" In fact, he want on to say he had never used a computer.

Did I hear him right? Wait a second - in one of the opening scenes of his episode which I previewed this week, Martin sits at his dining room table in front of a computer and narrates the scene to say he's going to go on Ancestry to start his search.

But isn't everything on TV true?

This little event was a healthy reminder that Who Do You Think You Are? is first and foremost entertainment and storytelling. And it executes this goal expertly. It's a captivating show that thankfully continues to inspire newbies to consider the possibility of exploring their own family tree.

The footage of the fabricated search is also a healthy reminder that not everything we see is true. And this can be applied to our own family history. It's tempting to take in every detail of a newly found old photo as an accurate representation of our ancestors. And yet, our ancestors often donned outfits that only saw the light of day a few times a year. And careful inspection of a carte de visite can reveal that the background is actually a drape over a shrubbery hedge in the front yard of the old homestead.

No spoiler alerts here as I have no intention of spilling the beans on what you will see tonight. I will say that it will likely generate some lively discussion among genealogists, but you will certainly be entertained and inspired to keep at the important and satisfying work of family history investigation. Just be sure to keep the salt shaker close by for when you need those few grains of salt.

Join Me at Jamboree! Registration Now Open

2012-01-24T12:01:00.000-08:00

The 43^rd Annual Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree is now officially open for registration!

For more information and registration click here.

I will be there along with probably about 1700 other genealogists for one of the biggest family history shindigs of the year.

We will all once again be meeting up in Burbank, CA in June 8 through the 10 of 2012.

This incredibly popular conference will be held at Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel at 2500 Hollywood Way in Burbank, California.

There will be Pre-events such as the Family History Writers Conference and Tech-Trax on Thursday, June 7.

I'll be hitting the stage on Saturday for three exciting presentations:

Sharing the Joy: Inspiring Ways to Captivate the Non-Genealogists in Your Life
Saturday at 10:00 am
(in techie and non-techie ways - you can hear more about this class in the next Genealogy Gems Podcast episode) Learn creative ways to capture the imagination of your non-historian friends and relatives, while honoring your ancestors. The joy in genealogy isn’t just climbing your family tree, but building bonds with current and future generations, and this class will show you high tech and low tech ways to do just that. You are guaranteed to be inspired!

The Google Earth Scavenger Hunt – Fascinating Family History Fun!
Saturday at 2:00 pm
Getting your family involved in the family history can be challenging, but with Google Earth you will be able to grab their attention and get them willingly involved! In this BRAND NEW CLASS learn how to create a genealogy scavenger hunt in Google Earth that is exciting, interactive and rich with multi-media. Whether your relatives live next door or across the country, everyone can get involved, learn and make discoveries!

10 Ways to Add Volume to Your Family History with Video
Saturday at 3:30 pm
In this BRAND NEW CLASS you will learn ten ways that online video can add volume to your family history. Genealogists can use video in countless ways to learn more about their ancestors, enhance their online presence to attract others researching the same family lines, and create intriguing projects to be shared.

See you there!

Ancestry Posted Iraq War Veterans Social Security Numbers on Website Last Year

2012-01-22T12:04:00.000-08:00

Ancestry.com accidentally posted personal information on more than 2,200 veterans on their website last year, potentially exposing veterans to identity theft crimes according to Stars and Stripes.

The U.S. Veterans Administration released the information to Ancestry after the company requested it through the Freedom of Information Act. The records were supposed to contain only data on deceased veterans, but included information including social security numbers for more than 2,200 living veterans in error.

Read the entire article here at the Stars and Stripes website.

Pre-Order Now Available for Signed Copies of How to Find Your Family History in Newspapers

2012-01-19T16:41:00.000-08:00

CLICK HERE to pre-order your signed copy of Everything You Need to Know About...How to Find Your Family History in Newspapers today.

As I was writing the final chapter of my brand new book Everything You Need to Know About...How to Find Your Family History in Newspapers, I knew I wanted to put the book to the test by showing a case study. I had been pouring my passion for the topic of newspaper research into this new volume for months and had set aside my own genealogy research in the process. Chapter 11 offered an opportunity to pull an item off my own to do list and use it as the guinea pig for an example.

I really wanted to find a record of my Great Grandparents marriage in the newspapers. They were married just a year or two before the Great San Francisco Earthquake rocked the county courthouse. The official record no longer exists. Newspapers were my last hope.

As I put my proven process covered in the book through it's paces, I started to get a little nervous. What if I didn't hit pay dirt? I had used the steps and worksheets countless times before, but this was a challenging task, and I had a deadline. All the worry was for nothing. Not only did I find the small snippet in the classified announcing their application for a marriage license - I found dozens of articles new to me detailing my Great Grandfather's work with the I.O.O.F. to help those suffering after the earthquake, and his management of a recreational baseball team complete with his home address. I fell in love with newspapers all over again!

With the final chapter written, and the book is in production, I now have the incredible pleasure of announcing that How to Find Your Family History in Newspapers is available for pre-order. I can't wait for you to get this book in your hands and I'll be signing each and every pre-ordered copy personally. The book will be officially announced at RootsTech and shipping will begin Feb. 6. In the meantime, please check out this preview. Be sure and click "Expand" to have it fill your screen, and turn your speakers on as you will hear an audio version of Chapter 1. (Isn't technology fun!!)

More by Lisa Cooke

CLICK HERE to pre-order your signed copy of Everything You Need to Know About...How to Find Your Family History in Newspapers today.

See you in the Funny Papers!

The Scoop on Family History Newspaper Research

2012-01-15T13:30:00.000-08:00

What’s Black, and White and READ all over? Your Ancestors in old newspapers!

In fact, your ancestors could be anywhere! Most likely they were mentioned at some point in their own local paper, but they might also show up in a neighboring towns paper, or in a paper located thousands of miles away.

There's nothing more exciting than finding information in an old newspaper that adds to your family history! But it's certainly not as easy as it sounds. That's why I’ve been working feverishly on a new book (that I can finally tell you about) that is going to give you the answers and resources you need to be successful finding your ancestors in the news. It’s called Everything You Need to Know About Finding Your Family History in Newspapers and that’s exactly what it is. It’s everything you need to know.

In this book I spell out a step-by-step newspaper research process and give you worksheets that you can copy and use again and again. There are tons of websites, search tips, and 3 very cool online tools that you probably aren’t using, but you should be!

Stay tuned because we’ll be doing an official launch very soon, and I’m going to have a very special opportunity for you to get a signed copy of the book first. While you wait, get revved up for newspaper research by listening to my interview with Tom Kemp of GenealogyBank about what you can find in newspapers in Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #124

Open publication - Free publishing - More cooke

How NARA Acquires and Stores Records

2012-01-11T06:20:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered how the U.S. National Archives takes custody of records from federal agencies and makes them accessible to you? In this new video they explain how they are now using the Electronic Records Archives, or ERA system to accomplish the task. ERA is not only a system for storing electronic records. NARA is currently transferring permanent textual records on a daily basis using ERA. ERA replaces a paper-based system that could take months

Watch as the Department of the Navy demonstrates how ERA was used to transfer deck logs to the legal and physical custody of the National Archives.

RootsTech Announces Ancestry.com as Keynote

2012-01-10T18:11:00.000-08:00

#RootsTech has just announced a panel of Ancestry execs as a unique "Keynote" at RootsTech 2012. Here's the scoop from the RootsTech website:

"From the arduous task of scrolling through microfiche, to bringing family history research online, to taking your family tree with you on the go, Ancestry.com is leading the technology landscape for family history. With technology available to surface the 7 billion records and 29 million family trees on the site, Ancestry.com has the sophisticated engineering and systems in place to take on the challenges of the fast growing family history industry, while also creating an avenue for users to weave search results into an edifying and meaningful family history story.

Get the inside details of the technology behind Ancestry.com from some of their top technology leaders in this don’t-want-to-miss panel discussion, moderated by Tim Sullivan, President and CEO of Ancestry.com. The panel will also feature the following Ancestry.com leaders: Eric Shoup, SVP of Product; Scott Sorensen, VP of Development; Jonathan Young, SVP of Technology; and Ken Chahine, SVP of DNA."

RootsTech Schedule Announced and Last Chance for Discount

2012-01-07T15:27:00.000-08:00

It was all over Facebook: Genealogists who didn't attend the #RootsTech conference debut last year lamenting their decision on Facebook and Twitter.

Indeed it turned out to be one of the family history highlights of the 2011. And RootsTech 2012 is shaping up to be a "must attend" event for anyone interested in tracing their roots.

Thankfully there's still time to get in on the discounted ticket price of $149 (reg. $189), but hurry because it only lasts through January 13, 2012.

Everyone has waited with baited breath to see the class schedule, and it's finally here! It's packed with sessions for technology developers and genealogists alike. I'll be presenting three sessions:

Thursday, Feb. 2 at 11:00 Google Earth for Genealogy (a hands-on workshop!)
Friday, Feb. 3 at 9:45 am Genealogy Blogs and Podcasts
Saturday, Feb. 4 at 1:45 pm Inspiring Ways to Captivate the Non-Genealogists in Your Life

I hope to see you in class and please stop by and say at my Genealogy Gems booth in the Expo Hall. (And thankfully after a bit of an online genealogy uprising online you will have book seller booths to visit too!) You may also see me in the Media Hub where I will once again be interviewing the movers and shakers, as well as attendees to give you an insider's look at this exciting event.

The event is once again being held at the Salt Palace Convention Center just steps from The Family History Library- the greatest genealogy library in the world! Click here to visit the website to learn more about the venue and nearby hotels.

Start off the New Year with no regrets - attend RootsTech 2012 and see what happens when genealogy and technology converge!

Early-Bird Deadline Approaching for APG Professional Management Conference

2011-12-23T19:48:00.000-08:00

WESTMINSTER, Colo., December 13, 2011− The early-bird registration deadline is rapidly approaching for the upcoming APG Professional Management Conference (PMC). The one-day conference will be held February 1, 2011 at the Radisson Hotel, Salt Lake City. Members who sign up before December 31, 2011 will receive $25 off of the registration fee. The conference is also open to non-members. PMC is being held one day before the RootsTech Family History & Technology Conference (http://rootstech.org/).

The conference, themed “Techniques, Tools, and Technology,” will feature lectures from top genealogists, including J. Mark Lowe, CG, FUGA; Paula Stuart-Warren, CG; Thomas MacEntee; Teresa Koch-Bostic; Melissa A. Johnson; Laura G. Prescott; Kory L. Meyerink, AG; and Diane L. Giannini, CG. Lectures will provide strategic and practical advice for genealogists, from research planning to earning a living.

The conference is open to professionals, aspiring professionals, and anyone interested in networking with professional genealogists. Lecture topics and registration details at http://www.apgen.org/conferences.

About APG:

The Association of Professional Genealogists (www.apgen.org), established in 1979, represents more than 2,400 genealogists, librarians, writers, editors, historians, instructors, booksellers, publishers and others involved in genealogy-related businesses. APG encourages genealogical excellence, ethical practice, mentoring and education. The organization also supports the preservation and accessibility of records useful to the fields of genealogy and history. Its members represent all fifty states, Canada and thirty other countries. APG is active on LinkedIn, Twitter (www.twitter.com/apggenealogy) and FaceBook (www.facebook.com/AssociationofProfessionalGenealogists).

2012 Free Jamboree Extension Webinar Series Announced for Genealogy

2011-12-19T17:43:00.000-08:00

The Southern California Genealogical Society just announced the return of the popular Jamboree Extension Webinar Series, which provides web-based family history and genealogy educational sessions for genealogists around the world.

I am excited to once again be one of the speakers for the 2012 Series. It's a jam packed schedule with lots of names you'll recognize.

Join me on Saturday April 7, 2012 at 10:00 am PST / 1:00 pm EST for Turn iGoogle into Your Personal Genealogy Research Homepage. Space is limited for this free webinar. REGISTER HERE

Here's the rest of the scoop from the Southern California Genealogical Society:

"Sessions are held on the first Saturday and third Wednesday of each month. The first 2012 webinar on Saturday, January 7, 2012, will be led by Linda Geiger, CG, CGL. Linda's presentation is "Me and My Laptop: Getting the Most out of your Laptop while Researching Onsite." Linda will share tips for making onsite research more efficient and productive using DropBox (or similar cloud) in conjunction with spreadsheets, word processing programs, genealogy software, and more.

Click here to register for 2012 webinar sessions

The Southern California Genealogical Society (SCGS) launched its Jamboree Extension Series (JES) webinars in March 2011. SCGS was the first genealogical society to offer regularly scheduled webinar sessions. The series was developed to fulfill the Society's mission "to foster interest in family history and genealogy, preserve genealogical materials, and provide instruction in accepted and effective research techniques."

Webinars help extend awareness of SCGS and Jamboree around the world. In 2011, the webinar series reached genealogists from 48 US states and 7 Canadian provinces, as well as England, Wales, Ireland, France, United Kingdom, Algeria, Uganda, Australia, New Zealand and Israel.

The live webcast is offered free of charge and open to the public. "We offer these webinars as part of our educational mission," said SCGS president Heidi Ziegler, "but are always grateful for contributions to offset our costs." Donations can be made by PayPal, through the SCGS website or by check.

SCGS members are able to review archived sessions at any time by accessing the SCGS members-only section of this website.

To join a webinar, most participants attend via computer with audio speakers or a headset. Those with a fast Internet connection (either broadband or DSL) will have the most satisfactory experience. It is possible to phone in to listen to the presentation. Long-distance charges may apply.

Jamboree Extension Series presentations will be scheduled on the first Saturday and third Wednesday of each month. Saturday sessions will be held at 10am Pacific time / 1pm Eastern time; Wednesday sessions will be scheduled at 6pm Pacific time / 9pm Eastern time.

Full details and registration information for each session can be found on the SCGS website at www.scgsgenealogy.com."

Solve a Family History Challege and Win $5,000!

2011-12-08T13:55:00.000-08:00

Here's an exciting opportunity from FamilySearch:

Have you recently been doing something family or genealogy-related and thought, "There should be an app for that!"? Now is your chance. Solving that problem and entering the RootsTech 2012 Developer Challenge could earn you $5,000.

Tens of millions of people around the world are interested in some facet of family history. These people need software solutions—whether on the desktop, online, or through mobile delivery—that help them engage and succeed in their efforts to discover, preserve, and share their family history. RootsTech will reward developers who introduce the most innovative new concepts to family history with $10,000 in cash rewards and increased visibility.

Visit the Developer Challenge page on RootsTech.org to find out more about rules, prizes and deadlines. Developers wishing to enter the challenge must register by January 1 , 2012 but actual submissions are not due until January 15. Spread the word and register today!

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Update for Those Seeking Family History Documents

2011-12-07T18:19:00.000-08:00

Back in 2000 I learned of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and used it to obtain my great grandfather's naturalization file. I was so excited at the amount of material I received (including a never before seen photo of Gustav Sporowski) that I told the director of my local Family History Center about it. She wasn't aware of the FOIA and it's application to genealogical records and was keen to make a copy of the cover letter to share with other patrons. She handed the letter back to me and with a smile said "that's a real genealogy gem!" and she proceeded to pin it on the center's bulletin board.

I remember standing there and thinking, 'it really is a genealogy gem, but there's got to be a better way to tell other genealogists about it so they can benefit.' And so the seed was sown for the future Genealogy Gems Podcast - even though podcasts didn't yet exist!

Over the years genealogists FOIA experiences have varied greatly. I've heard everything from stories of joy and excitement at the receiving of a document package like mine, to the doom and gloom and frustration of interaction with the federal government bureaucracy that ultimately lead nowhere.

On November 28, 2011 the National Archives Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) - the federal Freedom of Information Act 9FOIA) Ombudsman - launched a new online case management system intended to manage the requests for assistance that FOIA requesters and agencies bring to OGIS. The goal is that the tool will both streamline OGIS's work and increase transparency of its operations. Here's the scoop from the recently released National Archives press release:

Washington, D.C. . . More than 1,200 FOIA requesters from 48 states and 13 foreign countries turned to OGIS for assistance in its first two years as FOIA Ombudsman. The service that OGIS provides ranges from checking the status of delayed FOIA requests to facilitating resolutions of disputes involving complex database requests. While OGIS has successfully resolved hundreds of cases, the Office recognizes the need for greater collaboration with agencies and a more systematic way of collecting information about its work. The OAS – which is supported by and integrated into a re-launched and expanded OGIS website – will help the Office achieve these goals.

“OGIS was created to resolve disputes between FOIA requesters and federal agencies,” said OGIS Director Miriam Nisbet. “As we began our work, we realized that we needed an increased web presence to both manage our cases and educate requesters about the FOIA process. Our new OGIS Access System will help us achieve these goals.”

OAS is among the first generation of federal government online services operating in “the cloud.” This approach allows OGIS to launch a number of scalable online services, including:

· A searchable library of FOIA terms and concepts

· An online submission process for those requesting OGIS’s assistance;

· The ability to review the status of a case with OGIS and communicate directly with OGIS staff; and

· The capability to engage with the public on ways to improve FOIA, which also is within the OGIS mission.

OGIS selected Active Network, Inc as the provider of the OAS integrated software endeavor. The Active Network, Inc. is a leading provider of organization-based cloud computing applications.

New RootsMagic 5 Software Released

2011-12-05T23:09:00.000-08:00

You've heard many speak many times about RootsMagic on the Genealogy Gems Podcast. They've been a terrific sponsor of the show, and I'm very excited to share their big news with you. They've just released RootsMagic 5 and here's the scoop:

SPRINGVILLE, Utah. — November 28, 2011 — RootsMagic, Inc. today announced the official release of RootsMagic 5, the latest version of the award-winning genealogy software which makes researching, organizing, and sharing your family history easy and enjoyable. With this release comes an update to the popular “RootsMagic Essentials” free genealogy software.

Family History Made Easy
A July 2009 review of RootsMagic 4 by Family Tree Magazine said, “Probably the best all-around genealogy program, RootsMagic offers a winning combination of features for both casual and serious genealogists.”

Throughout it’s 10-year history, RootsMagic has helped people research and share their family trees with innovative features such as moving people from one file to another with your mouse, a SourceWizard to help you document your work, creating a Shareable CD to give to family and friends, and running RootsMagic off of a USB flash drive when you are away from home. RootsMagic also received the award for “Easiest to Sync” from FamilySearch for their work in interfacing with that system.

New Features
RootsMagic 5 adds many new features while making existing features even easier to use. “This release includes something for everybody,” said Bruce Buzbee, president. “Whether you’re a grandma wanting to share your family history with grandkids or a professional researcher trying to organize your work, RootsMagic 5 has something new for you.”

New features include:

* Timeline View - put a person’s life in context with events from their own life and from the lives of family members.
* CountyCheck - confirm and correct the existence of a county, state, or country on any given date from a multi-national database. It can even show you online maps of county boundaries for that date.

* Research Manager - avoid “reinventing the wheel” by keeping track of research goals, sources, and results that you have collected on a person, family, or place

* “On This Day” List - bring your family history to life and view family events along with famous births, deaths, and historical events for any given day of the year.

* Media Tagging - tag your media with people, families, sources, or places. For example, tag an image of a census record with the people, families, and places mentioned in the record as well as the census’ source citation.

* Plus over 80 other enhancements and features

Free “RootsMagic Essentials”
RootsMagic 5 is also available in an updated, free edition named, “RootsMagic 5 Essentials”. RootsMagic Essentials contains many core features from the RootsMagic software and the two products are fully-compatible with one another. “Many people are curious about their family history and don’t know where to begin,” said Michael Booth, vice president. “RootsMagic Essentials is the perfect way for someone to get started, risk-free.” RootsMagic Essentials is available for download at http://www.rootsmagic.com.

Available Now
RootsMagic 5 is now available online at http://www.rootsmagic.com or by calling 1-800-766-8762. New users may purchase RootsMagic 5 for only $29.95. Users of previous versions of RootsMagic and it’s predecessor, Family Origins may purchase RootsMagic 5 for the upgrade price of only $19.95.
About RootsMagic, Inc.

For over 20 years, RootsMagic, Inc. has been creating computer software with a special purpose- to unite families. One of our earliest products- the popular “Family Origins” software, introduced thousands of people to the joy and excitement of family history.

That tradition continues today with “RootsMagic”, our award-winning genealogy software which makes researching, organizing, and sharing your family history fun and easy. “Personal Historian” will help you easily write and preserve your life stories. “Family Reunion Organizer” takes the headaches out of planning those important get-togethers. And “Family Atlas” creates beautiful and educational geographic maps of your family history.

For more information, visit www.rootsmagic.com.

Source: RootsMagic, Inc.

Contest Winner of the RootsTech Registration

2011-11-25T12:22:00.000-08:00

Lots of Genealogy Gems Podcast listeners combed through the Genealogy Gems You Tube channel for the answers to the contest questions and a winner has been selected from all of the correct entries. Congratulations to lucky winner Carol Genung who answered the following questions correctly:

1. Which "non-genealogist" did I interview at RootsTech last year about Family History Mobile Strategies?
Answer: Ty Hatch

2. Which popular genealogy blogger did I interview at RootsTech last year about the new "FamilyTech" Family Search Website?
Answer: James Tanner

3. Which well-known and energetic genealogy expert did I interview about Family History for Kids?
Answer: Tony Burroughs

Carol has not only won a free registration (retail value $189) to the RootsTech Family History & Technology Conference being held February 2 - 4, 2012 in Salt Lake City, UT, but she will also be invited to join me for a chat at RootsTech about her experience for an upcoming video on the Genealogy Gems YouTube Channel!

And the good news for everyone else is that the Early Bird Registration price of $129 is still available until Nov. 30, 2012. Investing in your on-going education is critical to genealogical success and RootsTech offers a rich experience. I'll be there teaching three classes and I hope to see you there too!

Many thanks to the RootsTech folks for providing the registration prize. See you at RootsTech!

MyHeritage Acquires Genealogy Sites FamilyLink.com and WorldVitalRecords.com

2011-11-21T16:25:00.000-08:00

MyHeritage has made a big move in an effort to significantly enter the U.S. Genealogy Market by acquiring long standing family history websites FamilyLink.com and WorldVitalRecords.com. MyHeritage is one of the most popular family networks globally on the web providing a place for millions of families to have a private and free place for their families to keep in touch and to showcase their roots. They offer a feature called Smart Matching™ technology which allows users an innovative way to find relatives and explore their family history. They boast a secure site for the storage of family photos, and history preservation. The company is backed by Accel Partners and Index Ventures, the investors of Facebook and Skype, and now with this most recent acquisition they add a tremendous amount of genealogical content - 3 billion + historical records - to their offerings.

This is MyHeritage's seventh and largest acquisition since 2007. With offices and staff in Europe, Australia and Israel, MyHeritage will also now be adding its first US-based office in Utah, the home of FamilyLink.com and often cited as the family history capital of the world.

MyHeritage CEO and Founder Gilad Japhet characterizes the move this way, “Combining close to one billion family tree profiles on MyHeritage with FamilyLink's massive library of historical data delivers a perfect one-stop-shop for families looking to discover and share their family history".

Founded in 2006, both FamilyLink.com and WorldVitalRecords.com are subscription services to a huge database of several billion individuals within census, birth, marriage and death records, as well as the web’s largest archive of historical newspapers. When brought together under the MyHeritage umbrella, the company’s Smart Matching technology will automatically match any of the new historical data to the relevant users' ancestors and relatives within the family trees.

It's clear that the genealogy market is still very much up for grabs, even though on the surface it can often appear that Ancestry and FamilySearch are the only major players. With Archives.com on the move, and this latest in a series of strategic purchases by MyHeritage since 2007 genealogists stand to gain from a competitive marketplace. MyHeritage's recent purchases include Pearl Street Software, makers of GenCircles.com and the Family Tree Legends software; free family tree backup service BackupMyTree.com; European family social network market leader OSN (Verwandt) GmbH; Dutch family network ZOOOF; British family network Kindo.com and Polish family network Bliscy.pl.

According to their recent press release, "the majority of the FamilyLink.com employees will join MyHeritage, based out of the company’s new US office in Provo, Utah: bringing the benefit of their collective expertise within the family history and North American genealogy market. The CEO of FamilyLink.com, Paul Brockbank, previously CEO of Logoworks and GM of Hewlett Packard Web Print Solutions, will play a key role in supporting the transition over the coming months and will later join the MyHeritage advisory board. FamilyLink.com founder Paul Allen, previously a co-founder of Ancestry.com, and FamilyLink.com's "We're Related" Facebook application, will not be part of the merger with MyHeritage."

What does the acquisition mean for customers? In the short-term, MyHeritage will continue to operate the two sites FamilyLink.com and WorldVitalRecords.com, with the intention of achieving full integration within MyHeritage in 2012. "With immediate effect and for an introductory period, loyal subscribers and users of MyHeritage will be entitled to discounts of up to 50% on FamilyLink.com and WorldVitalRecords.com subscriptions, and vice versa."

Hurry For Your Chance to Win a Free Registration to RootsTech 2012 AND be a Video Star!

2011-11-16T15:45:00.000-08:00

RootsTech made a big splash last year when it hit the U.S. genealogy stage and the 2012 conference is shaping up to be another exciting weekend of family history and technology!

As an official RootsTech blogger I'm very pleased to announce that one of my lucky readers will win a FREE registration to RootsTech 2012. The lucky winner will also be invited to join me for a chat about their experience for an upcoming video on the Genealogy Gems YouTube Channel!

Entering to win is fun and easy! Here's what you do:

STEP 1: Go to the Genealogy Gems YouTube Channel and answer the following three questions:

Which "non-genealogist" did I interview at RootsTech last year about Family History Mobile Strategies?
Which popular genealogy blogger did I interview at RootsTech last year about the new "FamilyTech" Family Search Website?
Which well-known and energetic genealogy expert did I interview about Family History for Kids?

STEP 2: Email your name, email address, phone number and answers to me at genealogygemspodcast@gmail.com (with "CONTEST" in the subject line) by 11:59 PST on Wed. November 23, 2011.

STEP 3: Visit this blog to find out if you are the winner. I will draw the winner from the pool of correct entries on Thanksgiving Day (11/24/11) and one lucky person will have an extra reason to give genealogy thanks this year! Good Luck Everyone!

Brimhall Succeeds Verkler as CEO at Genealogy Powerhouse FamilySearch

2011-11-15T16:37:00.000-08:00

With RootsTech just about 12 weeks away, FamilySearch has announced a significant change in its executive management. Jay L. Verkler has been succeeded by Dennis C. Brimhall as CEO of FamilySearch.

Verkler was the driving force behind the launch of RootsTech, and I had an opportunity to sit down and talk with him about his vision and the reality of the event in 2011.

Here are the details announced today by FamilySearch in their press release:

"FamilySearch International announced today a change in its chief executive officer. Effective January 2, 2012, Dennis C. Brimhall will succeed Jay L. Verkler as CEO of FamilySearch. Mr. Verkler will continue in a consulting capacity for a few months to ensure a smooth transition.

It is the business culture and practice of FamilySearch, as an organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to regularly rotate its senior leaders. This pattern assures the forward momentum of its core programs.

Over the the past decade under Mr. Verkler's leadership, FamilySearch has shifted its vast stores of genealogical records and resources to a digital, worldwide, internet-based focus. FamilySearch has developed partnerships with many genealogy and technology industry organizations, helping form a broad and deep industry community including companies, societies, and archives."

"Mr. Brimhall comes to FamilySearch with a deep background in management. He is a graduate of Brigham Young University and Northwester University's Kellogg School of Management. He recently served for 17 years as president and CEO of the University of Colorado Hospital in Denver from 1988 until 2005. Since then Mr. Brimhall has held positions of increasing responsibility in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

"FamilySearch looks forward to further strengthening its commitment to the global genealogical community, to publishing and digitizing the world's records, and encouraging all people to discover, preserve, and share their family histories."

Google's Plus Sign Now Has New Meaning

2011-11-09T20:42:00.000-08:00

On October 27 I reported on this blog that Google quietly eliminated the use of the plus sign operator in Google Search. (A Change You Need to Know About)

The technology community suspected that "the move was in response to their growing focus on Google+ and the possibility of a new use for the "plus" sign." I encouraged you to stay tuned.

You didn't have to wait long to find out why the change was made. Yesterday Google announced on the Official Google Blog a use for that plus sign: Direct Connect from Google Search.

Direct Connect from Google Search
It's no surprise that the plus sign's new role has something to do with connecting users to Google+, the (fairly) new social networking platform. The + sign is now all about quickly connecting you directly to business Google+ Pages.

Many have wondered why Google+ didn't allow for business and organization profiles since that is a big part of the Facebook offering. It appears now that the delay was in order to re-purpose the plus sign.

Google explained it this way: "Maybe you're watching a movie trailer, or you just heard that your favorite band is coming to town. In both cases you want to connect with them right now, and Direct Connect makes it easy - even automatic. Just go to Google and search for [+], followed by the page you're interested in (like +Angry Birds). We'll take you to their Google+ page, and if you want, we'll add them to your circles."

So the plus sign can now get us connected to Angry Birds, quicker? Whoo hoo?! Gosh, I was perfectly happy with the way the plus sign got me to web pages that shared information about my ancestor (+Jehu Burkhart I miss you!)

Direct Connect is up and running for a couple of the big boy brands like +Google, +Pepsi, and +Toyota, so you can try those searches to see how they work. Eventually the rest of the world will be allowed in and you can learn more about how Direct Connect for your organization in the Google Help Center.

So remember, if you want to connect with Pepsi you can plus. But, if you're looking for a specific ancestor, word, or phrase you need to surround them in quotation marks. And you can quote me on that!