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Back in 2012 I decided to publish the first Accentuate the Positive Geneameme. I had seen several genies reflecting on their failures and wanted them to celebrate their successes. I said:
"You are a bunch of highly motivated people who have made great strides in the genealogy sphere. Let's share the good news."
For the 2025 challenge I have decided to move away from prompts that relate to particular situations and resources to a list focusing on our reactions to particular verbs as we reflect on our family history journey.
I encourage you to respond on social media or in a text document to the prompts from the list below - please delete the statements that are not relevant to your situation.
Once you have done so please share your post's link in a comment on this post or send your link or text document via email to jillballau@gmail.com or via social media. I will, when I return from the high seas in late January, compile a list of links to your contributions here on this blog.
Remember to Accentuate the Positive
2025 Prompts
1. I treasured
2. I shared
3. I travelled
4. I learnt
5. I changed
6. I received
7. I conquered
8. I found
9. I taught
10. I cried
11. I was proud
12. I read
Responses to Earlier Challenges
2024 https://geniaus.blogspot.com/2025/01/responses-to-accentuate-positive-2024.html
2023 https://geniaus.blogspot.com/2024/01/accentuatethe-positive-2023-responses.html
2022 https://geniaus.blogspot.com/2023/01/accentuate-positive-2022-responses.html
2021 https://geniaus.blogspot.com/2022/01/accentuate-positive-geneameme-2021.html
2020 https://geniaus.blogspot.com/2021/01/accentuate-positive-geneameme-2020.html
2019 https://geniaus.blogspot.com/2020/01/accentuate-positive-geneameme-2019_11.html
2017 https://geniaus.blogspot.com/2018/01/accentuate-positive-geneameme-2017-posts.html
2016 https://geniaus.blogspot.com/2017/01/gags-geniaus-gems-6-january-2017.html
2015 https://geniaus.blogspot.com/2016/01/accentuate-positive-geneameme-2015_11.html
2014 https://geniaus.blogspot.com/2015/01/accentuate-positive-2014-geneameme.html
2013 https://geniaus.blogspot.com/2013/01/2012-very-good-year.html
2012 https://geniaus.blogspot.com/2013/01/2012-very-good-year.html
In a post on this day last month I said"
"WikiTree I am committed to Wikitree as a collaborative tree. I am working to ensure that my ancestors' and forebears' stories are not lost so I aim to give them all a profile on this platform. It's a future-proofing exercise."
Although they have promised to maintain my website after I am gone my descendants may not have time for this task. My ancestors will also have a home on Wikitree.
I've spent many hours in this last month ensuring that my direct ancestors and those of my husband have a place on Wikitree. There's a lot more work to be done on these but at least they have a place.
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| 100% complete for five generations on Wikitree |
I am now working on their siblings and descendants (my cousins). Where possible I am also linking the ancestors of our living DNA matches into our lines. I rely on my database in RootsMagic on my home computer for my master list from which I currently work.
I found a recent webinar delivered for the Society of Australian Genealogists by Veronica Williams most helpful. Veronica was a guest speaker last Saturday at The Lake Macquarie Family History Group, I learnt a few more Wikitree tips from that excellent presentation.
On April 22 I had 3317 CC7 Connections on Wikitree, on May 20 I had 3765. This is pretty good as during that time I had to unlink a branch to remove connections that had been made in error. This will grow slowly as I spend more time on enriching the current profiles on my lines.
We need to evaluate our practices regularly. The catalyst for my recent navel gazing is the presentation I prepared for Connections2025, The Thoughtful Ancestor: leaving a large footprint for future generations. I have a big footprint but need to ensure that it's easy for my descendants to follow.
I've been reviewing my practices, the products I use and my genealogy budget and trying to make my genealogy assets easy to access for future generations. Following is a summary of my recent thoughts and actions.
I am looking at my assets in three categories: Digital, Physical and Cranial and using as a prompt this process.
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| My process for future-proofing my genealogy assets. Evaluation is vital at each stage of the process |
Social Media
X formerly Twitter - I am no longer posting there but have kept my account. I have replaced this product with Bluesky where many of my genimates have accounts. I am @geniaus.bluesky.social.
Instagram - I set up an Instagram for family history purposes after Twitter became unattractive. I'm still on Insta but not actively posing since moving to Bluesky
Facebook - I have a huge investment and history so won't be ditching it at the moment. My GeniAusPage is my main vehicle for sharing family history news and views.
Family Tree Software
Family Historian. While I still retain Family Historian for my main database I have resisted upgrading to the latest version.
RootsMagic I started using RootsMagic to manage the people in my CareyBay2283 One Place Study. Although I don't have a handle on its sourcing system I appreciate its fairly seamless syncing with Ancestry, FamilySearch and FindMyPast. This may become my primary tool in the future.
I now have several projects in RootsMagic 10. I find it good for managing the DNA matches of some of the kits I manage.
TNG I use The Next Generation of Genealogy Sitebuilding to maintain my family website. I can upload a gedcom file from any other product to TNG.
I am concerned that when I turn my toes up no-one will keep the website going. Over Easter two of my offspring committed to this task so I won't be ditching TNG or my website in the near future.
GeniAus Website This is where I host my family site. I will keep it going while I am able but I need to have insurance lest my descendants run out of time or money to maintain it.
WikiTree I am committed to Wikitree as a collaborative tree. I am working to ensure that my ancestors' and forebears' stories are not lost so I aim to give them all a profile on this platform. It's a future-proofing exercise.
Other Activities
Blogging I am committed to blogging about family history and to record my personal history. I use two free platforms, Blogger and Wordpress.com although I prefer Blogger because it is much easier to tweak their templates and they don't sprinkle my posts with ads as is the Wordpress practice.
I see that several of my genimates have moved to Substack. I am not convinced that this is the platform for me. I will sit back and see how it progresses. I have seen too many Bright Shiny Objects come and go to move platforms when I am satisfied with what I have.
FindaGrave In addition to adding details of ancestors' final resting places to the FindaGrave site I have set up several virtual cemeteries on that site. I have one each for biological relatives of my husband and me. I also maintain one for a Cousin and one to support my One Place Study.
One Place Study I'm not sure I can do this justice but as no-one else was recording the history and stories of the place where I live I commenced this project last year.
Surname Study I now realise that I have bitten off more than I can chew with this project I commenced in 2014. I did not realise that Curry, my maiden name, was such a common surname, I should have chosen Pusell, my grandmother's maiden name which is not so common. Currently this project is stalled with a database of several thousand persons in Family Historian. The study blog is still active and will remain so.
Cranial Assets or What's in my head I'm working on this. Some are things I am not yet ready to share. I keep a diary in an Excel spreadsheet and blog at jillballau but need to do more.
Money Matters I need to give this some thought and will report in a future post.
