Limping along

Back on this day in 2014 I celebrated the sixth birthday of this blog with a post titled Six Years and Going Strong. 

Today this blog is 15 years old. 

My blogging status today would be limping along. While I don't post often or regularly I am still committed to the blogging platform as a means of sharing and preserving family stories and geneanews. 

Sometimes something related to my family history research (that I haven't previously' posted here) pops up in my Facebook memories.   I then add a retrospective post about whatever happened on that day. Today I wrote about an archive visit on this day in 2014.

I always get a thrill when someone contacts me with an enquiry, a correction or further information relating to one of my posts. 

I look forward to several more years limping along at the GeniAus blog.

Twelve years and smiling

Twelve years ago I was recovering at home from ankle surgery and on the verge of retirement. I had been blogging for work and wanted to keep up the blogging habit once I retired but I needed a focus for my blogging efforts.

Twelve year old Jill

I chose to blog about genealogy in which I had an interest. In the twelve years since I started this blog my interest has become a passion which Mr GeniAus would call an obsession. When I started this blog I was like the twelve year old Jill who was setting off for secondary school in her hat and white gloves and carrying her precious new briefcase. I did not know what lay ahead of me.

Over the years I have started several blogs for myself and for organisations with which I am involved. I have given up on some of my blogs. Others I set up for organisations  have languished in the hands of their new keepers. Although my posting schedule has been erratic at times I have nurtured this GeniAus blog for twelve years and am committed to seeing it through its teenage years.

The GeniAus blog has opened many doors for me. It was through my early blogging efforts that I was invited to be an official blogger for the first Rootstech Conference and I have served as an Official Blogger or Ambassador for each Rootstech event. The blog also has brought me invitations to speak at many events and to join genealogy boards and committees. I am a committed Lifelong Learner!

What I treasure most about the bounty the GeniAus blog has delivered are the friendships with a collection of dear Genimates. Mr GeniAus and I have made  friends around the world through my involvement in geneablogging and social media. 

Initially my blogging focus was news and resources, while I still share some of these items on my blogs I now use my Facebook GeniAusPage to share topical news and events and use the blog more for reflections and family stories.

In my very first post I said "I thought I would like a place to share progress, reflections and resources as I solve my genealogical jigsaw so here goes - another blog is born."  One thing I omitted is that now an important part of my purpose is to preserve the stories of my ancestors and my living family for future generations. The importance of this element was brought home to me when I received the following comment on my blog in 2012.

I accepted that invitation which reminded me of the importance of recording our social and family history in Australia. I am honoured that, as a result, the posts I write will be preserved for the future in what is now called The Australian Web Archive at Trove Australia, https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/collection. 

As I reflect on the GeniAus blog and my other blogging activities I have a smile as broad as that of the 12 year old Jill soaking up the Australian sunshine in her new swimsuit. 

 

Twelve year old Jill 

Blogiversary Confusion

I was delighted this morning to receive blogiversary wishes on Facebook from Geneabloggers and some genimates but when I looked at the date quoted it didn't quite gel.  I thought my blog was a tad older than that post suggested.

Going back through the GeniAus blog archive I discovered that my blog actually turned 8 on November 5th. Here is what I said in my first post on that day:

 A crowded blogosphere? I must have been wearing blinkers - there were very few genealogy blogs in existence when I got started and only a handful from downunder. Geneablogs now number in the thousands. I have seen many come and go while a few oldies continue to flourish. Notable among these are Olive Tree Genealogy, Genea-Musings and Genealogy's Star. In 2008 Geneablogging downunder was a lonely pursuit. Pauleen's Family History across the Seas launched in December 2009 is one blog that has weathered the storm. The authors of these four geneablogs have become friends along the way.

I have been retired (from paid work) for nearly eight years and find myself busier than ever. Geneablogging has enriched my life in retirement. It has delivered friendships, put me in contact with distant relatives, informed and taught me, given me opportunities to teach others and, through my role as a Rootstech Ambassador, encouraged me to travel to distant lands and opened doors to places and experiences that I had only dreamt about.

Although I primarily blog for myself, my family and future generations I am most grateful for those who come along for the ride. Many of these readers are unknown to me. I got such a buzz at the Society of Australian Genealogists event last Saturday when one of my readers sought me out to tell me how much she enjoyed my blog. Thank you to that lady and the other readers my stats tell me I have.

I am still not organised and have more mysteries than ever to solve but I am having a beaut time. I'm not too concerned about my messy geneacave and piles of files - as long as I am progressing and sharing my research and knowledge I am content.

I hope to be blogging eight years from now.

Hiding my Age

A prompt from Geneabloggers over the weekend reminded me that I had missed my blogiversary last week. I must be hiding my age well because, although Geneabloggers told me that this blog had started in 2009 I thought I was a tad older than that. I've put a reminder in my Google Calendar so that I won't miss this event next year when GeniAus turns 8.

Going back through the archives I discovered my first GeniAus post from 5 November 2008.

GeniAus First Post

 Who was I kidding? Crowded? Back in 2008 there were very few geneablogs around, I am so thrilled that, when I retired, I found a niche in which to blog. I had been blogging about education, libraries and technology for several years and enjoyed communicating via this medium and wanted to continue writing bits and pieces. I am pleased that many of my Australian Genimates have taken up blogging, presently I follow over 200 Australasian Blogs in my RSS reader.

Unfortunately I didn't keep a screen shot of my blog as it appeared in 2008. The first image in 2011 I have comes from The Wayback Machine.

GeniAus Blog 27 January 2011

Although the blog has had a number of new looks over the years the thing that has remained constant is my GeniAus portrait done by my then 7 year old granddaughter.

GeniAus Portrait 2008

Entering the Geneasphere via this blog opened up a whole new world to me. I am so grateful to all the friends and opportunities it brought my way. Thank you to all who have stopped by GeniAus over the years, I appreciate your friendship, interest and support.

My life has been enriched by through Geneablogging.

Six Years and Going Strong

On Wednesday 5 November 2008 in my first post on this blog entitled : Why add yet another blog to the crowded blogisphere? I wrote:

"I thought I would like a place to share progress, reflections and resources as I solve  my genealogical jigsaw so here goes - another blog is born.

I've been researching the family on and off for the last 20 years and, with retirement looming, hope to finally get organised anad solve some of my mysteries."

The crowded blogisphere, was I kidding? I had been blogging in another realm for a few years in an area where blogging had taken of.There were very few geneablogs around when I penned my first post and I could count the number of Australian geneablogs on my  fingers. I now follow several hundred geneablogs and every week I come across a previously unknown (to me) blog. The growth over the past six years has been exponential.

With some of my geneablogging mates February 2014

So what have I done?

• I have published about 2070 posts, reported on my progress, reflected on my practice and shared resources. 
• I've also proffered an opinion or two.
• I have solved a few small parts of my jigsaw but there is more to do.
• I am slightly better organised than I was six years ago.
• I have connected with previously unknown and lost cousins and shared stories and resources.
• Through the world of geneablogging I have made several good friends and many great contacts.
• I have learnt a lot about blogging, genealogy, technology and social media.
• I have experimented with geneavlogging.
• I have been blessed with many opportunities to share my skills and knowledge in lectures, workshops and journal articles.
• A highlight was being appointed as an Official Blogger to the first and all subsequent Rootstech Conferences in Salt Lake City.
• I have been honoured to be given some awards by fellow bloggers.
• I have not been idle in retirement, I make not make much money but money could not buy the rewards I have reaped through my geneablogging habit.
• I have started a few other blogs and let them languish but the GeniAus blog is here for the long haul.

I look forward to the next six years as I grow with GeniAus.

Now We are Six

"Now We Are Six"

When I was one,
I had just begun.
When I was two,
I was nearly new.
When I was three,
I was hardly me.
When I was four,
I was not much more.
When I was five,
I was just alive.
But now I am six,
I'm as clever as clever.
So I think I'll be six
now and forever.

 Author: A.A. Milne

Although I am definitely not "as clever as clever" I immediately thought of this poem from my childhood when I received blogiversary wishes from my Genimates on Facebook and at Geneabloggers this morning.

As I am much older than this blog I certainly realise that I have so much more to learn  I thank you, my readers and friends in cyberspace for following and reading my posts. Your comments on my blogs and the posts you share through your blogs are leading me on the path towards cleverness.

Nearly missed my day....

Thanks to all those genimates who have sent me Blogiversary wishes via Social Media. It is still some minutes away from midnight here in London so it's still my party day. I realised earlier this week that my blogiversary was approaching and then promptly forgot about it. Thomas, you are so sweet for getting the word out.

It seems fitting that tonight Mr Geniaus and I had dinner with a friend that we made through the world of genealogy, Audrey Collins. Audrey travelled across London to spend a couple of hours with us and came bearing gifts (more on that later). Earlier today I attended a lecture at The Society of Genealogists in London followed by a spot of research in their library.

Through blogging about genealogy during the past four years I have made many new friends who share my obsession. Thank you all for your friendship.

For old times sake I am pasting below a copy of my first tentative post from 7 November 2008.

Why add yet another blog to the crowded blogisphere?

I thought I would like a place to share progress, reflections and resources as I solve my genealogical jigsaw so here goes - another blog is born.

I've been researching the family on and off for the last 20 years and, with retirement looming, hope to finally get organised and solve some of my mysteries.

A Feisty Three Year Old?

More than half a century ago a little girl celebrated her third birthday.

Her family had not long taken delivery of its first refrigerator, television had not yet arrived in Australia and there was no telephone in the house. That little girl could not have imagined that many years later she would celebrate another third birthday with friends from all around the world being able to join the party via the magic of the internet. This was the stuff of fairy tales and science fiction.

Here I am, an old girl, celebrating being three once more, not gathered round a table with half a dozen little mates but with anyone who cares to join in from anywhere in the world.

Geniaus' (centre front) Third Birthday Party

As the Geniaus blog is three today I turned to a number of parenting sites to see what the future holds for a feisty three year old like Geniaus.

This site tells me a three year old:

• no longer a toddler
• has become more independent
• less selfish than two and exhibits less aggressive behavior
• more aware of and sensitive to the feelings of others
• more responsive to other children and  able to develop friendships
• capable of taking turns and sharing toys
• sense of time has become clearer and he’ll know his daily routine and will try to figure out the routines of others
• will have a capacity to understand his own place spatially amongst the family and is able to view you as a separate person
• wants to please you - - will be less dependent on you because his sense of identity is growing stronger
• will exhibit a feisty attitude on occasion and resist your requests.

So there you have it, for the next twelve months I will be less selfish, more responsive, sensitive, try to please and make more friends but reserve the right to remain independent and feisty.

The Terrible Twos

I have two little grandchildren who are approaching their second birthday and entering the stage known as "The Terrible Twos" where they learn that they can say "NO" with vigour and throw tantrums as they start to assert their their independence.

This blog "Geniaus" is two today. I wonder how its flavour may change as it enters the "Terrible Twos"?  I look forward to discovering how this will manifest itself in the coming year.

I thank my regular readers and those who pop by from time to time. I appreciate the comments you make on the blog and via email and the spikes you create in my statistics when a post resonates with you. This blog has brought me some valuable connections from all over the world and has been a means of connecting with newly discovered cousins.

For my newer readers here are the links to my first post and my first birthday post.

Geniaus - Day 365

365 days ago I was sitting in bed recovering from surgery and contemplating my approaching retirement. I knew that, in retirement, I was going to devote more time to discovering and organising my family's history. I had also blogged about my work for a couple of years.Although there a number of Genealogy blogs around these appeared to have a US, international, commercial or family bias. With the exception of Genealogy in New South Wales I couldn't find anything distinctly Australian. Twelve months ago Twitter had not yet taken off as a way to disseminate news about genealogy in Australia. As I have a hunger for news I was subscribed to a number of RSS feeds from the fields of technology, genealogy, education and libraries. I thought that perhaps I should create a a genealogy blog with an Australian bias by an amateur Australian genealogist.
Geniaus the blog was born.

Reprinted here is my first post from November 7, 2009

Why add yet another blog to the crowded blogosphere?

I thought I would like a place to share progress, reflections and resources as I solve my genealogical jigsaw so here goes - another blog is born.

I've been researching the family on and off for the last 20 years and, with retirement looming, hope to finally get organised and solve some of my mysteries.

*******************


Twelve months down the track it is time for reflection.

My blog has evolved to become more of a resource sharing tool and a presence for Geniaus on the web. I have not blogged about every little bit of progress I have made as I don't really think that the genealogy community at large is interested in the minutiae of my research. Taking part in Genealogy Carnivals has given me an opportunity to tell some stories about my family.

I have tended to blog about my big news eg my new family website http://www.geniaus.net and about the tools I use. The blog allows me space to share my latest links from Delicious and my latest posts on Twitter.

On a personal level the blog has has documented my journey as I learn about my family, genealogy and appropriate tools to use. For this purpose alone it has been a worthwhile exercise.

A perusal of the Google Analytics for my site shows that I do not have a huge audience but there are a number of people who follow the blog. Around 1400 people have visited the blog 2500 times and looked at around 4000 pages. During the year people from 49 countries have visited the blog, around half of these visitors are from Australia. Initially the visitors were mostly from the US but over the year this has shifted so that, now most of the readers are from 26 cities in Australia, with Sydney having the most representation.

18.06%of the visits are from direct traffic, 59.98% are from referring sites such as Google , Blogger and other websites and 21.96% come via search engines. So quite a few people just happen across the site.

The Top 25 referring sites are listed below:

1.	google / organic
2.	(direct) / (none)
3.	blogger.com / referral
4.	google.com / referral
5.	google.com.au / referral
6.	blogfinder.genealogue.com / referral
7.	genealogywise.com / referral
8.	creativegene.blogspot.com / referral
9.	shadesofthedeparted.com / referral
10.	bloglines.com / referral
11.	facebook.com / referral
12.	fbbootcamp.blogspot.com / referral
13.	twitter.com / referral
14.	ifamilyforleopard.com / referral
15.	geneabloggers.com / referral
16.	vidarsslektsblogg.blogspot.com / referral
17.	small-leavedshamrock.blogspot.com / referral
18.	yahoo / organic
19.	notebooks-brasil.blogspot.com / referral
20.	thebesthosting.org / referral
21.	caroleriley.id.au / referral
22.	geniaus.blogspot.com / referral
23.	genblogjulie.blogspot.com / referral
24.	kinexxions.blogspot.com / referral
25.	blogcatalog.com / referral

The 25 pages attracting the most views are:

1.	Geniaus Home Page
2.	/2009/08/free-access-to-smh-archive-from-google.html
3.	/2009/03/do-you-have-ancestors-from-blayney.html
4.	/2009/08/ww2-british-roll-of-honour-and-pow.html
5.	/2008/12/tribute-to-australian-keith-wilson.html
6.	/2009/01/walking-in-winter-wonderland.html
7.	/2009/01/99-genealogy-things-meme.html
8.	/2009/03/if-youre-enough-lucky-to-be-irish-youre.html
9.	/2009/01/my-key-to-ireland.html
10.	/2008/12/carnival-of-genealogy-63rd-edition-new.html
11.	/2009/02/costume-smile-for-camera.html
12.	/2009/03/name-shame-causes-cock-shrinkage-but.html
13.	/2009/09/birth-death-marriage-genealogy-records.html
14.	/2009/09/when-queen-came-to-town.html
15.	/2009/07/downunder-they-worked-hard-for-family.html
16.	/2009/01/happy-dance-joy-of-genealogy.html
17.	/2009/01/les-oberman-death-notice.html
18.	/2009/06/smile-for-camera-14th-edition-wedding.html
19.	/2008/12/facebook-for-gebealogists.html
20.	/2009/07/genealogy-software-review-2009.html
21.	/2009/07/geniausnet-new-family-site.html
22.	/2009/01/one-of-my-favourite-pictures.html
23.	/2009/09/magic-cards-for-genealogists.html
24.	/2009/01/welcome-to-official-1911-census-website.html
25.	/2009/06/carnival-of-genealogy-74th-edition.html

It is interesting to note that the posts for Genealogy Carnivals attract a large number of hits.

Will the Geniaus blog be around to celebrate a second birthday?

I think it will. Without access to a reliable crystal ball I cannot make an accurate prediction. As new tools such as Google Wave and who-knows-what-else appear and enter the mainstream this blog might outlive its usefulness and my minds meanderings may move to a new more exciting and innovative platform.

And now to back up twelve months of Genaius posts for the future generations' family archives.....