Follow Friday: 1 October 2010

This Week

At TLGenes, Travis LeMaster asks “Do Name Collectors Have a Place at the Table?” His point is that some people who start out as name collectors subsequently become serious family historians. Good point, but I would say that there is no harm in tactfully encouraging them to progress beyond name collecting.

His post was inspired by Karen at Genealogy Frame of Mind: “Genealogist or Name Collector?” After reading Karen’s post, the type of person she has in mind doesn't appear to be the eager newbie who is open to learning more about the genealogy research process, but more likely the type who prefers bragging rights over sources and solid facts.

There have been several responses to Ancestry’s takeover of iArchives (which owns Footnote.com) and some people are drawing analogies. Perhaps the one I like best is James Tanner’s at Genealogy’s Star in “Is there an economy of scale in genealogical records?” He likens the takeover to an acquisition of Apple by Microsoft. Ouch. Now I’m worried.

For a good list of articles responding to the acquisition (and a wonderful image to evoke the event), see Geneablogie – “Grand Genealogy Journey – Ancestry.com to Acquire Footnote.com” and “Ancestry + Footnote: Update.”

One of the interesting discussions of the week is the post “When does genealogy end and history begin?” and the responding comments at Marian Pierre-Louis’ Roots and Rambles.

Cynthia Shenette at Heritage Zen poses another intriguing question: What does our trash say about us? This is addressed in “Madness Monday: The Stuff We Throw Away and the Big Yard Sale: A Hundred Cars, a Little Bit of Cash, and a Whole Lotta Junk.” Hmmm, what to save and what to gid rid of?

Some information that people who use the services of professional genealogists need to know is explained at The ProGenealogists Genealogy Blog: "Why Does It Cost So Much?”

She’s done it again. Read Kerry’s “5 Reasons I Wish I Could Travel Back in Time and Smack My 1995-Self” at Clue Wagon. I’m guilty of everything except for pink ink. If you have never done any of these things, you’re either lying or insufferably perfect.

Always fun to think of this question: “The Best Genealogy Advice I Ever Got Was.” It is asked by Leah at The Internet Genealogist. And your answer would be...?

For more suggested genealogy blog reading, check out Randy Seaver’s Best of the Genea-Blogs at Genea-Musings and John Newmark’s Weekly Genealogy Picks at TransylvanianDutch.

Happy Blogoversary to Finding Josephine!

Happy Second Blogoversary to The Internet Genealogist!

This week I started following these blogs:

Good to Know

Vicki Lane Mysteries

Bergschneiders and Beyond