Presented on October 5, 2013. Presentation examines how genealogists can use blogs, tweets and apps for their genealogical research.

1. Blogs,
Tweets and
Apps
May P. Chan
Prairie History Librarian, Regina
Public Library
Presented on October 5, 2013
SGS Conference, Moose Jaw,
SK
© 2013

2. Outline
 Blogs
 Basic Blogging Terminology
 Why Blog?
 Blogging Tips
 Blogging Resources
 Tweets
 Twitter Terminology
 Why Tweet?
 Twitter Etiquette
 Twitter Resources
 Apps
Apps Terminology
 Why Use Apps?
 Recommend Free Apps (Apple & Android)
 Question Period/Conclusion

3. Image Attribution:
http://theedublogger.com/2010/12/14/the-
edubloggers-introduction-to-blogging/
Blogs

4. Basic Blogging Terminology
Blog = online journal presented in reverse chronological order
and is usually updated frequently
Blogroll = A list of hyperlinks to other blogs or websites
Post = an entry posted by the blog author
RSS/XML feeds = Rich Site Summary/Really Simple
Syndication/Extensive Markup Language is a web feed format
that enables users to subscribe to their favorite website/blog and
be notified when new content has been added
RSS/XML reader = software/website application that
aggregates all of your subscribed RSS/XML feeds into a single
location for easier viewing

5. Why Blog???
Advantages
 FREE!!! Hosting, design
templates, etc.
 Can be public or private
 Ease of use
 Easy to setup; easy to
change fonts, add links,
upload multi-media, etc.
 Many non-profits actually
use blogs as their websites
 RSS/XML feeds are usually
built into the blogging software
 Designed for 2 way
communication – e.g.
comments features
 Some blogging platforms
enable mobile blogging
Disadvantages
 Blogging burnout
 Many blogs are
abandoned within the first
couple of years of it being
launched.
 Somewhat difficult to come
up with new or interesting
topics to discuss – problems
mostly associated with not
knowing why you have a blog
 Depending on your project,
blogs may not always be
suitable (e.g. database)
 Like any website, blogs are
subject to spam and/or virus
attacks

6. Blogging Tips
Before you start a blog, ask yourself
these questions:
 Why are you doing it?
 Who is the intended audience?
 How much time are you willing to
commit to it?
 Do you want feedback (e.g.
comments)?
 What will happen to your blog if you
abandon the project or when you die?

7. Example of an Institution’s Blog
Prairie History Blog, Regina
Public Library
http://www.reginalibrary.ca/
prairiehistoryblog
Info about new resources
added to the collection,
changes in operating hours,
events in the community, etc.

8. Example of an Individual’s Blog
CanadaGenealogy or ‘Jane’s
Your Aunt’ blog by M. Diane
Rogers
(
http://canadagenealogy.blogspot.ca/
)
Personal family research
providing really good research
tips
Various ways to stay in touch
with author (e.g. Twitter,
Facebook, etc.)

9. Blogging Dos
 Do add multimedia (photos and videos)
to your post – blog should not be text only!
 Do add some element of color to your
post – don’t be too minimalist in the look
of your blog
 Post “regularly” (e.g. once a week, once
a month, etc.) to keep content “fresh”
 Be unique!!! Your blog should bring
something new or different to the
genealogy community

10. Blogging Don’ts
 Don’t over obsess about the blog
design, colors used, etc. – these
elements can always be changed
 Don’t be mean! It’s okay to provide
constructive criticism but don’t cross the
line into “slander”
Don’t plagiarize! Always cite your
sources!!!
 Don’t reveal “private information” (e.g.
addresses or birthdays) about living
relatives

11. Must READ!
GenealogyInTime’s Article “Twenty Tips on
What Makes a Good Genealogy Blog”
(http://tinyurl.com/3qhzb73)

12. Blogging Resources
Setting up a blog is easy and FREE if you use
one of these blogging Platforms!!!
 WordPress (http://www.wordpress.org) – blogging
and content management system (CMS)
 Blogger (http://www.blogger.com) – blogging
platform owned by Google
 Tumblr (http://www.tumblr.com) – microblogging
platform & social networking site
Helpful Tip! Check your public library for software
manuals to help you set up and maintain your blog
or using other helpful computer
programs/applications.

13. Blogging Resources - continued
Recommended Blogs to Follow:
Local
 Prairie History Blog (
http://www.reginalibrary.ca/prairiehistoryblog
 Saskatchewan Genealogical Society Blog (
http://saskgenealogy.blogspot.ca)
National
 Genealogy Canada (
http://genealogycanada.blogspot.ca/)
 Anglo-Celtic Connections (
http://anglo-celtic-connections.blogspot.ca)

14. Blogging Resources - Continued
International
 Dick Eastman’s Newsletter (http://blog.eogn.com/)
 Dear Myrtle (http://blog.dearmyrtle.com/)
Website-specific
 Ancestry Insider (Ancestry & FamilySearch;
http://ancestryinsider.blogspot.com)
 Mocavo (http://blog.mocavo.com/)
To find more blogs, try:
 Genealogy Blog Finder (http://blogfinder.genealogue.com/
)
 Family Tree magazine’s Best Genealogy Blogs of 2012 (
http://familytreemagazine.com/article/around-the-world-in-40-blogs
)
 Family Tree magazine’s Best Genealogy Blogs of 2013 (
http://www.familytreemagazine.com/article/Top-40-Genealogy-Blog
)

15. Tweets
Image Attribution:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/5364620846/

16. Twitter Terminology
Twitter = social media service that enables users to send
and read messages of up to 140 characters
(microblogging)
Tweet = message sent by Twitter
Twitter Handle = username of a Twitter user
Hashtag = represented by # symbol; #hashtags allows
users to categorize their tweets enabling readers to read
similar tweets using the same category
@ = this symbol is used to address other Twitter users

17. Why Tweet???
To build up a “professional” network
To learn about upcoming training
sessions, connect with colleagues, etc.
To share your research or tips
To ask questions
To learn about new resources
To get discounts or free stuff from
various companies

18. Twitter Etiquette
 Contribute value
 Don’t just tweet headlines or provide links
 It’s okay to re-tweet someone’s tweet but don’t
have a Twitter account that just re-tweets
everyone’s thoughts
 Don’t overuse hashtags
 Eg. This session is great! #Attending #SGSconf
#In #MooseJaw #Mays #Session #Blogs #Tweets
#Apps
 Avoid “excessive” negativity – practice constructive
criticism instead of slander
 You don’t need to follow everyone who follows you
on Twitter!

19. Twitter Resources
(Brief List)
Caroline Pointer, ““New to Twitter? Here’s Some Tweeting
Twips” (
http://www.4yourfamilystory.com/1/post/2012/01/new-to-twitter-
)
Lorine McGinnis Schulze, “Don't Be an Egg (Twitter Tips)”
(
http://olivetreegenealogy.blogspot.ca/2013/05/dont-be-egg
)
Social Networking For Genealogy>>Twitter
(http://www.cyndislist.com/social-networking/twitter/)

20. Apps
Image Attribution:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wolfgangkuhnle/4163909
778/

21. Basic Apps Terminology
App = short form of software/computer application that
performs a specific technological function. Apps typically
associated with mobile devices and tablets
Android = open-sourced operating system on most mobile
phones and tablets; associated with Google
IOS = Apple’s mobile operating system on their iPhones
and iPads
Smartphone = mobile phone that offers more advanced
“computing” features beyond a normal cell phone

22. Why Use Apps???
 According to CWTA’s 2013 figures, there are
more than 27 million cell phone subscribers in
Canada (http://tinyurl.com/m222ldq) with 62% of
users likely owning a smartphone
(http://tinyurl.com/bv6p7mp)
 ETC Digital also reports that 26% of Canada’s
population owned a tablet as of 2012
(http://tinyurl.com/kytqen7)
 Given the numbers presented, genealogists are
more likely going to be walking into the
library/archives/museum area with a cell phone
and/or a tablet to do research than just a laptop
or paper & pen!!!

23. Computers vs. Smartphones/Tablets
Computers
 More memory, more processing
power and more functionality
 Less compact, heavier and
often, more difficult to use
 Computer programs tend to be
more expensive, difficult to install
and complicated to use
 3 major operating systems –
Windows, Mac and Linux
Smartphones/Tablets
 Less memory, and less
processing power and different
types of functionality
 More compact, lighter and
easier to use
 Apps tend to be slightly more
affordable, really easy to install,
and often, much easier to use
 2 major operating systems –
Apple & Android
Work Entertainment

24. Recommended FREE Apps
(Apple and Android)
Genealogy Research
Ancestry App – enables users to search
Ancestry’s databases and to edit their
uploaded family trees; **Note: This app works
only with individual Ancestry subscribers!
Billiongraves Camera App - Collect photos of
the headstones in your local cemetery & allows
you to transcribe the data from the images

25. Recommended FREE Apps
(Apple and Android)
Productivity
CamScanner – turns your phone into a scanner & fax
machine
Dropbox – enables users to store content in their
“cloud”
Evernote – allows users to take note, save & share
webpages and sync files across devices
Google Drive – allows users to sync and access their
Google Docs files across devices
Skype – provides voice and video calls for free!
Wordpress – enables users to post to their Wordpress
blog via their phone/tablet

26. Recommended FREE Apps
(Apple and Android)
Just for Fun
Facebook – social networking site
HistoryPin – allows users to discover a locale by examining old
photos of the area pinned to a map
Mango – learn a variety of foreign languages ** (RPL user only)
Overdrive – ebooks and audiobooks **
Pinterest – enables users to “pin” interesting webpages, articles,
photos, etc. to board
Press Reader – online newspaper **
Twitter – microblogging site
Zinio – digital magazine site ** (RPL user only)
Helpful tip! ** Check with your local library to see if they
already subscribe to these services and can offer you free
access to the content

27. Apps Resources
(Brief List)
Dick Eastman, “Genealogy Programs for Android”
(http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2
013/06/genealogy-programs-for-android.html)
Kimberly Powell, “iPad Apps for Genealogy”
(http://genealogy.about.com/od/family_tree_software/
tp/Ipad-Apps-For-Genealogy.htm)
James Tanner, “Smartphone Apps for Genealogy”
(https://familysearch.org/techtips/2012/02/smartphon
e-apps-genealogy)

28. Image Attribution:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Question_ma
rk_road_sign,_Australia.jpg

29. Thank-you
Contact:
Email: maychan@reginalibrary.ca
http://www.slideshare.net/maychan