Meme: The Tech-Savvy Genealogist

I have decided to join in the Tech-Savvy Genealogist Meme. The Meme was first created by Geniaus. 


The list should be annotated in the following manner:
Things you have already done or found: bold face type

Things you would like to do or find: italicize (colour optional)

Things you haven’t done or found and don’t care to: plain type


Which of these apply to you?

1. Own an Android or Windows tablet or an iPad
2. Use a tablet or iPad for genealogy related purposes
3. Have used Skype to for genealogy purposes
4. Have used a camera to capture images in a library/archives/ancestor's home
5. Use a genealogy software program on your computer to manage your family tree [I use Legacy Family Tree mostly, but I also have Family Tree Maker 2010, RootsMagic and Family Historian installed on my laptop computer]
6. Have a Twitter account
7. Tweet daily [only tweet occasionally at the moment...too many other things happening]
8. Have a genealogy blog
9. Have more then one genealogy blog [but I have been sadly neglecting Australian Genealogy News, I really need to give it a new look and new posts]
10. Have lectured/presented to a genealogy group on a technology topic
11. Currently an active member of Genealogy Wise [I am a member but I don't get to check it regularly]
12. Have a Facebook Account
13. Have connected with genealogists via Facebook
14. Maintain a genealogy related Facebook Page
15. Maintain a blog or website for a genealogy society
16. Have submitted text corrections online to Ancestry, Trove or a similar site
17. Have registered a domain name
18. Post regularly to Google+ [would like to try Google+...]
19. Have a blog listed on Geneabloggers
20. Have transcribed/indexed records for FamilySearch or a similar project
21. Own a Flip-Pal or hand-held scanner [I own a Canon CanoScan LiDE 500F which is somewhat portable - it is fairly lightweight and powered through a USB port]
22. Can code a webpage in .html [I have been a bit lazy about this lately and have been using the WYSIWYG editor available in Blogger. I know it often creates messy HTML code. Eventually (soon) I want to get back into HTML coding (I have been catching up lately reading about HTML5) as I coded webpages with HTML often during high school and University]
23. Own a smartphone [I hope I can buy an Android smartphone some time in the future, I have read so much about them on other blogs and my brother has shown me the fancy things his Android phone can do]
24. Have a personal subscription to one or more paid genealogy databases
25. Use a digital voice recorder to record genealogy lectures
26. Have contributed to a genealogy blog carnival
27. Use Chrome as a Browser [my favourite browser]
28. Have participated in a genealogy webinar
29. Have taken a DNA test for genealogy purposes 
30. Have a personal genealogy website [I have tried several times but never been happy with any site I have created, hopefully someday!]
31. Have found mention of an ancestor in an online newspaper archive
32. Have tweeted during a genealogy lecture
33. Have scanned your hardcopy genealogy files [some of them, I still have a lot of Mum's files stored in binders that need to be scanned and sorted]
34. Use an RSS Reader to follow genealogy news and blogs [Google Reader]
35. Have uploaded a gedcom file to a site like Geni, MyHeritage or Ancestry [but I always set my files to private because many of them are 'working' and 'unverified' and I don't want to spread unverified information through online trees]
36. Own a netbook
37. Use a computer/tablet/smartphone to take genealogy lecture notes
38. Have a profile on LinkedIn that mentions your genealogy habit
39. Have developed a genealogy software program, app or widget [this is something I would like to do in the future. For one assignment in my IT degree I created a very simple Java program to record genealogy to-do items. Like HTML, programming with Java or other programming languages is something I am hoping to get back into in the future]
40. Have listened to a genealogy podcast online
41. Have downloaded genealogy podcasts for later listening
42. Backup your files to a portable hard drive
43. Have a copy of your genealogy files stored offsite [absolutely need to do this]
44. Know about Rootstech 
45. Have listened to a Blogtalk radio session about genealogy
46. Use Dropbox, SugarSync or other service to save documents in the cloud
47. Schedule regular email backups [I've working on sorting and backing-up all my emails recently]
48. Have contributed to the Familysearch Wiki
49. Have scanned and tagged your genealogy photographs [many of them but I have a few more to do and I definitely need to reorganise the ones I have already scanned]
50. Have published a genealogy book in an online/digital format

Copyright © 2011 Australian Genealogy Journeys. Clip Art from Open Clip Art Library.

99 Things Genealogy Meme - Australian

I have been away from my blog for a little longer than I anticipated. I have been keeping myself busy with babysitting and organisation tasks. Today I have returned to take part in a Meme Geniaus has organised for Australian Genealogy bloggers - the '99 Things Genealogy Meme'. 


This Meme was originally created by Becky at the Kinexxions blog. Geniaus has 'dinkumised' the list and made it more specifically relevant to Australian Genealogists.

The list is annotated in the following manner:


Things you have already done or found - bold type
Things you would like to do or find - italics (colour optional)
Things you have not done or found and don't care to - plain type

Here is my contribution. 

1. Belong to a genealogical society.
2. Joined the Australian Genealogists group on Genealogy Wise.
3. Transcribed records.
4. Uploaded headstone pictures to Find-A-Grave or a similar site.
5. Documented ancestors for four generations
6. Joined Facebook.
7. Cleaned up a run-down cemetery.
8. Joined the Genea-Bloggers Group.
9. Attended a genealogy conference.
10. Lectured at a genealogy conference.
11. Spoke on a genealogy topic at a local genealogy society.
12. Joined the Society of Australian Genealogists. 
13. Contributed to a genealogy society publication. 
14. Served on the board or as an officer of a genealogy society. 
15. Got lost on the way to a cemetery.
16. Talked to dead ancestors. 
17. Researched outside the state in which I live.
18. Knocked on the door of an ancestral home and visited with the
    current occupants. 
19. Cold called a distant relative.
20. Posted messages on a surname message board. 
21. Uploaded a GEDCOM file to the internet. 
22. Googled my name.
23. Performed a random act of genealogical kindness.
24. Researched a non-related family, just for the fun of it.
25. Have been paid to do genealogical research.
26. Earn a living (majority of income) from genealogical research.
27. Wrote a letter (or email) to a previously unknown relative.
28. Contributed to one of the genealogy carnivals.
29. Responded to messages on a message board.
30. Was injured while on a genealogy excursion. 
31. Participated in a genealogy meme. (Now I have)
32. Created family history gift items (calendars, cookbooks etc.)
33. Performed a record lookup.
34. Took a genealogy seminar cruise. 
35. Am convinced that a relative must have arrived here from outer space.
36. Found a disturbing family secret. 
37. Told others about a disturbing family secret.
38. Combined genealogy with crafts. (scrapbooking, digital artwork)
39. Think genealogy is a passion not a hobby.
40. Assisted finding next of kin for a deceased person.
41. Taught someone else how to find their roots.
42. Lost valuable genealogy data due to a computer crash or hard drive failure. 
43. Been overwhelmed by available genealogy technology.
44. Know a cousin of the 4th degree or higher.
45. Disproved a family myth through research. 
46. Got a family member to let you copy photos.
47. Used a digital camera to 'copy' photos or records.
48. Translated a record from a foreign language. 
49. Found an immigrant ancestor's passenger arrival record.
50. Looked at census records on microfilm, not on the computer.
51. Used microfiche.
52. Visited the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.
53. Used Google+ for genealogy.  (Not yet on Google+)
54. Visited a church or place of worship of one of your ancestors.
55. Taught a class in genealogy.
56. Traced ancestors back to the 18th Century.
57. Traced ancestors back to the 17th Century. 
58. Traced ancestors back to the 16th Century.  
59. Can name all of your great-great-grandparents. 
60. Found an ancestor on the Australian Electoral Rolls. 
61. Know how to determine a soundex code without the help of a computer.
62. Have found relevant articles on Trove.
63. Own a copy of 'Evidence Explained' by Elizabeth Shown Mills.
64. Helped someone find an ancestor using records you
    had never used for your own research.
65. Visited the main National Archives building in Washington, DC.
66. Visited the National Library of Australia.
67. Have an ancestor who came to Australia as a ten pound pom.
68. Have an ancestor who fought at Gallipoli. (Not a direct ancestor but some
    of my Chambers relatives served and die at Gallipoli).
69. Taken a photograph of an ancestor's tombstone.
70. Can read a church record in Latin.
71. Have an ancestor who changed his/her name.
     (I think William Fullerton was probably
    William Fullard/Folliard, but I'm only conjecturing at this point!)
72. Joined a Rootsweb mailing list.
73. Created a family website. 
74. Have a genealogy blog. 
75. Was overwhelmed by the amount of family information
    received from someone.
76. Have broken through at least one brick wall.
77. Done genealogy research at the War Memorial in Canberra.
78. Borrowed microfilm from the Family History Library
    through a local Family History Center.
79. Found an ancestor in the Ryerson index. (Found relatives but not direct ancestors)
80. Have visited the National Archives of Australia.
    (Melbourne Office only)
81. Have an ancestor who served in the Boer War.
    (No direct ancestors, but various relatives)
82. Use maps in my genealogy research. 
83. Have a convict ancestor who was transported from the UK.
84. Found a bigamist amongst the ancestors.
    (Well, I'm not sure about my 3rd great aunt...)
85. Visited the National Archives in Kew.
86. Visited St. Catherine's House in London to find family records.
87. Taken an online genealogy course.
88. Consistently cite my sources. (Wish I'd been more diligent about this!)
89. Visited a foreign country (i.e. one I don't live in) in search of ancestors.
90. Can locate any document in my research files within a few minutes.
91. Have an ancestor who was married four times (or more).
    (Two of my 3rd great grandfather's married three times)
92. Made a rubbing of an ancestors gravestone.
93. Followed genealogists on Twitter.
94. Published a family history book on one of my families.
95. Learned of the death of a fairly close relative through research.
96. Offended a family member with my research.
97. Reunited someone with precious family photos or artifacts.
98. Have a paid subscription to a genealogy database.
    (FindMyPast and Ancestry)
99. Edited records on Trove.

Copyright © 2011 Australian Genealogy Journeys. Clip art from Open Clip Art Gallery.