Social Media and Genealogy

Robert & Diane Pulse

January 8, 2013

Social Media Definition/Types

• Social media employ web- and mobile-based technologies to support interactive dialogue … between organizations, communities, and individuals.

• Classifications/Apps (Applications):– Internet forums/Message Boards– Blog e.g., Twitter– Wikis e.g., MyFamily/MyHeritage– Social Networks e.g., Facebook/Google+/LinkedIn– Podcast e.g., YouTube– Photo Sharing e.g., Pinterest

• Can be altered almost instantaneously by comments or editing.

Internet forums/Message Boards

• A message board or a forum is an online discussion done through posting messages back and forth as if in a conversation. The actual conversation is known as a “thread” and one can follow that thread back to the very beginning and pick up all the clues and information along the thread to reach a conclusion or an answer to a problem.

• RootsWeb/Ancestry (the same now)– Keywords– Surnames

• Family Search - discontinued while I made this presentation in favor of FaceBook and Wiki

Blog often associated with news letters

• Anglo-Celtic Connections• The Genealogy News • Twitter - I have never found a genealogical use for a 120

character messing service

Blog - Anglo-Celtic Connections

Blog - The Genealogy News

Wiki

• Family Search• MyHeritage (Israeli company) Scovern Example• MyFamily - division of Ancestry• Wikipedia

Social Networks

• Facebook• Google+• LinkedIn - mainly Business

Social Networks - Facebook

Social Networks - Google+

Social Networks - LinkedIn

Podcast / Webinars

• One direction with text feedback

• YouTube - Ancestry• Legacy

• Family Tree Magazine• BBC - Tracing Your Roots• Genealogy Guys

Photo Sharing

• Pinterest PLEASE read the terms of service before placing you pictures on this service, you transfer ownership to them

• Instagram - faces first civil lawsuit for changes in Terms of Services

Recirculating Email

• The oldest form of social media and still in use today.• A process where all the interested parties are copied on a series

of e-mail’s discussing a specific subject.

Another view - Using Social Media

• Family Search• Cyndi's List Blog• Archives• Ancestry - using the Social media for the presentation