tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361643719072455990.post8247301875974034449..comments2024-02-06T01:09:04.011-06:00Comments on Long Lost Relatives.net: Open Discussion Weekend: Ancestor Overload - Good or Bad?Susan Petersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02788283253544225956noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361643719072455990.post-40740128033027402332011-03-13T08:47:23.766-05:002011-03-13T08:47:23.766-05:00Another good topic of discussion. Too much informa...Another good topic of discussion. Too much information and not enough time, where to prioritize is difficult too. For an entire year, my blog was the most important thing, now it is getting a handle on my research, and I don't blog as much. Susan and Greta, you wrote excellent posts, they show your readers how many of us have the same problem.<br />When a cousin contacted me from Hawaii the other day, the back and forth communications took a lot of time, before I could write the blog...it was fun, but sometimes I just want to turn the faucet off.Barbara Poolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07440544740334032378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361643719072455990.post-65885896284791338442011-03-12T22:44:57.008-06:002011-03-12T22:44:57.008-06:00Yes, I know the feeling too.
I've gotten spor...Yes, I know the feeling too.<br /><br />I've gotten sporadic comments and emails from my online family tree in the last four years - perhaps once or twice a month. Some of those folks have become regular emailers, and we share info and photos back and forth.<br /><br /><br />Dee at Shakin' the Family Tree<br />But since I started my genealogy blog, I get three or four contacts a week. I always reply as soon as I can, because cousins reaching out are not people I want to feel unwelcome. One of the wonderful trends I've noticed is an increase in the number of twenty- and thrity-somethings who are really digging in to their family histories.<br /><br />I've started subdividing folders in my email account for various surnames in the tree...<br /><br />And hoping I am keeping up.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361643719072455990.post-30333901638592925212011-03-12T16:03:39.127-06:002011-03-12T16:03:39.127-06:00Ah, Susan - I was tempted to chime in "Welcom...Ah, Susan - I was tempted to chime in "Welcome to my life!" I've had weeks like this on a number of occasions, and this past year overall has seen a number of breakthroughs or influxes of information. This is why I wrote the post "Fast and Slow" (http://gretabog.blogspot.com/2011/03/fast-and-slow.html). At first I jump from family to family like crazy; even now, when I have "slowed down," I don't really stick with a single project for a long period of time. I'll transcribe court documents on one family until that becomes tiresome, then input information on another family for a while, etc. But it's mostly for four families right now, and I'm keeping a "To Do" list, adding items to it as I go, and following up on them. I think it's a good place to be, but it isn't easy maintaining discipline, that's for sure!Greta Koehlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05429623811794360612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361643719072455990.post-73375084441147816112011-03-12T15:16:39.797-06:002011-03-12T15:16:39.797-06:00I know that feeling! I am actually holding off on ...I know that feeling! I am actually holding off on contacting potential cousins I've found on the Internet because I would just be overwhelmed if they started sharing!Shelley Crawfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15008715347583341427noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361643719072455990.post-15790864507025943432011-03-12T12:33:40.906-06:002011-03-12T12:33:40.906-06:00This is an ongoing issue for me as well. Once the ...This is an ongoing issue for me as well. Once the initial euphoria has worn off, I first move into "To Do List" mode. This way I get down what needs to be looked at in the future. Then I develop a plan to process and analyze.<br /><br />As for how I prioritize. It depends on things like whether someone is waiting for me to get back to them, what interests me or even what I can get knocked off the list quickly and easily.<br /><br />Yes, Ancestor Overload is a really good thing! The problem I have is that best laid plans frequently get derailed. Life gets in the way.<br />That's where the original "To Do List" comes in handy.<br /><br />In this wonderful world where digitized copies of original records are being made more accessible every day, Ancestor Overload is a bigger issue than it was back in the old days.Michelle Goodrumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03427355155193196767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361643719072455990.post-18534355196896101362011-03-12T11:42:32.399-06:002011-03-12T11:42:32.399-06:00Hi Susan,
Yep, Ancestor Overload is right where I...Hi Susan,<br /><br />Yep, Ancestor Overload is right where I am also. Just a few weeks ago I began speaking to a woman in my genealogy group with the same last name as my great grandma and - you guessed it - a connection! She introduced me to her cousin who told me about the Swedish church records just newly available at Ancestry.<br /><br />In just a couple of days I was able to get back to my 5th great grandparents, find their births, marriages, household examinations, etc. Those Swedes did keep good records and I am grateful to them for that! After the excitement wore off I realized this was an overwhelming task, between the sheer number of people and trying to read (using that term very loosely) Swedish.<br /><br />But at first I was so excited to actually FIND relatives, my great-great grandparents and beyond I just kept searching further back, no real strategy. Papers were everywhere and I could not keep anything organized. It was Decision Time. Should I search one set of records for all the families or search one family backwards, finish them and start with the next fam? <br /><br />I decided that for me the best way will be to concentrate on one family at a time, searching all the records for that family before moving onto the next family. I will finish my direct lines, then begin on the the siblings of all my gg grands. Someday ....Susan McConvillehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00471598993707272599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361643719072455990.post-19597669474731362262011-03-12T08:36:24.355-06:002011-03-12T08:36:24.355-06:00Susan - Such an interesting post. Yes, I feel thi...Susan - Such an interesting post. Yes, I feel this way all the time. I have so much information sometimes I feel like I need to step back and evaluate what I've got before I move on to more research. I tend to be the type of person who researches fewer people but in great detail. I don't think I'll ever have a huge tree. I'm okay with that. I love the hunt and the clues and the details. I'm also not on a schedule. My only "brick wall" is my lack of time.Cynthia Shenettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07089125778529696076noreply@blogger.com