Archive for January, 2010
Beware the SemiDB
Saturday, January 30th, 2010So what, you might be asking, is a “SemiDB” supposed to be? Semi, of course means half, or partial. DB is database, that friend of researchers of all shapes, sizes and persuasions. SemiDB is the name I use for databases that, for one reason or another, don’t contain as much as you might think. Some [...]
Daughter’s of the Union
Sunday, January 24th, 2010I think that one of the most important “techniques” in genealogy is the study of history. Often that means studying both time’s nooks and crannies and its large semi-explored regions. After all, our ancestors may have been swept along in vast historical currents but they were also specific people, with specific backgrounds, living in specific [...]
Shooing Away Your Inner Pigeon
Sunday, January 17th, 2010A funny thing happened to me on the way home from the library the other day. I’d been working in some genealogy databases—typing away, looking through the search results, then more typing… After doing what I’d planned to do, it was time to walk home. On the way, I thought of a psychology lecture I’d [...]
Cleaning my Desk
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010I just ran across a scrap of paper as I cleaned out some boxes. I’m not sure when I wrote it, though it was sometime before moving back to the U.S. from Sweden a couple years ago. At the time, I was intending to start this blog at some point after the move and I’m [...]
Grave Portents
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010It’s been said many times in genealogical circles that it is important to keep track of who an ancestor’s associates were. You never know when they will lead you to or even be previously unknown relatives. There are many places to find your ancestors’ associates. The one I’m thinking about at the moment is the [...]