Kinsearching May 24, 2009

RELEASE DATE: MAY 24, 2009



KINSEARCHING

by

Marleta Childs
P. O. Box 6825
LUBBOCK, TX 79493-6825
[email protected]
 

     For centuries, people maintained social ties face-to-face by attending church, organizational meetings, classes, sports activities, and reunions. As the population became literate, individuals also kept connected to relatives and friends by telephone, handwritten letters, and family newsletters. With the rapid spread of the World Wide Web, use of the internet has replaced those options for many people. Drew Smith explores this latest device for sharing family data and interacting with other researchers anywhere on the planet in his new book, SOCIAL NETWORKING FOR GENEALOGISTS.

     After describing the variety of social networking services now available online, Smith highlights techniques genealogists can utilize to exchange family data, photographs, and videos with interested persons. In thirteen chapters, he provides a brief history of certain types of sites, details about some of the best websites to explore, genealogy-related examples, and easy-to-follow steps to help individuals incorporate the new tools into their research. Topics discussed include blogs, collaborative editing, genealogy-specific social networks, general social networks such as Facebook, message boards and mailing lists, personal libraries, photo and video exchange, podcasts, RSS feeds, tags, virtual worlds, and wikis.

     Smith manages to compact a substantial amount of data about a wide array of online services and ways family researchers can apply them into one handy volume. His easy-to-follow instructions make it simple for individuals to participate in these sites without having to be a computer expert. SOCIAL NETWORKING FOR GENEALOGISTS is a timely publication that contains many beneficial ideas.

     The 129-page paperback has an attractive cover and numerous helpful illustrations. To the book's price of $18.50, buyers should add the cost for postage and handling charges. For U. S. postal mail, the cost is $5.00 for one book or the first volume of a set and $2.50 for each additional copy or each additional volume of a set; for UPS, the cost is $7.00 for one copy and $2.50 for each additional book. The volume (item order #5446) may be purchased by check, MasterCard, or Visa from Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 3600 Clipper Mill Rd., Suite 260, Baltimore, Maryland 21211-1953 (for phone orders, call toll free 1-800-296-6687; fax 1-410-752-8492; website www.genealogical.com).


     Established in 1911, the Polish American Journal is a monthly newspaper dedicated to promoting and continuing Polish American culture. A brief article on page 9 of the May 2009 issue announces plans for a list of approximately 6 million Poles, including about three million Jews, to be available on the internet in the near future. The list will pertain to persons believed to have died during the Nazi occupation of Poland during the years 1939-1945. According to Polish historian Andrzej Kunert, the website will initially post 1.9 million names and an appeal will be made to internet users to furnish additional facts about the individuals.


     Charles N. Ferguson, 811 South Market, Shawnee, OK 74801 is seeking information about the following couples:

     1. Amos W. FERGUSON and Ann PHILLIPS, who married in 1877 in Red River Co., TX;
     2. J. F. FERGUSON and Miss A. J. ASH, who married in August 1871 in Hopkins Co., TX;
     3. Amos FERGUSON and a HARRIS, given name unknown, who married between 1884 and 1887 in Robertson Co., TX; and
     4. Amos FERGUSON and name unknown, who married between 1890 and 1895 in Anderson Co., TX.

     Charles notes that a Mrs. A. J. FERGUSON died in Grayson Co., TX, on 15 June 1931.


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