Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

(+) Provide Wi-Fi Service at Your Next Genealogy Conference

Anyone who is traveling can tell you what a great convenience a laptop or handheld computer is. That device, along with an Internet connection, can keep the traveler in touch with home, business, personal interests, and all the other "online necessities" of modern life. Most laptop computers sold these days include built-in high-speed wireless, or "Wi-Fi," networking.

(+) Use Windows Genealogy Programs on Linux - The Easy Way

Perhaps you have been tempted to switch to Linux, the free operating system that is more stable and less prone to viruses and other problems than the dominant Windows operating system. Millions have switched to Linux, and most refuse to go back. However, you may find significant disadvantages to Linux. For one thing, it will not use Windows programs unless you take special steps to add that functionality.

Hibbert's Gore, Population: One

Many of our ancestors lived in small towns. In some cases, the towns and villages where they lived were very small. However, one place in Maine has the smallest population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In fact, it would be impossible to have a smaller population.

Holly Hansen talks about the St. George, Utah 2007 Genealogy Jamboree

An interview with Holly Hansen, president of My Ancestors Found. Holly talks about the St. George, Utah 2007 Genealogy & Family Heritage Jamboree to be held February 9-10. Holly describes the Genealogy Jamboree crowds expected, the 107 classes to be held, the 60 or so vendors, how to travel to St. George, the local hotels, the local attractions and more. If you can be in southwestern Utah in February, you will want to listen to this podcast!

This 32-minute interview may be played on any modern computer that either has speakers or headphones attached. This podcast may also be downloaded to an iPod or other portable music player.

To listen to the interview, click on the link below. To download and save on your hard drive, right-click on the link below.

HollyHansen

ProQuest Adds Two Important Black Newspapers

The following press release was written by ProQuest Information and Learning:

SEATTLE, Jan. 19 -- This summer, ProQuest Information and Learning is introducing the New York Amsterdam News and Pittsburgh Courier to its growing collection of ProQuest Historical Newspapers. Historical Newspapers users can research events that shaped the United States, including the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., the Vietnam War, and the Civil Rights Movement, through the voice of two widely circulated Black newspapers. These titles may also be accessed through ProQuest Black Studies Center, allowing cross-searching with other content sets focused on the African-American experience.

A New Sponsor for this Newsletter

I am delighted to announce that Footnote, Inc., has agreed to become the exclusive sponsor of this newsletter. The agreement is in effect now.

Footnote, Inc. made a big splash in the genealogy community a few days ago when the company announced an agreement with the National Archives and Records Administration to place digital images of millions of original documents online. Four and a half million images are already available at www.footnote.com, and that number is growing fast. Footnote CEO Russell Wilding stated, "We will continue to add millions of original documents and images monthly."

Online Petition to Reduce the U.K. Census Release Period to 70 Years

Downing Street is offering a petition for people to sign, which would reduce the census release period from 100 years to 70 years, thus making the 1911, 1921 and 1931 censuses available immediately.  If you would like to add your name to the petition, you may do so right now online.

Public can now View a Million Restored Records at the Lancashire Record Office

"Goodbye my love, and may we have the pleasure of embracing again in six months." So reads the last message mariner Robert Tod wrote to his wife before embarking on a "long and perilous voyage" from the shores of Lancashire in 1848. He never returned.

Mariner Tod's note is one of thousands of documents painstakingly restored by staff and volunteers at the Lancashire Record Office, on Bow Lane, Preston.

Are You the Heir to the English Throne?

Advertisements appeared last week in British, US, Australian, German, and Norwegian newspapers with the question, "Can you trace your family tree back to 1066? Might your ancestors have claimed the English throne?" If so, the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England would like to talk to you.

Plus Edition Articles - See What You Have Been Missing

Would you like to see a list of all the articles that are only available through the Plus Edition subscription? Viewing the list may help you decide if you want to pay for the extra content or not.

To see a list of all the Plus Edition articles, go to the newsletter's web site at http://www.eogn.com, scroll down the menus on the right side to the section labeled "CATEGORIES," and then click on "Plus Edition Article." That will show a list and brief description of every Plus Edition article published in the past 2 1/2 years.

Odd Names

You have to wonder what goes through the minds of new parents when they decide on the name of their new offspring. Occasionally, some ridiculous names given out. Think about poor Humperdink Fangboner, who grew up to be a lumber dealer in Sandusky, Ohio. Of course, his wife Fanny Fangboner didn't have it much easier.

Geni.com Launches to Create the World's Family Tree

A new genealogy site has just been launched with a unique twist: it allows users to create a family tree through a simple interface. When the user adds a relative's email address, that relative is then invited to join the tree. That relative can then add other relatives, and so on. Each tree continues to grow as relatives invite other relatives.

The following announcement was written by the folks at Geni.com:

Los Angeles January 16, 2007 -- Internet and entertainment entrepreneur David O. Sacks today announced the launch of a new website, Geni.com, whose mission is to create a family tree of the entire world. The site applies "Web 2.0" principles of social media to genealogy and family networking.

Using Credit Cards Online

I had to chuckle recently. A potential Plus Edition subscriber sent me an e-mail message asking if he could call me on the telephone to give me his credit card information for a subscription to the Plus Edition newsletter. I replied "Certainly" and I sent along my phone numbers. However, I also asked "Why won't you use the online signup form?" He replied, "I don't want to enter my credit card information on the web. I am afraid it will get stolen."

Maybe it is time to give an introductory course in credit card safety.

Ancestry.co.uk to be a Sponsor for "Who Do You Think You Are? LIVE"

I recently wrote about the very large heritage show to be held in London on May 5 through 7, 2007. The greatly expanded show is expected to attract more than 15,000 family historians and military history buffs, as well as those interested in house history, historic travel, and more. Now Ancestry.co.uk, has become the title sponsor.

The following announcement was written by the show sponsors of Who Do You Think You Are? Live:

Since the trade launch of Who Do You Think You Are? LIVE the team have been inundated with applications for stands and currently there are 83 companies signed up to take part in this exciting new event.

The latest signing is Ancestry.co.uk, who will be the title sponsor.

This Day in Weather History

I found a web site that can be valuable for genealogists. You probably won't need it very often, but when you do have a call for it, it could be valuable. I'm recording this one in my notes because I'll never know when I might need it.

If you find a reference in family papers or any historical document that refers to the weather on a certain date, you can now find the details. For instance, a family Bible might say, "George was born at home on January 11, 1912.  The doctor was unable to get there because of a blizzard." You may wonder just how significant this blizzard was.

Genealogical Librarian Wanted in Philadelphia

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania is looking for a Genealogical Librarian. The position will be a member of the library staff, and is primarily responsible for providing genealogical and other research and reference assistance, to on- and off-site patrons. This is a full-time position [40 hours/week].

(+) Upgrade Your Society's Image with HTML Newsletters

Plain text may be a fine way to send a newsletter, but if you want your message to get noticed and not sent to the virtual trash can, HTML can help you upgrade your organization's image.

I have some experience with e-newsletters, having sent roughly 15 million e-mail newsletters over the past eleven years (that's number of addressees times 52 weeks times eleven years). For many years I sent the newsletters in plain, ASCII text. That sufficed at the time, but technology changed, along with the tastes of newsletter readers. Instead of just boring, black-and-white text, an HTML newsletter includes text with different kinds of formatting (bold, colored text, different fonts, and other treatments), pictures, background colors, and columns. I now send the Plus Edition issues of this newsletter in HTML. This week I thought I would share some of my experiences.

This Newsletter is Eleven Years Old!

Boy, the time does fly! Eleven years has slipped by in almost the blink of an eye. It seems like only yesterday that I sent the first e-mail newsletter to about 100 people, mostly members of CompuServe's Genealogy Forums. None of them knew in advance that the newsletter would arrive; I simply mailed it to people who I thought might be interested. In 1996 nobody objected to receiving unsolicited bulk mail; the phrase "spam mail" had not yet been invented. I shudder to think if I did the same thing in today's Internet environment.

In that first newsletter on January 15, 1996, I wrote:

cRANKy.com

  A new search engine targeted at people aged 50-plus called cRANKy.com launched on Tuesday. Billed as the first age-relevant search engine, the developer of the engine designed it to deliver the most targeted results for this demographic. They did this by applying a "50-plus lens to every query". So the results are based on both search technology, reviews and users ratings.

British Emigration Goes Online for the First Time

The UK National Archives has announced that everyone can now access the first comprehensive database of passenger lists from ships departing the UK on long-distance voyages to destinations including North America, Australia, India and South Africa between 1890 and 1960

The following is an extract from the National Archives' announcement: