The advent of the Internet opened up a new world for genealogists. For the first time, genealogist could find the
information that they needed at their fingertips. Like the opportunities that the Internet brought, social networking
has opened up new possibilities that promise to enhance genealogy even more.
What is social networking? According to Wictionary, it is the interaction between a group of people who share a common
interest. Social networking is part of an even larger vision of what the internet is developing into called Web 2.0.
Web 2.0 is the second generation of web development that is all about collaboration and communication. It includes 'new'
ideas in internet sites like wikis, blogs, social networking sites, and video sharing. Social networking seems to be one
of those ideas that people love or hate. When I was first encouraged to join Facebook, I resisted. All I knew of
social networking is that teenagers used it to post pictures and messages that they probably should keep to themselves.
Reluctantly, I did open a Facebook account and haven't looked back. My own experience using Facebook and Twitter has
allowed me to learn from other genealogists, share information, stay in contact with family who live far away, and
share old photos.
To give you an idea of how social networking can benefit you genealogy I have asked some of my blogging/social networking
friends to explain how the use of Facebook, Twitter and blogging has enhanced their genealogy.
Becky Jamison
Becky Jamison, the author of the blog,
http://beckysgraceandglory.blogspot.com writes the following.
It's been less than a year since I discovered Facebook, but has been an action-packed 11 months in the online world.
Through the nearly 400 friends I've connected with who are interested in genealogy, I've been gifted with new resources,
cutting-edge developments in the field, and made the acquaintance of many professionals and have established friendships
with other researchers who have blessed me with encouragement, support, compliments (which go a long way!), ideas,
and have taught me skills and lessons almost daily!
It was through my connections on Facebook that I learned how to develop a blog and how to manage it, make it interesting
and of value to others. And blogging has opened new windows of opportunity to me too! I've become good friends with a 2nd
cousin, and we've shared with each other our libraries of old family photos. I've connected with others sharing surnames
of my ancestors. For the first time in my life last month I attended a Family History Expo and met many professional
genealogists. That was a thrill for me and helped develop more confidence in my abilities to research, blog and
communicate with others in the field. Without Facebook I wouldn't have been aware of the Expo and without my blog I
wouldn't have been able to share that experience with my family, friends and fellow "geneabloggers".
I also established a presence on Twitter and have found it to be most useful in the sharing of current developments in
the field of family history research, as links and news are posted up-to-the-minute!
The new social media tools of Facebook, Twitter and blogging have enabled me to bring my genealogy activities to a new
level and I'm happy to be involved in this vibrant work in a day when so much has been established to aid me in my
genealogy work, whether it's researching, teaching, preserving, or simply sharing.
Amy Lenertz Coffin
Amy Lenertz Coffin whose blog We Tree,
http://wetree.blogspot.com/, includes her own thoughts on genealogy as
well as a calendar of Texas genealogical events, had this to say about social networking.
I use my blog to highlight my research focus and maintain a dialogue about events in the genealogy world. This is a great,
search-engine friendly platform that reaches a wide audience. Facebook provides me with an introduction to other family
historians, in turn leading to many friendships and an increase in readers of my blog. Twitter provides the avenue for
real-time genealogy news and at conferences and blog update announcements.
The use of Blogger, Facebook and Twitter together has greatly benefitted my family history pursuit, genealogy social
circle and research experience. I consider each of these sites essential to my online genealogy toolbox.
Miriam Robbins Midkiff
Miriam Robbins Midkiff lives in Spokane, Washington and blogs about her genealogy at http://ancestories1.blogspot.com.
Look for her on Twitter ,http://twitter.com/kidmiff, and Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=781292515,
as well! As a sidenote, Miriam Robbins Midkiff , is the reason that I joined Facebook. Last year she invited me to join
the geneabloggers group, an invitation I ignored for a while thinking that I didn't need to add social networking to my
list of things to do. Of social networking she writes,
Say the phrase "social networking" to a group of genealogists and you'll get a wide range of responses.
Some will give you a blank stare, others will ask why on earth a genealogist would need to use Facebook, Twitter,
or a genealogy blog, and still others will launch into the telling of a success story or two they've garnered by
utilizing social networking in their research and genealogy education, or by connecting with a distant cousin.
I'm definitely in the latter group, and I can't tell you how exciting it is to hear from a person who has the family
Bible, obituaries, or photos - someone who has discovered me on Facebook or one of my genealogy blogs and is willing to
share or exchange information with me!
Using Facebook , I've been able to get in touch with a number of cousins, many of whom live across the country, and share
with them the family stories while adding their personal data to my family tree database. And then there's Twitter;
I wasn't able to attend the Southern California Genealogical Society's Jamboree last month, but via Twitter I was able
to read blow-by-blow accounts of the bloggers' summit and the genealogy bloggers meet up. I felt like I was right there
with them, and even could respond and ask questions of my fellow "Twitter-ers"! I also keep up-to-date with my favorite
genealogy subscription websites with their blogs, Twitter and Facebook accounts, and always look forward to the latest
press releases announcing new helpful databases for my research.
Lastly, don't be afraid to ask questions or for assistance! Genealogists are some of the most helpful individuals out
there and always love to share their knowledge with others. Just like learning to ride a bicycle, there may be some
initial falling down and frustration involved, but soon you, too, will be flying along with all the other genealogists on
Facebook, Twitter, and the genealogy blogs! Won't that be something to brag to your teens or grandkids about!"
Thomas MacEntee
Thomas MacEntee is a blogger extraordinaire. He writes blogs that feature his own research as well as those that help
other genealogists with technology. His comments about Facebook, Twitter and Blogging are the following.
Facebook is probably the leading social networking site right now and definitely has an appeal to the 55 and older crowd
since it appears to be a bit more serious and useful than MySpace. Facebook allows you to connect with many different
people all on different levels - and you are in control of how much personal information you wish to share and with whom.
In terms of my research, Facebook has allowed me to find living cousins - even first cousins that I've lost track of -
and discuss our common family history. I would never have been able to pursue my MacEntee/McEntee research and discover
vital information without being able to search for other MacEntees on Facebook.
In terms of education, I've been able to follow many other genealogists who offer online seminars or who have great
websites with information on the genealogy industry. I know I could find these same sites using search engines, but
there is more of a personal touch when you actual "friend" these people on Facebook - it is easy to drop them a message
and ask questions and they can do the same and offer you encouragement.
As opposed to Facebook, Twitter is much more "instant" and "in the now" than Facebook. Twitter is a messaging platform
in which - just like Facebook Friends - you gather Twitter Followers. These are people who find your messages interesting
and decide to follow you. Twitter is different than simple text messaging in that you are limited to 140 characters and
you have a band of followers.
In terms of my research, I actively "tweet" (the act of sending messages on Twitter) the surnames that I am searching for
especially the ones for whom I have brick walls. My followers see these messages and they have offered some great advice
for research or even have told me they share common ancestors with me!
Why are Facebook and Twitter important and why can't someone just network the old fashioned way - in person? First,
networking the old fashioned way is expensive - think about how much you could spend on attending genealogy conferences,
or traveling to libraries and archives or genealogical societies to meet up with others and share knowledge? With social
networking you can reach long, long distances - even across the pond - for almost no cost at all. And usually you are
contacting people who have already advertised their body of knowledge and expertise.
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