9. • Hello, Tom?
– Hi mom!
• How would you like to help out with our family
history?
– I’m pretty busy right now; I don’t think I can do much
Hypothetical Phone Call
10. • Hello, Tom?
– Hi mom!
• How would you like to help out with our family
history?
– I’m pretty busy right now; I don’t think I can do much
• Do you have any pictures or stories about your
grandparents that you could share?
– I’d love to! There are several things I’d like my
children to know about their great-grandparents
Hypothetical Phone Call
11. Why Share?
Reason #4
et Family Members to Contribute
What They Know
Even Non-Genealogists Have
Stories and Pictures
19. • Sources help those who follow after
us retrace our research steps
– In case there are questions
– To learn how to do research
Approximately 95-98% of people listed in
genealogy files don’t have sources.
20. Why Don’t We List Sources?
A.A. It takes too longIt takes too long
Bibliographic information for the 1900 US Federal Census
at Ancestry:
Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line].
Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004.
Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census.
Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900.
Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900.
T623, 1854 rolls.
21. Why Don’t We List Sources?
A.A. It takes too longIt takes too long
B.B. It’s complicatedIt’s complicated
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1997
Edition
2007
Edition
2017
Edition?
Number of Pages in ESM’s Evidence Book
22. Why Don’t We List Sources?
A.A. It takes too longIt takes too long
B.B. It’s complicatedIt’s complicated
C.C. The tools make sourcing difficultThe tools make sourcing difficult
How many clicks
are required to
see all of the
sources for Lewis?
23. Why Don’t We List Sources?
A.A. It takes too longIt takes too long
B.B. It’s complicatedIt’s complicated
C.C. The tools make sourcing difficultThe tools make sourcing difficult
D.D. We don’t know WHYWe don’t know WHY to list sources
It’s difficult to understand why sourcing
is important until someone asks you how
you know something you’ve written and
you realize that you can’t answer them.
24. Why Don’t We List Sources?
A.A. It takes too longIt takes too long
B.B. It’s complicatedIt’s complicated
C.C. The tools make sourcing difficultThe tools make sourcing difficult
D.D. We don’t knowWe don’t know WHY to list sources
E. All of the above -- especially D!
27. Wouldn’t It Be Nice If There Were A
Well-Documented, Accurate, Free
Repository of Genealogical Information?
28. Wouldn’t It Be Nice If There Were A
Well-Documented, Accurate, Free
Repository of Genealogical Information?
Who could build this?
29. Wouldn’t It Be Nice If There Were A
Well-Documented, Accurate, Free
Repository of Genealogical Information?
Who could build this?
YOU!
30. Wouldn’t It Be Nice If There Were A
Well-Documented, Accurate, Free
Repository of Genealogical Information?
Who could build this?
YOU!
All of Us, Working Together
31. Why Share?
Reason #1
Help Create a
Well-Documented, Accurate, Free
Source of Genealogical Information
32. Five Reasons to Share
1.Help create a well-documented, accurate, free
source of genealogical information
2.Become a better researcher
3.Connect with people you don’t know and extend
your tree
4.Get family members to contribute what they know
5.Leave a legacy
33. Five Reasons to Share
1.Help create a well-documented, accurate, free
source of genealogical information
2.Become a better researcher
3.Connect with people you don’t know and extend
your tree
4.Get family members to contribute what they know
5.Leave a legacy
34. Five Reasons to Share
1.Help create a well-documented, accurate, free
source of genealogical information
2.Become a better researcher
3.Connect with people you don’t know and extend
your tree
4.Get family members to contribute what they know
5.Leave a legacy
35. Five Reasons to Share
1.Help create a well-documented, accurate, free
source of genealogical information
2.Become a better researcher
3.Connect with people you don’t know and extend
your tree
4.Get family members to contribute what they know
5.Leave a legacy
36. Five Reasons to Share
1.Help create a well-documented, accurate, free
source of genealogical information
2.Become a better researcher
3.Connect with people you don’t know and extend
your tree
4.Get family members to contribute what they know
5.Leave a legacy
37. Five Reasons to Share
1.Help create a well-documented, accurate, free
source of genealogical information
2.Become a better researcher
3.Connect with people you don’t know and extend
your tree
4.Get family members to contribute what they know
5.Leave a legacy
42. Genealogy Sharing Alternatives
• Mail GEDCOM files
• problems
• Write a family history book
• stories and pictures!
• Small-group website
• living and deceased
• share with known (close) relatives
• e.g., Ancestry Trees, MyHeritage.com, Geni.com
43. Genealogy Sharing Alternatives
• Mail GEDCOM files
• problems
• Write a family history book
• stories and pictures!
• Small-group website
• living and deceased
• share with known (close) relatives
• e.g., Ancestry Trees, MyHeritage.com
• Open-group website
• deceased only
• share with known and unknown relatives
• e.g., WeRelate.org, Genealogy.Wikia.com
44. Genealogy Sharing Alternatives
An Ideal Solution?
• Use both a small-group and an open-group website
• Share entire tree on small-group website; share earlier
ancestors on open-group website
• Best of both worlds
• Synchronizion between small-group and open-group
websites is likely to become available in the near future
78. 3. Sources
Commitment to encourage good sourcing
Catalog of over 1 million sources from
FHLC, Ancestry, thousands of websites
“I've learned ALOT in my few weeks on
werelate about the work involved and the
value in documenting sources”.
— kennebec1
79. 3. Sources
Commitment to encourage good sourcing
Catalog of over 1 million sources from FHLC,
Ancestry, thousands of websites
“I've learned ALOT in my few weeks on werelate
about the work involved and the value in
documenting sources”.
— kennebec1
80. 3. Sources
Commitment to encourage good sourcing
Catalog of over 1 million sources from FHLC,
Ancestry, thousands of websites
“I've learned ALOT in my few weeks on werelate
about the work involved and the value in
documenting sources”.
— kennebec1
81. 3. Sources
Commitment to encourage good sourcing
Catalog of over 1 million sources from FHLC,
Ancestry, thousands of websites
“I've learned ALOT in my few weeks on werelate
about the work involved and the value in
documenting sources”.
— kennebec1
82. 3. Sources
Commitment to encourage good sourcing
Catalog of over 1 million sources from FHLC,
Ancestry, thousands of websites
“I've learned ALOT in my few weeks on werelate
about the work involved and the value in
documenting sources”.
— kennebec1
88. 1. Free, and Free License
Free to Use
WeRelate is Non-Profit
89. 1. Free, and Free License
Free to Use
WeRelate is Non-Profit
90. 1. Free, and Free License
Free to Use
WeRelate is Non-Profit
91. 1. Free, and Free License
Free to Use
WeRelate is Non-Profit
What if WeRelate Shut Down?
Someone Else Could Host the Data
92. 1. Free, and Free License
Free to Use
WeRelate is Non-Profit
What if WeRelate Shut Down?
Someone Else Could Host the Data
93. Five Reasons to use
WeRelate.org
1.Free, and free license
2.Gedcom import and match
3.Sources
4.Change notification and permanent history
5.Stories and pictures
94. Five Reasons to use
WeRelate.org
1.Free, and free license
2.Gedcom import and match
3.Sources
4.Change notification and permanent history
5.Stories and pictures
95. Five Reasons to use
WeRelate.org
1.Free, and free license
2.Gedcom import and match
3.Sources
4.Change notification and permanent history
5.Stories and pictures
96. Five Reasons to use
WeRelate.org
1.Free, and free license
2.Gedcom import and match
3.Sources
4.Change notification and permanent history
5.Stories and pictures
97. Five Reasons to use
WeRelate.org
1.Free, and free license
2.Gedcom import and match
3.Sources
4.Change notification and permanent history
5.Stories and pictures
98. Five Reasons to use
WeRelate.org
1.Free, and free license
2.Gedcom import and match
3.Sources
4.Change notification and permanent history
5.Stories and pictures
104. Three Reasons to NOT Consider
WeRelate.org
Settlers
“City
Folk”
Explorers
Pioneers
Book
Publishing
Small-group
Websites
Open-group
Websites
Which group are you in?
105. Three Reasons to NOT Consider
WeRelate.org
Settlers
“City
Folk”
Explorers
Pioneers
Book
Publishing
Small-group
Websites
Open-group
Websites
Wiki Etiquette
• be Active
• be Bold
• be Courteous
• be Documentation-strong
• be Encouraging with newcomers
• be Forgiving/Fond of volunteers
• be Generous concerning conflicting
opinions
Problem:
Not always
followed!
106. Three Reasons to NOT Consider
WeRelate.org
Settlers
“City
Folk”
Explorers
Pioneers
Book
Publishing
Small-group
Websites
Open-group
Websites
Wiki Etiquette
• be Active
• be Bold
• be Courteous
• be Documentation-strong
• be Encouraging with newcomers
• be Forgiving/Fond of volunteers
• be Generous concerning conflicting
opinions
WeRelate is in BETA
Good news Bad news
Users help set Be willing to find
the direction for and report bugs and
features and policies other deficiencies
107. Three Reasons to NOT Consider
WeRelate.org
Settlers
“City
Folk”
Explorers
Pioneers
Book
Publishing
Small-group
Websites
Open-group
Websites
Wiki Etiquette
• be Active
• be Bold
• be Courteous
• be Documentation-strong
• be Encouraging with newcomers
• be Forgiving/Fond of volunteers
• be Generous concerning conflicting
opinions
WeRelate is in BETA
Good news Bad news
Users help set Be willing to find
the direction for and report bugs and
features and policies other deficiencies
Problem:
Not always
followed!
108. Conclusion
• Share your family history!
– Help create a well-documented, accurate, free
source of genealogical information
– Become a better researcher
– Connect with people you don’t know and extend
your tree
– Get family members to contribute what they know
– Leave a legacy
• Ways to share
– Write a book; include stories and pictures
– Post to a small-group website
– Join an open-group website (like WeRelate.org)
110. WeRelate =
Shared genealogy space
By contributing to WeRelate
you are helping to build a
unified family tree containing
the best information from all
contributors.
