by Lisa Cooke | Sep 17, 2016 | 01 What's New, Brick Wall, Collaborate |
Everyone can use a great coach and a new genealogy service is striving to fill that need! GenealogyDOTcoach (SM) is a new online service matching up professional genealogists (called Genealogy Coaches) with people who want to have all the excitement of making their own family history discoveries, but need a little personalized help.
Janet Hovorka, co-founder of the new website, says, “With do-it-yourself sites like Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org it has become so easy for anyone to start climbing their family tree. But sometimes people get a little stuck in the process.”
In the past, genealogy hobbyists in trouble were either doomed to find another line to work on or hire a 10 or 20 hour research package from a professional genealogist. Many of us can’t afford the high prices of a professional researcher. Besides, what we really want is just a little help. GenealogyDOTcoach is striving to fill that need.
GenealogyDOTcoach: How it Works
As of today, there are 25 coaches across 47 genealogical categories. Areas of expertise include: getting started, DNA, writing a research plan, and even document translation. Many levels and types of expertise are found in these Genealogy Coaches with hopes of finding the right match for your specific need. The impressive list of coaches include some of the most well-known genealogists in the industry.
At the genealogyDOTcoach website, you can select a topic like Jewish Genealogy, Software Assistance, or DNA (and there are tons more). Once you have selected your category, you will see a list of coaches that specialize in that topic. Sessions can be scheduled with your genealogy coach for 15, 30, or 60 minutes at a predetermined rate.
Before your coaching session, an email link is sent that allows you to log-in to a private chat room. You will meet your coach face to face, via video chat, and be able to share screens and documents.
We Want to Hear From You
So, what do you think? Is this something that interests you?
We would love to hear what you think about this new service in the comment section below.
Thanks for reading, friends!
by | Oct 8, 2014 | 01 What's New, Beginner, Collaborate, Inspiration, Listeners & Readers, Social Media, Volunteer
What Has Replaced Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness? It’s a question on many family historians minds, include Genealogy Gems Podcast listener Richard who wrote in with this question:
“Many years ago Bridgett Schneider hosted the Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness website (RAOGK). This was one of the best sites to get assistance from people willing to give back at a free or very nominal cost (reimbursement). I know someone has attempted to create the same type of page using Wikia (RAOGK wiki) and I have just started working with it, but there are not many volunteers for this site yet.
I was a volunteer for the original RAOGK and will attempt to do the same with the wiki page, but I was wondering if you could point me in the right direction for any other types of pages like this. I depend on others so much because my parents’ families are from all over the U.S. My father was career Navy, joining in Minnesota going to Colorado, where my parents met, then moving to Washington DC area, Florida and back to DC. My mom’s family are all from the Minnesota and Oregon areas, so traveling to find information is not always easy. Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.”
Here’s the scoop on RAOGK:
You’re right, no other website has really taken hold to replace RAOGK. And that’s because Facebook has filled the bill. Genealogists are joining in droves, and many create Facebook accounts strictly for their genealogy efforts. You certainly don’t have to have personal information posted in order to take advantage of the “genealogical crowd sourcing” ability of Facebook.
By “friending” other genealogists you start to build a group of ‘genealogy friends’ you can turn to with questions. But when it comes to specific areas, I go to the Facebook search box and search for Facebook groups on the topic I’m interested in.
For example, I am researching the Munns, Bax and Dixon families of Margate, Kent, England. A search or “Margate History” brought up a fantastic group devoted to the history of Margate. They have amassed an unbelievable amount of shared info, photos, postcards and documents. Not everyone is a genealogist, but everyone is interested in the history of Margate. It’s the first place I would go to post a question or request for help, and inevitably someone will have the answer or be in a location where they can help me.
Although the Margate group is “history” focused, you can also search adding the word Genealogy to your location search for a group.And if you don’t see a group that meets your needs, create one! From your Facebook account:
1. on the left side of the page under GROUPS click “Find New Groups”
2. Here you can join groups (Facebook will likely recommend some based on your profile interests)
3. In the upper right corner click the green + CREATE GROUP button
4. Give your group a name and select whether it is public or private
5. Start posting content to your group page
6. Start promoting the page on your profile page while also friending other genealogists and soon you will likely have a vibrant group that can assist each other based on a shared interest.
Bottom line: Facebook is the new RAOGK. And the upside is that Facebook expands the resources to folks who may be in a position to help through a shared interest while not necessarily being a genealogist.
I hope that helps. Let me know how it goes, and thanks for being a part of the Genealogy Gems community.
