Crowdsourcing Your Genealogy to Break Down Walls

Social media is hard to define, or even describe to most people.  It is ever changing and almost fluid in the way it has evolved over the past decade.  Essentially this concept refers to a community based, online communication forum that relies heavily on sharing of content and collaboration. 

Genealogists can use social media in several ways. For example research, networking, or education are ways that we can connect, share, and collaborate using various platforms. Social media and genealogy can go hand in hand with each other very easily.  By the end of this presentation you should be comfortable in making a choice about how you will use social media for your pursuits.

If you asked 10 people to define social media as well as explain it to you not one of them would give you the same answer.  Of course, it all depends on who you ask, and that would not necessarily be based on their age.  In my opinion there is not a common answer because we each use the platforms that best fit our needs, thoughts, and ideas. 

Some love Twitter while others detest it.  Some are Pintrest obsessed while others avoid it.  That is the great thing about this ever-evolving world of collaboration and sharing: you can make it what you want it to be.  It is like putty that you can shape, mold, and form into your way of doing things. What works for you might not work for someone else, but there is something out there for everyone.

Here is something to think about.  Where do you think you fall on the social media usage scale?  Are you a lurker, a dipper, or maybe an informer?  Perhaps you have several personalities depending on what you like to use.  Hopefully you will be willing to try something new and shift your social media persona by the end of this presentation. Thinking about your strengths and weaknesses will help you determine how you can adjust and change your usage to get more out of this resource.

There are many different platforms that are considered social media.  To give you some ideas on the different products which are covered under the social media umbrella look at the graphic by Popular Culture Social Media Infographics shown here.  Did you realize that all these services fell under the auspices of social media?  How many do you use in one day?  The first time I looked at this list I realized there were nearly 20 platforms that I use on a weekly basis.  Over half of those help me daily on my genealogy pursuits. 

Remember, social media outlets will only work for you if you participate in them.  It is simply not enough to have an account and watch the feeds go by.  To learn, grow, and find the answers you are looking for will take a time commitment on your end.  Posting your finds and talking with other genealogists is just the beginning.  Think about how you want to use social media and then seek out the sites that will make it a reality for you.

Below is a listing of some of the more popular and frequently used social media platforms.  There are examples listed of how you could use these to aid your genealogy research and pursuits.  From it you should be able to put together a basic plan on how they can work for you and which ones you will get the most use out of. 

             

Platform	Type of Social Media	Genealogy Use
Facebook	Social Network	Collaboration, sharing, education, networking
Twitter	Micromedia	Education, publicity, sharing
Wordpress / Blogger	Blogs	Research, sharing, education, publicity
Google +	Social Network	Education, publicity, research, collaboration
Flicker	Picture sharing	Collaboration, sharing, research
YouTube	Video	Research, education
LinkedIn	Curated Networks	Professional networking
Skype	Voice / Messaging	Collaboration, sharing, networking

The key is to use what you can handle and be active with those you chose to use.  You don’t need to have a dozen accounts if you are not going to use them.  Pick and choose and make it your own.  Most of all have fun getting to know genealogists and family historians from all over the world!

Web Resources:

·        Hubspot.com “The Ultimate Glossary: 120 Social Media Marketing Terms Explained” bit.ly/M8UqrZ

·        About.com “What is Social Networking?” webtrends.about.com/od/socialnetworking/a/social-network.htm

·        Family Search “Popular Social Networks for Genealogy” familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Popular_Social_Networks_for_Genealogy

·        Social Media and Genealogy by Carole Riley socialmediagen.com

Print Resources:

·        Staying Safe with Social Media: A Guide for Genealogy and Family History by Thomas Macentee

·        Social Media for Family Historians by Carole Riley

·        Social Networking for Genealogists by Drew Smith

Create Genealogy Videos and Images Quickly for Free with Spark

One thing many genealogists have a lot of are images.  Picture that were handed down.  Photos we have taken.  Images saved from various websites.  The list goes on and on.  Many find that they would love to share these images with others but figuring out a great way to do so can be challenging.  Especially if you are trying to get your family excited about family history, or tell your own family story in a new and unique way.

When I stumbled on a product from Adobe called Spark I knew it was a genealogist’s dream come true.  Here was a way you could easily and quickly share a single image or bunch of images with friends, families or colleagues.  Best part…it is free.

This session will focus on the how-to aspect of creating images and short videos using Adobe Spark.  We will learn about the web version you can use with your favorite browser as well as how to use the phone app to create annotated images or videos while out and about.  Included in the workshop is a more detailed handout which we will use as a step by step guide through the session.  Below is a taste of what you can expect to learn from the workshop.

Creating an annotated image:

Labeling digital images can be a great way to annotate a heirloom without damaging it.  It is also a great way to label a map with where the family lived or turn a family photo into a great keepsake.  No matter your reasons, Spark make it very easy to do.

Simply select “post” to create an edited image.   From there you can select the size you would like the final image to be.  Once you upload your image you can then start adding words, shapes, and adjust the color settings to make it look the way you want it to.

                            


               

This image is of my grandfather taken in 1934 when he was in Chicago fighting in the Golden Glove Tournament that year. I took the image, enlarged it, sharpened the color, and then added the decorative tag to it.

Creating a video:

Slideshows are old school, why not create a fun and fast paced video with words and a soundtrack!  It is simple to do with Spark.  Plus, so much fun even the younger generations will want to try their hand at it.  My kids have a wonderful time creating videos from the images they take while on vacation.

To create a video, you select the “video” option from the mail menu.  The hardest part is selecting a theme.  I tend to pick “make my own” so I can have the freedom to create it from scratch.  However, the various themes available are great to get started with since they come with a template which suggests what types of images you place.  Even better, there is a tutorial video.

I do love that in the creation of the video you can also record your own narration.   This is wonderful if you can have a family member telling the story.  I did this with my father where I put together a video of images and places from his childhood and then had him explain each one in the video.  To be honest, the sky is the limit.

Pros and Cons of Spark:

If you are a pro at video and image editing this will seem very basic to you.  However, if you are just getting started and want to do some neat things easily, then this is the right software for you.  Just remember that you will have to work within the limitations of the application.

Pros	Cons
Easy and quick to pick up	Cannot do detail editing
Set themes make choices easier	Sometimes difficult to manipulate to get refinements
Ability to change fonts	Must log in with Facebook, Google, or have an adobe account
Links to the internet to use creative common images and music	There is an Adobe Spark ad at the end of all videos
Can share easily through email or straight to social media

Resources:

Adobe Spark                           https://spark.adobe.com/

Blog for Spark                         https://spark.adobe.com/blog

Spark in the classroom            https://spark.adobe.com/edu

Spark for the press                 https://spark.adobe.com/press

Creating a Spark video            https://spark.adobe.com/about/video

Creating a Spark image            https://spark.adobe.com/about/post

Creating and Maintaining a Family History Blog

How many times have you heard someone talking about their blog?  Or how about being told you should go read so-n-so’s blog?  Or, perhaps, someone has stopped you and said you should start a blog, you know such amazing stuff!  Blogs, and blogging, appear to be an ongoing craze in genealogy.  There are new ones started every day and with a little know how you can start and keep one going too.

I am going to walk you through the reasons you might want to have a blog, how to get started, plus ways to keep it going.  By the end you should feel comfortable enough to get started immediately.  Really! Sometimes all you need is to take the plunge and I am here to give you the starting point.

The choice to start a blog is a purely a personal decision.  Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.  Honestly, if you love to write, tell stories, or share information then sure, a blog might be right up your alley.  However, if you hate writing or find it a chore, well, think hard about what you want to do!  There are options for all types of writers, and non-writers, available.

Step 1: Why have a blog?

Before you run off and start picking out the wallpaper for your blog you need to make a plan.  Your first question needs to be “why do I want to create a blog?”  Think about it for a few minutes.  You may even have several reasons that jump out at you on why your blog needs to be created.

Some common reasons for creating a blog are:

             Journaling your genealogy research                           Become a better writer

Look for living cousins                                          Meet other genealogists

             Tell the story of an ancestor                                   Write on specific topics / genres

             Share news / information                                       It’s FREE, mostly, so why not!

             Plus many, many more…

Did any of those reasons strike a chord with you?  If so, think about why.  Hidden in that answer will be the beginnings of your blog.  You may just need to search for it a bit.

Step 2: Where do I start?

Now that you found your reason to blog it’s time to find a platform.  The most common blogs are written, but I am going to show you a couple of other options too.   They can truly be a multimedia extravaganza.  In fact I have toyed with the idea of a vlog (video blog) because I enjoy talking to people more than writing.  To say the least, only your imagination (or technical ability) can hold you back. 

Let’s look first at the types of platforms for blogging.  Think about which of these may be the best for you.  Check them out, look around and do your homework to see which would be the best fit for you.  You may even want to do a combination, so keep your mind, and options, open.

Traditional Blogs: these are what most people think of when they ask “have you read that blog?”  They are written posts, usually ranging from 500-1,000 words, which are on blogging specific platforms.  The most common sites for blogs are:

Blogger              https://www.blogger.com

WordPress         http://wordpress.org/ or http://wordpress.com/

Weebly              http://www.weebly.com/

Postach.io          NEW!!!  http://www.postach.io/

Medium             http://bit.ly/1Rl0afa

Dropplets          http://dropplets.com/

Image Based Blogs: these types of blogs are more image centric and can be shorter than a traditional word driven blog from a few sentences to a few paragraphs.  A few of these are:

Tumblr              https://www.tumblr.com/ (also considered a micro or video blog)

Instagram          https://instagram.com/               (also considered a video blog) 

Pintrest              https://www.pinterest.com/

Short Attention Span Blogs: this is what I like to call micro blogging.  These are designed to capture snippets of an idea, image, thought, or to pass on information quickly.  These sites come and go, but Twitter https://twitter.com/ seems to be the main stay for this category.

            

Audio / Visual Blogs:  if you are interested in talking instead of typing, or maybe you like to create videos, well a vlog may be right up your alley.  Two sites that you should look at are:

             YouTube                        http://youtube.com/

             Google Hangouts http://www.google.com/+/learnmore/hangouts/onair.html

            

Step 3: What do I write?

Many people get blocked at the point where they need to start creating or maintaining a blog.  It could be for many reasons: fear, uncertainty, or even just because they aren’t really sure what they want to do with their creation.  Think back again to why you wanted write a blog and then let the ideas flow.

Sometimes all you need to do is make a list to help you focus.  You have your reason(s) to write, now think about who you want to reach and how you want to reach them.  If you want to tell family stories, maybe you want to consider small vignettes about various ancestors.  Perhaps you want to chronicle your research journey.  In that case you might want to think about treating your blog like a journal.  A blog can be an expression of your genealogical journey, don’t be afraid to embrace it!

Blogs also tend to be less formal and more conversational in tone.  This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t cite your sources or provide less than quality information.  It does mean that you don’t need to worry about formal language or an academic structure to your piece.  All you need to do is find your voice, and that comes with trial, error and practice. 

However, while you are finding your voice, don’t forget to spell and grammar check.  You may need to find a friend to help but make sure they are someone who will be honest with you and correct you.  Not someone who will tell you how awesome you write.  Thankfully you can always correct a published post later, weeks later even, if you find an error.

Step 4: Picking out the wallpaper.

Like I said above, I feel your blog is an expression of your genealogical journey, and of course your personality.  However, before you design logos or pick out wallpaper colors, remember that you need to think about what you want to express.  This is how the world will see you, because let’s be honest, many of the people who read your blog will never meet you in person.

At this point I suggest you look at a lot of different blogs.  What do you like or don’t like?  What do you like that really works or just makes your head hurt?  If you have these reactions to a site other people will to, so trust your gut.

A few things to keep in mind:

·        Pick a name that reflects your blog’s purpose

·        Clean lines are better than clutter

·        Darker letters on a lighter background are easier to see

·        Use images that are pertinent to your site/post

·        Make sure all of your links work (check back often)

Step 5: Buyer beware!

Of course a blog is a lot of work.  If someone tells you that it isn’t, well, they must either have no problems with writer’s block or have no life but their blog.  I have to schedule time each week for maintenance, writing, planning, and answering contacts plus much more.  Even with scheduling I still don’t get it all done and writing tends to be the one item that gets sacrificed frequently.  It shouldn’t be, it should be the priority.  With that in mind watch out for these problem areas with your blog.

First of all remember to cite your sources.  With blogs it’s very easy!  You can insert links directly into your post so people can go and see the source, location, image, or etc. for themselves.  This also goes for images.  There are so many amazing copyright free images out there you shouldn’t run into any issues. Just make sure to let your reader know about the image and if you can provide a link so they can go see it themselves.

To help with your writing you should consider using prompts or writing themes.  There are many out there that you can use or participate in.  If you find that you are running out of ideas or are just plain stuck consider using a writing prompt to get you going again.

Of course writing is what will keep your blog alive.  The way that you can stay on track and not flounder would be to create a posting schedule.  Using your theme, schedule out several months ahead of time what you want to write about and when.  You can set your calendar up in a way that works for you but remember consistency is key.  If you don’t write, or you let your blog go for too long, you will lose readers.  There are several websites, apps and even paper blog planners available on the market for you to choose from.

Further reading:

There are not a lot of resources out there specifically for genealogy or hobby blogs.  Most are about how to make money at blogging, but they still have good advice.  Just apply it to what you want to do. 

Also, I suggest you read books by writers about writing.  There is no better way to get better at something than doing a lot of it and learning from those who you admire already in that field.  For example I love Stephen King’s book On Writing.  It was a great look at the creative process, ideas about what and how to write, plus snips into his past and personal struggles.  Even if you don’t care for his novels this is an honest look into the mind of a writer. 

I included some books and websites below that I enjoyed and learned a lot from.  Good luck and have fun blogging!

“2015 Best Blog Services Review,” from 10TopTenReviews.com http://blog-services-review.toptenreviews.com/

Amir, Nina, Christina Katz, and Chris Garrett. How to Blog a Book: Write, Publish, and Promote Your Work One Post at a Time. Blue Ash, OH: Writer's Digest Books, 2012.

"Be A Blogger Series (1 - 10) - Ohksocialmedia." Peppercorn Creative. August 12, 2013. Accessed May 1, 2015. http://peppercorncreative.com/be-a-blogger-why-you-need-a-blog/.

Becker, Joshua. "15 Reasons I Think You Should Blog." Becoming Minimalist. April 11, 2011. Accessed May 2015. http://www.becomingminimalist.com/15-reasons-i-think-you-should-blog/.

Ginny Soskey, “How to Choose the Best Platform for Your Blog,” from Shareaholic.com https://blog.shareaholic.com/best-blogging-platform/

MacEntee, Thomas. "A Genealogy Blog Primer." GeneaBloggers. 2010. Accessed May 1, 2015. http://www.geneabloggers.com/genealogy-blog-primer/.

Millburn, Joshua Fields. "How to Start a Successful Blog Today | The Minimalists." The Minimalists. April 11, 2011. Accessed May 1, 2015. http://www.theminimalists.com/blog/.

Moore, Dinty W. Crafting the Personal Essay a Guide for Writing and Publishing Creative Nonfiction. Cincinnati, Ohio: Writer's Digest Books, 2010.

Powell, Kimberly. "Blogging Your Family History Search - Creating a Genealogy Blog." About Parenting. Accessed May 1, 2015. http://genealogy.about.com/od/publishing/a/blogging.htm.

Ramsey. "Revealed: 19 Things to Know Before You Start a Blog." Blog Tyrant Start a Blog and Work from the Couch. 2014. Accessed May 1, 2015. http://www.blogtyrant.com/start-a-blog-2014/.

Saleh, Naveed. The Complete Guide to Article Writing: How to Write Successful Articles for Online and Print Markets. Cincinnati: Writers Digest Books, 2013.

Smith, Marion. The Memoir Project: A Thoroughly Non-standardized Text for Writing--and Life. New York: Grand Central Pub., 2011.

Veer. "Create A Blog From Scratch Step By Step For Beginners - HOW TO START BLOGGING TIPS." TECHIGYAAN. June 10, 2012. Accessed May 1, 2015. http://techigyaan.com/create-a-blog-from-scratch/.

White, Fred D. Where Do You Get Your Ideas? A Writer's Guide to Transforming Notions into Narratives. Cincinnati, Ohio: Writers Digest Books, 2012.