You can imagine, with a theme like Genealogy Trivia, that I have been waiting for the letter G for...oh, since the letter A...
And it seems that the genealogy community had been waiting for a Genealogy Do-Over, which was proposed by Thomas MacEntee of Geneabloggers. Each cycle lasts 13 weeks (a quarter of a year) and you can do as many cycles as you want. The Facebook group has over six THOUSAND members.
But what is it? Well, the Genealogy Do-Over is (as Thomas describes it) a "2015 educational initiative at GeneaBloggers - where you do get to
go home again . . . and start over with your genealogy research." You started by setting aside all the research you had done over the years (and braver souls than I really set it aside - like, in boxes and computer folders) and started from scratch. Going slower, citing sources, really analyzing documents, whereas before, you grasped the one piece of info you were after, scanned the document, and put it away, never to be looked at again.
And the results? Nothing short of amazing. Using a Research Log, writing down everything you had done so you didn't do it again twenty times because you forgot you had already done it, planning - really thinking, creating a Research Toolbox... I added five generations to one line, went back 200 years, discovered dates and places I had missed the first time round (because I was going too fast), and - most importantly - rekindled the fascination I had for genealogy which I thought had died from boredom.
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© 2015 Ros Haywood. All Rights Reserved
I still have to hit the start button when it comes to my dad:) This makes sense though
ReplyDeleteThis approach may be just what I need to rekindle my enthusiasm. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI confess I was too chicken to do this. I was also busy with redoing a room for my genealogy stuff. Let's see, what other excuses can I come up with? But I'm impressed with your successful participation. Evidently it does work.
ReplyDelete~Visiting from AtoZ
OH wow what an inspiring post. I had tried to do research on my family and I personally kept hitting a brick wall. My father told my mother before I was born that his entire family died in a fire and he was the only survivor. I wouldn't find out until 26 yrs later that it was a lie. Now they are both gone and I have no where to start because no one in my family wants to know on my moms side and my dad's side is being stonewalled by the Indians. Apparently my great grandmother was a Cherokee and we can't get the records from the Tribal Chiefs to trace any further.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing. I will certainly check out the Genablog and look you all up on FB.
This post is the first time it's sounded at all attractive to me. I have not done it and don't think I will, at least not to the extent of hiding everything I already have done! But looking over things, checking sources that sounds like a good idea.
ReplyDeleteFinding Eliza