I have been engaged in a massive project of re-organizing my digital filing system. This has necessitated my scouring the hard drives of my various computers, external hard drives, USB memory sticks, our research wiki, and the file storage system of our website. While I was growing toward a coherent filing system, I had too many duplicate files spread over all my storage media. I have not completed the task, but I have the feeling that I am beginning to gain some control over my files. There is more work to be done and I will persevere until it is completed.
I have also been tidying up my genealogy database in RootsMagic 4. I have two primary goals in this task. First, I want to provide source citations for as many individuals and events as possible. My original research has been lacking in this area. Over the past year I have been more attentive to sources, but my process of getting source citation from research to database has been spotty. Second, I am cleaning up the various lists (sources, repositories, addresses, places, etc.) that RootsMagic 4 makes possible. I have split my main database into eight separate databases (one for each of the great-grandparent lines of my wife and myself.) and am tracking myself through them.
In the meantime, I have been neglecting my research and my blog. I don’t want to re-energize my research until my files are in better order. No sense throwing more confusion into the system. (I have to admit that research is more fun than cleaning files, so I periodically sidetrack myself with an online search.) I have decided that the best thing for me to do at this point is return to my blog.
I have decided to focus my blog posts by working my way through my Ahnentafel. I will start with myself; move to each of my parents; continue on with each of my grandparents; etc. As I write about each individual, I will a) identify and assess the information I have concerning them, b) make note of missing information and any research leads that I may have (as well as new directions for my research), c) tell one or more stories I have gleaned about each individual, and d) post pictures where I have them.
I hope to present one individual a week until I have worked through posts Generation 5 (my great-grandparents). I will publish multiple post where necessary.
I've thought about doing something similar because I'm starting to forget what, or who, I've written about. I almost published a second blog on the same subject I'd already written about last week. Sheesh! I have to watch and see how this works out for you.