Thursday, September 29, 2011
Those Places Thursday - More Lincoln Sites
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Blogging From My Toshiba Thrive
Several weeks ago I bought a Toshiba Thrive Android tablet but I haven't really taken the time to figure out what it can and cannot do. Today I'm using it to write this blog post. I'm using the Blogger Android app but will try using Blogger directly from the browser later.
The main reason I chose the Thrive was the built-in SD card slot. The USB port is an added benefit that I think will prove useful. When I started seriously looking at tablets, I was surprised to find that those are not features found on most devices. One of the reasons I wanted a tablet was to review and backup photos on trips when I couldn't easily take a laptop - like the upcoming cruise when I'll be flying and space is limited. (Shoes are still more important than electronics.) That meant an SD slot or some way to transfer photos from the camera was a must and that pretty much ruled out most tablets on the market today.
I looked at the iPad because there is a SD card adaptor but it gets really mixed reviews. I finally decided that I didn't care if the Thrive was a little chubbier than other tablets if it could do what I wanted.
With the USB port, I can move pictures from the SD card directly to a Flash Drive and still see the pictures without taking up a chunk of hard drive space. I can also carry info on a Flash Drive that I might need to access without having it actually loaded to the tablet. (That's not much of an issue for me since all my genea-stuff is in Dropbox and I can get to it from the tablet.)
I should note that I don't think the screen resolution is as sharp as some tablets, especially the iPad, but I made the trade off for the other features. You can't have everything - at least not yet.
Things I've learned while writing this post (remember I'm using the Blogger app so these are really limitations of the app rather than the Thrive):
1. There is no preview function to review a post before publishing it.
2. There is no HTML tab.
3. Posts that I had previously scheduled are listed as "published" in the post list. (Scared me for a minute.)
4. There aren't many formatting options - can't change font but can bold and italize and add links.
5. The photo that (I hope) is in this post was loaded from the SD card. I can't seem to place a photo where I want with in a post but it's showing as a thumbnail at the end of the text during edit so I guess it will appear somewhere. Since I can't preview, I'll have to wait until it's published to see where it is.
6. There is no way to schedule a post but it can be saved in draft.
If the picture is included, you can see the SD card slot on the lower right (which is actually the upper right when using the tablet). That hot pink back cover was purchased separately (cause I liked it much better than the black cover that is standard). This doesn't even scratch the surface regarding using the Thrive but it's a start. I'm going to it publish now and see want happens.

Thursday, September 22, 2011
Those Places Thursday - Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
The Tech Savvy Genealogist's Meme
Want to participate? Just copy the list and follow these simple instructions.
The list should be annotated in the following manner:
Things you have already done or found: bold face type
Things you would like to do or find: italicize (colour optional)
Things you haven’t done or found and don’t care to: plain type
Feel free to add extra comments in brackets after each item
Which of these apply to you?
- Own an Android or Windows tablet or an iPad
- Use a tablet or iPad for genealogy related purposes
- Have used Skype to for genealogy purposes
- Have used a camera to capture images in a library/archives/ancestor's home
- Use a genealogy software program on your computer to manage your family tree
- Have a Twitter account
- Tweet daily
- Have a genealogy blog
- Have more then one genealogy blog (It's all I can do to keep one going.)
- Have lectured/presented to a genealogy group on a technology topic
- Currently an active member of Genealogy Wise (Have an account but can't remember the last time I visited.)
- Have a Facebook Account
- Have connected with genealogists via Facebook
- Maintain a genealogy related Facebook Page
- Maintain a blog or website for a genealogy society
- Have submitted text corrections online to Ancestry, Trove or a similar site
- Have registered a domain name
- Post regularly to Google+
- Have a blog listed on Geneabloggers
- Have transcribed/indexed records for FamilySearch or a similar project
- Own a Flip-Pal or hand-held scanner (Wand Scanner)
- Can code a webpage in .html (A very simple one)
- Own a smartphone
- Have a personal subscription to one or more paid genealogy databases
- Use a digital voice recorder to record genealogy lectures
- Have contributed to a genealogy blog carnival
- Use Chrome as a Browser
- Have participated in a genealogy webinar
- Have taken a DNA test for genealogy purposes
- Have a personal genealogy website (McCauley, Lanier, Hankins, Hopkins & Taylor Families)
- Have found mention of an ancestor in an online newspaper archive
- Have tweeted during a genealogy lecture
- Have scanned your hardcopy genealogy files
- Use an RSS Reader to follow genealogy news and blogs
- Have uploaded a gedcom file to a site like Geni, MyHeritage or Ancestry
- Own a netbook
- Use a computer/tablet/smartphone to take genealogy lecture notes (I need to start doing this but can't seem to give up the pen and paper.)
- Have a profile on LinkedIn that mentions your genealogy habit
- Have developed a genealogy software program, app or widget
- Have listened to a genealogy podcast online
- Have downloaded genealogy podcasts for later listening
- Backup your files to a portable hard drive
- Have a copy of your genealogy files stored offsite
- Know about Rootstech
- Have listened to a Blogtalk radio session about genealogy
- Use Dropbox, SugarSync or other service to save documents in the cloud
- Schedule regular email backups
- Have contributed to the FamilySearch Wiki
- Have scanned and tagged your genealogy photographs
- Have published a genealogy book in an online/digital format
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
FGS 2011 - Sessions - Friday & Saturday, September 9 & 10
Friday:
"After Mustering Out: Researching Civil War Veterans" presented by Amy Johnson Crow, MLIS, CG: "If you get no other Civil War record for an ancestor, get the pension record." Union vets were to register their discharge with their county so those records may still exist in local courthouses. Widows pension applications will have proof of marriage and death of the veteran. Confederate pensions records are not at NARA, check the Confederate state where the veteran lived when he applied. A lady in the audience at this session saw an ancestor listed in a record on one of the slides! Now that doesn't happen everyday.
"Somewhere in France: Researching World War II" presented by Tony Burroughs, FUGA: Unit and regimental histories can put your ancestor's World War II experience in context. It's extremely important to find a discharge certificate because it gives the service number that can be used to find other records. Military records are available from St. Louis National Personnel Center if it has been at least 62 years since the veteran's discharge - make an appointment before visiting or order the records by mail. Veterans Administration (VA) has records that can be released through Freedom of Information Act.
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Dr. Jones (on left) |
"GenSpiration Session: Blogging Best Practices" facilitated by Amy Coffin: "GenSpiration" sessions were new to FGS at this conference and if this session was any indication, they are a great idea. About 15 people attended. The discussion included the ins and outs of running ads on your blog, information that should be available on blogs (about me/blog, disclosures, surnames) and how to promote your blog. This discussion could have easily gone on for another hour or more. (I can't believe I failed to get a photo.)
Saturday:
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Mark Lowe (on right) |
(This was one of seven two-hour workshops offered for a small fee. Having an extra hour allows the speaker to delve deeper into a subject. I will definitely schedule other workshops in the future.)
More photos from FGS 2011.
Disclosure: I was an Official Blogger for FGS 2011.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
FGS 2011 - Luncheon and Sessions - Thursday, September 8
International Society of Family History Writers and Editors (ISFHWE) Luncheon "Get Off That Fence and Start Writing!" presented by DearMYRTLE (and her great-grandmother): This was my first conference luncheon and (in case you can't tell from the photo) it was great fun. We were "urged" to start writing or risk the rath of Myrt's great-grandmother and her pitch fork.
"Immigrant Cluster Communities: Past, Present and Future" presented by Lisa A. Alzo: Immigrants often settled in clusters with others from their home country or a previous location. Researching those friends, neighbors and relatives can sometimes break down brick walls or help identify your ancestor's country or specific location of origin. Researching a cluster community can also put your ancestors' lives in historical context.
"The Curious Case of the Disappearing Dude" presented by Debra Mieszala, CG: We all have people who seemed to vanish into thin air at some point. And the answer to that problem is basically the same as any brick wall - identify the problem, develop a research plan, carefully analyze findings, re-evaluate the problem using what you found, come to conclusions, rinse, repeat.
"Going Beyond the Bare Bones: Reconstructing Your Ancestors' Lives" presented by Thomas W. Jones, Ph.D, CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS: "The more records you find, the richer will be your ancestor's story." That pretty much says it all when it comes to reconstructing your ancestors' lives. Don't stop with the basic birth, marriage and death dates and places. Arrange your information in chronological order to see the holes in your story and start weaving the information together.
More photos from FGS 2011.
Disclosure: I was an Official Blogger for FGS 2011.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
FGS 2011 - Keynote Session - Thursday, September 8
That is especially true when you are attending a genealogy conference. This time last Thursday, FGS was in full swing and it's been over for several days but I'm just now getting around to writing about most of the great sessions and activities I attended. Part of the reason I'm so tardy is the research trip I tacked on to my round about trip home from Springfield. By the end of those days spent in courthouses and libraries, I didn't have enough energy or brain power left to write.
The Keynote Session included a Civil War Color Guard, a welcome from the Hon. J. Michael Houston, Mayor of Springfield, announcements about fund raising efforts for Preserve the Pensions and the presentation of awards.
David Ferriero, Archivist of the United States, delivered the Keynote Address. He talked about his family history and about placing his hand on an old family Bible when he took the oath to become national archivist. He also talked about the National Archives and Records Administration's social media presence. NARA is everywhere - blogs, Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, FourSquare, Tumblr and YouTube.
There was also something about the 1940 census - people seemed really excited about that. In case you haven't heard, it will be available online 2 Apr 2012 and it will be free. I'm sure there will be future announcement from NARA through some of the above social media outlets.
Following the Keynote Session, which was held at the Springfield Hilton, the Color Guard led attendees across the street to the Prairie Capital Convention Center for the grand opening of the exhibit hall.
More photos from FGS 2011.
Disclosure: I was an Official Blogger for FGS 2011.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Lula Can't Always Be Trusted
The untrustworthy Lula isn't a friend or relative traveling with me. Lula is my GPS. (You named yours didn't you?) She got her name a couple of years ago when I was on a research trip to Mississippi with three cousins. Someone in the crowd decided she should be named for our grandfather's sister that we can't find after the 1900 census and it stuck. (We still haven't found the real Lula.)
On that trip to Mississippi I learned that you need a back-up for Lula in case of a major thunderstorm - satellite signals don't work too well during those. Before I left home I printed directions from Google Maps for every leg of my trip so I had directions from my hotel in Paducah to Golconda, Illinois where the Pope County Courthouse is located. Problem - I didn't look at them. I admit that I should have stopped and pulled the directions out of the laptop case in the back of the car when Lula made me turn into a park a few blocks from the hotel. (She seemed to think there was a road out of there that connected to the road she wanted me to take but I didn't find it.) Anyway, I got out of the park and found the road she wanted. (You notice I'm not calling that the "right" road.)
In a few minutes I saw a blue bridge looming in front of me. Have I mentioned I don't like heights? Well, this was a pretty high, narrow, two-lane, singing bridge. And there was traffic coming at me so I couldn't drive down the middle of it. Across the Ohio River is a long time to hold your breath. I told Lula we were going to find a different way back.
I knew it was supposed to take about 45 minutes to get to Golconda and Lula was estimating my arrival time along that line. I made every turn she told me to make until she thought a gravel road was a good idea. That just seemed wrong to me so I didn't turn and looked for a place to pull off. Before I could do that, Lula recalculated and decided that my destination was just 2 miles straight ahead so I kept going. When she said I had arrived at my destination, this is what I saw.
Having been to a lot of courthouses, I was pretty sure that wasn't one.
At this point I did pull off and dig out the printed directions. Problem - wherever the heck I was, wasn't on my printed map. I checked the GPS for service stations and found that the nearest one was almost 10 miles away. I set a new course for it, hoping Lula actually knew the way there. A few miles before I got to the service station, I came to an intersection that was on my map and was exactly where I wanted to turn. From there I followed the directions and arrived at the Pope County, Illinois Courthouse almost 2 hours after I left the hotel.
Oddly enough, even though Lula couldn't find the courthouse, she had no trouble finding her way out of Golconda and back to Paducah on the exact route that I had printed (and which took me across the river on the I-24 bridge, a much better choice than the blue one). Go figure.
So. If you are taking a research trip to an area you are not familiar with, do not think you can trust your GPS - no matter what her name is. When I leave here in the morning for Livingston County you can bet I'll take a good look at the printed directions first and they will be right beside me for the whole trip.
P.S. It was a really good research day once I found the courthouse.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
FGS 2011 - More Photos - Exhibit Hall
Disclosure: I am an Official Blogger for FGS 2011.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
FGS 2011 - Photos - Exhibit Hall
More from the Exhibit Hall coming up later.