Nov 272016
As an Ambassador Family Search gave me a Rootstech pass to give away. I asked the entrants to chose a session they really wanted to attend at RootsTech and tell me why that session appealed to them.
There are so many wonderful sessions on such a range of topics. These are just a few of the range of topics picked by entrants and for a range of reasons:
Presentation: ‘Using Autosomal DNA to Help Extend a Linage’ – Friday 11am session. Why? DNA is becoming a widely accepted method for tracing family lines, proving and in some cases disproving relationships. I would like to know how to get more from my results and in doing so be able to share this with others so they do can get more from their results.
Presentation: RT1490 Kitty Cooper on Triangulating DNA since I continue to be befuddled.
Presentation: “The Scottish Poor Law: a source for genealogists”. This is of interest as it’s something I haven’t tapped into yet, and heavens knows many of my Scottish ancestors were poor.
Presentation: “The Scottish Poor Law: a source for genealogists”. This is of interest as it’s something I haven’t tapped into yet, and heavens knows many of my Scottish ancestors were poor.
Presentation: RT1337 Thomas MacEntee “Can I Use That In My Genealogy? A Copyright Primer”
Thomas MacEntee is a very interesting well researched speaker and while a lot of the copyright information he presents would be US specific the principles would apply in Australia with the relevant legislation.
Presentation: “Using Evernote for Capturing Notes and Ideas” by Drew Smith would most certainly be beneficial for me. I’m still struggling with Evernote, so I have no doubt I’d learn oodles.
Presentation: Handwritten Text Recognition Technology, Eric Pfarl, Qidenus
I’m very interested in this class. Some of the toughest research problems arise in transcribing and translating handwritten records. I’m volunteer at a local Family History Center and often researchers come in a brickwall that involves the misinterpretation of a handwritten record.
Presentation: Family Storytelling – High Touch and High Tech. In the past, there have only been a few of my family members who were interested in family history research, and only slightly more who were a vaguely willing to listen to our latest finds or answer questions.
Then out of the blue a few years ago, my sister produced a New Testament that had belonged to her mother. We had begged to see that book ever since us younger ones learned of its existence, but she had never been willing to get it out for us. Two years ago our family reunion was held at her home. Not only did she produce her mom’s New Testament, but she came up with a couple of things that she didn’t even know she had – including a crocheted bookmark with our grandfather’s initials in the pattern. (I can guess that my mother probably made it and Grandpa obviously never received it. Mom never met him since he lived on the other side of the country. Did she make it and learn of his death before she could mail it to him?). I suspect that there was a story there, but we will never know. At that reunion, I passed out a questionnaire about our family – just from Dad and both wives (not polygamist!) and their descendants. That got everyone’s attention. Even those who refused to fill one out got involved with helping their kids, nephews, nieces, grandkids or by just listening. Everyone insisted that I provide the answers and discussion and stories flowed! But the neatest things were that each one, even the genealogists in the group, learned things about the younger generations and there was a unanimous request for family history to become a regular part of our reunions from now on!!!!
While I wished I could have given every entrant this amazing prize valued at US$299, with the aid of an online random number generator I am pleased to announce that Roger Moffatt of Michigan is the winner!
Note as a Rootstech Speaker I have been given a free personal registration to Rootstech. I would also have been given a free registration as a Rootstech Ambassador.