Genealogy Forum NEWS
February, 1999
Beginners
BEGINNER RESOURCES
submitted by GFS Gary@aol.com
Remember you are not alone in starting out!
-- Feel free to drop by the Beginners' Center and see what we have available to assist you.
-- Also feel free to stop in the For Starters Conference Room, where there are always hosts there who are willing to help with any questions you may have :) There are chats going on every night from 8pm-12 midnight Eastern Time, and also some during the day. So be sure to check out the Beginner's Chat Schedule.
Looking forward to seeing you soon!
Special Invitations From Your Friendly Hosts
Submitted by GFS Gary@aol.com
Here are special welcomes from some of the sessions held weekly in the For Starters Conference Room. This room holds 23 people, mostly beginners who want to learn more about getting started on their quest for finding ancestors.
One of the goals in this chat room is to become friends and put you at ease about this giant step you are taking, whether as a beginner in genealogy or doing research on the Internet. We like to promote the goals of the AOL Genealogy Forum, which are to meet your needs and be available to help you solve problems in your search.
These are exciting times, the information revolution now taking place will have a big impact on our genealogy and our lives. We can take advantage of all this technology and information or let it pass us by, this is our decision to make and the longer we wait to get started the harder it will be to catch up.
So Y’all come on and visit us soon.
Monday Evening from 8PM to 9PM
GFS CarlaD & GFS Marcia
Lost, confused, don't know how to get started, don't know who to start with?
Well, we have just the answer for you! A wonderful chat room for beginners. The dynamic duo (GFSCarlaD and GFS Marcia) are there every Monday evening from 8PM - 9PM (ET) to answer all of your questions about getting started. And if you have a question about your Dutch family; well, these are the two to ask; we can steer you in the right direction. [We also host the Dutch SIG on Tuesday evening 9PM - 10PM (ET) in the Golden Gates Chat Room. Drop in there, too. We have talks once a month on our Dutch backgrounds, and about wooden shoes, blushing Dutch brides, and what the holidays are like in Holland.] We have all become such good friends.
Always make sure you document what you find. And record where you found the information.; was it at the library, Historical center, or the Archives; or maybe you spent the day at the LDS [Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints] Family History Center - be sure and write that down too. These are all repositories that will help you with your search for information. Realize you are not going to find all your answers on the Internet. It takes digging and searching, and driving, and walking! Like putting together a puzzle: what joy and fun when it's done. The most important thing is … don't think you will finish in a day, a week or a year! Remember, the first ancestor is hiding and you must find him!!!
Monday Evening from 11 PM to Midnight
(8 PM to 9 PM Pacific Time)
GFS Tracy & GFS Too (Janice)
WEST COAST PRIME TIME SPECIAL
Is your genealogy keeping you up late at night?? Can't sleep?? Or do you live on the west coast?? You are hereby personally invited to join GFS Tracy and GFS Too (Janice) for tips and tricks on getting started with your genealogy. We are ready and raring to help answer your questions on where to start and what resources are available to assist you. Hope to see you there next Monday!!
Tuesday Evening from 8 PM to 10 PM
GFS RA & GFS CO2 & GFSLadyJay
Scheduled Talks For February 1999
February 5, 1999
GFS CO2 will be giving a short talk on the Social Security Death Index
February 9, 1999
GFS RA or HutHut98 will be giving short informative talk on Gleaning Information from LDS
February 16, 1999
We will be running a talk by Bradbox on Searching in the United Kingdom. [Please excuse Bradbox for not being here in person, but it is after all 2:00 AM in England at this time :-) ]
February 23, 1999
Talk on Canada given by GFS Joe
NOTE: We are still looking for speakers !!! So please !! If you have an area of interest feel free to Write to GFSRA or GFSLadyJay. We would love to have you speak for us!! As you can see, we are running out of folks!!! We would love to be able to continue this, but without help I am afraid it will die!! YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A GENEALOGY FORUM STAFF MEMBER TO HELP OUT!!!!!!!! Any one is welcome!!!
Friday Night from 10 PM to midnight
GFS Susan & GFS Tracy
We particularly enjoy helping beginners with questions on the basics of getting started in your family research in the US and Canada.
Saturday night from 10-12
GFS Jill & GFS Barb & GFSTEG
We try to give you the basics of how to start, where is the best place to look, why you should do things in a certain order (such as do everything BACKWARDS: example, start with yourself and work back to parents then grandparents, etc.; check Death Certificates before birth and marriage). Sometimes our chats might sound like they are on subjects other than genealogy, but most things connect to the past and present. For example, sometimes we talk about The Isle of Skye in Scotland as we have connections there. What we tell you about the Isle and its inhabitants can often be applied to other countries as well.
We suggest you visit the Forum page where there are a multitude of articles on how, where, when, who and why, including lessons to learn and lessons we have learned in our own research. These articles come from many years of researching tactics and are extremely beneficial to each of you. We explain that every section you click on in the forum page is a great resource. For instance, using the MESSAGE BOARDS, posting there by STATE and SURNAME, will eventually pay off with a discovery of someone doing the same research you are. Searching the phone area is helpful for finding living relatives or friends. Each place on the main forum page is a real treasure trove.
Some of our hosts’ favorite sites are:
The Golden Gate Genealogy Forum - AOL (Keyword ROOTS) Start Here
Beginners' Center (AOL Genealogy Forum - Keyword ROOTS)
Cyndi's List
http://www.cyndislist.com/
John Fuller & Chris Guant's Genealogy Sites
http://users.aol.com/johnf14246/gen_mail.html
Olive Tree
http://www.rootsweb.com/~ote/
Census Online
http://www.doitnow.com/%7Emoravia/census.html
Mayflower & New England
http://www.maddoxinteractive.com/mayflower/
History/Social Studies Web Site for K-12 Teachers
http://www.execpc.com/~dboals/geneo.html
USGenWeb
http://www.usgenweb.org/
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
http://www.rcfp.org/tapping/index.cgi
General Genealogy Libraries (AOL Genealogy Forum - Keyword ROOTS)
A Few Things I Wish I Had Known at the Very Beginning
Submitted by GFS Betsey@AOL.com
EDITOR'S NOTE: Thanks to GFSBetsey for providing her explanation of what to do when attending a chat that is held in "protocol."
It was a little over 4 years ago that I was in the same position that most of you are now... but I remember it well!! New, very new, I was a little daunted by the prospect of all the genealogy work I wanted to do, and by the mysteries of interacting with all those strangers on that strange new means of getting together: AOL. Today we'll deal with the mysteries of the social relationships and the rules of etiquette in the chat rooms of the Forum; your hosts will offer help later in the area of genealogy research per se. As with any meeting of strangers, it is very, very important that everyone be on his/her best behavior and uses those manners our mothers taught all of us.
Well, okay, you MAY put your elbows on the table. :)
Let's start by discussing Chat Room Protocol:
1. Think of the "speaker" as someone on a stage, at a podium, speaking to you on a specific topic. Just as you would not shout questions at a public speaker during his/her talk, so is it inappropriate to say (type) a word while the Forum speaker is presenting a "talk".
2. If you are bored to tears, then take a snooze, or leave the room and come back later, but don't interrupt!
3. At the end of the talk, the host will open the room to questions or comments; your hosts will always give you the guidelines, as they did today.
4. When invited to do so, type a "?" if you have a question, or type a "!" if you have a comment to make. Then, just sit back and wait to be called on by name... you will be, in turn. Oh, while you are waiting, it does speed things along if you have your question or comment already typed in and just waiting for you to hit the "send" button when called on. Only then is it appropriate for you to send any sort of sentence to the main screen. At the end of your question or comment, type in a "GA" or "go ahead" to indicate that you are through, and the turn will pass to the next person in the queue.
5. When the queue is empty of people waiting to make a comment or to ask a question, then your host will open the room to general chat and it's a free-for-all again! :D
Oh, a tip to make sure you are not embarrassed by intruding on a chat in protocol: when you first enter a conference or chat room, wait a minute before sending a message to the main screen... make sure it's an open chat before saying "hi" or anything else. This will save you embarrassment, and save the host the necessity of having to remind you about protocol on the main screen. OUCH!!
Okay, now to some of the most basic social niceties...You will have noticed that several times I've used what we call "smileys" to punctuate a sentence. These emoticons were developed because we cannot see each other to read each others' expressions or hear the giggling that lets us know something was said in a lighthearted way. These are so useful to help you express yourself that I suggest you each pick a couple of them to use regularly. Among the most commonly used emoticons are:
:) = smile
:( = sad, sorry
;) = wink
:D= big smile
{{{{{{name}}}}} = hugs
* = kiss
And among the most commonly used abbreviations in chat rooms are the following:
LOL = Laughing Out Loud;
OIC = Oh, I see;
BTW = By The Way;
BRB = Be Right Back (when you have to leave your keyboard for a minute);
AFK = Away From Keyboard;
BK = back (not away from the keyboard anymore);
ROFL= Rolling On the Floor Laughing;
TTYL = Talk To You Later;
TTFN = Ta-Ta For Now;
GMTA = Great Minds Think Alike;
<G> = Grin;
<VBG> = Very Big Grin;
<EG> = Evil Grin.
Well, that should give you all a good basis for understanding the shorthand you will most often see used in the Forum and in your e-mail. Feel free to ask about meanings if you see something you don't know or can't figure out.
Some of the folks will be using screen names which are not at all like their real names - I am "Tuation", for instance, when not in my GFS dress. :) Watch the screen carefully; you will see people saying hello and using the person's real name when they know him or her well. It's best to use the screen name of strangers, or a shortened version (like "Tu" for mine), until you have exchanged mail or been otherwise introduced. That won't be long!! :)
Oh, and anyone with a GFA, GFS, GFH, or GFL in front of his or her name is a member of the Genealogy Forum Staff and is there to help you. :D The only exception is our daily genealogy columnist DearMYRTLE.
So, you are ready to do a little genealogy, are you? Well, hold on... there are a few preparatory steps to take first, to make sure that you make the very best use of your time on line...
1. Have all of your genealogy materials easily accessible when you go on line.
2. You should have at least three or four surnames to begin work with, and you should have the places and approximate dates for those ancestors. It's frustrating to enter one of the SIGs (Special Interest Groups) without this very basic information. Remember, the more you know, the more likely it is that you will connect with another researcher!
3. Take the time to check the Schedule of Chats by Topics to make sure you are entering the correct room. There is nothing so exasperating to the hosts as having to tell person after person where they are when they first come in!!
4. Talk about ancestors appropriate for that room. No one in the Southern SIG, for instance, is going to be able to help you with your Rhode Island ancestors, and you do not want to take up the hosts' and other attendees' time with inappropriate questions.
5. Have your goals firmly in mind, and make sure that they are reasonable. It's a little ludicrous, for instance, to go in with only your grandfather's name and expect to connect to King David's son or to Charlemagne! LOL!! Therefore, the more you know about the times your ancestors lived in, the more likely you are to set reasonable goals and to ask the kinds of questions that will net results; so be aware of history... politics, migration patterns, economics, etc.
Do be aware that it is highly unlikely that any of you will ever be able to PROVE any lineage before the early 1500s! Sad, but very true! The serious genealogists online are always suspicious of those who claim to have ancestors on the Ark!! :D But that's another talk...
6. Once you're in the room and chatting with others, refrain from long-winded conversations on topics other than genealogy; it's fine to mention your weather, but keep it brief! If you just won the Pillsbury Bake-off, you may mention it, but don't take the time to give us all the recipe.
Now, let's take you into a room, and guide you through the process of getting some genealogy done..
At some point during the SIG, one of the hosts will announce an "Ancestor Roll Call" which means that everyone is to list the surnames of ancestors appropriate to that SIG. For instance, in the New England SIG, I would list my surnames like this: "in MA: ADAMS, BILLINGS, COLMAN, DAVIS, JARRAD, HANCOCK, LAWRENCE, PRESCOTT, WARE, WYMAN..." Note a couple of things here:
- Enter the room and watch the screen to make sure that there's not a formal chat going on.
- Send a greeting message to the room or to a host, like "Hi, everyone!" or "Hi, GFS Betsey".
- Oh, and do be sure that your caps lock is not on; to type a sentence with all caps is considered to be "shouting" and someone will likely ask you to be a little quieter. :( (All caps usage is reserved for surnames you are researching, and you may also use caps for emphasis, as in "Oh, I would NEVER have thought of that! Thanks!" )
- It's never a bad idea just to watch for a few minutes... to become familiar with the rhythm of the room and the names of the hosts. You might well notice that the room is very full and the hosts very busy; this knowledge will help you be a little patient if you ask a question and are not IMMEDIATELY answered. The hosts try VERY hard to greet and acknowledge everyone who enters the room, and they certainly try to answer all questions. Sadly, sometimes someone does go unnoticed. :( Wait a few minutes and send your question again.
- When possible, it is always best to start any question or comment with someone's name. For instance, I might send the question, "GFS Darcie, do you know where I can find the log from last week's New England SIG?" And she would respond, "Betsey, the logs are under the Genealogy Forum Library section titled 'Meeting Logs'." And I would respond, "Darcie, thanks! I'll try that." (Just like in "real" life, "thank you" is always appropriate.)
1. I begin by listing the state, then follow with the surnames, in CAPS, with a comma and a space between each.
Now you should be prepared for some response to your surnames! Someone is likely to write, "Betsey, you have LAWRENCE! Do you have Horace LAWRENCE m. 1878 Harriet Frances MANN?" (Note that surnames are always in CAPS!) It's going to take me a minute to check on that, so I type, "John, checking... " just to let him know I saw his question and will be away for a minute to get the answer. And an answer should always be given, even if it's only, "John, no, sorry! :( My LAWRENCEs are much earlier.... 1600s."
2. The surnames are in alphabetical order... easy for others to check for matches. And, once you begin searching logs for your surnames - and you will - you'll appreciate the wisdom of this system! This is so important that I will repeat it...always use caps when writing surnames you are researching, even when mentioning the name in a sentence such as "I have Henry ADAMS, b. 1676 in MA."
Also, remember, there will always be someone who asks a general question to the room at large, like "Anyone researching Rockingham County, NC?" If no one answers right away in the affirmative, it's helpful for someone to pick up the ball and reply "No, Bob345678, all my folks are in Robeson County. Sorry."
Everybody should always have the feeling that they are heard, and sometimes the other attendees are the best ones to do that for them. Basically, although there are hosts, we are all there to assist each other and to do what we can to make it a pleasant and productive experience for all! On those wonderful occasions when you do actually find a Cuz, though, and the two of you have a ton of information to share, you will find it a lot easier to send e-mail back and forth rather than to examine every nuance of your common lines in the main room. So, tell your new-found cousin that you will send e-mail... and do so! And, that will free you to look around for even more Cuzzes in the room! :D
So, to wrap this up, the finding of the magic cuz-connection is what we are all after as we mingle in the "cocktail party" atmosphere of the chat room. We arrive and socialize as guests making new friends but looking always for the rare few who share our exact same interests and lines. You may always choose to stand by the buffet and just watch, but to do so makes it less likely that you will find the Cuz you want.
So... get comfortable, mingle, be sociable, help others, and have a great time!
There are three things I can GUARANTEE that you will find to be true:
1. You will make more friends on AOL than you can now imagine;
2. You will be completely comfortable by your third or fourth SIG; and
3. There will be many, many occasions when you will be glad you know how to use "LOL!"
Happy ancestor hunting and great AOL times to you all!!
Webmaster Note: Chat Schedules are presented for historical purposes only. We no longer host live chats.
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Content © 1998 - 2004 GFNEWS, a monthly publication of Golden Gate Services, Inc. of Armada, MI The Editors welcome your ideas and articles, success stories, favorite genealogy research tips, comments and suggestions. The Genealogy Forum is a proud member of the FGS - Federation of Genealogical Societies