Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

Today's Newsletter is Sponsored by Footnote, Inc.

We’re Now Over 60 Million Documents! 

Did you know that Footnote.com has one of the best collections of City Directories on the web?

NOTE: Access to the Holocaust Collection has been extended. Details may be found here.

You also may want to check out the new Interactive U.S. Census on Footnote!

Come visit Footnote.com - Where real history just might surprise you.

Plus Edition Newsletter Has Been Sent

To all Plus Edition subscribers:

The weekly Plus Edition newsletter was sent to your e-mail address a short time ago. It should have arrived by now. If you have not yet seen it in your in-box, check your spam folder. If it is not there, please contact your e-mail provider to see why it was blocked. This week's entire Plus Edition newsletter is also available at: http://www.eogn.com/wp/thisweek.htm.

Here are the articles in this week's Plus Edition newsletter:

  - Join Me in Southborough This Thursday
 - (+) Google Sidewiki for Genealogy
 - (+) Endangered Species: CD and DVD Disks
 - (+) Windows 7 versus Macintosh OS X
 - Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, or What the Pilgrims Really Ate at Thanksgiving
 - The Myth of Family Coats of Arms
 - Your Ancestors Traveled Along the Interstate Highway
 - Footnote.com Holocaust Collection Update
 - Kerry Church Records to Appear Online
 - Broadlands Archives in England Could Be Sold Overseas
 - Laura G. Prescott Elected APG President
 - Technology Helps Unearth Family Trees
 - Pelham Historical Society Web Site Wins Research and Documentation Award
 - Ancestry.com Publishes Online Collection of Twentieth-Century Navy Records
 - National Genealogical Society Seeks Nominations for the 2010 Genealogy Hall of Fame
 - National Archives Launches New Online Reservation System
 - Guild of One-Name Studies Opens On-line Store
 - American Ancestors Journal
 - Update: Dropbox: Why You Need This Program
 - DiamonDisc Will Store Data for 1,000 Years on Stone Disks
 - Paint.NET - the Free Photoshop Alternative
 - BestBuy Black Friday Desktop Computer Sale With Monitor and Printer For $299

If printed, this week's Plus Edition newsletter is 40 pages long! Where else will you find this much genealogy information? per week? With no advertising?

(+) Endangered Species: CD and DVD Disks

The following is a Plus Edition article written by and copyright by Dick Eastman.

In a recent article about the new DiamonDisc (at http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2009/11/diamondisc-will-store-data-for-1000-years-on-stone-disks.html), several newsletter readers posted comments about the pros and cons of using CD and DVD disks for long-term data storage. Comments were posted stating that such disks, when filled with information, typically last only two to five years (I agree with that statement) and other comments were posted claiming that the so-called "gold disks" will last 300 years (I disagree with that statement). In any case, I believe that all discussion about long term storage on plastic disks is a moot point. I suspect that CD and DVD disk READERS are about to disappear within the next ten years.

Join Me in Southborough This Thursday

If you live in or near Southborough, Massachusetts, you might be interested in attending a meeting of the Genealogy Club this Thursday evening, November 19. I will be the guest speaker at this month's meeting and will be talking about "Google for Genealogists." I hope to show a few tricks for using everyone's favorite search engine.

Kerry Church Records to Appear Online

The Clerical Whispers web site has an article of interest to anyone with Kerry ancestry. The site states:

Almost 600,000 Kerry church records have been handed over to the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism as part of a major genealogy project.

They include documents relating to baptism, marriage and death, some of which date back to the 1750s. The records will now appear free of charge on the irish-genealogy.ie website and will allow people to trace their Kerry roots more easily.

BestBuy Black Friday Desktop Computer Sale With Monitor and Printer For $299

I wrote a few days ago (at http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2009/10/buy-windows-7-get-an-almost-free-computer.html and at http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2009/11/i-bought-a-windows-7-pc.html) about the latest round of $299 PCs being released with Windows 7 pre-installed. I thought that was a great bargain but now I have found a new advertisement that sounds even better:

During the upcoming Black Friday sales event (the day after Thanksgiving), BestBuy is going to be offering the following system for sale for only $299:

Paint.NET - the Free Photoshop Alternative

Paint.NET is a free, fast, and powerful image editor for Windows. It features an intuitive and innovative user interface with support for layers, unlimited undo, special effects, and a wide variety of useful and powerful tools. Paint.NET is a giant leap above Microsoft Paint, and a serious alternative to bigger, bloated image editors like Photoshop or GIMP. Being mean and lean, Paint.NET doesn't do everything that its expensive competitors can do; yet, it's a great value for the price (zero).

Originally intended as a free replacement for the Microsoft Paint software that comes with Windows, Paint.NET has grown into a powerful yet simple image and photo editor tool. It handles most of the basics you'd expect from advanced image editors, and the latest version has added new effects (including new blurs and distortions), better performance, and a complete refresh of the user interface.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, or What the Pilgrims Really Ate at Thanksgiving

Millions of American families will sit down to dine together in this month's annual Thanksgiving Day celebration. Menus will vary a bit but most will feature turkey along with stuffing, gravy, squash, cranberries, and other vegetables. Pumpkin pie has always been popular with my family as well. Did you ever wonder what the Pilgrims and their Wampanoag Indian guests ate during their first Thanksgiving in 1621?

Unfortunately, we cannot be certain. The Pilgrims did not print menus for their guests. After all, none of their Indian guests could read, nor could very many of the Pilgrims themselves. Most were illiterate. Luckily, several colonists who were literate wrote personal accounts of the 1621 feast in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and those accounts have survived. These accounts give a few hints as to the menu.

Footnote.com Holocaust Collection Update

I published an announcement about the new Holocaust Collection on Footnote.com on 29 September 2009. I am republishing the announcement below. At that time, Footnote.com planned to have these records open to the public for only the month of October.  However, I have been told there is now a change in those plans.

Due to the popularity of this collection, the folks at Footnote.com have decided to keep the records available free to the public through the rest of this year. This is a great opportunity to catch up on research that you missed earlier.

Laura G. Prescott Elected APG President

The following announcement was written by the Association of Professional Genealogists:

WESTMINSTER, Colo., November 13 – Laura G. Prescott of Brookline, New Hampshire, has been elected president of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), the world’s leading professional organization of family history and related professionals. Prescott is genealogist for the Nickerson Family Association and a consultant for Footnote.com. She will succeed Jake Gehring of Salt Lake City, Utah.

Prescott, reflecting on her upcoming tenure, said “I’m very excited about the next two years. We have a diverse and enthusiastic group of people on the board. This enthusiasm, coupled with the momentum from the current administration, will surely bring benefits to our members. Chapters will continue to play a vital role in reaching members and genealogists on a local level, while we try innovative ways, nationally and internationally, to educate and inform the membership, as well as aspiring genealogists. As professionals, we have a responsibility to set an example and support each other in making positive contributions to the entire genealogical community and to the profession.”

Guild of One-Name Studies Opens On-line Store

The following announcement was written by the Guild of One-Name Studies:

The Guild of One-Name Studies has today opened its on-line store.  The Guild bookstall sells a wide range of genealogical and one-name study books, genealogical software and various well illustrated books about places (typically UK towns) and their history.  These items are currently only available to members of the Guild or can be purchased from the Guild’s bookstall.

However from today there is now an online facility for ordering vouchers www.one-name.org/cgi-bin/vouchers/sales.cgi via PayPal, credit card, or (by post) by cheque. Eventually the range of items available on-line will increase but at present only vouchers can be purchased on-line.

DiamonDisc Will Store Data for 1,000 Years on Stone Disks

CD and DVD disks you record on your computer will last an average of two to five years. If you would like to record your family photographs and videos for preservation, you'll want something that lasts longer. A start-up company in Ferndale, Washington, claims to have the answer. Cranberry LLC sells DVD disks that literally last a millennium.

Cranberry says its DiamonDisc product, which can be played in any standard DVD player, is not subject to deterioration from heat, ultraviolet rays, or material rot due to humidity or other elements. The DiamonDisc has no dyes, adhesives, or reflective materials like standard DVD discs, and its discs are made from a vastly more durable synthetic stone. That's right: stone.

(+) Windows 7 versus Macintosh OS X

The following is a Plus Edition article written by and copyright by Dick Eastman.

Warning: This article contains personal opinions.

I have read many comments in this newsletter's Comments section and elsewhere from computer users wondering if they should switch from Windows to Macintosh. Those comments increased significantly with the introduction of Vista and still continue after the introduction of Windows 7. Many have asked, "Should I switch?" Since I use both Windows and Macintosh every day, I thought I could describe many of the differences. (I also use Linux often, although not every day.)

There are hundreds of differences, but I will not describe every one of them. However, I will give my impressions of the issues that are important to me.

National Archives Launches New Online Reservation System

The following announcement was written by the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration:

Beat the crowds! Reserved tours and visits are now just a mouse click away!

WASHINGTON, Nov. 11  -- For the first time, the National Archives today launches a new online reservation system to make it easier for individuals, families, and large groups alike to visit National Archives. By simply going online, visitors can reserve their choice of dates and times in a matter of minutes. While reservations are not required to visit the National Archives and admission is free, this new system will eliminate the long lines and often lengthy wait.

The Myth of Family Coats of Arms

The holiday gift giving season will be here soon and what better personal gift to give than something with the recipient's family coat of arms? I'd suggest that isn't such a great gift. You'd be lying.

Lots of gullible people purchase various trinkets that display the "family coat of arms" without realizing there is no such thing. Coats of arms? Yes. But "family?" No. There is no such thing as a family coat of arms.

Broadlands Archives in England Could Be Sold Overseas

A Hampshire archivist has told of her fear that the four-centuries-old Broadlands archives could be broken up or sold abroad. Janet Smith, county archivist at the Hampshire Record Office, said that breaking up the material would be “dreadful.”

American Ancestors Journal

The New England Historic Genealogical Society is introducing a new journal that is described as a "supplement to the Register." I am especially pleased to note that it is available both in print as well as electronically as a PDF file. I'll take my copy electronically, thank you. The following announcement was written by the New England Historic Genealogical Society:

This is to introduce American Ancestors Journal, the first annual supplement to the Register. The creation of this new vehicle for communicating valuable scholarship beyond New England will serve our geographically diverse audience with first rate content and, at the same time, broaden our institutional reach. American Ancestors Journal is automatically included with NEHGS membership, and is available in both print and paperless PDF formats.

National Genealogical Society Seeks Nominations for the 2010 Genealogy Hall of Fame

The following announcement was written by the (U.S.) National Genealogical Society:

Would your society like to honor a genealogist whose exemplary work lives on today? Perhaps there was a notable genealogist in your state or county whose name should be memorialized in the NGS Hall of Fame.

If so, the National Genealogical Society would like to hear from you. NGS is seeking nominations from the entire genealogical community for persons whose achievements or contributions have made an impact on the field. This educational program increases appreciation of the high standards advocated and achieved by committed genealogists whose work paved the way for researchers today.

Your Ancestors Traveled Along the Interstate Highway

The thought of your ancestors of 100 or 200 years ago traveling along a modern-day interstate highway may seem amusing as interstate highways didn't exist until the 1950s. Yet, it is quite possible that your ancestors traveled along the same routes as today's interstates, plus or minus a very few miles.

Westward migration in the United States usually took place in the path of least resistance: on riverboats where practical or on pathways along rivers when boat travel was not available. In cases where there was no river to follow, overland travel generally went along the path of least resistance, too: through valleys, through mountain passes, and perhaps straight across the flatlands and prairies.

Update: Dropbox: Why You Need This Program

When I recently purchased a new computer, I immediately installed several programs that I would hate to live without: Firefox, Evernote, OpenOffice, and Dropbox. All of them are free programs.

Dropbox is available for Windows, Macintosh, Linux, and now for the Apple iPhone. I have come to depend on this program. If you use one computer, this program can be useful. However, if you use two or more computers, such as a desktop system and a laptop system or perhaps one computer at home and another at the office, I'd consider this program to be indispensable.

Ancestry.com Publishes Online Collection of Twentieth-Century Navy Records

In honor of Veterans' Day in the United States, Ancestry.com is offering free public access tomorrow through Friday to a new collection of about 600 Navy cruise books from 1950 to 1988. The following announcement was written by Ancestry.com:

Site Celebrates Veterans Day with Free Access to Entire U.S. Military Records Collection

PROVO, UT (Nov. 11, 2009) – Ancestry.com today added more than 600 Navy cruise books to its online collection of military records to commemorate Veterans Day. This historic effort is the result of an agreement between Ancestry.com, the world’s largest online resource for family history, and the United States Navy. As part of the agreement, Ancestry.com set up scanners on location at the Navy Department Library in Washington, DC, and has spent several months digitizing the cruise books for this occasion.

Technology Helps Unearth Family Trees

CNN has an interesting online story about the use of DNA in genealogy. CNN reporter Steve Mollman writes:

Here's a fun exercise: Compare the DNA profiles of random individuals who reside in different regions of the world, have little in common and don't much resemble one another.

If you could do this, you'd find close DNA matches once in a while.

(+) Google Sidewiki for Genealogy

The following is a Plus Edition article written by and copyright by Dick Eastman.

Sometimes I think Google releases one new product or service per day. Well, perhaps not EVERY day, but the company certainly is cranking out new products all the time. I recently had a chance to use a new product that Google released about six weeks ago, and I found it to be a great service for genealogy purposes.

Google Sidewiki allows you to compare notes with others about any web page. Yes, ANY web page. Now, any time you want to add information to a web page, you can easily do so, as well as read what other people have to say about it. Whether you're researching advice on heart disease prevention or looking for museums to visit in New York City, many others have done the same and could have added their knowledge along the way. However, for the rest of this article, let's focus solely on genealogy pages.

Pelham Historical Society Web Site Wins Research and Documentation Award

The Pelham (New Hampshire) Historical Society has earned special recognition for having the most modernized and informational historical Web site in the state. At a ceremony held recently at the New London, N.H., Historical Society complex, the Hayes-Genoter History and Genealogy Library, founded by Pelham historian William Hayes, and Web site designer Karen Genoter, received "The 2009 Research and Documentation Award" from the Association of Historical Societies of New Hampshire, Inc.

(+) Clone a Hard Drive for Safety

The following is a Plus Edition article written by and copyright by Dick Eastman.

I recently purchased a new Windows 7 computer (see http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2009/11/i-bought-a-windows-7-pc.html). I brought it home, installed it, set it up, and then installed an anti-virus program. Then I cloned the hard drive.

Why? I want the safety of having a complete copy of the hard drive available at any time. If I ever have a problem in the future, such as losing a critical Windows file or picking up a virus that proves to be too stubborn to remove, I want to go back to a known good state. If I have a copy of the hard drive available, I can do that at any time.

Google's RSS Reader

I have written a number of times about RSS newsfeeds. Using a newsreader (software that reads RSS news feeds) can save a lot of time per day. For instance, you can read all the new articles on this newsletter's web site and on many other web sites in minutes instead of hours. You save a lot of time because you do not have to keep returning to a number of web sites or entering web site addresses of "http://www..."

With any RSS newsreader, you can "subscribe" to the web sites you want to check frequently. That is, you tell the RSS newsreader software to check a list of web sites, and you create the list. The RSS newsreader software then retrieves all the new articles from all the web sites and displays them for you in a single screen. You simply read all the articles from that one screen. In practice, it is a bit similar to reading e-mail messages: all the messages have been brought to you and displayed in once place. The same is true with RSS newsreaders: all the new articles have been brought to you in one convenient place, either on your computer or on some single web site.

Thumbizy: Instant Website Thumbnail Generator

I know I am going to use this often! If you create presentations for societies, or if you write a blog that mentions other web sites, you will want to take a look at Thumbizy.

Thumbizy is a free, instant website thumbnail generator that can help you to take snapshots of any website. You only need to give the URL of the web site and select the thumbnail size. Thumbizy will instantly provide you a screenshot of your given web site. You can store locally, and then insert it into a web page, a PowerPoint presentation, a word processing document, or anyplace else you might need it.

Mysterious Headstones Discovered in Montana Backyard

A fire that destroyed part of a Great Falls, Montana house earlier this year led to some much needed renovations - which turned up more than just dirt.

Cindy Torrez's son discovered five five burial headstones in his neighbor's backyard when he was taking out the trash on Thursday. Then another neighbor came forward, saying she found two more in her backyard.

Willard Cook is in charge of the cemetery records for the Great Falls Genealogy Society, and says that the stones look authentic, but are not typical of the era etched on them. He remarked that they look, "...professional. But normally people used monuments back then."

(+) How to Charge for Your Content on the Web

The following is a Plus Edition article, written by and copyright by Dick Eastman.

Do you, your employer, or your local genealogy society have information that you would like to offer to others online for a fee? Do you have questions about how to do that or how to charge money or how to handle credit cards? Do you want to know how to control access to the information? If you would like to save some time, money, and frustration with these tasks, this article can help! I have decided to share with you some of my own “lessons learned” in finding and implementing a solution that has worked well for me and for many others.

Wanted: A Home for the Tulare (California) Genealogy Records

Tulare City Manager Darrel Pyle said he and his staff are working to find a new home for the Sequoia Genealogical Society's records collection, which won't make the crosstown trip to the new library building.

"We're fully engaged, working to deliver a win-win resolution," he said. "It's our goal to deliver a solution that'll satisfy everyone."

David Ferriero Confirmed by U.S. Senate as 10th Archivist of the United States

The following announcement was written by the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration:

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 -- Today, the United States Senate voted to confirm David Ferriero as the 10th Archivist of the United States. Mr. Ferriero was the Andrew W. Mellon Director of the New York Public Libraries and is a leader in the field of library science. Mr. Ferriero, who was nominated by President Obama on July 28, 2009, will succeed Professor Allen Weinstein who resigned as Archivist in December 2008 for health reasons. Deputy Archivist Adrienne Thomas is serving as the Acting Archivist until Mr. Ferriero assumes his duties.

An Interesting NASCAR Tombstone

The "My Good Life" blog is written by Mark Aubrey. He has posted some pictures from the Greenwood Cemetery in Greenwood, Johnson County, Indiana and one of them caught my eye. I collect pictures of unusual tombstones so I had to save this one. Perhaps you will also.

This tombstone shows a picture of a Mr. and Mrs. Davis with what probably was a major item in their lives: a stock car. Having the race car also pictured on the tombstone is a nice touch, in my opinion. However, if it was my tombstone, I think I would have left off the logo of one of the commercial sponsors.

FamilySearch Record Search Update: Brazil, Indiana Marriages, Italy, Netherlands, and 1920 U.S. Census

The following announcement was written by FamilySearch:

5 November 2009
 
The Indiana marriages, Netherlands, 1920 U.S. Census, Brazil, and Italy collections were recently added or updated in FamilySearch’s Record Search pilot.
 
FamilySearch applauds members of the Indiana Genealogical Society and FamilySearch volunteers for the great work done on the Indiana Marriages collection. Volunteers are indexing marriage records from 1811 to 1959. The recent update will surely be attractive to those with Indiana roots.

Ancestry.com is Now a Public Company

Ancestry.com opened this morning on the NASDAQ Exchange. Tim Sullivan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ancestry.com Inc. (ACOM), presided over the Opening Bell for this morning's session.

Shares opened this morning at $16.10, peaked at $16.32, then dropped off to $15.10 at mid-day.

UPDATE: ACOM shares closed the day at $14.20, up from its initial public offering price of $13.50. A total of 7.4 million shares were sold.

1 Million New Military Records added to Familyrelatives.com

The following announcement was written by Familyrelatives.com:

Familyrelatives.com is proud to announce the addition of 1,000,000 New Military Records spanning over 100 years.

This autumn marks the 201st anniversary of the beginning of the Peninsular War and to commemorate, the event Familyrelatives.com has added over 1 million army records covering a broad range from 1808 through to De Ruvigny's biographical record of World War I soldiers.

Today's Newsletter is Sponsored by GenQueries.com

Introducing the Online Database of Genealogy Queries! GenQueries.com features:

• No invasion of your privacy! Your personal information is not revealed to anyone else.
• No fees!
• No spam!
• No account required - you do not need to sign up for anything.
• Visible to everyone.
• All queries in one centralized database, no need to search all over the Web.
• RSS feed available.

Try it today at http://www.GenQueries.com.

Help Save the Massachusetts State Library!

Still another state library is under attack by the politicians. At a press conference on Thursday, October 29, the Governor's Office announced that Governor Patrick is considering closing the State Library of Massachusetts as a cost-saving measure. This closure will have a monumental impact on the cultural heritage of the Commonwealth.

Information Sought on Williamsburg, Mississippi Area

The Covington County Genealogical and Historical Society is trying to locate old photographs of the Williamsburg area, including pictures of families, stores, the courthouse and homes of Williamsburg in the 1800s.

The society also is seeking information on a W. Morgan buried in the Old Williamsburg Cemetery. This Morgan information was copied from a tomb for the Covington County Cemetery Book of 1976. All other information must have broken off the tomb.

Ancestry.com Inc. Prices Initial Public Offering at $13.50 Per Share

The following announcement was written by Ancestry.com:

PROVO, Utah, Nov. 4 -- Ancestry.com Inc. today announced the pricing of its initial public offering of 7,407,407 shares of common stock at a price of $13.50 per share.  A total of 4,074,074 shares are being offered by Ancestry.com, and a total of 3,333,333 shares are being offered by selling stockholders.

Ancestry.com common stock will commence trading on November 5, 2009 on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "ACOM."

GenQueries Updated

At the suggestion of users, the following regions have now been added to www.GenQueries.com:

• Caribbean
• Central & South America
• South Africa
• Rest of the World

Ancestry.com Hopes to Raise $100 Million in IPO

Genealogy web site Ancestry.com hopes to raise about $100 million when it goes public this week. With more than a million paying subscribers, little competition, a small debt load and a record of increasing revenues, it may fare better than other IPOs that have recently priced below their filing ranges.

The Provo, Utah-based company, which is the world's largest online resource for birth certificates and marriage records, expects to price the shares between $12.50 and $14.50 apiece on Wednesday. Underwriters are being offered up to an additional 1.1 million shares to cover overallotments, which would boost total proceeds to about $115 million.

ourFamily•ology Web-Based Genealogy Software Program

I have only looked at this web site for a few minutes but it does look interesting. It is a web-based genealogy program. The following announcement is a press release written by Family-Genealogy.com:

Nov 03, 2009 – FRANKLIN LAKES, NJ - ourFamily•ology today announced that, in celebration of the official launch of its website at http://www.Family-Genealogy.com, it is offering a 15-day free trial to all visitors.

Introducing GenQueries.com - The Online Database of Genealogy Queries

I am pleased to announce a new genealogy service on the World Wide Web. I have been building this service over the past few weeks and it has been in a limited beta test for a while with about 100 beta users. The beta testers helped point out needed improvements and most of those are now in place. Now I believe the new web site is ready for everyone.

GenQueries.com is a FREE service that provides an online database for genealogy queries for individuals as well as advertisements for societies, professional and amateur genealogy researchers, authors, publishers, genealogy web sites, adoptee searches, and more.

State Historical Society of Missouri Hours and Services Cut

The following announcement was written by the State Historical Society of Missouri:

Due to a 25 percent withholding in its fiscal year 2010 state appropriation, the State Historical Society of Missouri is decreasing its hours open to the public to Mondays through Thursdays, 8:00 a.m.-4:45 p.m., effective immediately.  The Society will no longer be open for research on Fridays or Saturdays.  The withholding ($364,010), caused by the continued downturn in Missouri state revenues, was made public last Wednesday, October 28.  The State Historical Society’s response to the withholding, determined by its board of trustees, was announced at the annual membership meeting in Columbia on Saturday, October 31.

My Tree & Me - Modern Genealogy Graphics

My daughter found this web site. It has very modern graphics images for sale. They can be used for newlywed presents, birthday celebrations, or for framing and hanging on the wall. In fact, you might want to give a gift to yourself with one of these!

My Tree & Me creates non-traditional family tree charts.

The process is simple. You first choose the design you want. On some charts, you may need to specify colors.

ProQuest Adds Still More Historical Newspapers

ProQuest has a huge collection on newspapers that can be searched online. In most cases, you need to visit your local library to access this impressive online resource. Some libraries may offer in-home access as well. In all cases, you must make arrangements with your local library, not with ProQuest.

ProQuest has now added even more newspapers to the online database. The following are two announcements written by ProQuest and sent to librarians:

Who Knew the Genealogy Market was This Cut-Throat?

That's the question asked in the  Wall Street Journal European Edition's web site. The Journal has an article about ITV's problems trying to sell Friends Reunited at a £145 million loss and not being able to do so. In the article entitled, "ITV, Mormons and Family Trees," editor Lauren Mills describes the tough competition from other commercial companies and from perhaps the biggest competitor of all: the Mormon church. Competing with a religious organization that gives information away free of charge is perhaps the toughest task of all.

CousinCalc for the iPhone

Not sure what to call that relative of yours? Is she really your "first cousin once removed?" Pull out your iPhone and check!

CousinCalc is a small program for the Apple iPhone that makes it very easy to determine the proper term for a relationship. Simply tap familiar relationship terms (like mother, sister, or aunt) just as if you were describing it to another person.

For example, to calculate the proper term for "my grandmother's sister's daughter," you simply tap Grandmother, Sister, and then Daughter and CousinCalc displays "First cousin once removed."

The Historical Detroit Free Press Provides Gateway to the Motor City's Past

The following announcement was written by ProQuest:

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Nov. 2 -- News from the Motor City -- from before statehood to the American Civil War to the birth and growth of the automotive industry -- is now available in ProQuest Historical Newspapers, the definitive digital archive offering cover-to-cover, full-text, and full-image articles for significant newspapers dating back to the 18th Century. The Detroit Free Press (1831-1922) provides one of the deepest historical files and comprehensive coverage of the social, political and economic development of the Midwest, and offers new avenues into understanding the history of Detroit and Michigan.

ITV's Sale of Friends Reunited Could Breach Competition Law

According to the Times Online, ITV was told today that it might not be allowed to sell Friends Reunited, even for a £145 million loss.

The U.K. Office of Fair Trading (OFT) ruled that ITV’s attempt to sell Friends for £25 million to the owner of two genealogy sites could breach competition law.

I Bought a Windows 7 PC

This time I took my own advice. Last week I wrote an article that points out that the price of purchasing a new PC with Windows 7 already pre-installed isn't all that much more expensive than purchasing the Windows 7 software upgrade alone: $299 versus $120 or so, depending upon where you shop. This week I purchased a $299 desktop computer (after rebates) with 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium pre-installed.

To be sure, at this price you don't get a "barn burner" with top-of-the-line performance. However, it is a reasonably good machine, moderately fast with a lot of disk storage space and quite a bit of RAM memory. You can find these bargain PCs at almost all the discount computer stores. All have roughly the same specifications with minor variations. I purchased mine at Staples but similar bargains are available at most other discount stores: BestBuy, OfficeMAX, Fry's, MicroCenter, and more.