Ancestral Breezes: twitter chat

Showing posts with label twitter chat. Show all posts

13 March 2014

The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) and #genchat to collaborate in 2014

Bringing societies into the spotlight on Twitter.

Summit County, Colorado, 26 February 2014: As creator and host of #genchat on Twitter, Jen Baldwin of Ancestral Journeys, and the Federation ofGenealogical Societies, (FGS), is pleased to announce an effort in collaboration for 2014. Based on her experience hosting the chats in 2013, Mrs. Baldwin found that organizations, societies and archives can benefit a great deal from the exposure on Twitter and other social media platforms. However, the refined topic matter and designated time frame of #genchat make it easier than ever to utilize this tool in the genealogy community.

The partnership, which is set to extend the duration of 2014, will include a complimentary webinar on using Twitter, a special session of #genchat live from the FGS 2014 Conference in San Antonio, focused articles regarding the use of Twitter, and more.

Jen Baldwin states, “it is my belief that although some societies are struggling to adapt to new tools and resources, especially to the vibrant world of social media, they will eventually adapt. It is the role of those of us who are proficient in their use to engage our society leaders, to educate and prepare, and to guide them through any necessary change.” Furthermore, “#genchat really is an ideal concept for societies to gain attention and followers on Twitter. The conversational tone of the chats allows for free-flowing input and gives organizations a chance to showcase their collections and member benefits.”

Melissa Shimkus, FGS Education Chair, declares “The Federation of Genealogical Societies is excited to provide the tools that allow societies to continue to learn and grow; and believe that Jen Baldwin and #genchat are great partners in FGS’s mission to link the genealogical community.” FGS is pleased to announce that Mrs. Baldwin will be presenting the next FGS webinar, “Capturing the Community: Using Twitter to Connect, Engage and Educate in Genealogy,” on Monday, March 31^st. More details on the upcoming webinar and what is to come in 2014 will be released soon by both parties.

14 February 2014

#genchat CHALLENGE: the Ultimate Genealogy Tech Tool of the Future!

Your challenge, should you choose to accept it...

I wasn't even going to do a challenge tonight! Honest! I wasn't! But, the crowd demanded it, and so, it shall be done. Tonight's discussion was based on technology; as the community comes off of the high that is RootsTech, it was an appropriate topic. What did we gain from the conference? What is new, what is out? Are we on "tech overload" or do we just not have the right tools to effectively match our research goals?

Your challenge today is to imagine the ultimate tech tool of the future. What will it be? What will it look like?

I have thought often of a "dream software," and tonight, it was given a name: Genealogy Office. My tech tool of the future includes the best of all worlds; it should include the features of...

The best genealogy software (including the ability to preserve social history, citations, and more)
Photography and scanning, photo editing
Excel
Word
Social media connections for sharing
Blogging platform
Research log
Research plan
Research trip planning - including a live map with links to Starbucks, my favorite restaurants and nearby libraries and courthouses
It will connect to all the major free and subscription websites for research tools
It will connect to BillionGraves, findagrave and any other grave app
It will bring the best of OneNote (or Evernote, depending on your preference)
it will include features found in Publisher, Scribner, mind mapping

Essentially, I want one software package that will combine all the software I currently use for genealogy - including websites and apps - into one big system. I don't want to have to open any other program. Ever. (Oh, and it has a voice, like Siri. Kinda.)

So tell me... what is your dream genealogy tech?

Share it on social media, in the comments here, however you like; just be sure to include a link so we can all read about it!

Thanks for accepting the #genchat CHALLENGE!

24 January 2014

#genchat Challenge! What Have You Missed?

Your challenge, should you choose to accept it....

Tonight on #genchat, the topic at hand was "Capturing all the details: one document at a time." We discussed the idea of re-evaluating what you already have found; and why you may have missed details on the first review. Many suggested transcribing as a good way to ensure you "see" everything, also included were the idea's of reading the document out loud, reading repeatedly over the course of a week, or sharing it with a friend to compare notes.

Nearly all of the participants, myself included, admitted that there is a need to do this regularly. We simply cannot believe that one review of a source, especially a complicated one!, is enough.

What might you have missed?
Image: personal collection of author
1897 Town of Breckenridge Clerk & Recorder log book

Your challenge today is to find a record that you already have in your research, and to re-evaluate it. Try to find one that you have had difficulty with in the past, or one that was challenging to you for some reason. Make this a tough assignment on yourself! It is a "challenge" after all!

Blog about your experience with this record, or share in some other manner, before our next official chat on February 14th. Tell us what you found originally, and what the re-assessment process did for you. Did you find new information? Were you thorough the first time around? Be sure to share the link with me!

Remember! Once you have completed the challenge, share it with me! Thanks for accepting the #genchat CHALLENGE!

18 December 2013

#genchat : geography the Southwest States

Today will be the second ever #genchat : geography, and our topic is the Southwest!

What you need to know :

Join the fun on Twitter by following the #genchat hashtag. We will start the chat promptly at 10:30am Central. For purposes of this discussion, we will "define" the southwest states as: Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, California and Nevada.

A rather broad range, I realize, but in order to have a dynamic conversation, somewhat necessary.

Here are a few helpful links to have in general, but certainly for the chat as well.

Arizona