Google+ Communities and Genealogy (part 2)

Continuing with my discussion about Google+ Communities, specifically with the Dear MYRTLE Genealogy Community.

Google+ Communities and Genealogy (part 1)

These discussions are about the earlier experience with the Google+ Community feature. Dear MYRTLE has moved to this platform as a way, or Genealogy Tool, to share our genealogy experience.

2 weeks into this new feature is talked about here.

Google+ Communities – What we know after 2 weeks (part 4) HOA

The real focus on this 4th of the series was about Private Communities. In our case, this may not apply. However, What IF you wanted to set up a Family Community or a Local Society Community? You may want to consider this feature.

The 5th in these series is talking about how and where to post on Google+

Google+ Communities – What we know after 4 weeks (pt. 5) 2013 a look ahead

This discussion talks about should WE post to Google+ OR only Post into the Community. The panel talked about how they post. The best example should “I” just post to Google+ or not to post to Google+ but only into the Community. What I got out of it, is that the reason the panel uses the Google+ to gain people into their community.

As I have followed DearMYRTLE, I see her on FaceBook and her Blog, and posting to the Community. That is my observation any way. In both the Google+ stream and from FaceBook, it’s getting the “word out there” that something is going on in the community.

So, for this 5th video, it is talking about Posting Strategy for a community. They did touch on personal communities or “for business” communities.

It was restated that the Community is Topic Focused. There was a work around, where there was a posting into one community, and sharing that post in the community into another community. I know that I have joined a couple of Genealogy Communities to learn what’s going on, but hadn’t thought about sharing some of those posts into the DearMYRTLE community. It does continue the thought about collaboration between communities.

On to part 6.

GooTubePlus in Google+ Communities. GooTube stands for Google and YouTube.

The point of this next video is talking about the transition into the Community feature.

Google Plus Communities – What we know after 2 Months (pt. 6)

It gets to the point from Part 5, that is, double posting, in Google+, to my own stream or circles or to the community.

This reminded me to look at what DearMYRTLE has posted into the **Guidelines category. She reminded us:

RULES TO LIVE BY
Let’s play nice in the sandbox. We respect your right to your religious and political beliefs, but this is no place for off-topic postings or Hangouts in this genealogy-oriented community. This is not a request.

POSTS
For organization’s sake, first click on the category that matches your subject. Then type your post, and tap the “Share” button.  The post will be seen in “All Posts” and in the appropriate category.

This 6th video opens a new topic, for individuals, for placing or bookmarking posts within a personal community, that is private and you can create categories to put those bookmarks. It will be interesting to see how that will work.

Moving through another month, part 7 is at the 3rd month of communities. At this point in time, DearMYRTLE had moved from the Webinar platform to the Hangout On Air platform. So this next video talks about the communities are developing.

Google+ Communities – What we know after 3 Months (part 7)

I may be wrong, but what I have seen is more dialog. That started in the Hangouts On Air, both within the Joiners AND the Viewers. How DearMYRTLE is engaging the community during the Hangouts On Air. Now we are seeing discussions within the community on the topic of Genealogy. From what I have seen, is that the community is growing and sharing of our experience.

This 7th edition talked more about things to consider when setting up a community, starting with the Title, and the About section for the community. How that information helps the Google search engine and the Google+ search engine “ranks” the results. Apparently these are two different sets of results based on where you search from. The activity within the community (Posts, Plus One, Shares) help raise the community for someone searching in Google Plus.

One of the final comments from the Panel, was to create and participate in a private community.

The 8th edition is here, on Permission Only Communities.

Google+ Communities – What we know after 4 Months (part 8)

This video talked about a Public Community, where someone has to be invited into the community. Chef Dennis had a vision for the community and focus for his topic. He controls who joins and even excludes who can join the community. As DearMYRTLE has done, Chef Dennis has clear guidelines as to who can and who can’t join the community. What was interesting, to me, is that he looks at the Profile of the person who is requesting to join the community. It’s like what I talked about on my blog post.

Technical Tuesday–A thought about your Google+ Tag Line

That talked about how I choose who to add to one of my circles. So, for Chef Dennis, he bases that Tag line and Profile information as to who joins or doesn’t join his community.

This should be the end of this series of blog posts on Google+ Communities. It’s been a great journey watch DearMYRTLE and working with DearMRYTLE in the establishment of the DearMYRTLE Genealogy Community.

Google+ Communities and Genealogy (part 1)

As some of you know, I have been involved with the DearMYTLE Genealogy Community on Google+. So, I thought I would take a moment or two to see if I can describe what a Google+ community is and why it may be important to those of use to do family history research. I have already benefitted, through sharing, from this relatively new “platform” to talk about genealogy.

I will share the experience with the DearMYRTLE Genealogy Community, but I hope that those reading this blog post, that it is really another Tool, for our Genealogy Tool kit. Another online platform to use while doing our research. For example, the Hang Out feature to have a family gathering, on line, around the world, or just next door.

I started by watching a Google Hangout On Air with this title:

Google+ Communities – What You Need to Know (part 1)

What I got out of that YouTube presentation was that a community can be Topic Based. Certainly, that is what Dear MYRTLE has done for us. But what does that mean. If you have been using Google+, it is a stream of postings by other Google+ users. That users are those who YOU have decided to follow. That is your Stream of messages on Google+. If you follow 100 people, you will see what they post.

The “next” level of posting is to a Circle. For example, I have a Genealogy Circle. Those folks that I ‘follow’, who are also interested in genealogy of family history research, I put into that circle. IF I have a message that is on the topic of genealogy, I will select that circle to post that message to. I have a Family Circle. The Family circle may not be interested in what I have to say about Genealogy. Another circle I have is on Headstones. The other two circles may not be interested in my headstone pictures. So, Circles are “private”. Only those in the circle that I post to, will see those messages. I can post to more than one circle, so I control who will see what I post.

So what is different from a Circle (mine) verses a Community. You can join the community, if you find it. DearMYRTLE has a closed group, BUT, it can be found and you can ask to JOIN the Community. Two people monitor those requests to join, and you will be approved.

One major difference is that Communities can be Searched and they are Indexed. Family Historians know what indexed and “can be searched” means. Each post, Each COMMENT, AND Each time you click that +1 ICON, helps get the Community to appear higher in the results using the Google Search Engine. A circle won’t do that.

We have used Twitter as a genealogy tool. Don’t give up on that tool, as it is another useful genealogy tool in our tool box. But, unlike Twitter, Google+ communities are focused, and by replying to a comment or post, you can “continue the conversation”. I find it difficult just watching twitter, to pick up on a Hashtag. If I focus on ONE hashtag, like “ #genealogy ” I would miss out on the “ #genchat “. But a message in a community, such as the DearMYRTLE Genealogy Community won’t get lost. Oh, did I mention it’s longer then 140 characters.

You will see, on the DearMYRTLE Genealogy Community, some categories on the left side. That focuses the discussion on specific topics, like Hang Outs. So, it’s topic based, within the community.

The referred to YouTube video mentioned Not Competition with other genealogy communities, which are being created, but another place for cooperation, or as I have hear DearMYTLE say Collaboration.

Part 2 YouTube

Google+ Communities – What We Know After 18 Hours (part 2)

In the community, WE talk about what WE want to read about. Google+ would be everything, based on your circles or folks you follow, while the DearMYRTLE community is only talking about Genealogy.

This second video talks a little more about how the information within the Community is “controlled”. Also, ALL posts, even published within a Category, the Community will see those posts. If you, the reader, wants to just look at Hang Outs, just look at that Category.

The hint about “all of the emails” from the community, they suggest that you turn the Notifications (Bell ICON on the Left) OFF. As a moderator, I keep that ON because I want to see want to see the posts and comments. You may not want to see all of them. OR as we suggested in one of our early Hangouts On Air, Turn the Notifications OFF during the Hangout, the turn it back ON following the Hangout.

Part 3 (a week into Communities)

Google+ Communities – What we know after 1 week (part 3)

One of the comments about growing the of Communities in Google+, was encouraging conversation within the community.

 

End of Part 1

Query: Ruth Elizabeth Worthington

A Query from Keisha Foulke

Submitted on 2013/04/28 at 5:34 am 

Hello, this is an old thread so I have no clue if any of you will respond, however I’m back tracking my grand mother Ruth Elizabeth Worthington’s family heritage. Apparently we have Native American in our blood thanks to a possibly a descendant of Virginia, a general as my dad heard. But now most of all the Worthington relatives are dead from the side of the Native American blood. I’m not sure if any of you guys know anything about it but email me keishafoulke@gmail.comif you have a clue, thanks.

Day One–Searching in Lancashire, England

I posted Where do I Start? and thought I would follow up on that post.

Actually, the report really helped. I stayed focused on that list and did an online search at Ancestry.com. I worked on the first 16 people on my list (males), and actually found 4 records in an Anglican Parish. So, my early guesses were close.

Of interest, one of the results gave me conflicting information. Below is the image in question.

Anglican Parish Registers (Lancashire, England), Lancashire, England, Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials (1573-1812), Burial Record for Edward Worthington, buried 08 May 1629, image 259, accessed 25 Apr 2013; digital images, Ancestry.com.

The conflict is that there are two people, in the Pedigree Chart, Edward Worthington, and the chart said that they died “1629”. So, which Edward Worthington is this record for?

I am guessing that solely looking at Church Records may present miss leading information. Without any indication of relationships or other information, may lead us to incorrect conclusions.

What I did was to enter the SAME record to both people, with a citation, but marked a To Do List task, to resolve this conflict.  I also send an email to the project coordinator for additional help, as they have information that I do not have.

Bottom line here, the GenDective report has been very helpful.

Where do I Start?

Continuing my research for this “ancient” family line, where should I start to look?

The first record that I found was a marriage record in an Anglican Parish in Manchester, Lancashire, England. The Record group covered 1573-1812. Perhaps there are other records that I might find there, since the collection was for Baptism, Marriage, and Burial’s from that parish.

Back to GenDective­™. In GenDective Reporter, there is a listing for “Which reports help with my research efforts?” That sounds like what I am looking for.

 

Clicking on the “+” sign, I see a report that might be helpful. Families who lived in state.

I selected ALL “Degree of family kinship”, Country is England, and State, territory or region, I selected Lancashire and clicked on Generate Report.

 

This generated a report of 30 people who had an event in Lancashire. Looking at the report, which included Dates, I might find any one or all of them in that area of England.

So far, with that first “hint” there have been not helpful hints. Because I have so few dates, the hints are not “my person”. So back to Ancestry.com AND FamilySearch.org, as they have Church Records from that area in that time frame. But, at least I can focus on this group of people (30).

Where should I start looking ?

Last week, I posted about a Marriage Record from 1663 that I found.

Marriage Record for George Worthington and Elizabeth Sandiford 11 Jun 1663

The file that I am working on, is a collection of Pedigree Charts from a surname project. What I am trying to do, is work from these “undocumented” pedigrees and begin to document them. The Pedigree Charts have been documented by the Compilers, Examiners, and those that are proving them, but I don’t have that information.

Now that I have my first “hit” (or hint), I now want to start researching. But, I want to focus the research by location to see what I can find. All of these records are in the UK. I don’t live in the UK, don’t know much about the areas in the UK, so this is new territory for me.

I have used a program called GenDective® by Rumblesoft.

I have used this program for some analysis, so I created a GEDCOM file, from my genealogy database management software program, imported it into the GenDetective® Analyzer so that the GenDetective Reporter program can be run.

I am trying to determine WHERE I should start looking, or what location will give me the greater number of results, as the records I should find will be church records. Once I know the location, then I can return to my genealogy program and start the search.

Running the GenDetective Reporter, I selected What Place names need to be standardized. My genealogy software does that for me already, so I select the Event Occurrences by Location Report.

I know it’s difficult to read, but the two boxes on the Right are two locations in England, each with 8 events there. Lathom, Lancashire, England, and Manchester Lancashire, England. So, those will be the first places that I will search. Actually, the people who had an event in those two location.

Here is what I see in my genealogy database, as a report. The names and Events that took place in Lathom, Lancashire, England

I can also see it on the map that the program provides.

Now I know who to look for and where. The report from GenDetective helped identify that information for me.

And in my spare time …

A while ago, I had a thought. Yup, it hurt, but I thought I would share the journey that thought has taken me on. The thought was that people in Adult Care Centers want to be in contact with “family” and that they have stories to tell. Please remember that I do family research, which is what caused the thought.

Both of my parents were in one such center once we determined that they could no longer live in their house. My mother could no longer hear anything, but we were able to get her on email. I live about 90 minutes from her, so I was not able to really teach her how to use this “new fangled thing”.

I live in a town with two Adult Care Centers associated with my church and I know people who live in both. Many Sunday’s I go to one of them, to help out the local clergy person. My clergy person friend, said that they had residents who wanted to learn “computers”. Wow, that’s a very broad topic, but since I had retired, remembered the issues with my mom, I said “sure”.

So, a group of about 6 residents started to learn “computers”. Most of them had computers with access to the internet, but like my mother, didn’t have a lot of help learning how to use them. Our journey started.

I started up front, letting them know, that I thought that there are family, “out there” who wanted to hear their Story. They also know that I do family research, I wasn’t going to teach genealogy, but computers. They are learning how to use computers, how to search, how to use social media.

After we talked about searching, both on the computer and “on line”, I asked each one to tell me what they might want to search for. “An IRS Form”, a place,  pictures on my computer were the first searches they wanted. Introduced Google search and found the first two items, and showed them how to find ALL of the images on the computer.

Being a user of Google, and Google+, I showed them how I use Google+, which then offered an opening into Social Media. We talked about SKYPE, as a couple of folk had “tired it”, then I offered Hangouts. I demonstrated Hangouts On Air, with DearMRYTLE. I turned around and saw the expression on their faces, which indicated that a Hangout might be an easier way to communicate with family. I shared one of the comments from the DearMYRTLE (Google+) Community about having a family gathering at Easter, on a Google+ Hangout.

How can you talk about Social Media, without talking about Facebook? So we found a couple of their family on Facebook.

One of the future topics, that THEY want, is genealogy and THEY want to share their story with family.

 

As this project is moving along, I get an email from the other Adult Care Center. THEY want to start a Genealogy Club, and would I help. Our first gathering was this past Thursday, with 22 people showing up. Newbie’s, DAR Members, and folks with lot’s of experience. The activities director and I were overruled about having a monthly meeting, and will meet 2 days a month. They want to get started and/or knocking down some brick walls. The really nice thing is that they have a computer lab, that is under construction, but have computers available while the construction is taking place.

 

Why am I sharing this on my blog?

I am certain that there are other places “out there” that want OUR help. Both groups “get” that folks want to hear their stories, but are looking for a way to do that. All it takes is a volunteer to come in and share their experience.

What I have learned, is that I TOO can, have, and will learn from them, while I attempt to share my experience.