Sunday, February 16, 2014

I think these two blog posts are related - both by James Tanner. Thank you.

Scattering data across the Web - a problem of consolidation or methodology? Part One -
http://genealogysstar.blogspot.com/2014/02/scattering-data-across-web-problem-of.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FGACzzI+%28Genealogy%27s+Star%29


Open Access to Universal Search of Mocavo.com's Explosive Growth -
http://genealogysstar.blogspot.com/2014/02/open-access-to-universal-search-of.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FGACzzI+%28Genealogy%27s+Star%29


I have just come from a couple of hours on Mocavo. I am grateful for the tip-off on free access, and I appreciate that they are working hard to acquire records. I wish it was not such a competition to secure rights to accessing collections of genealogical interest. I wish there was more cooperation & collaboration. But I probably have that attitude because of how I value the information. For me it is not about bragging rights.... <3

FamilySearch.org is also working to make source records available for searching. I hope you are working with them, too. Anyone can create an account with FamilySearch. What James Tanner says about knowing your people well enough to figure where to search for records is fundamental. Just Googling a name is not good enough. That is not due diligence. That is not where our ancestors would want us to leave off searching for them! Yes, that challenge of actually DO-ing research is what turns our hearts to them, and helps us to get to know them better - to know you is to love you.