CategoriesFunPersonalTechnology

The Tech-Savvy Genealogist

Geniaus created The Tech-Savvy Genealogist Meme, I borrowed it from Genea-Musings. This one is more up my alley since I’ve been involved in technology since I was a little boy.

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 (color 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 [not a tablet, but both an Android phone and an iPhone]
  2. Use a tablet or iPad for genealogy related purposes
  3. Use a Kindle, Nook, or other e-reader for genealogy related purposes [Have a Kindle, but have only read fiction on it so far]
  4. Have used Skype or Google Video Chat to for genealogy purposes
  5. Have used a camera to capture images in a library/archives/ancestor’s home
  6. Use a genealogy software program on your computer to manage your family tree [RootsMagic, mainly]
  7. Use multiple genealogy software programs because they each have different functionalities.
  8. Have a Twitter account [@brianjz]
  9. Tweet daily
  10. Have a genealogy blog. [How’d you guess?]
    Read the rest. 

  11. Have more than one genealogy blog [Also have the Graveyard Rabbit site and my “Everything” sites.]
  12. Have lectured/presented to a genealogy group on a technology topic
  13. Currently an active member of Genealogy Wise [I do, but I haven’t used it in a long time]
  14. Have a Facebook Account
  15. Have connected with genealogists via Facebook
  16. Maintain a genealogy related Facebook Page
  17. Maintain a blog or website for a genealogy society. [I’ve tried twice to take over the Ashland Co. Wisconsin GenWeb site, but no responses both times. Frustrating.]
  18. Have submitted text corrections online to Ancestry, Trove or a similar site
  19. Have added content to a Person Page on Fold3 (formerly Footnote)
  20. Have registered a domain name [Many, many domain names]
  21. Post regularly to Google+
  22. Have participated in a genealogy-related Google+ hangout
  23. Have a blog listed on Geneabloggers
  24. Have a blog listed on Cyndi’s List
  25. Have transcribed/indexed records for FamilySearch or a similar project
  26. Have converted a family audiotape to digital
  27. Have converted a family videotape to digital
  28. Have converted family movies pre-dating videotape to digital. [A video taken in the the 1940s, though it was on VHS already, but I cleaned it up.]
  29. Own a Flip-Pal or hand-held scanner

  30. Can code a webpage in .html
  31. Can code a webpage in .html using Notepad (or any other text-only software) [And I’m proud of it..]
  32. Can write scripts for your webpage in at least one programming language
  33. Can write scripts for your webpage in multiple programming languages
  34. Own a smartphone
  35. Have a personal subscription to one or more paid genealogy databases
  36. Have a local library card that offers you home access to online databases, and you use that access.
  37. Use a digital voice recorder to record genealogy lectures
  38. Have contributed to a genealogy blog carnival
  39. Have hosted a genealogy blog carnival
  40. Use an Internet Browser that didn’t come installed on your computer [Mainly Chrome]
  41. Have participated in a genealogy webinar
  42. Have taken a DNA test for genealogy purposes [Did it first to Genographic Project and then on 23AndMe]
  43. Have a personal genealogy website
  44. Have found mention of an ancestor in an online newspaper archive
  45. Have tweeted during a genealogy lecture
  46. Have tweeted during a family reunion
  47. Have scanned your hardcopy genealogy files
  48. Use an RSS Reader to follow genealogy news and blogs
  49. Have uploaded a gedcom file to a site like Geni, MyHeritage or Ancestry
  50. Own a netbook
  51. Use a computer/tablet/smartphone to take genealogy lecture notes
  52. Have a profile on LinkedIn that mentions your genealogy habit
  53. Have developed a genealogy software program, app or widget [I put together a jQuery widget on my last theme that pulled info from my family tree.]
  54. Have listened to a genealogy podcast online
  55. Have downloaded genealogy podcasts for later listening
  56. Backup your files to a portable hard drive
  57. Have a copy of your genealogy files stored offsite
  58. Know about RootsTech
  59. Have listened to a BlogTalk radio session about genealogy
  60. Use Dropbox, SugarSync or other service to save documents in the cloud [Carbonite]

  61. Schedule regular email backups [Don’t need to since I am using Gmail, automatically backed up]
  62. Have contributed to the FamilySearch Wiki
  63. Have scanned and tagged your genealogy photographs [Use Picasa]
  64. Have published a genealogy book in an online/digital format [shared with family members]
  65. Brought a USB device to a microfilm repository so you could download instead of print.
  66. Have a wearable USB device containing important files. (Watch, keychain necklace, etc)
  67. Created a map on Google Maps plotting ancestral homes or businesses. [Yes, and it’s extremely helpful. Try it.]
  68. Recorded the GPS coordinates for a tombstone, or ancestral home
  69. Edited the Wikipedia entry for an ancestor, or their kin [I added some info the the Zalewski entry. My site is still listed on it.]
  70. Created an entry at FindAGrave for a person
  71. Created an entry at FindAGrave for a cemetery
  72. Have downloaded a video (for genealogical purposes) from YouTube or other streaming video site using KeepVid.com, or in some other fashion
  73. Have transferred a video from a DVR to your computer for genealogical purposes
  74. Have participated in a ScanFest
  75. Have started a Genealogy-related meme at least one other geneablogger participated in.
  76. Have started a Genealogy-related weekly blogging theme other geneabloggers participated in.
  77. Have used Photoshop (or other editing software) to “˜clean up’ an old family photo
  78. Done digital scrapbooking
  79. Printed out a satellite photo from Google Maps of a cemetery, and marked where a tombstone was located on it.
  80. Uploaded the MediaWiki software (or TikiWiki, or PhpWiki) to your family website. [My wiki is here.]

Published by Brian Zalewski

I started genealogy research about mid-1999. My grandfather had passed away in April of that year. Since then I’ve done a lot of research not only for myself, but for friends and other relatives. In 2006, I married the love of my life, Darcy, and welcomed the birth of our daughter, Aerissa Jean, in 2010 and our son, Xander Lee, in 2012. I can’t wait to tell them stories about all of their ancestors.