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GPS for the Web A reader response in the October 2006 issue of Family Tree Magazine caught my eye:It astonishes me that a magazine such as yours would publish an article telling its readers of the many resources available on a "fresh-faced" Cyndi's List <cyndislist.com> without warning them that the site has not been seriously updated since mid-2003 ("Upping the Ante," June 2006).  By looking at the new, temporarily uncategorized links, you'll see that Cyndi Howells hasn't been moving these linkst into her main index for almost three years.Well that might explain why I haven't been successful getting Family Matters added to the list. My point is . . .  Why depend on an out-dated technology when you can use the online version of a GPS system to maintain your own set of research waypoints throughout the Internet.  And, you can easily share them with others - either in a research group or one-to-one.  You can do all this and much more with Diigo.  Diigo is different from other social bookmarking systems in that it allows you to add your own sticky notes to your bookmark and share those notes with others if you wish.  It's easy to select a page or a bit of text and email that information to someone.  And, because your bookmarks are managed on Diigo's servers, your bookmarks and notes are available to your from any computer.  It gets better.  Diigo is a free service.  Once you have created you account, download and install the appropriate toolbar (available for Foxfire, Internet Explorer and Flock) or bookmarklet and you're ready to go.  If you already use other social bookmarking platforms - like del.icio.us or My Web - you can set your toolbar options to automatically create bookmarks there too. Diigo is a researcher's dream.  The email forwarding alone is worth its weight in gold!  Stop by the Diigo site and see for yourself.

GPS for the Web A reader response in the October 2006 issue of Family Tree Magazine caught my eye:It astonishes me that a magazine such as yours would publish an article telling its readers of the many resources available on a "fresh-faced" Cyndi's List <cyndislist.com> without warning them that the site has not been seriously updated since mid-2003 ("Upping the Ante," June 2006).  By looking at the new, temporarily uncategorized links, you'll see that Cyndi Howells hasn't been moving these linkst into her main index for almost three years.Well that might explain why I haven't been successful getting Family Matters added to the list. My point is . . .  Why depend on an out-dated technology when you can use the online version of a GPS system to maintain your own set of research waypoints throughout the Internet.  And, you can easily share them with others - either in a research group or one-to-one.  You can do all this and much more with Diigo.  Diigo is different from other social bookmarking systems in that it allows you to add your own sticky notes to your bookmark and share those notes with others if you wish.  It's easy to select a page or a bit of text and email that information to someone.  And, because your bookmarks are managed on Diigo's servers, your bookmarks and notes are available to your from any computer.  It gets better.  Diigo is a free service.  Once you have created you account, download and install the appropriate toolbar (available for Foxfire, Internet Explorer and Flock) or bookmarklet and you're ready to go.  If you already use other social bookmarking platforms - like del.icio.us or My Web - you can set your toolbar options to automatically create bookmarks there too. Diigo is a researcher's dream.  The email forwarding alone is worth its weight in gold!  Stop by the Diigo site and see for yourself.

Donated to my website OliveTreeGenealogy.com for its Lost Faces Collection of antique photo albums. While this is not a true photo album, there were several CDVs and Cabinet Cards inside. The family Birth and Death Register is also included

Basically, the "materials" for this project are going to be things that help you to remember specials events in your life. Photographs, journals, and letters are a few good ideas. As you leaf through a photo album or an old journal, chances are that you'll find yourself thinking, "Now that's a story I've got to put in!"

To help you get over that first horrible case of writer's block, here are some places you might start: What is the story of your birth? Remember how your mother used to tell you about the seventy-two hours she spent in labor to bring you into the world? Or maybe your father once told you what he thought the first time he saw you. These can turn into attention-grabbing beginnings. What is your earliest memory? Rather than starting with your birth, you might want to start with the first face, house, toy, or song that you remember. Why did you decide to write your personal history? Maybe you decided to start this project after reading your grandmother's journal or after spending an exhausting decade trying to find out exactly who your great-great grandfather was. That story could make an interesting introduction. What was the most important, happiest, or best day of your life? Think over your life and pick one particular day that stands out to you.

You might also consider having family members or friends contribute some memories of their own. For example, when writing about your childhood, you might want to ask your siblings to write down what they remember about growing up in your home. Maybe they remember things you've forgotten-like that unfortunate incident with the grape juice and Mom's favorite shirt-or simply remember things differently. While this is first and foremost your history, it can be interesting to share a story from someone else's viewpoint. When talking about your wedding day, it would be fun to have your spouse's version of the story as well as your own.