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Does Martin Sheen Search on Ancestry? Who Do You Think You Are? Season 3 Debut (2/3/12)
Martin Sheen’s enthusiasm for this recent Who Do You Think You Are? journey bubbled over during a recent telephone interview with the media. I asked him what he thought was the #1 reason folks should research their family history search – he identified personal enrichment as the key. But it was another reporter’s question that generated a surprising answer:
Question: “Before your experience with “Who Do You Think You Are?” were you were aware that there were family history resources like that online?”
Answer: “In fact I have watched the show. I am a big fan of the show…And so when they asked me I said yes without hesitation because I don’t own a computer and I’m way behind on these new methods of gaining information” In fact, he want on to say he had never used a computer.
Did I hear him right? Wait a second – in one of the opening scenes of his episode which I previewed this week, Martin sits at his dining room table in front of a computer and narrates the scene to say he’s going to go on Ancestry to start his search.
But isn’t everything on TV true?
This little event was a healthy reminder that Who Do You Think You Are? is first and foremost entertainment and storytelling. And it executes this goal expertly. It’s a captivating show that thankfully continues to inspire newbies to consider the possibility of exploring their own family tree.
The footage of the fabricated search is also a healthy reminder that not everything we see is true. And this can be applied to our own family history. It’s tempting to take in every detail of a newly found old photo as an accurate representation of our ancestors. And yet, our ancestors often donned outfits that only saw the light of day a few times a year. And careful inspection of a carte de visite can reveal that the background is actually a drape over a shrubbery hedge in the front yard of the old homestead.
No spoiler alerts here as I have no intention of spilling the beans on what you will see tonight. I will say that it will likely generate some lively discussion among genealogists, but you will certainly be entertained and inspired to keep at the important and satisfying work of family history investigation. Just be sure to keep the salt shaker close by for when you need those few grains of salt.
How NARA Acquires and Stores Records (1/11/12)
Have you ever wondered how the U.S. National Archives takes custody of records from federal agencies and makes them accessible to you? In this new video they explain how they are now using the Electronic Records Archives, or ERA system to accomplish the task. ERA is not only a system for storing electronic records. NARA is currently transferring permanent textual records on a daily basis using ERA. ERA replaces a paper-based system that could take months
Watch as the Department of the Navy demonstrates how ERA was used to transfer deck logs to the legal and physical custody of the National Archives.
Google’s Plus Sign Now Has New Meaning (11/9/11)
On October 27 I reported on this blog that Google quietly eliminated the use of the plus sign operator in Google Search. (A Change You Need to Know About)
The technology community suspected that “the move was in response to their growing focus on Google+ and the possibility of a new use for the “plus” sign.” I encouraged you to stay tuned.
You didn’t have to wait long to find out why the change was made. Yesterday Google announced on the Official Google Blog a use for that plus sign: Direct Connect from Google Search.
Direct Connect from Google Search
It’s no surprise that the plus sign’s new role has something to do with connecting users to Google+, the (fairly) new social networking platform. The + sign is now all about quickly connecting you directly to business Google+ Pages.
Many have wondered why Google+ didn’t allow for business and organization profiles since that is a big part of the Facebook offering. It appears now that the delay was in order to re-purpose the plus sign.
Google explained it this way: “Maybe you’re watching a movie trailer, or you just heard that your favorite band is coming to town. In buy pain medication online net both cases you want to connect with them right now, and Direct Connect makes it easy – even automatic. Just go to Google and search for [+], followed by the page you’re interested in (like +Angry Birds). We’ll take you to their Google+ page, and if you want, we’ll add them to your circles.”
So the plus sign can now get us connected to Angry Birds, quicker? Whoo hoo?! Gosh, I was perfectly happy with the way the plus sign got me to web pages that shared information about my ancestor (+Jehu Burkhart I miss you!)
Direct Connect is up and running for a couple of the big boy brands like +Google, +Pepsi, and +Toyota, so you can try those searches to see how they work. Eventually the rest of the world will be allowed in and you can learn more about how Direct Connect for your organization in the Google Help Center.
So remember, if you want to connect with Pepsi you can plus. But, if you’re looking for a specific ancestor, word, or phrase you need to surround them in quotation marks. And you can quote me on that!
