Next Saturday's U.K. Skypecast

This newsletter sponsored a 3-hour worldwide genealogy conference call about a month ago. The topic was "U.K. Genealogy." We had participants from England, Scotland, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In fact, I think there were more New Zealanders in the conversation than any other nationality.

Those who participated seemed to enjoy the conference call. We all decided to hold a follow-up session on the third Saturday of each month at 19:00 GMT. Translating that to some other time zones, the next Skypecast will start at:

8:00 PM London time on Saturday, October 21
3:00 PM Eastern Time in the U.S. and Canada on Saturday, October 21
12:00 noon Pacific Time in the U.S. and Canada on Saturday, October 21
8:00 AM in New Zealand on Sunday, October 22
5:00 AM in Australian Capital Territory on Sunday, October 22

You can convert that to your local time zone if you click here.

As is typical with the other Skypecasts sponsored by this newsletter, there is no planned agenda although we do ask everyone to focus primarily on U.K. genealogy. Last month's conversation did drift off into genealogy software for a while but soon came back to a discussion of how to research ancestors in the U.K. Even the software discussion focused on a comparison of Family Historian to other genealogy programs. Family Historian is a genealogy program written in England and is very popular there.

The free Skypecast conference calls sponsored by this newsletter are for conversations among individuals with similar interests, much the same as any such conversation that might be held at a cocktail party or other meeting of almost any sort. All the participants ask questions and ponder possibilities, and we often joke amongst ourselves. Each attendee is invited top participate as much or as little as he or she wishes. I think that everyone enjoyed the last U.K. genealogy conference call. I know that I did.

You do not use a telephone to join in this free conference call. Instead, you will need headphones and a microphone plugged into your computer's soundcard, and you will also need to install the free Skype software into your Windows, Macintosh, or Linux computer. The software is available at http://www.skype.com.

Again, the software is free and the conference call is free. Genealogists from around the world talk on our computers, so there are no telephone toll charges involved. You can join this Skypecast if you click here.

Will we hear you in this week's U.K. Skypecast?

Comments

[theKiwi]

What sort of "hardware" are people using for this on their computers? I have a BlueTooth capable PowerMac and I'm wondering if those BlueTooth things being sold, presumably for cell phones work with this?

Or do I need a headset and mic that would plug into a USB port?

Thanks

Roger

[Diana Maurer]

What is the contact information for the Skypecast?

[Dick Eastman]

---> I have a BlueTooth capable PowerMac and I'm wondering if those BlueTooth things being sold, presumably for cell phones work with this?

In theory, anything will work. Skype doesn't know what kind of sound device you are using and doesn't care. I suppose you could use a tin can and string, assuming you could find an adapter to make that work with your computer's sound board. (OK, so that's a joke.)

In reality, Skype does not care what you use: Bluetooth, headphones, speakers, whatever. Skype simply accepts whatever audio your computer sends to it and then sends the other person's audio back to your computer, to be played on whatever sound device you use on your computer. Skype does not know what kind of sound device you are using.

To use Bluetooth, the only question is, "Can I make it work with my computer?"

If you can listen to music on the Bluetooth device and if you can record your voice with the Bluetooth device (using whatever software is included with your Macintosh or Windows computer), it will work with Skype and most other audio applications.

The only problems I know of involve the use of loudspeakers. In past Skypecasts, we have found that loudspeakers usually do not work well. The reason is that the microphone often picks up the audio from the speakers, creating an echo effect. The use of headphones, a headset or a telephone-style handset will eliminate that problem.

HOWEVER, one person joined us a week or two ago using loudspeakers and they worked well. Upon discussion, he told us he suffered from hearing loss specific to certain audio frequencies. The speakers he used were designed to address that problem and had numerous adjustments to taylor the frequency response and audio phasing. For some reason, those speakers did not create the echo efect. The speakers are expensive, however: roughly $150 for the set. I doubt if anyone will have that sort of performance from standard (inexpensive) computer speakers.

- Dick

[Dick Eastman]

---> What is the contact information for the Skypecast?

The easy way is to go to this newsletter's web site at http://www.eogn.com and then click on the link there to go to the Skypecast. You can also go to the same place directly if you use this longer URL: https://skypecasts.skype.com/skypecasts/skypecast/detailed.html?id_talk=45028

- Dick Eastman

[Gale Wall]

What happened to the Skypecast scheduled for 10/9 on Genealogy Society Management? I didn't see a link on your home page for almost a week for any skypecast. I see they are listed again today. Thanks!

[Richard Moberly]

Hi Dick
Wondering about the Skypecasts on Thursday evening. Haven't been able to find it for quite sometime now. I haven't seen an announcement in the newsletter of it's demise, so am I just missing you'all?

Rich Moberly in Oklahoma

[Dick Eastman]

---> Wondering about the Skypecasts on Thursday evening.

Two things: (1.) a dwindling attendance and (2.) a conflict in my schedule.

I'd love to see someone take over as the "champion" of these Skypecast conferences. They have been great and I hate to see them die out. Any volunteers?

- Dick Eastman

[Michele Skehill]

Are you going to be doing anymore Skypecasts. I have been too busy to join in, but I'm hoping my schedule will have slowed down, by March - I actually bought an earphones set just to join in. I hope someone will continue this great idea!
Michele

[Richard Moberly]

Dick
If I could promise to be consistently available at a precise time, I would jump at the chance to help out. Unfortunately, my schedule is such that I never know if I will be home at a particular time or not. So sorry. I enjoyed every skype cast I participated in. If anyone has skype and sees me online, they are welcome to say hi. Hope someone can host this for you sir.
Rich Moberly
Oklahoma
skype rtmoberly

[Dick Eastman]

---> Unfortunately, my schedule is such that I never know if I will be home at a particular time or not.

Unfortunately, I have the same problem. I started the Skypecasts last September and October and they were quite successful. Then I went on a heavy travel schedule through November and early December. I was home for about six weeks in late December and through January but now am back traveling again. In fact, In April, May and June I don't expect to be home hardly at all.

I've had good luck connecting online from hotels but with occasional failures. I can't guarantee that I will be online. I also cannot commit to specific times in advance. When traveling, I often have no idea when I will get back to the hotel. That makes it tough to hold scheduled events. (sigh)

I'd love to see someone else take over as the "champion" of these Skypecast conferences, preferably someone has a more "stable" life than mine. (smile)

- Dick Eastman