Genealogy Forum NEWS
June 1999







Beginner's SIG
(Special Interest Group)
edited by GFS Gary@aol.com

The Genealogy Forum found on America Online at
keyword: ROOTS is just the place to start your online search for family ties. We've got all sorts of advice for those just starting out with the computer (but experienced in genealogy) as well as those who are experienced computer users (who are just getting into discovering their roots!)

Feel free to stop in the For Starters Conference Room on every night from 8pm-12 midnight Eastern US time. There are experienced chat hosts there to help you begin your quest. Be sure to check out the Beginner's Chat Schedule, as we've even got a few daytime chats.

The For Starters Conference 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 be friendly and easy -- putting you at ease with this giant step you are taking. Our goal is to help you solve the problems you are encountering in your research.

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.

Special Topics - Beginning SIG

You are invited to Tuesday Evening Special Chats from 8 PM to 10 PM EST
with your hosts GFSRA@aol.com, GFSCO2@aol.com, and GFSLadyJay@aol.com

Scheduled Topics For June 1999 include:

Tuesday June 8, 1999 - Land Records with speaker GFS Heather@aol.com

Tuesday June 22, 1999 -Texas Research with speaker GFSWaffle@aol.com

Over the past months, we've had guest hosts speaking on a variety of topics. If you'd like to get the logs of the previous discussions, sign on to AOL, then follow these steps:

  • Click on FILES
  • Click on LOGS
  • Click on NEWSLETTERS and MORE
  • Clilck on BEGINNERS

 

Chat Hints
submitted by GFSDiana@aol.com

Here are a few hints to make your chat experiences more valuable:

There are three basic types of chat in the AOL Genealogy Forum:

  • Beginners (in the For Starters Chat Room). These are limited to 23 people at a time, so the conversation may be easier to follow. The hosts are there specifically to help beginners find their way around - both in the Forum and in genealogical research. Bring your questions, or just lurk and learn
  • General (in the Family Treehouse Chat Room). These have up to 46 at a time, so conversations sometimes go flying by. It's best to have some chat experience first, but then this is a wonderful place to learn and grow - and make connections with cousins!
  • Specialized Chats (various other Chat Rooms). The chat schedule is reached by clicking on Chats on the main screen (KEYWORD: ROOTS), then looking for the Chat Topics in the list. These have hosts who specialize in whatever topic is being discussed, so you can often get help with particularly thorny problems on a specific area, ethnic or religious problem, etc. - not only from the hosts, but also from the others in the chat who are interested in that subject and may have just the experience you need.

As soon as you enter the chat room, turn on your chat log (see instructions below)

  • Respond to greetings from the hosts and others, but try not to greet EACH person individually - usually a pleasant "Hi, Room!" will work (maybe just a few special {{{{hugs}}} since we ARE all family).
  • Lurk for a few minutes to see the procedures in the room - if in doubt, ask one of the hosts (GF* names) to ask if something is appropriate.
  • DO put your surnames in ALL CAPS. Remember that many chats ask you submit surnames only when a "Surname Roll Call" is announced. Again, if in doubt, ask. [When a Surname Roll Call is announced, post your surnames IN CAPS. Often it is helpful to indicate a state, region, or time period (at least a century). If you are in a state, region, or ethnic chat, please confine your list to those appropriate to that chat.]
  • Remember that we all come to genealogy chats to do genealogy. Take lengthy personal conversations to IMs or email.
  • If you ask a question and it is not immediately answered, be patient - if it is not answered in a few minutes, ask again (still politely) - it may have been missed the first time.
  • Sound waves are not appropriate in most genealogy chat rooms.
  • Don't just take information - try to give some too, whether it's a neat new web site you found, or some research technique that you have discovered. Some commonly-used acronyms to know:

LOL - laughing out loud
ROFL - rolling on the floor laughing
TTYL - talk to you later
TTFN - ta-ta for now
AFK - away from the keyboard
BRB - be right back
{{{{ name }}}} - hugs to an online friend

That's a start! Just remember to be polite, just like Mama said - and remember that genealogists are all cousins somewhere along the way!

BACK to Cover Page - GFSNEWS 6/99

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Content © 1999-2005 GFNEWS, a monthly publication of the Golden Gates Genealogy Forum, Inc. of Armada, MI
The Editors welcome your ideas and articles, success stories, favorite genealogy research tips, comments and suggestions.