Loud and clear

I didn't join the weekly SAG hangout yesterday afternoon because my headset is on its last legs.

While I'm not a "gamer" earlier this week I made a purchase of a piece of gaming technology from Amazon AU. I was hoping that it would be delivered by 4pm so I could join my genimates at The SAG but it didn't arrive until way after dark. 

This morning I plugged the new device in and fired up a zoom session to give it a test run. If you listen to the zoom recording below you'll see that the new tech works.

FYI My purchase was a Logitech G432 Gaming Headset. It was only $AU85 and came with free delivery. 

When I plugged it in it was immediately detected by my computer, it's reasonably light and comfortable and appears to work. I'm pleased with my purchase.

Interview with the Big Boss at Rootstech

I was blown away when an invitation to interview Jen Allen, Director of Events for Familysearch appeared in my email box last week. I hear that just five Rootstech supporters from around the world were offered such an opportunity.

I was incredibly nervous when I logged onto zoom and chatted with Andrew Parker from Rootstech prior to Jen's arrival. The good news was that I had a good connection from Narrabri in country, New South Wales to Jen in Salt Lake City, Utah. That the technology was cooperating was a good omen.

Immediately she came online Jen made me feel comfortable before Andrew hit the Record button for us. We had what I hope sounded like a conversation rather than a formal interview. Jen with her bright and bubbly personality certainly made my job so easy. She graciously answered all the points I raised and I went away extremely satisfied and more knowledgeable about Rootstech 2022 and future Familysearch events.

Andrew promptly sent me the interview recording via WeTransfer (what a nifty free tool). On reviewing the video I realise that I forgot to formally introduce Jen, oops. I also spent a bit of time looking down at my list of dot points to cover (I don't prepare formal questions). On the whole I am quite pleased with the result and send my sincere thanks to Jen and the folk at Familysearch for the invitation. 

If you'd like to see what we had to say you can watch the video below.

A clearer view

Among the surprises I received at Christmas was a new tech toy that promises to enhance my participation in online events. I have set up and had a couple of test runs with my Facebook Portal Go.  

What's in the Box?

The device, a charger, power cord and minimal instructions came in the box

The device which is heavy for its size is covered in fabric and has a carrying handle built into the back

It was easy to set up and the battery didn't take too long to charge

My Facebook Portal Go appears to have all the features of my the Google Nest mini I won at Rootstech a few years ago and so much more. I need to spend some time getting to know it. As it doesn't have a keyboard I won't be using it to write and publish blog posts but I can use the keyboard on its touchscreen for simple internet browsing.

I will mostly use the Portal, which connects via my home wifi to to the world, for Zoom and Facebook live sessions but one can also use it on other similar platforms. The inbuilt video camera which is angled to give a positive view of one's face is far superior to my external webcam and that in my laptop. It sent a very clear image to those I connected with. Those connections tell me that the inbuilt microphone picked up my voice well and that I came through clearly.

Testing out the browser I found it was quite easy to connect and view some sessions from The Genealogy Show on the device. 

Genealife in Lockdown - Grounded

Genimate Alex Daw over at the Family Tree Frog blog has challenged fellow geneabloggers to write about their lock down experiences in a series of blog posts on Sundays during National Family History Month in Australia.

See what Alex has to say about the challenge here: 
https://familytreefrog.blogspot.com/2021/07/genealife-in-lockdown-nfhm-blogging.html 

This is my fourth post in for the challenge.

Accentuate the Positive Geneameme 2020 - The Responses

When I posted this challenge I was wondering what sort of responses would come my way. I wasn't at all surprised with the number of positive responses that were posted on our Genimates' blogs. We are a resilient mob! 

A consistent theme in the posts was Zoom, most of the respondents wrote about the value of this tool.  

An important aspect of any activity is reflection and evaluation. The Accentuate the Positive Geneameme provides an opportunity for this vital activity. It's never too late to join this challenge, if you wish to blog about your experiences you will find the discussion points here. http://geniaus.blogspot.com/2020/12/accentuate-positive-geneameme-2020.html. 

I am so grateful to those who participated in this challenge, thank you all for taking the time to play along. 

Please follow the links below to read the posts from genies in Australia and overseas and, if something they have written resonates with you, tell them by leaving a comment on their post. 

Alex Daw  https://familytreefrog.blogspot.com/2020/01/accentuate-positive-geneameme-2019.html

Anne Young https://anneyoungau.wordpress.com/2020/12/29/2020-accentuate-the-positive-a-year-of-family-history-progress/

Bobbie Eades https://gsq-blog.gsq.org.au/remember-to-accentuate-the-positive-2020/

Dara McGivern  https://blackravengenealogy.blogspot.com/2021/01/2020-in-review-accentuate-positive.html

Jennifer Jones https://jonesfamilyhistory.wordpress.com/2020/12/30/accentuate-the-positive-geneameme-2/

Jill Ball (GeniAus)  http://geniaus.blogspot.com/2020/12/accentuate-positive-geneameme-2020.html

Lilian Magill  http://researchbylily.blogspot.com/2020/12/accentuate-positive-2020.html

Linda Stufflebean  https://emptybranchesonthefamilytree.com/2021/01/accentuate-the-positive-geneameme-2020/

Lisa Gorrell  https://mytrailsintothepast.blogspot.com/2021/01/accentuate-positive-geneameme-2020.html

Mel Hulbert  https://www.itsallrelative.com.au/post/accentuate-the-positive

Patsy Daly  https://www.patsyspaddocks.com/accentuate-the-positive-geneameme-2020-patsys-paddocks/

Pauleen Cass (Cassmob)  https://cassmobfamilyhistory.com/2021/01/07/accentuate-the-positive-2020/

Robbie Stockfeld  https://robbiesspot.wordpress.com/2020/12/29/accentuate-the-positive/

Samantha John  https://lyfelynes.com/accentuate-the-positive-2020/

Shauna Hicks  https://www.shaunahicks.com.au/accentuate-the-positive-geneameme-2020/

Sue Donaldson (ScotsSue)  https://scotsue-familyhistoryfun.blogspot.com/2021/01/accentuate-positive-2020.html

If I have inadvertently missed any responses to the geneameme please notify me and I will rectifiy. 

Accentuate the Positive Geneameme 2020 - GeniAus

 It is gratifying to see how many fellow genies have responded to this year's Accentuate the Positive Geneameme 2020. I will post a compilation with links to all those posts next week.

I have been mulling over my year and wondering if I can put a positive spin on 2020. I'll give it my best shot

BTW. I invite you to take part in this activity by responding to the following statements/questions in a blog post. Write as much or as little as you want and complete as many statements as you wish. If you wish to take part and don't have a blog email me your responses and I will post them here on the GeniAus blog.

Once you have done so please share your post's link in a comment on this post or to me via email to jillballau@gmail.com. I will, later in January, compile a list of links to your contributions here on this blog.

Remember to Accentuate the Positive 
(Please delete the items that are not relevant to your situation.)

1.  An elusive ancestor I found was... All of my elusive ancestors are still in hiding but I have had quite a deal of success in locating distant cousins. It is so important when one is trying to identify DNA matches that one has as complete a tree as possible with branches extending every which way. Previously genealogists looked down on those who built large trees with little detail but now in the 21st century we realise  the value of this practice. 

2.  A great newspaper article I found was ... A whole series of articles. In April 2020 I participated in the 2020 #AtoZChallenge in which I shared stories about my maternal grandmother's paternal family. I found many articles from the ordinary to sensational that shed light on members of that family. I posted all of these articles on my blog in April 2020 starting with A is for Artie 

3. A geneajourney I planned but didn't take was ...  The Genealogy Show at which I was to present three talks was postponed until 2021. Although we had three overseas excursions planned I didn't have any trips planned that focussed solely on genealogy but I had planned hitting a few repositories when we had a week in London. We had also planned a tour commencing in Edinburgh that would have given me a chance to visit the archives there.

4.  I located an important record ... when I went beyond Trove and followed a reference at the bottom of a Trove article. I wrote about that here A Reference from Macarthur

5.  A newly found family member shared ... a virtual pair of secateurs. As a result of a comment on one of my #AtoZChallenge posts a new cousin pointed out a foreign branch in my tree which I excised and replaced with the correct branch.

6.  A geneasurprise I received was ... These are not in my hands yet but they are now with a family member. When my Aunt Kath died several years ago her step-family promised to give us Kath's collection of family slides and photos. Kath had a decent camera when I was a child and took many slides of family members before she married later in life. I can't wait to collect and digitise this collection. Thanks to Jo for returning these photos to our family.

7.   My 2020 social media post that I was particularly proud of was ... The first blog post I wrote for our local Family History Group, Entering the Blogisphere. Although this was an introductory post it marked an exciting venture for our Lake Macquarie Family History Group. I am so proud of the 44 posts I have written for that blog so far and thrilled that community members are reading the snippets of local history I share while learning about the existence of our Group. While few people comment on the blog we have had over 3.000 visits in just six months.

8.   I made a new genimate who... through the wonderful Friday Hang Outs hosted by SAG on zoom I got to meet many fellow members of this Society. Although I am a longterm member of this Group I hadn't communicated directly with many members. I have a  host of new genimates thanks to this initiative.

9.  A new piece of technology or skill I mastered was... It just has to be Zoom. We were fortunate in Lake Macquarie that an anonymous member donated a subscription to zoom so that we were able to maintain our program of meetings through 2020.

10. I joined... several new Facebook groups and followed more Facebook pages. I also found a few new cousins had public pages on Facebook - not a positive for them to share so carelessly but a positive for me as they give details of BMDs and other genealogical information. 

11. A genealogy education session or event from which I learnt something new was... Heather Garnsey's presentation The Triangle of Care. (A recording of this webinar may be available through SAG.)

12. A blog post that taught me something new was ... I always learn something from the techie posts Carmel Galvin posts on her Carmel's Corner Blog. I won't nominate one - you should read them all.

13. A DNA discovery I made was... Thanks to my double first cousin, Jane, who shared her spit I have identified many new 3rd and 4th cousins. Jane had tested for me with FTDNA years ago but our results from there have not been spectacular. This new test with Ancestry has delivered the goods.

14. I taught a genimate how to... hopefully the presentations I gave during 2020 taught someone, somewhere, something. I particularly enjoyed using Zoom to give one on one assistance to genimates with various applications.

15. A brick wall I demolished was ... The sledge hammer took a well earned rest this year.

16. A great site I visited was... I managed only one on site visit this year. Mr GeniAus and I had a successful excursion to NSW State Archives & Records. I was fearful of going out during the pandemic but I had a need to access a document for a presentation I was preparing for the SAG Irish Day. Thanks to the staff  I felt safe during my time at the site. I was made most welcome by Emily Hanna on the enquiries desk and one of the volunteers Judy.  (The male who took over from Emily on the desk needed a dose of positivity and a course in customer relations.)

17. A new genealogy/history book I enjoyed was... From Distress to Deliverence by Stephen Gow is well written, well researched and beautifully presented. I blogged about it here https://geniaus.blogspot.com/2020/10/from-distress-to-deliverance.html

18. Zoom gave me an opportunity to... connect, communicate, learn and love.

19. I am excited for 2021 because... I live in Australia where Covid19 is well under control and we live in relative safety. We should be vaccinated  during the year and hopefully we will be able to attend geneaevents in person real soon.

20. Other positives I would like to share are.. I was gobsmacked and humbled when I received an invitation from Trove to participate in the launch of the new Trove. I shared the story here in A Decade of Digging. 

I have always been a bit of a bibliophile but my reading has dropped off over the years, Covid19 gave me time and an opportunity to return to reading in earnest. I am delighted that I was able to read 149 books during 2020. See them here on my Librarything Account. 

Finally 2020 was a difficult year as I had surgery in January that kept me off my feet for many months and Covid came along. Access to genimates,family history resources and activities during 2020 turned what could have been an annus horribilis into a very positive geneayear.

Two or more birds with one stone

 If I was asked to list my interests apart from genealogy and living family I would nominate reading, travel and photography. I love to share my enthusiasm for these pursuits in person, print and online.

I revel in those times when I can kill two or more birds with one stone and undertake activities that allow me to indulge in more than one of these interests. 

During these Covid times I've had a regular date at 4pm on a Friday with a cup of coffee and members of The Society of Australian Genealogists. Each week members of this group from all over Australia hang out together online via Zoom to discuss a genealogy related topic. I have to admit that while some of the discussions are interesting I have relished the opportunity to put names to faces and communicate with fellow members of the Society. These events have added a human dimension to the Society's educational program and have given a platform for members to share some of their stories and associated brickwalls.

This afternoon I am thrilled that I will be hosting the final SAG Hang Out for 2020. The topic "Summer Reading" will give me an opportunity to have a bookish chat with fellow family historians. How great is that? It will be difficult to curb my enthusiasm and remember that, as I am wearing the host hat, my role is to encourage attendees to share their recommendations for must-read books both old and new. 

If you are coming along please bring details of your fave books to share.

PS Apologies to the gentleman on an Hawaiian beach who was so absorbed in his reading that he didn't notice me taking his photo (I have quite a collection of snaps from all over the world of  readers with their heads buried in books).

An Invitation for You

 I attended my first DNA talk in Australia ten years ago in October 2010.Here is what I wrote on this blog after the event:

The last talk I attended certainly was the jewel in the crown of a fantastic day. Kerry Farmer presented a talk on "DNA and genealogy". I am scientifically illiterate but came away from Kerry's talk feeling as though I had a basic grasp of the concepts she had outlined. Kerry was a calm and competent speaker who was exceptionally well prepared. At the beginning of the talk she shared a wonderful handout, her many slides were attractive and informative and she made those of us in the audience who didn't have a clue about the subject comfortable enough to ask our silly questions.

Ten years down the track Kerry is one of the most knowledgeable Australian presenters in DNA. I am thrilled to be the host for Kerry's session for her talk via Zoom for the Lake Macquarie Family History Group next Saturday. I always learn something new from Kerry.

If you would like to join us for this presentation please contact the email address on the following image.

 

Impetus to Reflect

I had a very successful Zoom session with a member of our local family history group earlier in the week. This member wants to start a blog and, as a more cautious soul than me, wants to be prepared prior to launching her blog.

Rosie (a nom de plume) had been doing lots of research on blogging and, prior to our session, sent me a list of questions to be answered. This was a most useful session as we were able to focus her learning on her needs. Rosie went away with many of her questions answered.

The session was also beneficial for me, I am the sort of person who often dives into tasks without much thought and when giving advice on blogging I suggest that others "Just do It". Working with Rosie made me realise that my trial and error approach to tasks doesn't suit everybody.

Going through Rosie's list provided me with an opportunity to reflect on my GeniAus blog which is steaming towards its 12th birthday. I have identified several areas that can do with a tune-up so, this morning I have been carrying out some maintenance on the Topics widget in my left sidebar.

As Blogger doesn't offer a Categories feature I use the Labels Gadget which allows one to display up to ten Labels/Keywords, as a de facto Categories component. When I blog I make sure that I always add one or more of the ten labels featured in the Labels Gadget to each of my posts. On looking at my ten labels I decided that they were no longer as relevant as when I set them up.

I feel that the labels I am now using describe the general themes of my blog. I have introduced two new labels in place of the retired "Family", one is Ancestors (soon to become Our Ancestors)for posts about  deceased members of the family and one is Our Family for posts that refer to living family members. I am in the process of relabelling of posts that fit into these new categories.  I also need to tidy up my up my labels for Blogging and Geneablogging, I can't decide which I prefer to use. I'd like to add an Events label so I think Libraries may be on the chopping board.

Your thoughts on this are most welcome.

Trove Tuesday - Zoom Sunday

If I asked you what you think of when I mention "Zoom Sunday" I would wager that you would think it had something to do with an online meeting, webinar or catchup with friends using the Zoom platform. 

How times have changed. When I was a girl living in Randwick in 1969 "Zoom Sunday" had a different meaning - it related to an event held down the hill from Randwick at the University of NSW that was "free, fun, non habit forming" and you could bring a friend! Sounds like Zoom in 2020?  Read on.

1969 'ZOOM SOAOAY', Tharunka (Kensington, NSW : 1953 - 2010), 17 June, p. 36. , viewed 19 May 2020, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230417517

Follow this link to read the full article: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230417517