Technology and You

There are times I'm sitting at home working hard on genealogy and doing research, when every three seconds I hear, "Mom! Mommy!" and children are fighting and whining. Suddenly I wish for the peacefulness of the library.  Other times it is pouring down rain, streets are flooding and the wind is blowing cold that I am grateful for the opportunity to search from the comfort of my favorite chair with wi-fi, a laptop, and a mug of yummy hot chocolate.

What do you miss about old time research?  What do you love about today's technology?  Share with us?

A Beginner's Guide

There are five basic types of genealogical information, Surname (Family Name), Given Name, Places, Dates, and Occupations.  Any and all of these pieces of information can (and usually do) lead you to another piece of information.  They are often found together, especially Family Name with a Given Name and Dates.

There are also five levels of the reliability of the source.  They are Knowledge of the Informant, Motivation of the Informant, Effect of Time, Copying and Compiling Errors, and Internet Research.  We all know that we can't believe everything we read off of the internet; we also know that people are humans and make mistakes in compiling information; we also know that time and motivation can effect a person's memory.  I've said it before and I'll say it again... "Check, Double Check, and if there is still any doubt, Triple Check your results!"  Find at least two or three sources that all agree on the information.

Share Your Plans!

What kind of e-books are you planning on making with your new ArtisticAncestry.com account?  I know that I am most excited about uploading the last pictures taken when my mother's entire family was together for a Christmas almost 15 years ago.  All of my aunts, uncles, cousins, my parents, and my grandmother.  I'm going to put the pictures together with their favorite memories, or for those who have passed away some favorite memories of them.  Then I'll progress backwards and tell more family stories in subsequent e-books!

Share your plans with us!

And Now Presenting...

May I have a drum roll please?  It is my pleasure to present...... Our App Button and other screen shots!  We're finally to the point where we can share some of this info!

Real Time Genealogy Project

National Geographic in conjunction with IBM are giving you the opportunity to be part of a "real time" genealogical research project. The Wiatt Family Foundation is going to attempt to sample and analyze over 100,000 DNA samples for indigenous people from around the world. 

The goal of this project is to research how the Earth was populated and to learn more about the migratory path of humans. Proceeds from the sell of the kits are funneled back into the project to continue the research.

This is a link for a wonderful article with ways to get your own kit and see the results so far:

http://springlady.wordpress.com/2007/12/29/did-you-ever-wonder-about-your-most-ancient-ancestors/

A Little Sneaky Peek

Guess, what!!!!  We have been teasing you and flirting with you, but it's true! ArtisticAncestry.com is going to be launched really soon! We even have some screen shots to share with you this week.

 Screen shot 2012-09-15 at 12.09.52 PM.png  (Homepage)

2. Create Album first.png (Album)

4. Create Project.png (Creating Your Project)

We are so excited.  Beta tests are being ran, the App has been approved through Apple!  It's almost time.

Genealogy and Biblical Records

Genealogists are currently comparing the Biblical Record to the Historical Records, they are trying to find the time period that would best correspond to the activities taking place in the Bible from the time of Noah and the Great Flood to the Life of Abraham.  The subsequent generations from Noah and his son Shem to Abraham are so compressed that it is almost impossible to know how many generations are between Shem and Abrham.

Get Your GEDCOM Ready!

ArtisticAncestry.com are doing the last minute things to make sure our site is ready and as close to perfect as possible before we officially launch!  Here's a hint. Do you have your GEDCOM file ready, yet?  If not, download from legacyfamilytree.com. It interacts well with FamilySearch and Ancestry.com.

Sharing a Secret to Positive thinking.

As the economy and wars and troubles around us and in our families stack up we need to keep ourselves focused and remind ourselves that we ARE wonderful. Remember, the Lord doesn't have a tick-board of all our failures, but rather a list of when we acknowledged our sins/failings, stood back up and tried again! Don't allow the adversary to convict you of your short-comings! Use a positive feedback to stay energized. Here is a link to one you might enjoy... ShareTheSecret 

Give us your  Feedback on what you think of ArtisticAncestry.Blog!

Genealogy and Schools

National Geographic has been using genealogy to not only study Human Migration but other family tree and genetic occurrences. They are also using their initiative online to educate students. They have set up videos and reading materials, outline, questions for teacher's to assign, and even given project ideas to follow after the research. I would love to see more history teachers incorporating this genealogy study into their classroom curriculum!

What Is a Clan?

A clan is simply another form of an extended family. A clan's members typically claim a common relative. Clans bring together members of an extended family into one cohesive branch when they might otherwise be divided by different residences, age groups, and social status. Clan members become allies, often providing economic and social support for one another. Other names for a clan would be tribes, Buguu, Sarybagysh, and Adygine.

The Fearsome Warrior

The fearsome warrior, Genghis Khan, might have done more during the 13th century than spread his empire! A recent study of Y-chromosomes have found that nearly 8% of the men living in the region that was formerly the Mongolian empire carry y-chromosomes that are almost identical. This is almost equal to 0.5 percent of the world population of men or 16 million descendants alive today who could be descended from Genghis Khan.

The Black Sheep

That infamous black sheep in the family, the person that nobody really wants contact with, the person who makes tracing a family tree almost impossible. Do we all have them? No, not necessarily, but those who do have one, know how hard it is to follow the trail. So try searching sideways. Check to see if there is a mention of a brother or sister, or even a niece or nephew. Anybody the deceased might have felt a connection with. Then follow that trail as far backwards as possible and should lead you eventually back to his parents.