Getting more out of Google

The Google Guide for Making Searching Even Easier might be something you should look into. It is easy to follow and you might find some trick useful.

If you have looked for help from Google while you are searching, it isn't readily available. On this website, there are explanations and likely features you didn't know existed.

No, Google isn't a genealogy or surname search engine, however genealogical and surname searches can be done. Just because it is free doesn't reduce the value of the results. Most of the free genealogy website that are online are searched by Google.

PCGS November Newsletter

Just a reminder...the deadline for newsletter submission is October 10.

If you have an idea for an article but don't know how to proceed, please email me and I'll be happy to help.

Pam Treme
ptreme@hotmail.com

Tutorial: Getting started Blogging

I made a tutorial at
http://www.rootsweb.com/~flpcgs/Blog-Ed/Blog-Ed.htm.
The word tutorial is linked

Most of the society members have opinions and news. Only a few have no opinion or news. However only a few post to the blog and most don't post. So it must be blog training you need.

You have seen that the postings cover a large variety of topics.

Cathy Vance sent out invitation to the society members to join the Blog and it was intended for you to participate not just read.

I will be looking for some new postings. At worse, comments about this one.

Son of Presidents and Tribal Chiefs

Son of Presidents and Tribal Chiefs is the title of a 5-page special report in the Chicago Sun Times about Barack Obama's family tree. It isn't that the Sun Times has a genealogy columnist, the report is by the Political Editor, Scott Fornek. Unless Mr. Obama does something unforgivable, he will remain an Illinois favorite son.

The interactive family tree presentation is remarkable. The print issue cannot be as good. The standard genealogy links are nothing special, but do include additional links to Chicago and Illinois resources.

I cannot say anything good about Mr. Obama since he [along with other democrats] has written off the people of Florida. I just am fascinated by the sophistication of the report about him.

Buried Alive In New Haven, Vermont

A man buried with a window in his tombstone! Read about it HERE I have read about people being fearful of being buried alive and having a bell in case that unfortunate event happened but this is the first time I have read about a window placed in the tombstone.



The above picture is public domain taken from Wikipedia

PCGS classes

The "Genealogy and Search Engines ” class that Tom Santa Cruz will be teaching will be one of many that PCGS will be presenting. Your Executive Committee has recently established this new service to members and non-members and we hope you will take advantage of the classes that will be offered.
Next month (October 2007) Virginia Britten will be presenting "Back to Basics". The subject for the November class has not been planned yet, so if you have something you want to learn about please let one of the Executive Committee members know or post it to this blog.
Most classes will be free but there will be some which may be a few dollars to cover costs of copies made for the presentation.

Happy Hunting
Cathy Vance

Workshop - Genealogy & Search Engines

This is the first afternoon PCGS Workshop. It will be Friday, September 14th from 2 to about 4 pm at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints on Ft. King Road in the room outside the Family History Center.

We are hoping to have an Internet Hookup, and use the Society projector to actually search. We want to identify the difficulties and problems people have using search engines for genealogy. And we also want to try to resolve most of these issues.

Some issues that we want to address initially are getting no results and getting too many results.

To signup please respond with a comment [below] give a name and search engine issue.

We may not solve all the problems, but hopefully a number of them will be no more.

Society Meeting - September 8th

The Pasco County Genealogy Society kicks off their 2007 – 2008 year highlighting Dade City and the surrounding areas. Our September speaker, James Dennison, has deep routes in Pasco County. Mr. Dennison has many ancestors who helped settle the Dade City area and over the years has become well-versed in its local history. So join us at our September meeting and find the who, what and how behind the town know as Dade City, and be sure to bring your questions!

The Pasco County Genealogical Society (PCGS) will conduct their monthly meeting on Saturday, September 8 at 10:00 am at the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints at 9016 Fort King Road, Dade City, FL.

See you there!!!

Evidence Explained

Are you considering the purchase of Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources From Artifacts to Cyberspace by Elizabeth Shown Mills? The author explains in the book how-to cite-your-source in 885 pages. You should think even an oddball source is covered and explained. The author does provide explanation, and gives examples often with variants and too derivative source citations. She notes the source, an example of the first use citing the source and subsequent citations in your document. Let us agree it is a great reference book.

Here is what it may cost you:

• from Genealogy Publishing Co. it sells for $49.95 plus $6 for s/h.
• from Wholly Genes, it sells for $37.45 plus $11.20 for s/h (priority mail.)

or an electronic Adobe pdf-file:

• from Footnote, it sells for 24.95, no s/h, you must download it to your computer.

It isn't available at Amazon.com and may not come out as a deal. Correction: Amazon.com is selling the book for $49.95 with free s/h. [see comments.]

It may come down to how you do your work.

I don't plan to carry around another 5 to 10 pounds of book. Most people however collect there information with basic resource information in the field and enter the information into their collection at home. Then again, some source are a more complicated than others to document and having a field copy would be a true resource, or you may be on a trip to the country (or another country) collecting information and will be away from home for sometime.

Another consideration is how do you use a reference book. You look up a topic and find a paragraph or a chapter on it. How much reading off a laptop will you tolerate?

There is the price the electronic version to consider. It is about half the cost, but there is no tangible paper copy. If you plan to print out your electronic version, please do your economics.

Please share your comments. Did I miss something? Somebody with the book weight it for us.

Genealogy & Illnesses

There is an article in the New York Times on September 4, 2007 about two different serious genetic diseases found in those with Hispanic heritage. The article is Heirs to a Rare Legacy in New Mexico by Dr. Ben Daitz.

The illnesses are oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy, and cavernous angioma. The family genealogies for those with both illnesses date back to early colonial New Mexico. with the genealogies modern day family and cousins have been identified. There are medical procedures to relieve some of the symptoms, but not the diseases.

So I guess there are much worse things than "black sheep" in a family. Please read the article and post a comment.