Ancestral Breezes: Tweets from 2012 Jamboree: Day 2

09 June 2012

Tweets from 2012 Jamboree: Day 2

Welcome to the world of tweets! As mentioned yesterday, follow the SCGS Jamboree event online using #scgs12.

Enjoy today's selections!

@Toniasroots: "Pass judgement on each piece of family lore: true, false, exaggerated - all are possible."
@a3Genealogy: "Mark Schaeffer says optimize social media apps/tools to improve Return On Influence. Ok!"
@Ghyxion: "Only an hour until Genealogy Idol is streamed to the comfort of my recliner." [Yes! Enjoying from home thanks to the power of social media and streaming sessions.]
@FamilyStories: all of the following...

"There is no correct way to organize your research. ~ @GenealogistEyls"
"There is no magic pill to become organized. It's a process that needs to be executed repeatedly. @GenealoigstElys"
"And? @GenealogistElys is a NATURAL at this. Seriously. You should BE HERE listening & watching. #rockingit"
"Tagging photos is suggested for photo organization. Picasa is gr8 for this. ~ @GenealogistElys"

@toniasroots: "How do you think categorize your ancestors in your mind? By surname, by couple, etc? Use that style for your organization system."
@toniasroots: "Use consistent file naming, so that when you see the file name, you instantly know what the file contains. @GenealogistElys"
@KinfoLit: "'Read broadly' to understand your ancestors' value system and priorities. -- Warren Bittner"
@littlebyteslife: "Daughters of 1812 database of ancestors online - check it out!"
@baysideresearch: "Unsubscribe from the email lists and newsletters you don't read."
@KinfoLit: "Bittner recommends Laurel Thatcher Ulrich's A Midwife's Tail: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812."
@baysideresearch: "Schedule time every 6 mos or so to organize your bookmarks." [Love this.]
@toniasroots: "Every so often, go through your website "Favorites" and delete broken links."
@Kimmyvon: "Elyse D. Tames the digital monster at #SCGS12 she's teaching what all these new fangeled things are."
@baysideresearch: "@genealogistelys is demoing OneNote."
@toniasroots: "Create a list of books/resources you want to access in your favorite note-taking software."

Random picture. Wild "high mountain" flowers in my back yard.
Copyright Jen Baldwin, Breckenridge, CO 2012.

@KinfoLit: "Reading history is essential for 'understanding the way life was lived for the common man.' -- Warren Bittner at #scgs12"
@FamilyStories: "Elyse has knocked it outta the park. Excellent. @GenealogyElys" [Love the support for this presentor from the audience.]
@Kimmyvon: "Elyse Doerflinger recommends 'Remember the Milk' for your to do list."
@toniasroots: Lists the following...

"Curt Witcher asks: Are you a genealogy researcher or an ancestor collector?"
"Familiarty with how the military operates will ensure finding & effectively using the widest collection of resources. #Witcher"
"Look for more than basic BMD info. What were they doing, where? Creates context. #Witcher"
"Use secondary information (published records). They'll lead you to the primary. #Witcher"
"Go to any college library or online to look for printed govermnet docs on Service Records. Wealth of information. #Witcher"
"State archives are good sources of military records. #Witcher"
"Pension records are golden for genealogists. Proof of service, eligibility & testimony from FANs. #Witcher"
Confederate pension files are usually found in state archives, rather than NARA, but have some of the best information. #Witcher"
Documenting the American South. Website with amazing military history information. #Witcher"
Here's the link. docsouth.unc.edu"
"Civil War Soldiers & Sailors database lets you download a spreadsheet of search results. Awesome. #Witcher"

@baysideresearch: "@lisaalso: post -1892 passenger lists much more rich in info. Darn! All my ancestors arrived before that..."
@baysideresearch: "Who was traveling w/your ancestor? Circumstances? Look for the clues. @lisaalzo."
@baysideresearch: "Check all versions of ships' lists. Copies were made. Differences? @lisaalso."
@baysideresearch: "@lisaalzo: read the instructions for any new-to-you database!"
@walkingyourtree: "Stunned by CWSS free website w/tons of great Civil War resources #CurtWitcher"
@susankitchens: "EBay for heirlooms. Use to make shadowbox. Things are in other people's attics. Sve teh search in eBay. - @LisaCooke"
@KinfoLit: "@SLuxenberg says genealogists are better researchers than historians and journalists. Really?!"
@KinfoLit: "'We don't live in the times we're researching.' A challenge to overcome, says @SLuxenberg at #scgs12"
@susankitchens: "SteveLux - we don't live in teh time we're researching. We got to think like the time period we're researching."
@sooznebr: "Put emotions aside and think about what the document tells you #scgs12 Steve Luxenberg"
@storybookgen: "My 2 cents: LOOK at the census record - don't just accept the indexed archives. They're incomplete and sometimes wrong."
@storybookgen: "Memory is falliable, even when photos tells a different story."
@storybookgen: "Steve Luxenberg welcomes emails asking for advice. Find him at steveluxenberg.com"
@FamilyStories: From Megan Smolenyak's presentation...

"Why Reverse Genealogy? Find kin, heirlooms, etc. @megansmolenyak"
"Hello?!? Had no idea @megansmolenyak does the heirloom rescue thing. Another reason to LOVE her!"
"2 approaches to Reverse Genealogy: broadcast & seeking."
"@megansmolenyak prefers the location-based message boards vs. surname to catch neighbors & family."
"Zig zagging backwards and forwards thru time gets you to the finish line quicker."
I love Heritage Quest, personally." [As do I!]

@rjsearver: tweeting from the Blogger Panel

"At Blogger Panel, Melissa says blog community is a network of knowledge and very helpful to beginners."
"Denise says geneablogging has resulted in many cousins contacting her. Cousin bait works!"
"Melissa says geneablogging is a great marketing tool for the GenealogyCenter at Fort Wayne Library."
"Thomas talked quite a bit about affiliate programs on geneablogs. Made up to $200 in one month."
"Ancestry Insider says to write geneablogs for yourself. Ought to use images in every post."
"Thomas says Wikimedia Commons has copyright free images available for use on blogs."

Random photo #2. This the fox that has marked our yard as his territory.
Copyright Jen Baldwin, Breckenridge, CO 2012.

@baysideresearch: "Add city directories to @megansmolenyak's list of best reverse #genealogy resources. Helped me unlock the Friends Album's past."
@FamilyStories: "On genealogybank.com historical & contemporary collections sometimes overlap. Check both. @megansmolenyak"
@FamilyStories: "Library of Congress website getting more useful. Info availability depends on each state. Keep checking back."
@KinfoLit: "Explanatory notes at beginning of a compiled #genealogy often contains lots of useful info, so read them! -- @DJoshuaTaylor"
@KinfoLit: "'Genealogy is a lifelong pursuit, not a five-minute hobby.' -- @DJoshuaTaylor"
@FamilyStories: "Compiled genealogies are excellent secondary sources to gather clues for further research. @DJoshuaTaylor"
@FamilyStories: "Sometimes, folks, we may never find anything that proves or disproves compiled genealogies. [hard to accept, no?] @DJoshuaTaylor"
@toniasroots: "Always pull a hardcopy of compiled genealogies when you visit other libraries. Sometimes ppl WRITE in corrections."
@FamilyStories: "Basically, u know all that stuff we get told 2 NOT EVEN look at cuz it's NOT 'pure'? Use it w/logic. They're clues. @DJoshuaTaylor"
@FamilyStories: "Read the FOOTNOTES in published histories. Lots of clues."
@FamilyStories: "Read peer reviews of comp. genealogies cuz genealogists love to point out corrections to other genealogists. *snort* @DJoshuaTaylor"
@toniasroots: "Type author's name in Google Books. You may find revisions & corrections of compiled genealogies. @DJoshuaTaylor"
@amycrow: "What?! A genealogist compiling info and not publishing it?! Say it isn't so! <g> @DJoshuaTaylor."
@toniasroots: "Contact family associations. They may have a file of corrections to the compiled genealogy."
@toniasroots: "Family-Association.com -> basic site that lists family associations."
@KinfoLit: "The author of a compiled #genealogy may have donated research materials to an archive. -- @DJoshuaTaylor."
@FamilyStories: "'Compiled genealogies - don't know if it's accurate but don't know if it's inaccurate."
@Kimmyvon: "#SCGS12 I love the idea of giving back or paying it forward... maybe we could pool our money and get on this Grand band wagon."
@Kimmyvon: "Seton Shields Genealogy Grants Program... pass the word."