Posts Tagged ‘Website’

Family Stories That May Be Lost Forever

Posted: July 13, 2011 in data, discovering family, facts, Family, family stories, heirlooms, knowledge, share information
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Thank you Ancestry.com! I have made contact with family members I didn’t even know existed. By researching the Cornett/ Sutherland heritage on the web site, I have connected with others who are researching the same family as I am and what do you know? They’re actually family. This is very exciting! The branches of my tree have become so tangled and intertwined, but in such a good way. What a great way to share data gathered through web sites such as Ancestry, and being able to share that knowledge with your own family, is priceless.

Image Source: Family Stories
Photo Credit: Andrew Bret Wallis



I was just talking to my oldest son, John, who was recently asking about our ancestry. He has become somewhat curious about who his relations were back in the “old days”. I was so excited that he even asked, that I think I may have bored him with my rantings of our family tree and what I had found so far. When I was his age, I “tuned out” my family when I heard the stories of ancestors past. Now I’m kicking myself for not paying attention! I went into my own little world of music and television so I didn’t have to listen to boring stories that related to history of people I never even knew. Today, I really wished I had recorded their stories in some way. Now that the older generations in my family have passed on to a better place, there is no way I can get that history, or even the stories back. The stories seem to have died with them. 



Family stories casually chatted about at the dinner table, or told again and again at family gatherings can parallel great epics or notable short stories. The memorable stories of our lives and of others in our family take on special importance because they are true, even if everyone tells different versions of the same event. These tales are family heirlooms held in the heart not in the hand.


So knowing that I lost those memories forever, how do I continue my research into a quest for family stories that relate to my family? Any suggestions?

Thinking About Acquiring An Education In Genealogy? Read This First!

Posted: July 12, 2011 in Classes, education, genealogy courses, knowledge, online education, procedures, research, The National Genealogical Society
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green door & windows

green door & windows (Photo credit: peter.clark)

I love learning new things and furthering my education and knowledge. I was even thinking about taking some classes in Genealogy. I thought that maybe acquiring additional knowledge or procedures might just help me in my own research. Below is an article I found on the Genealogy.com web site in regards to certain institutions offering a beginners genealogy course. If you are interested in these types of classes, please check the qualifications and reputations of the instructor and the educational institution! Granted some may be free, but why risk being led in the wrong direction which in turn, could be a costly mistake in your research.


Students Beware!


“The Genealogical Web Site Watchdog warns of a free online course offered by the Iowa Digital Education Association. The Watchdog says, “There are 15 lessons in the course covering what one would expect to find in a beginning genealogy course. Problem is, much of the information is too generic to be useful and there is a lack of qualifications on how different laws and time periods affected the records available. Additionally, the beginning genealogist is frequently referred to secondary sources, with no mention of the primary sources and their availability. Granted, the course is free, but the cost can be high to someone sent off in the wrong direction with bad information.”

The Genealogical Web Site Watchdog also alerts genealogists about the Genealogy 2000 School of Genealogy which allows you to become an Ethel Torice Certified Family Genealogist (Certified Certificate Program), or an Ethel Torice Certified Professional Genealogist (Certified Diploma Program), or an Ethel Torice Certified Home-Based Business Genealogical Executive (Certified Diploma and Business Licensing Program). Watchdog states: The Ethel Torice Genealogical Society claims to be an umbrella group for a number of other organizations, some sharing the Torice name, but others with names that are deceptively similar to well-known national genealogical organizations with no connection to the organization. The society lists credentials of an unidentified “Educational Staff” that includes respected credentials awarded by recognized national accrediting bodies, but includes others unknown generally, like “Accredited Master Genealogist.”
This demonstrates how vulnerable we are to seemingly credible education. To prevent the cost of poor education, check out the credentials of instructors. Compare a sample lesson with lessons from another Web site.” Written by Kathleen W. Hinckley, CGRS


Kathleen W. Hinckley, is a Certified Genealogical Records Specialist, author, lecturer, and owner and operator of Family Detective. She also serves as the executive director of the Association of Professional Genealogists, and trustee for the Board for Certification of Genealogists.
 
But on the bright side, The National Genealogical Society offers this type of course free to their members, which only costs $60 for a one year membership. If interested, you can go to the following web site for further information. You can review the syllabus on this site also.
NGS Educational Courses




Source: 
Hinckley, Kathleen W. “Genealogical Education: Online and Home Study Courses.” Genealogy.com. Genealogy.com Web site, n.d. Web. 11 Jul 2011. <http://www.genealogy.com/57_kathy.html&gt;.

Genealogy Services~ Ways to Protect Yourself From Being a Scam Victim

Posted: June 28, 2011 in Complaints, Genealogy Services, protect yourself from fraud, Scam
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There are many reputable Genealogy web sites you can go to, but unfortunately there has been some not so savory websites that focus on what they get from you, and not what you can gain from them. They make fraudulent claims to sucker you in. They get your money for a “membership” and you get? NADA. No results. Guess what? ‘You just got scammed!’ Pathetic really, but how do you protect yourself from these types of predators that promise you everything, but in reality you really have nothing to show for your new “member privileges”?

Image Source
SCAM



Think about what you would do if you had never heard of a particular business before. Can you say Internet search? I do this all the time, for example I know someone who gets all this junk mail in their mailbox at home. They think it’s all on the up and up, but really if it weren’t for the Internet, I think a lot more people would be scammed out of their hard earned money ten-fold! Maybe even more. So I researched some of the companies that this person had gotten letters from, I can tell you there were many reports through both the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and a web site I use called Complaints Board. I have seen another web site called Rip Off Report, but have heard on the Complaints Board that they may even be a scam themselves. Who do you really trust these days? On the Rip Off Report web site I personally just like to read the web sites newest rip off reports, and there’s actually several, and some are businesses that we have heard off; big box stores like Wal-mart. Really? OH YEAH! For more information on this particular rip off, go to Rip Off Report – Complaints


Ask yourself these two questions first.
1. What types of services is this so-called Genealogy research company offering to you, the consumer? 
2. What am I getting for my money?


Next you will want to look for contact information, a physical address, phone number or even an email. You have probably heard the saying, “If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is!” This couldn’t be further from the truth. You know when a product or service is advertised as “FREE”, you have to ask yourself, “Okay, what’s the catch?” Nothing in this world is absolutely free of charge. Oh yeah, you can search a surname for free, (just an example) but to see what the real results are you have to pay. Hmmm.. sounds like a little bit of false advertisement, doesn’t it?


Check this out! I submitted a genealogy report on the Rip Off Report web site and just take a look at some of the reports they have listed. I do hope that no one was burned by any of these companies.


Genealogy Rip Off