From the archives: The Earliest Social Network Ever Discovered

I first published this post on 23rd May 2011. Even more pertinent today now there are more free image sharing options available. 

Tweaking my Social Media Policy

Way back in 2013 I wrote about my personal social media use after a reading a 2010 post "How Much Social Networking is Too Much?

In the past 4 1/2 years other social media tools have emerged, some have thrived and some withered. I can't keep up with everything so I am reviewing how I use the tools at my disposal. some of these tools are not necessarily social media tools but I am including them because I use them for managing my communication and collaboration.

Below in black font is what I posted in 2013. I will describe my 2018 practices in Red.

Blogger - Essential for my blogging. Still my favourite blogging platform. 

Evernote - My virtual notebook where I store and share all sorts of things. Still my virtual memory/organisation tool.

Facebook - I joined to connect with family and friends and I use it (reluctantly) to connect with the genealogy community. I would rather not use it for genealogy but while others insist on using it I will stay there. Reluctantly I have followed the genealogy crowd to Facebook. I particularly enjoy participating in some Facebook Groups. I also maintain a couple of Facebook Pages.

Google+ - My social media communication and collaboration tool of choice. Sadly other genies haven't shared my enthusiasm for Google+ so although I still announce my blogger posts there I do not share news regularly on Google+ any longer.

Inoreader - The RSS Feed Reader I now use.

Instagram - I have an account but do not use it regularly.

Librarything - I love this tool for managing my reading life and remembering for me what I have read. I remain faithful to Librarything.

LinkedIn - I'll maintain my presence here as it is good to keep in contact with former business contacts. I still have a presence there but I am not an active user.

Pinterest - I have several genealogy boards on Pinterest but I am still just dabbling.

The Old Reader - My new (to me) RSS feed reader. The Old Reader is no longer.

Trello - I came to Trello recently because it is used as a planning/collaboration tool in a group to which I belong.  

Twitter - I have quietened down on Twitter but it is the tool I turn to when at an event and I have something to share. I'm quiet on Twitter but still tweet from events using appropriate hashtags.

Wordpress - I also blog from Wordpress as I thought it useful to be competent in using this platform.

Youtube - A home for the few videos I have made. I have added quite a few videos to my Channel during the past few years.

What do you use? I wonder what we'll be using in 2022?

National Family History Month 2014 Geneameme

My blogging mate Pauleen from Family History across the Seas has issued this challenge for National Family History Month. Being a bit of a meme fan I just couldn't resist it.  

Thanks also to Pauleen for giving me this opportunity to reflect on my genealogy practices. As I am committed to reflection and evaluation this activity provides me with an interesting instrument for that purpose. 

As a geneablogger it is pleasing to see a #NFHM2014 activity just for us. I hope that many of my geneablogging mates complete this activity.. You can find details here on Pauleen's blog.

1. What are you doing for NFHM?
   I am attempting to respond to this geneameme.
   I am trying to work through those of the 31 Activities for researchers that I haven't previously attempted.I hosted a Geniaus Google Hangout on Air that you can view here and have planned another for the final day of #NFHM2014 that you can watch here. To hear about future Hangouts how about joining my Google+ Geniaus Community?
   I attended a talk at Hornsby Library.I am attending a talk at Hawkesbury Library
   I have signed up for a SAG Webinar about Evernote with Cyndi Ingle.
   I will be listening to Shauna Hick's webinar with MyHeritage
   I am writing blog posts.
   I am tweeting about #NFHM2014 events and activities sousing the appropriate hashtag so that those with an interest can easily find info and stories related to the event.
   Paying it forward by doing some Familysearch Indexing.Perhaps i'll find some time for some research!
2. What do you hope to learn in NFHM?
   I am hoping to be surprised. I have a commitment to CGD - Continuing genealogical Development  and know that I will learn smething from all the activities in which I participate. From Cyndi I hope to learn more ways to use Evernote in my genealogy day.
3. Do you research at a family or local history library?
   Sure do. I love the State Library of NSW and National Library of Australia and The Family History Library in Salt Lake City which I will visit again in 2015. I'll be visiting the SoG Library in London later this month. I have a research log in my Family Historian database into which I save tasks for these libraries and archives as well so that when I visit I can get straight to work.
4. Do you do all your research online?
   No way. I do lots of online research but most of this leads me to repositories here and overseas where I continue my sleuthing.
5. What’s your favourite place to store your family tree?
   In my Family Historian database which is synced via Dropbox between my big (home) laptop and my little hot pink (travel) laptop. I also have my tree online at www.geniaus.net, I use the brilliant program TNG to share my data.
6. If offline, which genealogy program do you use? (do tell us its strengths/weaknesses if you like).
   In my Family Historian database. I like this program because it is so customisable and flexible, it comes out of the UK (where my ancestors came from), it uses a native gedcom format and it has super multimedia capabilities. A band of committed and experienced users have written and shared lots of widgets and addons that extend its usefulness even more. How long is a piece of string - I could go on and on about this software package.
7. How do you preserve your family stories for future generations?
   In my Family Historian database with related pictures, documents and clippings on an external hard drive (x2) and in blog posts on the Geniaus Blog.
8. Have you any special research projects on the go?
   I am so caught up trying to sort out myown family history that I haven't started any other projects. I am considering a One-Na,e study for my grandmother's maiden name Pusell but fear that I may not be able to give it the time it deserves. I am wrestling with whether I should just jump in and perhaps do a poor job or leave it. But I guess that a poor attempt is better than no attempt al all.
9. What is your favourite family history research activity?
   It's not research as such. The old adage  "once a teacher ...always a teacher" describes me. I love sharing my knowledge and passion for technology and genealogy via social media and by giving presentations online and in person. I like to talk to the living as well as the dead.
10. What is your favourite family history research place/library etc?
    There's no place like home. I love sitting in my geneacave researching, thinking, writing and sharing.
11. What is your favourite website for genealogy research?
    It's a tie for first place. I love Trove for the wealth of treasure it adds to my tree and good old Google search for the odd things it leads me to. A well-crafted search and persistence with Google will reap rewards.
12. Are you part of a Facebook genealogy group? If so which one?
    I am not a fan of Facebook but because it has such a huge user base I use it reluctantly. I belong to around a dozen Facebook Genealogy Groups that are useful but I fear for some of the advice given in  as some of the generous souls offering assistance are sometimes lacking in appropriate expertise or knowledge. 
13. Do you use webinars or podcasts for genealogy? Any tips?
    I am both a participant and host. I love being able to learn and share from the comfort of my geneacave and in my own time. My advice is give it a go - you won't break anything.
14. Do you use social media? eg Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn
    Do I use social media? I am obsessed but realise that I need a personal socila media policy so that I am not overwhelmed.I have many accounts but I use Google+ as my main social media vehicle for genealogy, I prefer to use Facebook for personal stuff but have been swept up by the hordes of genies who use it. I use Twitter to share news of events and I don't quite get Pinterest although I am trying to get a handle on it once more.
15. What genealogy topic/class have you learnt the most from this year at a webinar/conference/seminar?
    It has to be on the Unlock the Past Genealogy Cruise in February where we were exposed to a range of top international and Australian presenters. The informal learning opportunities afforded by being locked up on a ship in the middle of the ocean make this an incredible learning experience.
16. Do you have a favourite research strategy to knock down your brick walls?
    The PIP Process. Persistence, Inventiveness and Patience. Persistence - keep at it, try, try and try again. Inventiveness - harness your creative powers, think laterally to find your way around a problem. Patience - just like Snow White believed that "one day my prince will come" believe that some day you will find your answer, it make take two, ten or twenty years to find that magic sledgehammer. Hey - I just invented the PIP process - my bit of creativity for National Family History Month.
17. Have you used DNA testing for your genealogy?
    The test kits are sitting on my dressing table - must get around to it sometime. 
18. Have you made cousin connections through your DNA tests?
    Not yet!
19. Do you have a wish list of topics for NFHM 2015? 
    More online events.
    I am thinking of hosting a 12 hour GeniAus Hangout on Air event - if I can get a few genies to help out. I envisage drawing up a roster of group of genies who will talk about various topics close to their hearts with a panel who will ask questions and contribute questions just like Dear Myrtle did in her recent 24 hour Geneasleepover. Who's up for the challenge?
20. What do you most love about your family history research?
    The ancestor stories that emerge after years of personal sleuthing and collaborating with new found cousins.

My Geneacave

How do you react?

This comment from one of the people in my genealogy circle on Google+ got me scratching my head:

"Interesting it says I have so many followers, but  I  do not see anyone commenting on the information I am placing for others to use and read. This concerns me if I should stop reporting information for Genealogists to share and use.".

I responded "Don't give up.I think we need to get into the habit of giving plusses to acknowledge posts of interest to us. I think that only a small number of those in our circles read posts religiously. Even if I only get a couple of +'s I feel that my posts have been useful and when I get comments I am really chuffed."

After dashing off that comment on my phone I reflected on my social media accounts and the Likes, Comments, Plusses and Shares they get. I blogged in 2010 about how I think Blogging is a two way street, this holds for all social media. Social Media  platforms are tools for communication and collaboration, but the communication should be two-way, those who do not avail themselves of these features are missing out on some exciting opportunities to connect and learn. 

My experiences with Google+ are similar to those of my genealogy contact, sometimes my posts get no plusses, comments, or shares. I wonder if anyone out there is actually reading them!

I hadn't before considered using the +1s and comments I get on my Google+ posts as an evaluative measure of the things I post. I feel that a post is successful if a couple of people give it a +1 this indicates to me that they feel the content has been worth posting or that they have simply read a post , if they comment then I feel that they really value what I shared or they want to connect, if their comment adds an opinion or extra information then I feel that my goals for posting have been well and truly fulfilled and if they share it then I think that is is also very worthy. 

I am not sure whether monitoring these is a valid measure because I believe many people read without acknowledging the value of a post to them. I am going to take more notice of the way people react to my posts on Google+ and try to work out which subject matter is causing a reaction from my contacts. 

I have over 700 people in my Google+ genealogy circle. I wish I could see how many people are actually reading my posts as I would hazard a guess that only about 10% of these people are active plussers who read most of the posts directed to them. I think only about half of these regularly acknowledge that they have read a post by plussing or commenting.  The remainder of those in my genealogy circle may have joined Google+ for other reasons so never really read the posts that are directed towards them.

Have I got it all wrong? What percentage of posts in yor stream do you read? Do you regularly hand out plusses and comments? What are your criteria for giving plusses and comments?  Do you feel that most people miss the point about two-way communication via social media? Should my genealogy contact and I give up on posting?

Time to evaluate - my social media shakeup

I recently read an article from Chris Pirillo that asked "How much social networking is too much?" At the time I was also preparing slides for a presentation I am giving on Social Media this week. As I looked at the slides I realised just how many social networking sites I have joined.

In his article Chris said "There comes a point where we have to decide enough is enough and eradicate the extra noise. When it becomes impossible to hear and be heard, you know you’ve stretched yourself a little too thin. Pare it down, folks. You don’t need to be everywhere in order to make a difference in this world. You simply need to somewhere."

All of this caused me to reflect on my Social Media Presence. This is where I will be:

Blogger - Essential for my blogging.
Evernote - My virtual notebook where I store and share all sorts of things.
Facebook - I joined to connect with family and friends and I use it (reluctantly) to connect with the genealogy community. I would rather not use it for genealogy but while others insist on using it I will stay there.
Google+ - My social media communication and collaboration tool of choice.
Librarything - I love this tool for managing my reading life and remembering for me what I have read.
LinkedIn - I'll maintain my presence here as it is good to keep in contact with former business contacts.
The Old Reader - My new (to me) RSS feed reader.
Twitter - I have quietened down on Twitter but it is the tool I turn to when at an event and I have something to share
Youtube - A home for the few videos I have made.

I have numerous other accounts and will try new tools as they appear but the above are enough to keep this old girl busy.

Where will you be?

Family History Through the Alphabet – G is For …Shameless Self Promotion

GeniAus was the identity I adopted in my early days on social networking sites. Like many other early adopters of Web 2.0 applications I was nervous about revealing my identity to the world.

After using sites such as Blogger and Twitter for a couple of years I realised that it was safe to come out of the closet and use my real name, Jill Ball. As long as one is sensible and remains aware of the dangers of sharing too much information on social sites I feel that one does not need to hide behind the anonymity of a pseudonym.... There are, however, the benefits to having a unique, short and snappy ID that describes one.

GeniAus, a genealogist from Australia, is how I am known in some genealogy circles and I continue to use GeniAus as my username in many online forums. I can be found in several places as GeniAus except for You Tube where someone else grabbed the name before me, if ever they delete that account I'll be ready to nab it.

There are benefits to having a unique identity; I have several genealogy contacts called Carol, a few named Kerry and a couple of Joans. I sometimes am confused as to whom I am communicating with, however when Cassmob and Dance Skeletons communicate I know exactly who they are.

GeniAus by Emily

On Social networking sites, instead of a real photograph,  I have continued to use a little pencil portrait of me done by my granddaughter about six years ago . I have considered replacing it with a photo but the portrait is such an important part of my online identity that I keep it. When I was considering changing a genealogy contact said to me that it is easy to find my photo on the Internet if one needs to know what I look like and that is precisely what people have done when we have arranged face-to-face meetings for the first time. The little portrait is an important part of my branding (especially good if I was breakfast cereal or washing powder). I have even put this image on my new business card!

The previous couple of paragraphs have been tangential to the original purpose of this post which was to tell you a bit about GeniAus ie indulge in Shameless Self Promotion.  I like the way this post has developed so will let modesty reign and omit the glowing advertisement for GeniAus. 

Pinterest - Timewaster or Worthwhile Resource?

Curiosity got the better of me a couple of days ago when Caroline Pointer of Family Stories asked on Twitter if anyone would like an invitation to use Pinterest.   I have been reading about this tool and wondering exactly what it was for a while now so, even as I prepare to leave for Salt Lake City this week and am time poor, I couldn't resist Caroline's invitation.

What is Pinterest? I see it as a social bookmarking tool that has a visual interface. Pinterest says "Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes. Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests."


Once I had my invitation to hand I logged in, set up my profile and looked for some genealogists to follow. What I immediately noticed was that the main focus of my contacts' pinboards was not genealogy but decorating, fashion, cooking and travel. Most of them also had a pinboard for genealogy. I decided to set up a couple of Genealogy pinboards with an Australian focus and then added Genealogy Humour, my Travel Bucket List, Recipes, Android Stuff and a pinboard for my US forthcoming trip. I wasted spent a hour or so playing with Pinterest yesterday and logged in a few times to monitor happenings there.

My Pinterest Wall

What are my first impressions?

• It is intuitive and easy to use - I only had to consult the help menu once.
• There are a number of well-known genealogists using Pinterest. Looking at their pinboards tells me a little more about them than what I glean from other social networking sites.
• It will be a valuable source of genealogy resources as more users add genealogy related pinboards.
• It has put me in touch with some new genealogy contacts.
• I can only find two other Australian genealogists using Pinterest at the moment and they don't have genealogy pinboards.
• Liking, commenting on and sharing others' pinned items is a breeze
• It has the potential to be a timewaster
• It has an attractive interface.
• I like this way of organising links.
• It is frustrating that it was not easy to pin pages/links that had no images in them (Shauna - would you mind putting a pic on Diary of an Australian Genealogist so I can easily add it?)
• I will not be giving up Delicious as my bookmarking tool quite yet.
• I will enjoy using Pinterest
• Pinterest is optimised for use on mobile devices so I can use it on my Android tablet.
• I hope it remains free to use.
• There are more females than males using Pinterest.

Thanks, Caroline, for the invitation. If any of my readers are on Pinterest please say G'day by following me.

Genealogists - What's your Morning Tech Routine?

I read this post today on ReadWriteWeb where a number of techies responded to the question "What's your Morning Tech Routine?"


Blogger Joe Brockmeier said "Everybody has a morning routine, and most of us in the tech industry have a morning routine of getting in touch with the rest of the world."


The responses got me to wondering what other genealogists do. Do you leap out of bed and leave world and genealogy news until you have time? Do you have a special time of day allocated to catching up on the news? Is it on the commute to the office? Do you sit in bed with a coffee like I do and catch up before rising?  What do you check first - world or genealogy news? Where do you visit first - Twitter, Facebook, Google+, RSS feeds or your email?


As Australia is in a different timezone from most of the world lots of news arrives while I am sleeping. When I wake I grab my Android Tablet that sleeps beside my bed. I head straight for the big three social media sites: Twitter, Google+ and Facebook before I look at my RSS feeds. I don't seem to get as much email these days, moost of my messaages are email alerts,  so I might check this first. While I see news of the world via athese media most of the content I look at is related to genealogy and family history. If I see a bit of world news that I want to follow up I check out the Sydney Morning Herald and the ABC News apps. This all takes quite a while as I like to collaborate by sharing and commenting on others posts. 


Once I am up and about I turn on the computer in the kitchen and periodically check in to each of these during the day. If I am going out for the day the tablet travels with me and, if I am not the driver, carry out my morning routine while on the move.


So What's your Morning Tech Routine? Do you have one?

A Blogger in the Family

Yesterday we celebrated Father's Day in Australia.

We were fortunate to have all members of four generations of our immediate family join us for this celebration. For an old girl to sit back and see her mother, adult children, their spouses and offspring enjoying each others company is a memorable experience. I know my husband relishes these occasions; he had a fantastic Father's Day.

I was pleased to read in another blog this morning Chookarelli's account of her Father's Day. I hope that my daughter keeps blogging about our family occasions, I enjoyed reading her thoughts on Father's Day.

Working off a big Father's Day lunch

Social Media Dilemma Revisited

My post, 

Where do you comment? A social media dilemma

, six months ago in which I asked where should I post my comments on blog posts drew some excellent comments. As a result I developed a personal policy that I would post my comments directly on the blog in question.


In the light of recent developments in the social media arena with the introduction of Google+ and the +1 Button I am reflecting on my dilemma and thinking about my policy on linking to (promoting) my blog posts and commenting on posts written by others.


I am aggravated when people with multiple online personalities tweet the same link in quick succession via two or more accounts, I see this as a form of spam. I will continue to tweet only as Geniaus and only tweet links to my blog posts once.  


Only in exceptional cases will I use Facebook to post links to Geniaus blogposts. I will use the GeniMates Facebook page to announce to its fans when new profiles are added to the GeniMates blog. 


As many of my genealogy contacts are now on Google+ I will use that platform to promote my new blog posts. I choose this in preference to Facebook because I can easily target my posts to my Genealogy Circle and not clog up the streams of people in my other circles.

I try to comment on a few blog posts each day. Everyone enjoysa bit of positive reinforcement. As I believe that blogging is a a two-way street , a medium for online conversations, it is important to connect with those who have gone to the trouble of sharing  their experiences and knowledge with me. The number of comments I make each day is dependent on the quantity, quality and relevance to me of the blog posts that day.

Some of the sharing options on my Android Tablet

As a result of the responses I had from bloggers to my initial dilemma post I will continue to comment directly on a blog. By commenting there I can add to the conversation the blog posts have evoked. If I were to only comment on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ about the posts those comments would stand alone and out of context from the original post.

I will use the +1 button on Google+ to notify my mates on Google+ of blog posts I find interesting. I do not need to complete a weekly 'best-of' as the +1's on my Google profile do that for me. I will use the share option on Google+ to tell others about those posts I find particularly noteworthy.

When findling links to blog posts on Twitter I will continue to retweet those I have found interesting or noteworthy and perhaps add a short comment to the retweet.

The majority of the notifications I have come via my RSS feed. I mostly read these on my Android tablet which gives me an option to easily share via a number of platforms. I select the most appropriate for each post I wish to share.

 I wonder what preferences or policies other genealogists have for giving and receiving blog comments.
.

Wonderful surprise for the returning traveller

Mr and Mr Geniaus have been off globetrotting for the last few weeks.Although it was not a genealogy field trip I managed to visit a few institutions, see some distant cousins and collect a few new resources on our round the world journey.  Over the next few weeks I will blog about some of my experiences and finds.


After our 20 hour journey from New York I was feeling a little flat on my return home yesterday. In between loads of washing I managed to log into my email where I found a great surprise.There were two emails with the subject line "RootsTech Proposal Accepted".  My spirits immediately soared; I will be presenting in two sessions at Rootstech 2012 in Salt Lake City.


I was absolutely stoked to get this news but now have tummy butterflies. I don't think there will be many other Australian presenters at this international event so I feel a responsibility to do Australia proud. This will not be too difficult for the first session "Genealogy 2.0: international panelists discuss their use of social media to connect with cousins, collaborate on projects, discuss issues, market and promote genealogy services and perform acts of genealogical kindness" in which I will be joined by esteemed genealogists Amy Coffin (USA), Audrey Collins (UK) and Joan Miller (Canada). I was thrilled when these genealogists whom I met at Rootstech 2011 agreed to my proposal to form a panel to discuss Genealogy 2.0. We should have lots of fun collaborating with Web2.0 tools to prepare our presentation.


Although my second gig "The Galaxy Girls –three genealogists and their Android tablets" will be a solo performance I have the support of two Australian genealogists, Shelley from Twigs of Yore and Tanya Honey from My Genealogy Adventure who also purchased Samsung Galaxy Tablets not long after I did. Via email, blog posts and more recently through a Huddle on Google+ Shelley, Tanya and I have been discussing our tablet use. I am indebted to The Galaxy Girls for agreeing to allow me to report on their tablet experiences.


The generosity of the genealogy community is demonstrated by the willingness of these five genealogists to support my proposals for Rootstech 2012, I am most grateful to you.

Dear Santa...

Dear Santa,

Thanks for your Christmas in July present.

I have had lots of fun playing with my new toy and, like a good girl, have been sharing it with my friends, I've even asked people I barely know to play with me. In fact I have shared it with 179 of my friends. I like it so much that I even take it to bed with me and my mate, Android.

I love this toy and don't want to appear ungrateful but I thought I'd share with you a few things that would improve it so that, before you give it to other people at the real Christmas time, it will be even better. Here are a few things on my wishlist:

• I'd like to see when my friends are online
• I'd like to be able to post directly from other applications 
• It would be good if I could see my Huddles on my laptop
• I'd like to see who other people have in their circles on the Android app
• I'd like to see posts from my other social networks in my Google stream (sorry I'm a two-timer)
• Seeing my RSS feeds in my stream would be cool
• Call me vain but I'd like a vanity URL within Google+
• I'd like a notification on my Chrome tab that tells me when there is a notification (so I don't have to use a third party extension)
• I'd like a safe and simple way to import my photos from Facebook
• I wish I could resize my circles so I can see more on the screen at once
• An annoying beep (that I can turn on and off) to announce a new notification would be handy

I could think of more things, Santa, but I'm not a greedy girl. I know Mr Google is very busy, Santa, but my friends and I would be very happy if you could take these requests to him. We promise that we will be good boys and girls and not mess with our new toy, Google+.

Regards, 

Geniaus

Genealogists meet on Google+

In not quite two days I have developed a circle of  22 genealogists on Google+. That's certainly not up to the number I connect with on Facebook and Twitter but is encouraging.

I have organised the 43 people in my circles into a number of groups: Australian, Education, Family, Friends, Genealogy and Libraries as these reflect my interests. I had an IT circle but deleted that because everyone  in the circles shares an interest in technology and social media. Some people are in one circle, some in more and one is in four circles. ie Australian, Education, Genealogy and Libraries (I wonder who that is, Sharon?).

The major benefit this has over my one Twitter account is being able to target my communications to a particular group and not clog up their streams with too much irrelevant stuff. If something from one of my Education mates that will be of interest to my other mates appears in my stream then I can share it appropriately and so on; just as I did this morning with this video about Google+ circles.



I have tweaked my public profile so that people looking for contacts with similar interests should be able to find me. Just as with other Social Networks when someone adds me to one of their circles I take a look at who else they have added to seek new contacts.

I am pleased that a number of people I invited: Shelley from Twigs of Yore, Tanya Honey, Sharon Brennan, Pru Mitchell, Thomas MacEntee and  Amy Coffin accepted my invitations to join. I also found Drew Smith whom I had met at Rootstech 2011 and Tami Glatz whose Relatively Curious blog I follow. I follow Dusty Rhoades  and Andrew Kemp on Twitter and now on Google+. Australians Shauna Hicks and Stephen Phillips were members of Google+ before me. Of course, most important, is Banai Feldstein who made it possible for me to join. Members of my family have also joined; I wonder if they will enjoy the genealogy posts I send their way?

I have installed the Android Google+ app on my Galaxy tablet. Although I prefer the interface on the desktop  I am quite happy to use the tablet. The tablet does have one feature, Huddle, that does not appear to be in the desktop app. Shelley has set up a Huddle for The Galaxy Girls as a tool for us to discuss our tablets and apps. 

I am finding The Spark function  relatively useless at the moment. I have set up a spark for "genealogy" but it is not returning much valuable information. The results when I set up one for "genealogy Australia" were even worse - that returned an article on Miley Cirus and one on Masterchef!

One of the features I am finding refreshing is that, for the moment, this tool is focused towards people rather than institutions. I envisage that I will continue to use Twitter to follow organisations and commercial bodies, Facebook to follow friends and organisations who are not so into social networking and Google+ to follow my contacts from genealogy, educations and libraries with an interest in social media.

I hope that this venture is successful so, as I did with Google Wave, I am giving it a go. I do have a few invitations to hand out to genealogists who are committed to giving Google+ a  rigorous tryout.

More explorations around the Galaxy

I am suffering from a severe case of Appitis. Instead of becoming familiar with those apps I already have on my Galaxy Tab I continue to download and test new ones.

Since I last wrote on this topic I've read a post by Banai Feldstein, My gTablet -or- Adventures of a New Android OS User, on her experiences I hope that she continues to document them. I have also exchanged a couple of emails with the other Galaxy Girls, Shelley and Tanya, in which we touched on a few apps. I am now following both androidcentral and AndroidSocMedia social media on Twitter and, from their posts, have found a few other apps to try. I am finding that The Galaxy Tab blog  tells more about new hardware releases than  about how current owners get the most from their gadgets even though it states "We strive to deliver to Galaxy Tab fans insightful and resourceful posts". This blog is on my RSS hit list.

I have organised the pages on my tablet into some semblance of order. On the first page I have those things I want close at hand.: Battery Life widget (so I know when to plug in, Calendar, Camera, Contacts, Facebook, Gdocsnote, Gmail, Google+, Google Reader, Google SearchPhone, a couple of browsers (deciding which to keep),Settings, Tweetcaster (Twitter app) and Weather. I am still on the lookout for a better calendar app for this and guess that I'll have to pay to get one.

The second page has a number of handy tools that include: Alarm clock, Amazon Kindle app (no need for an ebook reader), Convert Units (temperatures, weights, measures etc), Currency Converter, Dropbox and Sugarsync, Juice Defender (helps prolong battery life), a barcode reader, a couple of GPS apps (don't know which to use yet), QR Droid, Skype, Voice Recorder and World Clock. I tried Skype out with my daughter the other day, we were sitting in the same room with our Galaxys and talking on Skype (no video for our OS), it amused the grandkids to see us playing with our gadgets.


Page three is for news and reference and has the apps for local and overseas newpapers and news services, Wikipedia, and telephone directories.


Genealogy and games are on page four. I only have two genealogy specific apps to date: BillionGraves that I am anxious to try at a local cemetery when the sun comes out (Shelley from Twigs of Yore tells me that I must let Billion Graves know the names of those cemeteries that I intend to vist a few days before I head off) and FamilyBee that I found useful at my local family history society on the weekend. As for other fun my daughter introduced me to the Wordz game last week and since then I have spent way too much time trying to beat my best score. From recommendations on Twitter I have also added Jewels, Red Stone and TicTacToe ready for my next trip on a plane.


I use page five to park those apps that I have yet to test as well as those that came with the gadget from Telstra and that I will never use.


The newest app I have is Google+. I prefer the desktop app to the one on Android but  I don't think I will have too much difficulty sharing with the people in my genealogy circles when I find them on Google+. The main issue at the moment is, that because there is a limited number of users, I don't have many people with whom I can collaborate.

I hope that the Skype app, that worked well at close quarters,  will function well in free wifi zones when I next travel overseas so that I can make cheap calls home to the family. 


My one failure this week was when trying to make a video on the device. I am a demon in that, I don't refer to instructions, I expect everything to be intuitive. I selected the camera, chose video mode and presses the button that I thought would record. Nothing happened. While I think of it I'll go and learn how to do that right now.


I'm hoping to hook up with more genealogists on Android - I'd love some comments from you.

Will I be seeing you at Rootstech 2012?

My flights are booked so I am definitely going to Rootstech 2012.  I know that it is seven months away but, one needs to take advantage of good airfares when they are available.

I am not a member of the LDS Church so why am I travelling all the way from Australia to Utah for a three day conference?

* I found that the content at Rootstech 2011, that combined technology and genealogy, suited my interests. No event in Australia provides such a range of  presentations on this topic area.
* There is an opportunity to hear world renowned keynote speakers that don't travel to Australia.
* The conference program that caters for a couple of thousand attendees has multiple streams has enormous breadth and depth.
* I can meet in person the geneabloggers and geneatweeters with whom I communicate each day.
* I will be able to renew the friendships I made with conference attendees in 2011.
* There is an opportunity to meet up with the developers of software that I use like Darrin Lythgoe.
* The conference represents excellent value with a low registration fee and reasonably priced accommodation right next door the the conference venue.


* I get an opportunity to promote Australian genealogy to an international group.
* I can use the facilities of The Family History Library with its free access to print and microform resources on open access. I spent two days there this year and only looked at the online and print materials. In 2012 I will concentrate on the microforms.
* The air is fresh and crisp in SLC in February - a respite from Sydney's summer humidity.
* I can see a bit more of the United States on my way to and from the conference.
* I can visit my favourite department store, Macys, and bag a few bargains.

Next year I am taking Mr Geniaus along to Salt Lake City with me. Although he has no interest in genealogy research he is interested in his ancestry. As the cost of registration is so reasonable I will be registering him for the conference so that he can attend the social functions and some conference sessions. The Rootstech program is so varied that even he should find something of interest!

Will I be seeing you at Rootstech 2012?

I'm into Recycling

Hopefully my blog has gathered a few new followers since June 8, 2010 when I posted an article " Methinks some people tweet too much" in which I outlined some points that genea-tweeters should keep in mind when using Twitter. As I haven't seen any other post on this subject I am recycling this post with a few alterations and additions:

Twitter is a wonderful resource for learning about current news and new resources. My problem is how to use Twitter for family history responsibly.

I don't want to clog up the tweet streams of my followers with useless tweets so I don't retweet items that a number of my followers who have the same follower base have already retweeted.

Neal Chambers says that "The most important thing about your Twitter account is your username. This will be used to identify you in the Twitter stream and how people will find your account (http://twitter.com/username) It's best to choose something easy to remember/spell. A perfect example of this is your real name (gasp!)." I chose Geniaus as I wanted something short and easy to remember that indicated my interest in genealogy (Geni) and my location and interest in Australia (Aus). If you do not want to use your own name think of a short username that somehow describes you. I particularly like @infolass, @geneabloggers, @genebrarian and @geneaphile. This username can be used across a number of social networking sites to give you a brand name.

The nine essentials of Twitter etiquette includes the advice "Don't feel compelled to tweet regularly. I promise that if you take a personal tweet-free day, your audience will understand." One does not need to tweet every day, interesting news does not arrive at regular intervals but in waves, one's pattern of tweeting can reflect these peaks and troughs. Less is more.

Some Twitterers with a commercial affiliation use Twitter as a marketing tool and seem to retweet endlessly; I am tempted to unfollow them but I might miss some of the original snippets they post. The Search Marketing Spin Blog warns against being "Re-tweeting Machines: If all you do is re-tweet, that can get annoying as well. I definitely encourage re-tweeting articles and thoughts that are deemed important, but keep that as part of the overall mix." I wish Twitter had a facility where one could select individual settings for those one follows ie so one could select to see just a user's original tweets, retweets, replies or any combination of these.

"Don’t RT Yourself  If you have multiple Twitter accounts, for example one for personal stuff and another for work, please do not Retweet what you said on another account. If people want to follow both, they will.  
There’s a reason you have two accounts: not everyone cares about both of your online personalities." This advice from "Online etiquette: Tweet with care" should be heeded by some genealogy Tweeters.

In Mind your twitter manners Jacqueline Whitmore says: "Don’t spam. If people are following you, they are going to want real content that matches their interests or teaches them something new. If you are sending out numerous tweets that are trying to sell your products, you will quickly lose your following. People have enough spam through e-mail and don’t want this to be another source of excess clutter."

I sometimes unfollow and refollow some people while they are at events and conferences if I don't have an interest in the event they are attending (of course major genealogy conferences are an exception).

A PCWorld article "Twitter Etiquette: How to Tweet Politely" states "Reconsider the running commentary. Live-tweeting sporting events or conference speeches may seem like a public service, but who's listening? If you normally use Twitter to post once-a-week status updates but then abruptly let fly with 80 tweets in a day, you'll aggravate followers who aren't expecting their account to be inundated by your sudden outpouring. Consider composing a blog post instead, or offer a single succinct observation each hour".

"Don't bother re-tweeting the big dogs" is more sage advice from The nine essentials of Twitter etiquette  includes the advice "Most people interested in genealogy will follow Ancestry and FamilySearch and other major organisations in their countries, don't retweet what most of your followers will have already read."

Recently I have received a few tweets containing a link to a website that  requires a  usernmame and password to access the information being recommended. It is extremely frustrating to follow a link and then be thwarted by such a request. I suspect that sometimes people tweet without actually checking out the site they are tweeting. Always check a link before tweeting or retweeting it.

Hashtags (#) are an important element of Twitter use. As well as giving readers an idea of the relevance of tweets to their interests they can be important for marketing and promotion. I would suggest using between one and three descriptive hashtags with each tweet.  Additionally these descriptors are help people conducting searches on Twitter to find relevant information. If you are tweeting about genealogy add the #genealogy hashtag. If you are at an event use the hashtag assigned to that event eg #rootstech2011.

One of my pet peeves is the Follow Friday (#FF) post where one thanks followers. These posts seem impersonal to me and clog up tweet streams. If a thank you is warranted one can send a private thankyou via a direct message. It is important to build relationships on Twitter; this can be done by sending public individual thankyous, using the reply function and retweeting followers' posts. Following the lead of @JudyQld a number of other genealogists embraced a policy of one #FF per week. This sensible policy makes one think very carefully about who will receive that one precious follow. I have relished tose follws I have had from the people following this policy.

Like Audrey Collins I too was taken with the badge Thomas MacEntee gave me at the Rootstech Conference earlier this year. (You can buy one here). That little red badge simply says "Keep Calm and Cite your Sources".

I don't mind what method one uses to cites one's sources but it should be done whenever one quotes another's words in any form of media. With the 140 character limit on Twitter this may be difficult but, as I used to say to my students, "plagiarism is stealing."  Taking the words of another and passing them off as your own is unethical and should not be done even on Twitter.

When I wrote my post, "I'm into recycling" yesterday about Twitter etiquette I did not mention plagiarism. This morning I saw a thoughtful sentence posted on Twitter that did not sound like the language normally used by that tweeter. I put the sentence into Google and within a few seconds found that sentence on a genealogy blog post written yesterday. The tweeter in question was obviously also captivted by the sentence and shared it without attribution. It has been retweeted a couple of times with kudos going to the tweeter not the blogger who appears to be the original creator of this piece of text. I am now wondering about the credibility of the tweeter and the organisation this person represents.

Plagiarism does not belong on Twitter.  It may be difficult to cite a source in 140 characters but it must be done. Plagiarism is akin to stealing; using the words of another without attribution is unethical, whenever one publishes in any format one must give attribution to an original author. Plagiarism is easy to detect. Tweeps who are found to have plagiarised lose credibility for themselves and the organisations they represent.

Remember that your Tweets are in the public domain. If you say something on Twitter you are potentially telling the world. Your tweets can be read by everyone.

Addicted to the Tablet

When I got to the supermarket this morning I realised I hadn't taken my tablet with me - PANIC.

It wasn't that I had forgotten to take my medication that was troubling me, it was that I didn't have my Galaxy Tab in my handbag. If I had a sudden urge for information or needed to seek a solution to a problem I wouldn't have my tablet to help me and would have to resort to using the tiny screen and keyboard on my mobile 'phone.

It seems that each day I find a new use or discover a new app for my Tablet. Since it's nearly four weeks since my last post about the tab,  Genealogy True Confessions: I take the tablet to bed , I thought it time to report on it once more. I was also prompted by a comment on that last post this morning from Caroline Gurney.

I have found that notetaking at genealogy events on the Tab is quite easy. I can easily rest the tab in the palm of one hand and, using a one-finger method, type decent notes. I suspect that this would be difficult with a larger 10" tab, the 7' format of my smaller unit makes this possible. Early on I made a booboo and used the Tab's  Memo app for notetaking but, on returning home, found it difficult to transfer the notes to another format. It can be done but not with ease.  Next I tried using the Google Docs app to take notes and this worked well. I then hit a venue where the reception was patchy and I could not connect to open a new Google Doc.

In bed that evening I decided to go to the Android Marketplace to see what I could find. I downloaded a couple of note-taking apps but wasn't happy with them then I found GDocs Note, a simple app that can be used to record notes without an internet connection. When connected it syncs all notes to a single Google Docs folder. I have used this at two locations (where I did have a connection and was able to syc on the go),  it is simple, basic and perfect for my needs. The ability to sync when connected allows one to have a backed up file.

At a non-genealogy function the other day someone expressed an interest in one line on my family  tree. I was able to whip the Tab out of my handbag, connect to the family site and seek the desired information.  My camera was missing from my handbag when I wanted to snap a photo of Joyce Ryerson for a blog post. The photo I was able to take on the Tab in difficult light was quite acceptable for a blog post.

Some other savvy shoppers, Shelley from Twigs of Yore, Tanya Honey from My Genealogy Adventure and  one of my daughters have also become Galaxy Girls. I'm hoping these youngsters will teach me a few more tricks to do with my toy.

eBay has been a source of some super treasures for me. The eBay app that I have downloaded to the Tab allows me to find and bid on genealogy books and other bits wherever I am. If someone recommends a book in a meeting I can quickly see if there is one available on eBay. I can't say that Mr Geniaus is pleased that I now have even more ready access to more great buys.

If I am in a library or bookshop I can use the LibraryThing app to scan the barcode of a book I want to read or reference and add it straight to my LibraryThing Collection. When I am reading a document that quotes measurements in feet, inches and furlongs I use the ConvertUnits app to convert measurements to more meaningful metric.

I often come across a term, person or place I don't know. The Wikipedia app on my Tab gives me instant access to that 21st century reference tool.  If I don't get an answer there I can use the Firefox app to search the internet or the Gmail or Calendar app to write myself a reminder to chase up an answer.

Blogger, Hootsuite and AVG Antivirus are other apps that I have recently installed but  am yet to explore. I am a fan of the Tweetcaster app for tweeting. I like the free Voice Recorder app that I downloaded and may find it useful in an emergency. However if I use this at an event I will be preculded from notetaking so I will continue to use my digital voice recorder for this purpose.

I really can get by without my Tab but having it at hand makes life a whole lot easier.

+1

Thanks to Joan at Luxegen for pointing out the new Google +1 button and indicating where it is on her website.

It's something new so, of course, I just had to add it to my blogs. I went to the link Joan had given, took a look and then decided to find more full instructions for a dummy like me. I found a a great set of instructions for adding the button to a Blogger blog at Cool Tricks n Tips right here.

I set to adding the button as per the instructions only to find the button was already on my blog but it was hidden away right at the bottom of each post.  Of course I want my readers to click on that button if they enjoy a post of mine so back I went to the Edit Page Elements Page for my blog and moved the set of sharing buttons to a more prominent position.  I don't know what I have done but that pesky sharing button doesn't appear to have moved.

As Joan said "If you’re logged into your Google account, try it out on my site". You'll find the +1 button at the bottom of each post.

The Earliest Social Network Ever Discovered

The Earliest Social Network Ever Discovered [COMIC]

Just love this week's comic from Mashable.

Just in the nick of time - Privacy Awareness Week

Full of good intentions I was going to write a post for  Privacy Awareness Week that is just about over. Thankfully I was just reminded by a post on The Official Google Australia Blog.

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner's theme for Privacy Awareness Week 2011 is Privacy: It's all about you. This organisation has  launched this week  an online "Privacy fact sheet- Online Behavioural Advertising: Know your options."

The following video was produced as an educational tool by the Asia Pacific Privacy Authorities (APPA).

As part of Privacy Awareness Week, the Asia Pacific Privacy Authorities are interested in hearing about your experience of privacy and social media. Take part in their survey and tell your story here.