Blog overload?

Geneablogging was my focus today ... but it wasn't about my blogs.

My first task involved putting on my hat as an admin team member of the GeneabloggersTRIBE. Together with Hilary Gadsby from Wales and Laura Hedgecock from the US I create the welcome posts for those who have joined the Tribe. Our genimate DearMyrtle is supporting us with this task. 

I also help monitor the GeneabloggersTRIBE Facebook Group. The other Australian on the admin team, Caitlin Gow has different responsibilities. It's amazing to work in support of geneablogging with this committed volunteer team from around the globe. 

If you are a geneablogger who hasn't joined the GeneabloggersTRIBE do go to the site and sign up. Make sure you check out the Members' List too.

I spent far too long writing my dozen posts today as each blog I view is a magnet to this inquisitive old bird who is into Tangential Genealogy. The blogs I write about entice me to read and explore and they help me form opinions on what elements I think are important in a blog.

Just 513 posts to read

When my creative juices ran dry I turned to the list of genealogy blogs I follow in my RSS feed reader, Inoreader. I added several new blogs to the list I follow. This won't make keeping up any more onerous as many genebbloggers have taken to slow blogging and quite a few have stopped blogging. I don't delete blogs from my RSS feed as, on occasion, a blogger will return to blogging after a hiatus of one, two or more years. I want to be alerted so I can welcome them back.

Of course I spent ages going through the new to me blogs. I particularly liked the titles of the Before Bernadette and  The Restall Gene. I loved the title and the stories in the Behind the Cupboard Doors blog. 

I am impressed by the stamina of new blogger, Duncan in the Churches of Tasmania blog, 25 posts in his first month! I liked the new look at the Derek's Den blog. 

Once my list was updated I set about reading the backlog of posts in Inoreader. I tried to comment on quite a few posts as I know what a buzz it is to receive comments. I have had problems all day connecting to Wordpress.com blogs (even my own) so I have had to skip many of them.

While all of this has been going on I have been watching activity on the Lake outside and at the Australian Open tennis on the TV in my living room.

The importance of having a Blog Archive widget on one's blog site was reinforced today as I tried to navigate through several years of some blogger's posts. The importance of having an About Me statement or page was also strengthened as I tried to make meaningful comments about unknown bloggers.

Several Bloggers have made a great start with the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge. The cynic in me wonders how many will make it to the finish line.  I like Lilian Magill's approach to this challenge is more achievable. Lilian is promoting 12 Ancestors in 12 months.

Things have been moving slowly on the internet today so I just logged off and back on and find I cannot access the Inoreader site. I guess that someone is telling me that I need to go and watch Nick Kyrgios play his match in the Australian Open. I'll continue my blog reading tomorrow.

I am not suffering from blog overload, I've had a most enjoyable day and learnt a bit more about geneablogging.

The action outside my backyard

A Trio from the Tribe

Were you ears burning this morning?  Your name may have come up in conversations today about cemeteries, conferences, colleagues and other geneatopics.

A few hours ago I met up in a cafe at Beecroft with a couple of fellow GeneabloggersTRIBE members for a cuppa and a chat. Although we rarely see each other we have become firm online friends over the years due to our shared interests in genealogy and geneablogging and as members of the GeneabloggersTRIBE. Seeing each other ín the flesh is a special treat. That I am nearly old enough to be Caitlin's grandmother doesn't matter - family history friendships cross generations.

L-R Sharn, Jill, Caitlin

Due to life's circumstances I haven't seen Sharn White or Caitlin Gow for ages. When Caitlin mentioned that she was visiting Sydney for a week I contacted she and Sharn and we organised our meeting. I was able to present Sharn, whose health issues prevented her from attending Rootstech 2017, with some sougenirs and loot from the Conference.

It was quite a family affair as Sharn's husband David, two of her daughters and a grandson called by to say G'day and meet Caitlin who lives 1,000km away. I think the mystery gentleman who picked up our tab may have been David, thank you so much.

We had a great old chinwag and shared a few geneasecrets that are not suitable to air in public!!

A sweet something to complement the cuppa.

GAGs - GeniAus' Gems - 9 June 2017

This week's post is a Saturday Special. As I was involved with family yesterday I didn't not have sufficient time to complete and  publish my post.

It has been a blog-filled week for me. As part of my responsibilities for the GeneabloggersTRIBE I visited over 600 genealogy of the blogs on their Members List. I was struck by the depth and diversity of content I found there in genealogy blogs. It was sad to see so many inactive blogs but it was heartening that, although they are inactive, the stories they tell live on at sites like Blogger and Wordpress.

I also have self-diagnosed Bloggerhoea this week having penned (some scheduled for later) around a dozen posts for the various blogs I curate. I wonder if you sometimes have an attack of this affliction.

In this week's selection I am concentrating on Australian blogs just because I feel like promoting geneablogs from downunder. I am rather fortunate that many of my genimates have blogged this week (was it the chilly weather?).

My first few selections are from libraries' local studies collections. Our libraries downunder do a great job sharing and preserving stories of people and places from the past.

From Sutherland, NSW.
Local History, Local Stories: WWI Field Gun

From John Oxley, Library, Queensland.
http://blogs.slq.qld.gov.au/jol/2017/06/07/watson-estate-booval-boovaleast-ipswich-1911/

From Parramatta, NSW.
http://arc.parracity.nsw.gov.au/blog/2017/06/05/world-war-one-parramatta-soldiers-francis-william-owens/

From Casey/Cardinia, Victoria

http://caseycardinialinkstoourpast.blogspot.com/2017/06/hallam-hotel.html

From Tea Tree Gully, South Australia
https://ttglibrary.com/2017/06/07/way-back-when-wednesdays-23/

From Wagga Wagga, NSW.
http://memoriesofwagga.blogspot.com/2017/05/new-to-local-studies-three-family.html

Quite a few librarians including Ellen and Michelle blog too.
http://readplayparticipate.blogspot.com.au/2017/06/where-photographs-end-up-part-2.html
http://michellefnichols.blogspot.com.au/2017/06/a-carter-and-his-sister-in-law-trove.html

Some of my genimates are excited about #Congress_2018.
https://jonesfamilyhistory.wordpress.com/2017/06/06/congress_-2018-sydney/ 

https://cassmob.wordpress.com/2017/06/02/genea-conference-excitement/ 

http://twigsofyore.blogspot.com.au/2017/06/the-early-bird-gets-conference-ticket.html

Some bloggers have been learning and sharing

http://researchbylily.blogspot.com/2017/06/a-lost-weekend-well-not-really.html

https://njsneddon.wordpress.com/2017/05/31/comparing-dna-testing-companies-ethnicity-estimates/
http://twigsofyore.blogspot.com.au/2017/06/reconstituting-allsops-of.html
https://cassmob.wordpress.com/2016/07/14/applying-a-lesson/

And one has returned after taking a sabbatical. Welcome back.
https://familyfractals.wordpress.com/2017/06/08/where-have-you-been-stranger/

I think a post of mine prompted this post about an atypical Troveite. Isn't that grand
http://linksinachain.blogspot.com/2017/06/trove-tuesday.html

A few Newtome blogs were found this week.
https://clogsandclippers.blogspot.com.au/
https://tpr76797.wordpress.com/
http://georgiesgenealogy.blogspot.com.au/

Oops - I've gone over my self imposed limit of a dozen blogs this week just because....I can.

GeneaBloggersTRIBE - Answering your questions

I received this comment when I promoted the GeneabloggersTRIBE in a FB Genealogy blogger group downunder. 

"can I ask some naive questions?  Ask away, but these are not naive questions, they are questions that more than one person would like to have answered. 

I will preface my answers with a reminder that our GeneabloggersTRIBE Leadership Team is very new and only had around ten days to get organised for the changeover of Geneabloggers assets on June 1. While some roles have been allocated we are still familiarising ourselves with resources, assigning roles and discussing policies and procedures for the Group. We are using a variety of tools for this including Facebook Groups, Google Docs and Sheets and  Trello (Loving this new tool for me).

How does GeneaBloggersTRIBE work?
Your leadership team is a group of  bloggers from diverse backgrounds (there are two Aussies - one young, one old) who are passionate about geneablogging as a collaborative publishing platform. We encourage all Geneabloggers to join our TRIBE.

The GeneabloggersTRIBE website states:

The expressed purpose of GeneaBloggers now GeneabloggersTRIBE is to:

• support genealogy bloggers including content-providers on a variety of platforms
• share information on resources
• permit free use of fM’s several logo graphics among members expressing solidarity
• exclude commercial advertising
• disallow corporate ownership

GeneabloggersTRIBE exists to support and encourage bloggers just like you. We do this by providing helpful resource links, daily blogging prompts, blogiversaries, spotlights with an eye to new and emerging content-providing technologies.

Do you apply to become a member if you are a blogger? 
You can apply to join our closed Facebook Group,  https://www.facebook.com/groups/geneabloggers/ ,where you can say g'day, ask questions and share news of interest to other geneabloggers.

Or do you just ask to be added to the blog roll? 
You will be able to list blogs via GeneabloggerTRIBE site and they will appear there on our Members List shortly (we are working on this). To join the Members List please fill out and submit this form.

Are there any eligibility requirements such as posting at least once a month or actively writing a blog for x no of years? 

We don't have any restrictions but would encourage you to be an active blogger ie don't let your blog languish for more than a year.

Are there any costs? If you are a member are you supposed to be doing something to contribute? 
The only costs we require are your commitment and interest. There a a number of ways you can contribute. 

If so, what kinds of things? 

We recognise that it's  a busy world but you might contribute by blogging, placing our badge on your blog, telling fellow geneabloggers about our TRIBE, supporting fellow bloggers by reading, liking and commenting on their posts and sharing any good resources you find in our Facebook Group.

Sorry, I still consider myself new to blogging though I have seen the GeneaBloggers logo around and knew that Thomas MacEntee was heavily involved (though I know he has now moved on). 
Yes, Thomas handed over many of the Geneabloggers assets to our group of volunteers while he pursues his business interests. 

But, to tell you the truth, coming from the outside, I'm still rather vague as to what it is all about. I read the "About Us" on the site but I couldn't figure out how I, as an amateur blogger, may or may not fit in except as a passive consumer of the resources. Sorry to be so dense. Do you have a "call to arms" page or something for newbies? Thanks! "

You can be a passive consumer but we encourage you to become involved in the ways suggested above.

Thank you for asking these questions. I hope that my responses have provided some clarification for you. It's early days yet but our Leadership Team is in daily contact with each other as we plot the GeneabloggersTRIBE path into the future.

Geneablogging will thrive in our TRIBE.

NB These are my personal responses and may not adequately answer all your questions.

GAGs - GeniAus' Gems - 2 June 2017

Well the great news of the week that has kept me occupied is with the GeneabloggersTRIBE Leadership Team.  There has been much geneacommunication across the Pacific and beyond as our Team Leaders worked to get the Website and other social media assets set up for the launch.

1. The announcement from Thomas MacEntee that he is handing over certain assets to the GeneabloggersTRIBE.
http://www.geneabloggers.com/announcing-new-initiative-geneabloggerstribe-com/

2. The new GeneabloggersTRIBE website.
http://geneabloggerstribe.com/

3. There are two Aussies on the leadership team. (Shameless self-promotion)
http://geniaus.blogspot.com.au/2017/06/geneabloggerstribe.html

4. Pauleen shares her excitement about past and future events.
https://cassmob.wordpress.com/2017/06/02/genea-conference-excitement/

5. Little Wandering Wren is settling down in Thailand.
http://littlewanderingwren.blogspot.com.au/2017/05/in-hot-land-far-away.html

6. Victoria is also on the move.
https://campaspegenealogy.blogspot.com.au/2017/05/moving-house-and-finding-more-treasures.html

7. I'd say they are pretty good Jen.
https://jengenie.wordpress.com/2017/06/01/what-are-the-chances/

8. Cousin Bate
https://diaryofayounggenealogist.wordpress.com/2017/05/31/edward-bate/

9. Radicals in the Hawkesbury.
http://hawkesburyheritage.blogspot.com.au/2017/05/the-nineteen-radicals.html

10. Roots and branches in Sydney.
http://paulineconolly.com/2017/the-fabulous-fig-trees-of-sydney/

11. A new blogger on the GSQ team. G'day Joan.
https://gsq-blog.gsq.org.au/think-outside-box/

12. And so it should Alona.
http://www.lonetester.com/2017/05/yes-folks-genealogy-does-cost-money/

GeneabloggersTRIBE

You may have noticed the new GeneabloggersTRIBE image in the sidebar of my blog.

Just minutes ago Thomas Macentee announced "GeneaBloggers.com and GeneaBloggersTRIBE.com have agreed to streamline features to meet consumer expectations and provide blogger support. 

You can read the full story here: http://www.geneabloggers.com/announcing-new-initiative-geneabloggerstribe-com/. 

I am proud to announce that together with Caitlin Gow I am representing Australia in the new GeneabloggersTRIBE Leadership team. Our transitional leaders Pat Richley-Erickson and Laura Hedgecock have worked tirelessly over the past ten days or so to lead and build our team.

L-R GeniAus with Caitlin Gow

Please visit the GeneabloggersTRIBE website to read all about it and meet the members of the team.