CURATING:
A Legacy Project
Restoring & Curating Your Family History & Genealogy
Iona Miller, 2015
A Legacy Project
Restoring & Curating Your Family History & Genealogy
Iona Miller, 2015
Our life, our memories, our most cherished family photographs increasingly exist as bits of information - on our hard drives or in "the cloud". But as technology moves on, they risk being lost in the wake of an accelerating digital revolution. Old formats of documents that we've created or presentations may not be readable by the latest version of the software because backwards compatibility is not always guaranteed. "And so what can happen over time is that even if we accumulate vast archives of digital content, we may not actually know what it is."
‘If one of your late ancestors were to come back from the dead and would join you for dinner, what things about your family would this person find the most shocking?’
Where would I start? I hope they wouldn’t be shocked at my lifestyle. I hope I would make them proud. I love looking at old family pictures- L-O-V-E. But they would probably be shocked I collect pictures of other families. I’ll explain further into this post… My Grandfather who is in his 90’s has told me many times that I look like his niece and has even sent me a picture of her. My Other Grandfather who has since passed on, had a sister that I have been told I sound just like. I would love the opportunity to question these relatives- to see for myself the familiarity that others have seen. To know their hopes and dreams, I would ask if they loved Jesus, did they dream big, did they cherished their family, regrets, their favorite recipe, or do they have any sage advice for me.
http://hillfamily1.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/wpid-20140515_202217.jpg
Where would I start? I hope they wouldn’t be shocked at my lifestyle. I hope I would make them proud. I love looking at old family pictures- L-O-V-E. But they would probably be shocked I collect pictures of other families. I’ll explain further into this post… My Grandfather who is in his 90’s has told me many times that I look like his niece and has even sent me a picture of her. My Other Grandfather who has since passed on, had a sister that I have been told I sound just like. I would love the opportunity to question these relatives- to see for myself the familiarity that others have seen. To know their hopes and dreams, I would ask if they loved Jesus, did they dream big, did they cherished their family, regrets, their favorite recipe, or do they have any sage advice for me.
http://hillfamily1.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/wpid-20140515_202217.jpg
It’s good to write down our recollections. As vivid as the moment seems at the time, memories fade. These prompts will help jog them. Invite your older children to participate. They’re in closer proximity to their memories, and can usually remember the details more vividly.
There are no rules: Jot your thoughts in snippets or write them out diary-style. Either way, do your best to recall the sensory details that made the moment important, for it’s those little things that keep the memory alive.
22 Writing Prompts That Jog Childhood Memories
There are no rules: Jot your thoughts in snippets or write them out diary-style. Either way, do your best to recall the sensory details that made the moment important, for it’s those little things that keep the memory alive.
22 Writing Prompts That Jog Childhood Memories
- Describe one of your earliest childhood memories. How old were you? What bits and pieces can you recall?
- Who was your best childhood friend? Write about some of the fun things you used to do together.
- Can you remember your mom’s or grandmother’s kitchen? Use sight and smell words to describe it.
- Describe the most unusual or memorable place you have lived.
- Did you have your own bedroom growing up, or did you share with a sibling? Describe your room.
- Were you shy as a child? Bossy? Obnoxious? Describe several of your childhood character traits. How did those qualities show themselves? Are you still that way today?
- What childhood memories of your mother and father do you have? Describe a couple of snapshot moments.
- Write about a holiday memory. Where did you go? What did you do? What foods do you remember?
- Describe your favorite hideaway.
- Did you attend a traditional school, or were you educated at home? Describe a school-related memory.
- Think of a time when you did something you shouldn’t have done. Describe both the incident and the feelings they created.
- Have you ever needed stitches, broken a bone, or been hospitalized? Describe a childhood injury or illness.
- Do you have quirky or interesting relatives on your family tree? Describe one or two of them.
- Describe your most memorable family vacation. Where did you go? Did something exciting or unusual happen? Did you eat new or unique foods?
- Did you grow up with family traditions? Describe one.
- Books can be childhood friends. What were some of your favorites? Why were they special?
- Describe a game or activity you used to play with a sibling.
- What were some of your favorite television shows as a child?
- What was your most beloved toy? Describe its shape, appearance, and texture. What feelings come to mind when you think of that toy?
- Think of a childhood event that made you feel anxious or scared. Describe both the event itself and the feelings it stirred up.
- Write about some sayings, expressions, or advice you heard at home when you were growing up. Who said them? What did they mean? Do you use any of those expressions today?
- What are your happiest childhood memories? Describe one event and the feelings associated with it.
单击此处进行编辑。
Collecting & Preserving What Time Forgot
But You Found - Now What?
But You Found - Now What?
Organizing Your History, Keepsakes & Documents
Imagine that throughout all of history, no one or very few members of your family have sought to preserve their knowledge of their inheritance and ancestry, and now that overwhelming, but joyful task falls to you. Where do you begin and what do you prioritize?
There are ways to acquire and save references and documentation for each of your ancestors at your genealogy sites or within your hardcopy or digital record of your pedigree. Ideally, a well-sourced pedigree will be documented with reliable sources which are cited for each family member. Remember, mistakes in your close family will send you way down a perhaps interesting but irrelevant line and proliferate mistakes.
Imagine that throughout all of history, no one or very few members of your family have sought to preserve their knowledge of their inheritance and ancestry, and now that overwhelming, but joyful task falls to you. Where do you begin and what do you prioritize?
There are ways to acquire and save references and documentation for each of your ancestors at your genealogy sites or within your hardcopy or digital record of your pedigree. Ideally, a well-sourced pedigree will be documented with reliable sources which are cited for each family member. Remember, mistakes in your close family will send you way down a perhaps interesting but irrelevant line and proliferate mistakes.
Archiving Documents
单击此处进行编辑。
Archival Timelines
Establishing Categories
Establishing Categories
Great Migrations
Immigrants
Colonial Era
Revolutionary Era
Pioneer Era
Civil War Era
The Great Wars
Notable Relatives
Gateway Ancestors
Immigrants
Colonial Era
Revolutionary Era
Pioneer Era
Civil War Era
The Great Wars
Notable Relatives
Gateway Ancestors
Scanning Photos, Letters, Journals, & Clippings
MAPS
Locations
Castles
Battles
Homesteads
Ancestral Lands
Castles
Battles
Homesteads
Ancestral Lands
Heraldry, Arms, & Badges
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heraldry
Heraldry (/ˈhɛrəldri/) is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms.[1] Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander".[1] The word, in its most general sense, encompasses all matters relating to the duties and responsibilities of officers of arms.[2] To most, though, heraldry is the practice of designing, displaying, describing, and recording coats of arms and heraldic badges.
Historically, it has been variously described as "the shorthand of history"[3] and "the floral border in the garden of history".[4] The origins of heraldry lie in the need to distinguish participants in combat when their faces were hidden by iron and steel helmets.[5] Eventually a formal system of rules developed into ever more complex forms of heraldry. Though the practice of heraldry is nearly 900 years old, it is still very much in use.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heraldry
Heraldry (/ˈhɛrəldri/) is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms.[1] Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander".[1] The word, in its most general sense, encompasses all matters relating to the duties and responsibilities of officers of arms.[2] To most, though, heraldry is the practice of designing, displaying, describing, and recording coats of arms and heraldic badges.
Historically, it has been variously described as "the shorthand of history"[3] and "the floral border in the garden of history".[4] The origins of heraldry lie in the need to distinguish participants in combat when their faces were hidden by iron and steel helmets.[5] Eventually a formal system of rules developed into ever more complex forms of heraldry. Though the practice of heraldry is nearly 900 years old, it is still very much in use.
Symbolism, Totems & Tales
Anthropology & Archaeology
REFERENCE BOOKS
Family Tree Sourcebooks
Many families have whole books dedicated to their lineage, which has been preserved or sussed out in subsequent years. Many can be found online in private and public archives. Links to such sites can be saved, but it is possible linkrot will set in at some point, so downloading or buying hard copies is advised. Media storage mechanisms change at a rapid rate, and we may lose the electronic capacity to read old storage media.
You can't rely that what is here today will be there tomorrow, or remain freely available. You may choose to digitize your family history for family members. Online genealogy can be preserved by distributing legacy archive copies among responsible family members.
You can even consider making videos of segments of family history, many of which may apply to segments of the public at large, such as medieval histories and documentation. Doing so may engage family members who are unwilling to go through the process of examining the careful records you have made. This offers an oportunity for personal commentary, as well as a photo and text record. It might even include living footage of recent ancestors, in candid scenes or telling family tales, or describing their own lives in their own words..
Many families have whole books dedicated to their lineage, which has been preserved or sussed out in subsequent years. Many can be found online in private and public archives. Links to such sites can be saved, but it is possible linkrot will set in at some point, so downloading or buying hard copies is advised. Media storage mechanisms change at a rapid rate, and we may lose the electronic capacity to read old storage media.
You can't rely that what is here today will be there tomorrow, or remain freely available. You may choose to digitize your family history for family members. Online genealogy can be preserved by distributing legacy archive copies among responsible family members.
You can even consider making videos of segments of family history, many of which may apply to segments of the public at large, such as medieval histories and documentation. Doing so may engage family members who are unwilling to go through the process of examining the careful records you have made. This offers an oportunity for personal commentary, as well as a photo and text record. It might even include living footage of recent ancestors, in candid scenes or telling family tales, or describing their own lives in their own words..
From Wedding Bells to Funeral Knells
Chunking Down
Historical Periods & Special Groups
Helping Family Members Find Specific Areas of Interest
Archiving by Country or Continent
Royal Lines
Special Groups
Ethnic Culture
Regional Pantheons, Myths & Legends
Historical Periods & Special Groups
Helping Family Members Find Specific Areas of Interest
Archiving by Country or Continent
Royal Lines
Special Groups
Ethnic Culture
Regional Pantheons, Myths & Legends
RESOURCES
This list shows the top ten most popular online genealogy magazines in the world, ranked list in order of popularity:
1. GenealogyInTime Magazine – this is us. We are one of the world's largest free genealogy websites. We are also unique in the genealogy world in that we provide high quality free content such as powerful search engines, listings of the latest genealogy records, in-depth articles and tools and resources to trace your ancestors for free. [GenealogyInTime Magazine]
2. Eastman’s Online Newsletter – Dick Eastman’s blog is a leading source for genealogy material. The website contains both free content and subscription material. [Eastmans Newsletter]
3. Family Tree Magazine – This is the online version of the print magazine of the same name. This site has some free content with the emphasis is on getting people to subscribe to the print edition of the magazine. [Family Tree Magazine]
4. Lineages.co.uk - This is a website that provides links to other websites on new and useful genealogy content. [Lineages.co.uk]
5. Genealogy Magazine – This site is more a genealogy store than a magazine. It sells books, databases and articles for tracing your ancestors. [Genealogy Magazine]
6. Family Chronicle – This is an online version of the popular print magazine of the same name. There is some free content, with an emphasis on getting people to subscribe to the print edition of the magazine. [Family Chronicle Magazine]
7. Indiana Genealogy Society - This is the website/newsletter of one of the largest genealogy societies in the US. [Indiana Genealogy Society]
8. Journal of Genetic Genealogy - This is a free open-access journal devoted to genetic genealogy. Although the last published issue is Fall 2011, there are plans to restart the journal in the Fall of 2014. [Journal of Genetic Genealogy]
9. Genealogy Roots Blog - This is a blog that lists new online genealogy resources for US researchers. [Genealogy Roots Blog]
10. Rootsweb - This is actually one of the oldest online genealogy forums, now part of Ancestry. [Rootsweb]
This list is up to date as of August 2014. You can access the extended Alexa list of the most popular online genealogy magazines by clicking here.
Further Resources
Top 100 Most Popular Genealogy Websites
Genealogy Search Engine
Free Genealogy Toolbar
Newest Genealogy Records
http://www.genealogyintime.com/records/newest-genealogy-records.html
Highlights of GenealogyInTime Magazine
- See more at: http://www.genealogyintime.com/GenealogyResources/Articles/top_ten_most_popular_online_genealogy_magazines.html#sthash.nu2fvKux.dpuf
1. GenealogyInTime Magazine – this is us. We are one of the world's largest free genealogy websites. We are also unique in the genealogy world in that we provide high quality free content such as powerful search engines, listings of the latest genealogy records, in-depth articles and tools and resources to trace your ancestors for free. [GenealogyInTime Magazine]
2. Eastman’s Online Newsletter – Dick Eastman’s blog is a leading source for genealogy material. The website contains both free content and subscription material. [Eastmans Newsletter]
3. Family Tree Magazine – This is the online version of the print magazine of the same name. This site has some free content with the emphasis is on getting people to subscribe to the print edition of the magazine. [Family Tree Magazine]
4. Lineages.co.uk - This is a website that provides links to other websites on new and useful genealogy content. [Lineages.co.uk]
5. Genealogy Magazine – This site is more a genealogy store than a magazine. It sells books, databases and articles for tracing your ancestors. [Genealogy Magazine]
6. Family Chronicle – This is an online version of the popular print magazine of the same name. There is some free content, with an emphasis on getting people to subscribe to the print edition of the magazine. [Family Chronicle Magazine]
7. Indiana Genealogy Society - This is the website/newsletter of one of the largest genealogy societies in the US. [Indiana Genealogy Society]
8. Journal of Genetic Genealogy - This is a free open-access journal devoted to genetic genealogy. Although the last published issue is Fall 2011, there are plans to restart the journal in the Fall of 2014. [Journal of Genetic Genealogy]
9. Genealogy Roots Blog - This is a blog that lists new online genealogy resources for US researchers. [Genealogy Roots Blog]
10. Rootsweb - This is actually one of the oldest online genealogy forums, now part of Ancestry. [Rootsweb]
This list is up to date as of August 2014. You can access the extended Alexa list of the most popular online genealogy magazines by clicking here.
Further Resources
Top 100 Most Popular Genealogy Websites
Genealogy Search Engine
Free Genealogy Toolbar
Newest Genealogy Records
http://www.genealogyintime.com/records/newest-genealogy-records.html
Highlights of GenealogyInTime Magazine
- See more at: http://www.genealogyintime.com/GenealogyResources/Articles/top_ten_most_popular_online_genealogy_magazines.html#sthash.nu2fvKux.dpuf
Preserving Digital Memories from Media Obsolescence
SAVING HEIRLOOM DATA IN MULTIPLE FORMS
Make Sure Your Data Stays in Readable & Transferable Forms
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/02/google-forgotten-century-digital-files-bit-rot/385500/?utm_source=SFFB
A top Google executive believes that today's electronic personal records, photos, and even tweets will all be lost to defunct software, resulting in a "forgotten century."
Two weeks ago, a seven-alarm blaze at a storage warehouse [burned] with "decades’ worth of charred medical records, court transcripts, lawyers’ letters, sonograms, bank checks, and more." Huge swaths of Brooklyn's legal history literally fueled the fire, leaving one Clerk's Office representative to lament of the stacks of data lost: "They're priceless."
The move to digitize vital files as well as electronically store keepsakes, letters, and photos should, in theory, safeguard future generations from the agony of losing data to a fire or flood. But what happens when we outgrow our own technology?
Speaking at the American Association for the Advancement of Science this week, Google Vice President Vint Cerf warned of a “forgotten generation, or even a forgotten century” that awaits us when "bit rot" takes hold and our digital material gets lapped by the new hardware and software racing around it.
“We are nonchalantly throwing all of our data into what could become an information black hole," he said to The Guardian. “We digitize things because we think we will preserve them, but what
we don’t understand is that unless we take other steps, those digital versions may not be any better, and may even be worse, than the artifacts that we digitized. If there are photos [or curated data and ancestral lines] you really care about, print them out.”
Many people are already familiar with this quandary. It wasn't so long ago that bright yellow floppy disks preserved term papers or 8-tracks the latest hits, now inaccessible to the average person. Indeed, many people no longer have computers with DVD or CD drives; storage technology is evolving much faster than anyone could have anticipated. But the files themselves, .jpgs, .pdfs, or .docs, rely on software that is constantly updated and improved. If software companies choose not to support these file types, how will people access their own information? How will future generations?
“We are nonchalantly throwing all of our data into what could become an information black hole."
As The Guardian reported, Cerf has called for the creation of a “digital vellum” to ensure old files will always be recoverable. "There are not a lot of people working on these kinds of projects," said Jacob Silverman, the author of the forthcoming book on digital culture Terms of Service. "They're not very commercial questions. And there are not many business incentives for programmers to think about these things."
As Cerf points out, there are actually some disincentives to developing the kind of systems that could mimic old software. One example is the cost of buying the rights from companies that close or stop supporting updates for certain products. "The rights of preservation might need to be incorporated into our thinking about things like copyright and patents and licensing," he said.
Earlier this week, Silverman noted, Facebook rolled out a feature that gives its users the option of deleting their accounts upon their death or designating someone to take control of his or her account.
"There's an irony there," he said. "There's that kind of forward looking. But no one is asking how you will access your photos in five years? That's a way more pertinent question. What's going to happen to our personal documents? What's going to happen to our medical records and court documents?"
SAVING HEIRLOOM DATA IN MULTIPLE FORMS
Make Sure Your Data Stays in Readable & Transferable Forms
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/02/google-forgotten-century-digital-files-bit-rot/385500/?utm_source=SFFB
A top Google executive believes that today's electronic personal records, photos, and even tweets will all be lost to defunct software, resulting in a "forgotten century."
Two weeks ago, a seven-alarm blaze at a storage warehouse [burned] with "decades’ worth of charred medical records, court transcripts, lawyers’ letters, sonograms, bank checks, and more." Huge swaths of Brooklyn's legal history literally fueled the fire, leaving one Clerk's Office representative to lament of the stacks of data lost: "They're priceless."
The move to digitize vital files as well as electronically store keepsakes, letters, and photos should, in theory, safeguard future generations from the agony of losing data to a fire or flood. But what happens when we outgrow our own technology?
Speaking at the American Association for the Advancement of Science this week, Google Vice President Vint Cerf warned of a “forgotten generation, or even a forgotten century” that awaits us when "bit rot" takes hold and our digital material gets lapped by the new hardware and software racing around it.
“We are nonchalantly throwing all of our data into what could become an information black hole," he said to The Guardian. “We digitize things because we think we will preserve them, but what
we don’t understand is that unless we take other steps, those digital versions may not be any better, and may even be worse, than the artifacts that we digitized. If there are photos [or curated data and ancestral lines] you really care about, print them out.”
Many people are already familiar with this quandary. It wasn't so long ago that bright yellow floppy disks preserved term papers or 8-tracks the latest hits, now inaccessible to the average person. Indeed, many people no longer have computers with DVD or CD drives; storage technology is evolving much faster than anyone could have anticipated. But the files themselves, .jpgs, .pdfs, or .docs, rely on software that is constantly updated and improved. If software companies choose not to support these file types, how will people access their own information? How will future generations?
“We are nonchalantly throwing all of our data into what could become an information black hole."
As The Guardian reported, Cerf has called for the creation of a “digital vellum” to ensure old files will always be recoverable. "There are not a lot of people working on these kinds of projects," said Jacob Silverman, the author of the forthcoming book on digital culture Terms of Service. "They're not very commercial questions. And there are not many business incentives for programmers to think about these things."
As Cerf points out, there are actually some disincentives to developing the kind of systems that could mimic old software. One example is the cost of buying the rights from companies that close or stop supporting updates for certain products. "The rights of preservation might need to be incorporated into our thinking about things like copyright and patents and licensing," he said.
Earlier this week, Silverman noted, Facebook rolled out a feature that gives its users the option of deleting their accounts upon their death or designating someone to take control of his or her account.
"There's an irony there," he said. "There's that kind of forward looking. But no one is asking how you will access your photos in five years? That's a way more pertinent question. What's going to happen to our personal documents? What's going to happen to our medical records and court documents?"