My Rooted Technology

Jill Ball started it and Thomas MacEntee promoted it…  finally I am catching up with it.  What is it?  It is the My Rooted Technology meme.  This is a prelude to RootsTech 2012. My son (the technically savvy and proficient member of the team) and I (the field researcher and data collector) are attending together.   RootsTech will be an opportunity for the two of us to spend a few days together immersed in this venture for which we both have passion — the intersection of genealogy and technology.  I am also going to spend a few extra days at the Family History Library, so I am setting my goals and organizing my travel “papers.”

• Technology you already use: bold face type
• Technology you would like to use or learn more about: italicize (color optional)
• Technology you don’t use, have no interest in using or no longer use: plain type
• Explain or give opinions in brackets [ ] at the end of each bullet point
  

1. I have an iPad that I use for genealogy
2. I have downloaded one or more apps to a Smart Phone or similar device. [my favorite is CamScanner]
3. I belong to a genealogy society that uses social media.
4. I use GEDCOM files and understand the various compatibility issues involved [and am frustrated by the lack of compatibility from one vendor to another]
5. I have added metadata to some of my files and digital photos. [but not as much as I could/should]
6. I have utilized an API from a genealogy-related application or website. [I guess I need to have a conversation with my techie son about this one]
7. I have taken a DNA test related to my genealogy research.
8. I have used the FamilySearch Research Wiki.
9. I have Facebook and Google+ accounts and use them regularly for genealogy.
10. I use tech tools to help me cite my sources in genealogy research. [cut & paste, templates... any tool that will help me provide clear and accurate citations]
11. I have developed a genealogy-related app for a Smart Phone or similar device. [and don't expect that I ever will]
12. I use a genealogy database program [RootsMagic 5 and The Next Generation of Genealogy Software (TNG)]
13. I use cloud computer resources to store my genealogy data. [Dropbox, Box, Apple iCloud, BackUpMyTree, and my own personal Research Wiki]
14. I have made one or more contributions to the FamilySearch Research Wiki.
15. I have attended a genealogy webinar.
16. I have organized and administered a DNA testing group related to my genealogy.
17. I use apps involving GPS and Geo-caching for my genealogy research. [GPS, but not Geo-caching]
18. I have a Google+ account and use it regularly for genealogy.
19. I have created and published a family history e-book. [Maybe someday?!?!]
20. I have created a wiki related to my genealogy research. [I have my own personal Research Wiki. It is my primary organization and storage system.]

I have organized and administered a DNA testing group related to my genealogy. I have conducted a genealogy webinar as a presenter.

21. I read genealogy-related blogs to help improve my own research. [FlipBoard on my iPad is a constant companion]
22. I have one or more genealogy-related blogs to help improve my own research. [a public blog for research; a private blog for my own genealogical memories]
23. I have a Twitter account and use it regularly for genealogy.
24. I have one or more genealogy-related websites which I run and administer. [I am the content manager for our TNG website; my son is the webmaster]
25. I have created a screencast or video related to genealogy and posted it at a video sharing site (Vimeo, YouTube, etc.).
26. I use one or more digital tools to capture and record my family history. [Firefox & Chrome; Evernote; my Research Wiki; TNG; am experimenting with Outwit Hub; this blog]