Family history across the seas

Geniaus has set us another meme challenge to test whether we’re tech savvy genealogists. Here is the list with my own responses. I notice there are quite a lot more items I don’t really aspire to, plus some that I might want to do, just not high on my list.

I’m not sure frankly how others manage to tweet, blog, Google+ etc and do research as well. I’m probably a twitter-tart because while I find the twitter feed convenient for my blog, and I read others’ tweets, I don’t often feel I have anything unusual to contribute.

Similarly with blog reading which mostly tend to be done in large batches and not day-by-day. I really enjoy reading the blogs I follow. It helps to feel engaged with fellow genealogists elsewhere and overcomes a sense of isolation from living in the far north. I thoroughly enjoy my favourite blogs and like to leave comments on a regular basis as it’s a way of letting the blogger know they’re being “listened” to.

However I’ve decided not to beat myself up over my failure to be on the ball with all the social media. Working on the “if I were to die tomorrow” hypothesis, my own priority is to leave some more documented research for my family. How do you balance your research with following social media and blogging?

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
Feel free to add extra comments in brackets after each item

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 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 (reluctantly –I prefer to incorporate into a narrative)
6. Have a Twitter account
7. Tweet daily (struggling to keep up with it all)
8. Have a genealogy blog
9. Have more than one genealogy blog (setup ready to go with #2)
10. Have lectured/presented to a genealogy group on a technology topic
11. Currently an active member of Genealogy Wise
12. Have a Facebook Account
13. Have connected with genealogists via Facebook
14. Maintain a genealogy related Facebook Page (been considering this in relation to my 2nd blog but undecided as I’m not a Facebook fan)
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 (I’m finding my blog serves my purposes)
18. Post regularly to 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 (LOVE MY FLIP-PAL!!)
22. Can code a webpage in .html
23. Own a smartphone
24. Have a personal subscription to one or more paid genealogy databases
25. Use a digital voice recorder to record genealogy lectures (have it, haven’t used it for this)
26. Have contributed to a genealogy blog carnival
27. Use Chrome as a Browser
28. Have participated in a genealogy webinar
29. Have taken a DNA test for genealogy purposes
30. Have a personal genealogy website (I like using the blog, I don’t want to upload all my FH data).
31. Have found mention of an ancestor in an online newspaper archive
32. Have tweeted during a genealogy lecture (prefer to listen instead)
33. Have scanned your hardcopy genealogy files (some: a 20 year backlog)
34. Use an RSS Reader to follow genealogy news and blogs
35. Have uploaded a gedcom file to a site like Geni, MyHeritage or Ancestry (don’t want to)
36. Own a netbook
37. Use a computer/tablet/smartphone to take genealogy lecture notes (sometimes)
    
38. Have a profile on LinkedIn that mentions your genealogy habit
39. Have developed a genealogy software program, app or widget
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
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 (inconsistenly)
47. Schedule regular email backups, as well as favourites and contacts
48. Have contributed to the Familysearch Wiki
49. Have scanned, named and tagged your genealogy photographs and personal heritage photos and digitized old super 8 movies. All I need now is to work out how to cut extracts from the latter.
    
50. Have published a genealogy book in an online/digital format
51. Keep family history contacts in an Access database. (mostly on-track)
52. Keep a record of your genealogy library in a suitable program. (I use Collectorz).

Can never help adding a few more that I like to use (or some commentary). Thanks Geniaus for another thought-provoking challenge.