Video: Lisa Kudrow on New 'Who Do You Think You Are' Season in the U.S.
Thursday, February 9, 2012

Lisa Kudrow says family histories of fellow actresses Marissa Tomei and Helen Hunt are included in season 3 of the series 'Who Do You Think You Are' she produces for NBC and shares how learning her background in season 1 affected her. You can watch the two minute nineteen second advertisement for th.. .. read more..

Plus Edition Newsletter Has Been Sent
Thursday, February 9, 2012

To all Plus Edition subscribers: The weekly Plus Edition weekly update notification was sent to your e-mail address on Sunday evening. If you have not yet seen it in your in-box, check your spam folder. If it is not there, please contact your e-mail provider to see why it was blocked. This week's en.. .. read more..

Largest Ever EOGN Dinner Held After RootsTech 2012
Wednesday, February 8, 2012

After most major genealogy conferences, I host a dinner for newsletter readers. This is a tradition started years ago with an informal "pick up" dinner at a local restaurant. The dinners have since grown into far bigger events, now held in hotel banquet rooms. Last Saturday evening, a few hours afte.. .. read more..

Ways and Means Committee Social Security Subcommittee Posts Video
Wednesday, February 8, 2012

I have written several times about the threats to genealogists from mis-guided politicians who seem to believe that restricting access to the Social Security Death Index somehow stop identity theft. As ludicrous as that thought may be, the idea is gaining traction in Washington, D.C. One recent arti.. .. read more..

Deceased Online adds First NW England Region to Database
Wednesday, February 8, 2012

The following announcement was written by Deceased Online: First region in Northwest England on UK’s only burial records database Cheshire West and Chester Council has become the first local authority in England’s Northwest to make all its burial and cremation records available through Deceased Onli.. .. read more..

RootsTech Wrap-up
Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Saturday was the third and final day of RootsTech 2012. The third day was a continuation of the first and second days. Great presentations were made and the Exhibitors Hall was as busy as ever. The first session of the morning featured a focus on the RootsTech Contest Winners. The third place winner.. .. read more..

RPAC Announces Stop ID Theft NOW! Campaign with White House Petition
Tuesday, February 7, 2012

The following announcement was written by The Records Preservation & Access Committee (RPAC) of the National Genealogical Society (NGS), the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) and the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS): Genealogy Community Responds To Efforts .. .. read more..

Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP) Registration Begins Tuesday
Monday, February 6, 2012

These courses should be very popular. I suspect the courses will fill up quickly, so I suggest you register as soon as the registrations open. The following announcement was written by the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh: Registration for the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsbur.. .. read more..

Announcing the 8th Annual Wholly Genes Genealogy Conference and Cruise
Monday, February 6, 2012

The following announcement was written by Wholly Genes, Inc.: The largest family history conference on the seas. COLUMBIA, MARYLAND -- 5 February 2012 -- Wholly Genes, Inc. announces the 2012 Genealogy Conference and Cruise, September 16-23, 2012, to Alaska’s Inside Passage. This annual conference h.. .. read more..

Announcing the Family History Information Standards Organisation (FHISO)
Monday, February 6, 2012

The following announcement was written by the Family History Information Standards Organisation: New standards-setting organisation formed to support Family History and Genealogy Salt Lake City, Utah, USA--Wednesday, February 1, 2012--FHISO (http://fhiso.org) is a newly-formed international organisa.. .. read more..

French Canadian Genetic Disorder Can Cause Killer Cholesterol Levels in even the..
Sunday, February 5, 2012

Do you have abnormally high cholesterol levels, even at a young age? Blame your ancetors! Familial hypercholesterolemia, known as FH, is a genetic disorder that causes extremely high cholesterol levels at an extremely young age. FH is found most often in people of Native American or French Canadian .. .. read more..

RootsTech 2012 Day #2 with Pictures
Saturday, February 4, 2012

RootsTech continued today with events and presentations similar to the first day. The day started with an informal keynote speech by Josh Coates, CEO of Instructure, an education-focused software company. Mr Coates also is the founder of Mozy. He also has a long list of impressive technological and .. .. read more..

RootsTech Announces Winners of the Developer Challenge
Saturday, February 4, 2012

The following announcement was written by the RootsTech organizers: Congratulations to the winners of the of the RootsTech Developer Challenge. First Place: Jimmy Zimmerman, NoteFuser NoteFuser connects your Evernote® notes to Geni.com or new.FamilySearch.org person records. It also allows you to ea.. .. read more..

MagiCensus Ready for 1940 Census
Friday, February 3, 2012

The following announcement was written by The MagiKey, LLC: Salt Lake City, February 3, 2012- The MagiKey, LLC proudly announces that the 1940 U.S. Census extraction forms are available in its new release of MagiCensus Deluxe (version 3.1). In the last year MagiCensus has more than doubled the numbe.. .. read more..

Funium LLC launches Family Village Premier
Friday, February 3, 2012

The following announcement was written by Funium LLC: February 3, 2012 Funium LLC, of Lehi, Utah announces the launch of Family Village Premier on Facebook. The social media game is oriented toward helping people have fun building their family tree and help them discover interesting documents and in.. .. read more..

RootsTech 2012 Day #1
Friday, February 3, 2012

The RootsTech conference kicked off this morning in Salt Lake City with more than 4,100 attendees. No, that number is not a misprint. More than four thousand one hundred genealogists pre-registered. However, when I walked past the registration desk in mid-morning, I saw a long line of people waiting.. .. read more..

Pictures from RootsTech 2012 Day #1
Friday, February 3, 2012

Here are a few of the pictures I took today. You can click on any image to see a larger picture: Think this room looked crowded? it has 3,000 to 4,000 seats and was the scene of today's keynote speech. The Mini Lab was available to all conference attendees. Anyone could take several software program.. .. read more..

brightsolid Enters US Genealogy Market with Pay-as-you-go Site censusrecords.com
Thursday, February 2, 2012

I mentioned earlier that brightsolid is about to enter the U.S. marketplace in a big way. Today, at RootsTech, the company released details. The following was written by brightsolid: brightsolid Enters US Genealogy Market With Ground-Breaking Pay-As-You-Go Site CensusRecords.com First pay-as-you-go .. .. read more..

Rare List of P.E.I. Acadians Discovered
Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Researching Acadian ancestors can be frustating at times. Now a new list of Acadians living in 1783 in Prince Edward Island has been discovered that may help solve many family mysteries. Acadian researchers at l'Université de Moncton have discovered a list of 289 names of Acadians who were living on.. .. read more..

Today's Newsletter is Sponsored by Ancestry.com
Wednesday, February 1, 2012

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On The Road Again, This Time to RootsTech
Wednesday, February 1, 2012

I travel often, as has been mentioned before in this newsletter. However, this week I am trying something new: I interrupted travel in order to travel someplace else. For the past month, I have been living in a motor home. However, today I will park the motor home in a storage lot, drive to a local .. .. read more..

Family Tree DNA Now Accepting 23andMe Raw Data Uploads
Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Writing in the Your Genetic Genealogist blog, CeCe Moore describes a new service from Family Tree DNA: the company is now accepting raw data uploads from 23andMe. Details may be found at http://goo.gl/o3euc. If you enjoyed this article, Tweet it, share it on Facebook or on your preferred social netw.. .. read more..

It is the First Day of the Month: Back Up Your Files!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012

It is the first day of the month. It's time to back up your genealogy files. Then test your backups! Actually, you can make backups at any time. However, it is easier and safer if you have a specific schedule. The first day of the month is easy to remember, so I would suggest you back up your geneal.. .. read more..

Mocavo Unveils New Products and Genealogy Content at RootsTech
Wednesday, February 1, 2012

RootsTech hasn't even started yet but the announcements are being made. The following was written by the staff at Mocavo, the genealogy search engine: Historical Record Storage and Sharing, iPhone and Android Apps, Discovery Stream Boulder, Colo., February 1, 2012 – Mocavo, the world’s largest free .. .. read more..

Find a Grave via Text Messaging
Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Tel Aviv's historic Trumpeldor Cemetery invites you to find graves by text messaging. For only one shekel, you can text the the deceased's full name and name of the father, and you will quickly receive the plot number of the grave. Now THAT's a practical application of text messaging! Details may be.. .. read more..

Fold3 Opens Nearly 3 Million African American Records For Free During Black Hist..
Tuesday, January 31, 2012

The following announcement was written by Fold3, a subsidiary of Ancestry.com: Fold3 is proud to announce Free access to our Black History Collection in honor of Black History Month. This collection includes many enlightening historical records documenting African American achievements since the ear.. .. read more..

RootsTech Conference Will Broadcast Select Sessions Free Online
Tuesday, January 31, 2012

For those who are unable to attend this week's RootsTech conference in Salt Lake City, here is the "next best thing." The following announcement was written by the RootsTech staff: SALT LAKE CITY—RootsTech, a leading family history and technology conference held in Salt Lake City, Utah, February 2-4.. .. read more..

Was Ancestry's New Interactive Census Viewer Quietly Released?
Tuesday, January 31, 2012

An unnamed newsletter reader reports that Ancestry's new Interactive Census Viewer apparently was quietly released to beta on the live site of the 1911 UK Census updates for Wales, Isle of Man, and Channel Islands that were pushed to the site last week on 23 January. If you go to an individual recor.. .. read more..

Ancestry.com, BehindTheName.com, and WeRelate.org Announce an Improved Approach ..
Monday, January 30, 2012

This is a major announcement, in my opinion. The phrase "an Improved Approach For Finding Variant Names" is really the same thing as saying "a better way to find name variants than by using Soundex." Soundex has been used for decades although it has numerous shortcomings. If successful, this new met.. .. read more..

brightsolid Hires D. Joshua Taylor to Support Move into US Market
Monday, January 30, 2012

brightsolid made two announcements in one this morning. First, it has hired one of the better-known genealogists to play a key role in the company's expansion into the U.S. marketplace. The second announcement is a bit more subtle: the company is moving into the U.S. marketplace. British-owned brigh.. .. read more..

(+) How to Find Someone Who Has the Book You Seek
Monday, January 30, 2012

The following is a Plus Edition article written by and copyright by Dick Eastman. Perhaps the full title of this article should be How to Find Someone Who Has the Book You Seek and Also Let Everyone Else Know About the Books You Own and Also Catalog Your Own Personal Library with Minimal Effort. You.. .. read more..

Update: EOGN Dinner at RootsTech in Salt Lake City
Sunday, January 29, 2012

If you would like to join more than 100 other genealogists for dinner after the close of RootsTech, you need to sign up NOW! Ticket sales end tomorrow (Monday, January 30) at 9 AM Eastern time. The end date of Monday is required as I have to notify the hotel of the headcount. In turn, the hotel need.. .. read more..

SSDI Call to Action for Genealogists
Sunday, January 29, 2012

Writing in the Legal Genealogist, Judy Russell has issued a call to action for all genealogists. Judy writes: On Thursday of this coming week (February 2, 2012), the Subcommittee on Social Security of the House Ways & Means Committee in Washington, D.C., will hold hearings that have the capacity to .. .. read more..

New Fort Kent (Maine) Massive Genealogical Collection Unveiled
Sunday, January 29, 2012

Go to the northern tip of Maine. That is also the northern end of U.S. Highway 1. There you will find Fort Kent. The town is on the border with New Brunswick and is only a few miles from Quebec province. Most of the town's residents have French-Canadian names. Now a huge collection of French-Canadia.. .. read more..

U.S. Version of "Who Do You Think You Are?" Season Three Video Preview
Saturday, January 28, 2012

Who Do You Think You Are? returns for its third season on Friday, February 3 at 8/7c on NBC, when 12 more celebrities will trace their ancestors and discover hidden stories from their past. Martin Sheen, Marisa Tomei, Blair Underwood, Reba McEntire, Rob Lowe, Helen Hunt, Rita Wilson, Edie Falco, Ras.. .. read more..

JRR Tolkien's Middle-earth Gets a Complete Genealogy
Friday, January 27, 2012

This looks like fun. The fictional Middle-earth is now the subject of a minutely-detailed "family tree project." Emil Johansson, a photographer and chemical engineering student from Sweden, who has read "every book there is to read about Middle-earth" has spent years compiling a family tree of every.. .. read more..

findmypast.co.uk to Publish Canterbury Cathedral Records on the Web
Friday, January 27, 2012

The following announcement was written by findmypast.co.uk: Project announced to increase access to over a million baptism, marriage and burial records dating back to 1538 First time that images of the original parish records from East Kent churches will appear online Today leading UK family history.. .. read more..

Ancestry.com Partners with Historical Society of Pennsylvania to Place Birth, Ma..
Thursday, January 26, 2012

The following announcement was written by Ancestry.com: Family History Leader Adds Millions of State Birth, Marriage and Death Records to its Pennsylvania Vital Record Collection PROVO, UTAH – (January 26, 2012) – Ancestry.com, the world’s largest online family history resource, announced today that.. .. read more..

Families - a Genealogy Application for Android Handheld Computers
Thursday, January 26, 2012

In August, 2011, I wrote about Families at http://goo.gl/EyiMj. Families is an application produced by TelGen Limited in England that worked at that time on Apple's iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad systems. The company has since expanded their offerings and now has released a version of Families for And.. .. read more..

Former President John Tyler’s (1790-1862) Grandchildren Still Alive
Thursday, January 26, 2012

How many people born in 1790 have living grandchildren today? Not great-grandchildren, but second generation descendants? John Tyler was born in 1790. He became the 10th president of the United States in 1841 after William Henry Harrison died in office. Tyler fathered Lyon Gardiner Tyler in 1853, at.. .. read more..

Kingsoft Office Suite 2012 - A Free Microsoft Office Alternative
Thursday, January 26, 2012

Do you need a good word processor? How about a spreadsheet program? Would you like to have a high-quality office suite of programs without paying the ridiculous prices for Microsoft Office? If you use Windows, you might want to check out Kingsoft Office Suite Professional 2012. Writing for C|Net, Ri.. .. read more..

Orphan Train Riders, Offspring Seek Answers About Heritage
Thursday, January 26, 2012

USA Today has an interesting article about the orphan trains of the early twentieth century and the long-lasting effects on the children on those trains. The Children's Aid Society and New York Foundling Hospital put orphaned or abandoned children on trains headed west. The children were adopted int.. .. read more..

Mocavo Expands Leadership Team with Industry Veterans
Thursday, January 26, 2012

On January 16, I published an announcement about professional genealogist Michael Leclerc joining the team at genealogy search engine Mocavo. That article is still available at http://goo.gl/ydSqv. The company obviously is expanding still further. The following announcement was written by Mocavo: Ry.. .. read more..

File Naming Tutorial
Thursday, January 26, 2012

The State Library of North Carolina has created a four-part video tutorial that describes why file naming is important, how to change a file name, what not to do when changing a file name, and best practices for file naming. These brief videos simply and clearly describe how deliberate file naming, .. .. read more..

brightsolid Sponsors RootsTech 2012, 2-4 February
Tuesday, January 24, 2012

The following announcement was written by brightsolid (and, yes, "brightsolid" is always written with all lower-case letters): It will be a main partner with a large presence at major family history and technology conference in Salt Lake City CEO Chris van der Kuyl will be announcing the launch of a.. .. read more..

How to Build a Long-Range Wi-Fi System - Part #1
Tuesday, January 24, 2012

I wrote an article that describes the lessons I learned when building a long-range wi-fi system to use in my motor home. However, it isn't a genealogy-related article, so I published it on my RV blog. I suspect the information will be of interest to RV (recreational vehicle) owners and to many non-R.. .. read more..

FamilySearch Seeks Admins for Facebook Pages and Skype Group Chats
Monday, January 23, 2012

The following announcement was written by FamilySearch: FamilySearch Genealogy Research Communities first appeared as Facebook pages and Skype group chats in May 2011. Each Facebook page or Skype group is dedicated to a state in the US or an entire country. These pages and groups are run by experien.. .. read more..

23andMe Announces New Ancestry Ambassadors Group
Monday, January 23, 2012

If you have been following recent events concerning DNA firm 23andMe, you know the company recently received a "black eye" in the genealogy community. The company apparently has listened and has now formed a new genealogy advisory committee of well-known and respected DNA genealogists to help guide .. .. read more..

(+) Why You Want to Use a VPN
Monday, January 23, 2012

I am a fan of virtual private networks, or VPNs. By definition, according to Dictionary.com, a VPN is "a network that uses the internet to transfer information using secure methods." A longer and more detailed explanation can be found on Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vpn. Why should you .. .. read more..

The Cost Justification for eBooks
Monday, January 23, 2012

A local news story interested me and applies directly to past articles and comments in this newsletter. A private school in Florida is switching from printed books to eBooks on iPads for several reasons. One major reason is to save money. At the beginning of the next school year, each student will b.. .. read more..