WEEK #3- #7

Week #3- #7 Technology and Genealogy: For many people advancements in technology have made quite the difference in how one is able to research a family tree. Last week I read a small piece in Ancestry.com magazine about how attendance at Genealogical Conferences and membership in Genealogical Societies has declined due to easier and speedier access to many records online. Years ago when I wanted to view a Federal Census to find out more about a family that was listed on it I had to either order a microfilm copy of that census from a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and then drive to that local Church location to view it or go to a historical society or research facility in the city or town where that census would have taken place and view it there. Both options were time consuming at best and very difficult to do even on a good day. Military records, ship manifests, land records, and many other records are available online for anyone to view from home from a comfortable chair. Years ago networking to find one's ancestors and relatives meant that you sent out letters and/or made many phone calls to track down your leads. Today anyone can use a query board to try to find "relative" information. For me , being able to access relevent records from the comfort of my home or from my library has been invaluable but there is a downside to easy access to all of this material. Networking face-to -face at a conference and/or sharing research tips at a Gen. Society meeting is an experience all in itself and the results can be much better than sharing printed info. with someone. Some ,if not all, of the information taken from online sources needs to taken with a grain of salt and verified from other sources. A novice needs to understand that ANYONE can post genealogical material online but it doesn't mean that it is accurate. I have met distant cousins online that I didn't know that I had , and I have found valuable information reviewing records that I would never have been able to see otherwise, so despite the fact that I am not technolo oriented I sure am using it in my own right.