Here in Australia we are so lucky to have lots of digitized newspapers where we can actually see what our ancestors posted on their social media of the day. My parents always used to check the hatch, match and dispatch as they called the births, marriages and deaths columns of the local paper. But nowadays less and less of these records are now found in the papers.
But my ancestors also had their divorces reported in the paper. If they were caught up in a court appearance, what they said was reported word for word. If they bought or sold land, it would often appear in the papers. Of course, after an ancestor passed there could also be an obituary telling their life story, often as they had told their children so not necessarily accurate especially if they had been a convict in the early years of our country.
Readers: What exciting news might your ancestors have posted on their social media?
Part of the discussion was whether this should be called Cousin Bait as originally mentioned and on the question slides or perhaps a better title was Cousin Collaboration. You can see what I decided by the title of the post. But some answers still use the word bait.
How do you share your family history online? ie blogging, trees, social media?
Also share with immediate family via email as many are older and this is their only online “place”. I have created separate email folders and labels, gmail is good for that – I used to forward emails to Evernote but have dropped back to basic now Evernote’s price has skyrocketed
Yes … agree re gmail … I also make use of folders and labels to organise family history emails from cousins and research contacts etc.
I mainly use blogging for sharing my family history online. I do have an online tree on Ancestry and some other subscription sites. I need to get better at using Facebook I think.
I also print off hard copies of any biographical narratives … they are available to immediate family via a folder on my bookshelf
Does anyone find they get much contact via online trees, either through paid sites or their own? (Other than when DNA is involved)
I get quite a few messages via Ancestry. Most are in response to DNA connections but some are tree related … I do quite a lot of descendant research so have lots of collateral lines in my trees … that helps to prompt tree related messages
I get quite a lot of messages on Ancestry. Not all who contact me are actually related but some have ended up being amazing collaborations! Betsy first found me on Ancestry. Look where that took me!
Just remembered I made some cousin contacts through a local history group on Facebook
I am trying to put my research in as many online places as possible. I am writing biographies on WikiTree and copying them to FamilySearch. I have trees on all the big sites.
I have done the same. Pretty much anywhere my tree can go you’ll find it. I don’t get much interaction anywhere but Ancestry but I live in hope
I’ve had some wonderful people contact me with offers of photos of my grandparents siblings – oooooo!!
I’ve (slowly) come to the realisation that trawling the trees for the cousins themselves (not their data) is a great way to find them and connect. Need to get moving with more of that!
Share my research mainly through blogging then emails once a connection has been made via tree on Ancestry etc
Do you have an intended audience when you share your family history online? Are you looking to collaborate with others?
Sharing my family history online is about telling our stories for future generations, and to encourage older generations to tell their stories.
Encouraging older generations to tell their stories so less history is lost is a great outcome. Takes effort,
We need to write down our own personal memories too so that they become written remembered stories for our descendants
Years ago there was a blogging challenge called The Book of Me. Doing that I recorded much of my childhood experiences. We all need to leave our own for the future
I tend to write mainly for myself (to organise my evidence, thoughts etc. and find the gaps in my research) and for my immediate family so I tend to fly under the radar with my blog
ooh an intended audience…that is such a good question. Well in an ideal world I do try to cite my sources thinking that other family historians would be pretty cranky if I didn’t. But I am hoping to catch cousins too.
I’m a bit naughty when it comes to sources in my blog. I do list these sometimes however it makes the blog post less visually appealing and added work so will go for a “contact me for more info” plus if they are really interested they might contact me
@geneastories has lots of good advice about family history story telling (in addition to the linked post above)
My intended audience is mixed. I want to preserve the stories for my family and retain via Pandora. It’s also a way to record my discoveries as a kind of research library
Am finding LivingDNA is getting better with replies to messages and then having to work out how related
I have had an uptake in messages from LivingDNA recently and have been able to connect some by cross referencing to other databases but some are only on LivingDNA and not very forthcoming with detail. Hopefully, it will get easier once trees are added!-?
In the early days of researching I drove for almost two hours to meet up with a cousin who found me through the blog. I gave her all my information and never heard from her again. Learned my lesson then and there
Sometimes it can be very frustrating. I’m talking to a 3C at the mo. (DNA) I’ve connected her to her Irish family, who she did not know, and shared everything with her back to her GGGs. And, she has one birth cert that I’d like, but no…
Ack, that’s disappointing. 🙁 (Which reminds me, I must share some birth certs I ordered recently with a 4th cousin LOL)
I have found my blog is great for non family history contacts. This is because they can Google a name or place and find you if you are fortunate. Even if they are not interested in family history some send a note with a few helpful details.
I mostly share family history information online with the intent to find people related to me. My blog posts are both to record stories and research but I do see them as cousin bait. Tags ensure they are easily found by subject, places, surnames etc
I also wonder about menus and categories. Having a navigation that attracts readers to go deeper takes thought and planning.
I use surnames for categories but I also have a menu for my posts when researching my hard to find Irish great great grandmother
I want to share what I know already and also learn from others. I had huge gaps of knowledge a decade ago and have learnt SO much from wider family members about my ancestors. Always looking to collaborate, as there are still a few mysteries to solve.
My intended audience is just whoever comes after me. I don’t have children and don’t know anybody in the family who would be interested in it, so want to make my research available for the future generations.
Collaboration is best when you can share and exchange with like-minded people. Collaboration doesn’t just flow in one direction.
Not sure if all understand how collaboration works and want information however do not share back
I guess we who have benefited have to model the behaviour we want in others (can you tell I’m staying with my 3yr old grandson just now)
As long as I can catch the cousins then the sharing usually follows!
In the past I have been contacted by people who are only interested in what they can get from me. At first I sent the info and heard nothing more from them. I much prefer collaboration
Intended audience includes (un)known descendants and their collateral lines (latest was the son in law of someone). I’m always willing to collaborate but for the moment, it’s mostly one way as I help with Irish records
I dont write for a specific audience but I do have some followers from UTAS family history who often add comments. Also have some cousins who follow and add info
The audience I target is twofold. Anyone interested in family history that can learn from my experiences and descendants of ancestors. The best contacts are ones with photos. You have to love a photo of a person you have not seen before.
What do you consider is your best source of Cousin Collaboration? ie blogs, trees, social media?
hmmm well over the years it has been online trees followed by my blog but I suspect if I used Facebook more I might get more bites.
I find twitter achieves more blog hits. Probably because more people follow me on Twitter. Also more regular posting on Twitter. Smaller FB audience and a lack of posting does not help
Don’t forget ancestorian.com … It is another avenue for engaging with others in family history research and doesn’t track you like fb does
The best responses I’ve had have been via my blog, especially when I was posting regularly. I think DNA + online trees have also been a good source of contacts from relatives.
The best thing I’ve found with DNA is the cousins who I “know” who help me separate one line from another. Getting specific people to test helps. I’m amazed how the random DNA inheritance will link one person and not others.
Agree, especially when a tree includes collateral lines in it and enables you to better support inquirers to understand where they connect
family trees with a broad base – that is, engage in descendant research to build down the collateral lines.
Undoubtedly, my best source of cousin bait is my blog. We also stay in touch far longer, as they may follow me. They occasionally email comments, and I’m often in their mind if they come across any new family stories, questions or photos. I love it!
My blog is by far the best source of cousin bait for me too Dara. I can’t quite believe the collaboration and information that has come out of blogging
Yes, on a couple of lines I have a long-term collaborator – and it’s so much extra fun to research those lines
I don’t seem to have much luck with this. Maybe I have too few close cousins. I have been in contact with quite distant cousins. Some are interested, many not.
Wherever you put your information there needs to be enough to “reel them in” too little and they move on
By FAR my best source of cousin bait is blogging. But also Twitter. I have put requests for information on Twitter and its amazing how quickly I get results.
I once asked if anyone knew a particular person and within half a day, the granddaughter of the person had contacted me. She gave me photos and information about the house I was researching in return for a copy of the history
For me it’s blogging for sure. Blog posts are out there forever and I’ve been contacted sometimes years after a post is published
Blogging, emails and family reunions are my best sources
the best source for cousin bait is somewhere that will show up in a search engine and free to access so @WikiTreers is my first choice to get someone found
So far Ancestry.com has been the most useful for me. No new cousins have responded on social media, but many have through Ancestry and later through email.
my greatest number of contacts has come through the blog and a few from facebook Aus. bloggers group
What cousin connections or great finds have you made through sharing information online?
The producers of Coast Australia found my convict blog where I had written about my g g g uncle on Norfolk island. Next thing I was researching for them and flown to NI to appear on the episode with Neil Oliver
Forget the cousins! If I knew blogging could get me a meeting with Neil Oliver I’d have been working my little typing fingers down to the bone. Ooh, that voice…
I went to NZ for a holiday, visited a town where some relatives lived, took photos of some photos they showed me, put on blog with question about who were these people. Have had many comments so I can now name the people in photos
Marvellous photos and ephemera from rediscovered cousins in New Zealand, Australia, England and Ireland which aid research on both my paternal and maternal lines. Some people are incredibly generous
I am constantly amazed at people’s generosity Tara when it comes to sharing family history.
What I found was that the diaspora tended to cherish those mementos far more than those who stayed behind
Very true Tara. My grandmother born in Ireland seemed more attached to her mementos than the relatives back home. I guess her way of staying attached.
My very best cousin connection was my dear 3rd cousin Betsy in Chicago. Our g grandparents were sister and brother. She became one of my closest friends and we solved family mysteries together. Since her death this year I have felt quite alone
Have just managed to take husband’s family back one more generation due to an online contact thru Ancestry. We exchanged many emails and documents etc before making the decision it was the correct family
DNA has led me to make connections with quite a few people – mostly we have not yet found our link. They are now friends even though we have not and probably never will meet in person.
Some fab connections, including distant cousin with well-researched family history for a side of the family I had been wondering about. Most memorably, contact from a descendant of a “lost” sibling of my 2x great grandmother, and the research she shared.
My Irish and Bavarian blogs have drawn in people who are descendants of those I’ve written about.
which demonstrates the importance of place I think
I have connected with a number of cousins from 2nd cousins to further afield due to trees, blog, Facebook
I wrote a blog about my husband’s MacDonalds of Ord. A man commented that his g grandfather had been the gardener at Ord house and on a trip to NZ picked up two seeds for a palm. One went to Kew gardens and one to Ord House. The palm at Kew died
I’ve made good friends as well as cousins through blogging. Found unexpected indirect links to genimates. Gained information I’d never have known about.
I was in touch with a cousin who I collaborated with and visited in England many years ago and lost touch. He was much older than me and I was worried he had passed away. He contacted me through the blog this week. I was so happy to hear from him
my great finds have come through someone sharing thru My Heritage and another thru internet stalking followed by letter writing – found the American connection & photographs of my GG grandmother’s brother – the closest I’ll ever get to what she looks like
ANZAncestryTime this week was looking at the use of social media for family history.
1. Which format(s) of social media do you use in your #familyhistory research and communication?
Most participants use Facebook, Twitter and blogging. Some use LinkedIn and others Instagram and Pinterest. But all agree networking is important to keep up with webinars and seminars and general genealogical information. A new group similar to Facebook is Ancestorian – see link below.
Fran: The main ones I can share things I find and my own research via sharing blog links. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Each has a different use. Also use messenger a lot for discussions, chat, etc
Pauleen: when I question the time I spend on FB it’s because it’s my go-to place to discover new info these days or clues about places or, for example, DNA.
ANZ: Facebook groups can be very helpful resources. Especially those with photos of ancestral places
Caitie: I’m part of so many genealogy groups on Facebook for learning – DNA based, locality based – family groups for sharing etc. I love Twitter chats when I am free to participate!
Jane: I have used Facebook in the past but am using ancestorian.com more and more
Carmel: forgot to mention Flickr for sharing family albums and Google photos for the same. Email – for elderly rellies and society members some of who are frightened of FB
Caitie: I forgot to mention YT!! Those who know, know I did genealogy videos back in 2014-2015 ish. I have many ideas for videos and should get back to it but you know, time.
Alex: I am probably using that increasingly and think that we should use it more as a Society. We’ve posted some good stuff lately. youtube.com/channel/UC043s…
Sue: I created a video and put on YouTube about how to use a blog for your family history when helping with Intro at UTAS Diploma youtu.be/5JnZzpYrLxY
Shauna: I only use YouTube for learning about genealogy resources – must try doing some videos. I liked @caitieamanda when she was doing them- sigh another thing on the to do list
Maggie: I’m loving Twitter at the moment, to keep up to date and to interact with other family historians. FB has been good for niche interests, but I’m not as active on there. WhatsApp for family/colleague chat. I don’t like it much, give me a decent mailing list anyday, but that’s where some friends and fam hang out, so gotta go where they are
Liz: I use Twitter, Facebook and email lists and forums mainly but also have a small blog with the names I research and starting to write small articles about some of my ancestors
Sue: Used to use rootsweb and rootschat but now use the io group – member of a Tas Convict group and Tas general group
Carmel: Deleted LinkedIn account when I retired in a digital clean up. Now try to not take out too many new subscriptions, need to limit Social media time compared to real time
Claire: Facebook business page, my own blog (cbgenealogy.ie), newsletter approx monthly. I use Twitter for general chat & also @boards for our genealogy forum for longer queries there
Hilary: I use Discord for interacting with others on WikiTree with common interests a more immediate way of interacting
Helen: Another source that has been helpful for me is the ‘Knitting Genealogists’ group within @ravelry – incredibly helpful if you are a ravelry user!
Alex: ooh I did not know this. (Goes off to join group on Ravelry). I’m bookluvvie on Ravelry.
Helen: knitsontrains – not that I do that anymore! Not so much for Aus stuff (I could reciprocate if folks were interested) but other ravelers have been very generous looking up stuff in Canadian newspapers for me!
Margaret: I’m on a lot of the DNA matching Facebook groups – but have not had much luck in making connections.
WCH: Social media was focused on just Twitter for a long time, as I didn’t want to deal with potential racism on Facebook. The Facebook page I eventually set up gets less interesting interaction than the Twitter account, generally. I just started using LinkedIn.
Pauleen: I was just debating whether blogging is social media or not. Personally I’d include it because the comments and interactions are what built up my genea-network. I also draw lots of people interested in a person or topic. For me that makes it “social”.
Alex: I think Instagram is very visual so have only participated in photo memes. I am contemplating recording interviews for our Society because I think that might get more takeup on Insta.
2. Which social media do you prefer for your own family history? Why?
Again Facebook got the highest amount of positive comments.
Karen: Twitter – can reach out to like-minded researchers. Facebook – longer posts Instagram – can be good for telling stories. E.g. Am thinking of doing some ANZAC Day posts this year about soldiers in my extended family who died in the wars.
Shauna: for my own genealogy I have a database and I have been downsizing my binders to a Word text document with scanned images. I think this will be more useful than heavy binders going forward.
Helen: Twitter for me so far (thanks @MsFrugalone!) but this may show my age – my students have told me they get answers to EVERYTHING on Reddit! Haven’t checked it out for family history though
Alex: I think ALIA (Librarians Professional Association) uses Discord for Trivia competitions 🙂 Perhaps we could have Trivia for Genealogists on Discord 🙂
Sue: When doing the Diploma of Family History UTAS in 2014 I started private Facebook groups when each subject began, I still run those groups
Alex: and I thank you from the bottom of my heart dear Sue. They were so valuable and important in terms of keeping me on track and abreast of glitches or hiccups.
Sharn: Alex I learned more about how to do things via those social media UTAS groups than from the Uni. They were amazing!
Alex: yes we set up a Facebook group for graduates from our Beginners course at QFHS so they could keep in touch and keep learning together. They were also invaluable doing the UTAS course.
Greg: Greg posting under Ancestorian account. I used Facebook a LOT but found many groups impersonal, often with admins who bordered on outright abusive. I didn’t like how Facebook takes control over how groups operate. Never saw how to use Pinterest or Insta.
Alex: hmmm. I think it’s Blogger for me because I just love the ability to record research. I like the interaction on blogs as well. I’ve been burned on Twitter (not this group obviously) and Facebook can be all consuming. Not being able to search it is a pain.
Caitie: Facebook and blogging. It reaches more people and is in a friendlier format for those I’m sharing directly with like my family.
Dara: I love Facebook groups and pages for following local history, so many old pics and stories shared, even found some of my dad and granda.
Sue: Definitely blog and Facebook which I actually started when I went travelling around USA Canada so a way of family knowing how and where I was
Fiona: Facebook Messenger group as its a great way to share news and get discussion going on images and family stories. It’s more direct rather than a page or group page that can get lost in a feed. For a wider family group a fb group works.
3. Which social media do you prefer for family history societies or groups? Why?
Linda: recently heard of a new website called Ancestorian, think of Facebook but for genealogists/researchers only, has loads of different groups, have joined many groups but rarely used it as yet
Jane: ancestorian.com works really well for groups. … built just for family history (doesn’t collect and sell your data like some other sm sites do). Lots of groups already and any member can start a new group if their particular interest isn’t covered.
Carmel: FB for societies but must admit it annoys me that a refresh of personal page, as often happens when one navigates away to follow a link, loses the order in which one was reading hence often need to search for a post again from a group or society
Fran: I prefer Facebook Groups for the society members only, where I’m the social media person. A Facebook page for general society sharing of our own and others content.
Sue: if a society has a facebook group with lots of members then when it comes time for membership payment, just putting a notice on there about how to pay easily will build members
Karen: Many of the “new” cousins I have met have shared images and stories that I had no idea about. While this has mostly been done via email, FB groups have also been helpful. However, I love the library and archival feeds on Twitter! Have learnt SO much.
Fran: I use @feedly to find material to share online that hopefully is useful to society members and family historians
Sharn: I definitely prefer Facebook for Societies and Groups because I can visit and catch up more easily than on Twitter. But Twitter chats are great for learning especially #HouseHistoryHr and #ANZAncestryTime and #AncestryHour
Sue: I’m a member of Sorell Historical Society FB group and often mention what I am going to write about in my @OnePlaceStudies and get ideas from members including images
Alex: I think most of our demographic are flat out getting on Facebook let alone any of the other social media platforms.There’s a healthy disrespect for social media. I do think people need to be digitally literate i.e. understand where info is from.
Caitie: Very true! My mum joined Facebook for a month and couldn’t understand it but she loves Twitter & has her own twitter account. She will probably see this tweet 🤣
Pauleen: Which I suppose shows we need to share our info on different platforms if we want yo maximise the impact.
Pauleen: And to understand privacy settings. I check out how tightly people control that and only accept people I know in person or who I’ve followed in genealogy for a long time. It’s great for keeping international connections too.
Fran: I find Facebook messenger groups are great. You can have a real conversation with a select bunch. It’s easy to go back and check out previous discussions as it is not in a pile of other non related posts.
Hilary: I use Google Group and Discord for interacting with groups on @wikitree as well as their forum
Linda: I prefer Facebook Groups, I’m in numerous one’s for surnames, places, English Counties, DNA, and just general groups for queries, would like to use Twitter more for genealogy but don’t find it as user friendly as a Facebook group, Instagram I don’t use at all
Fiona: I keep up with many groups via their blogs or fb pages as they give timely info. But like Greg (@ancestorian) I don’t like how you have little control over what is picked for you fb feed.
Pauleen: We have an ANZ FB group for fans of local and family history blogs and another for the bloggers to get advice or swap notes. Very handy to meet new bloggers and promote our own blog posts. Do you share yours in a private FB group Tara?
Fran: Groups are great that you can restrict membership to people. Great advantage for families and societies or topics that you wish to focus on.
4. Can you recommend any tech apps or techniques to manage your social media?
Fiona: No social media before lunchtime.
Fran: I love apps that integrate. For example I use Co-Schedule, @buffer or @hootsuite to post on most of my work, society and personal social media posts. I like being able to schedule. Integrate with my apple products, WordPress blog, IFTTT and more.
Paul: Bit late to the party but I use the app buffer for scheduling tweets and posts it’s a great tool
Karen: While I do not like the way Adobe does business (e.g. huge fees for cancelling a monthly subscription), I do like their Adobe Spark software which can be used to create posts with the right specs for different social media sites.
Sue: I used to use flipboard to collate great posts from students in the blogging challenge I ran worldwide from 2007 – 2017
Carmel: Used IFTTT and Zapier for a while but really don’t post enough to bother with them.
Tara: Excellent reminder that Tweetdeck is a great way to keep on top of Twitter feeds.
Alex: I inherited an amazing Excel calendar from the former Facebook coordinator at QFHS. I spend about a morning once a month scheduling posts for our events. The rest I do ad hoc from browsing. But I probably need to use something like Loomly.
Shauna: I like TweetDeck for Twitter as I can see multiple streams at the same time. Using hashtags is also very useful for bringing information together
Caitie: This is what I need help with. I don’t really have a posting schedule either so to speak. If I think of something to share, I just share it.
Wellington Chinese History (WCH): I use Google calendar for important events and dates, and zapier.com “zaps” to automatically send out tweets and post to Facebook and LinkedIn.
Sharn: I’m grateful that Social Media and Zoom have allowed me to stay in touch with and meet new people!
Helen: Was disappointed when they killed the forums on @TroveAustralia & the ability to contact other members. When you were able to work out who might have textcorrected/tagged things of interest you could contact them. I had a great family connection success this way
ANZ: Sometimes we have to restrict notifications so we manage social media, not the other way round.
Readers: What social media do you prefer for your family history? Why and how?
