Ethics, etiquette and all that stuff

I've had my head down during the past week preparing  a talk I am giving at The Society of Australian Genealogists on Thursday next week in Sydney.

It looks like it's going to be an intimate gathering as only 8 people have registered so far for the event. There is usually quite a healthy rollup when I give a presentation so I am quite surprised.

I was hoping that more people would be interested in this topic. Perhaps Sydney genies are all polite, kindly, thoughtful, law abiding folk who do not need some crazy lady telling them how to Do the Right Thing. Perhaps they are a bunch of researchers who are so busy hunting down ancestors that they do not think of the consequences of their actions. Maybe their geneabudgets are exhausted and they can't afford another event.

If you want to discuss how to deal with secrets that you encounter around Adoption, Crime, DNA Discoveries, Illegitimacy or Sex or if you need to make sure you are being a well-mannered and responsible genie this event may just be of assistance to you.

In everything we do in life it is important to reflect on and evaluate our actions. This talk will give you an opportunity to reflect on your practices in the geneaworld.

SAG members and guests can book for this session via this link:  https://www.sag.org.au/learn/current-events/full-list-of-events/icalrepeat.detail/2017/05/18/269/-/do-the-right-thing-etiquette-and-ethics-for-the-family-historian.html.

  

Eye Contact - A Rant

Here's another rant from 2015 that I found in my drafts folder.
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The tables were turned on me recently when I spent a day on a trade table at a family history conference. I am usually one who wanders around looking at the displays on offer and chatting to the exhibitors.

I was surprised at how many people walked past our table with eyes downcast and therefore failed to make eye contact with we exhibitors. Mr GeniAus and I were representing a new family history group and didn't have much to offer except for a friendly smile and ears willing to listen to the stories of those who passed by.

I realise that many folk are shy and find it hard to chat with strangers but it also isn't easy sitting at a table all day watching people pass by.

When next you're at a geneaevent please spare a thought for those folk (often volunteers) who are at the event to share information and make connections with fellow genies.

A friendly smile or greeting might add to someone eles's enjoyment of the event.

Mind your Language at Rootstech

When I was giving my very first Rootstech presentation I was going along fine until, when I uttered a phrase that is commonly used downunder,bthe audience let out a large collective sigh.

Apparently the term I used was not one to be used in polite company in the US.

If you are an international visitor attending Rootstech and don't want to offend our American hosts you may wish to study this post from the Oxford Dictionaries blog. (WARNING: it mentions some words that should not be uttered in polite company).

http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2016/12/how-to-swear-across-america/

Rootstech 2015

From now on they'll have to ask

Am I being Bah Humbug?

A while ago I found an unsourced tree that had quite a number of my ancestors listed online at a fellow genealogist's website. I immediately thought how mean-spirited or lazy this chap was for not sharing sources. It didn't bother me personally as I was using his site for clues from which I went off to seek sources.

I've been mulling over his practice for some time and think I may follow his lead. I like to share and collaborate with fellow genies, that's why I have my tree on the web in a public space. What I expect is that if anyone republishes what they find at the GeniAus Family site they will acknowledge their source.

I regularly see on Ancestry and now on MyHeritage  bits and pieces from the notes I share copied into online trees without acknowledgement. What makes me giggle is that I am a poor typiste and make quite a few keyboarding errors, these are replicated in those trees. Copy and Paste has a lot to answer for.

I stopped putting photos on my GeniAus Family site  when I saw so many of them subsequently appear on Ancestry, I have yet to see one sourced as coming from me. Could so many distant cousins really have copies of those photos in their collections? The photo with the most shares, an image of my Kealy ancestors' home in Ballyfoyle, was taken on my last trip to Ireland. As I have another trip to Ireland planned I'm going to try for a sharper image which I may just keep for myself.

The original photo of the Ballyfoyle home from which the shared one was cropped

The cropped and enhanced (by me)  photo I find all over the place

I am about to upload an update to my site that includes names, dates and places but no sources or notes. I know that some folk will still copy my stuff but if they want more information they will have to ask.

Am I being mean-spirited?

Do the Right Thing

I am excited to be returning to The Hawkesbury Family History Group Meeting on October 14 to present a new talk "Do the right Thing : minding your manners in the geneasphere". The Group has advertised the talk "as a fun and informative look at the principles of doing the right thing in family history research" so I will try to take a lighthearted approach to the topic.

Although I am not an etiquette expert I look forward to exploring the topic with the folk in the Hawkesbury group. As someone who has been guilty of several breaches of etiquette as I have navigated the geneasphere I have a few personal examples that demonstrate what not to do.

The powerpoint slides all have their headings, I just need to flesh it out with a few appropriate images and a little text.

If you'd like to join me at Hawkesbury Library in Windsor at 10:00am on October 14 you would be most welcome. The library has an excellent Local and Family History collection where you can linger after the meeting.

I can't believe that the gig is three weeks away and that I am well advanced in my preparation - perhaps I am heeding my own message to "Do the right thing".