When I said, in Mind Mapping a Research Toolbox , that you can keep a Flash file in your Public Dropbox folder to yourself, that may not be true. These links are from the Dropbox domain so they could be indexed by the search engines . I’m confused. Do they have to be linked on another website in order to be seen? Although the chance of anyone coming across them in a search engine is fairly remote. Unless they can do a search on your tag number included in the link and follow your footsteps around the Internet. The Public folder link is in the format of http://dl.dropbox.com/u/tag ...

Following on from yesterday’s introduction to the Genealogy Research Toolbox , you’ll need two things for this project; free mind mapping software – FreeMind (or FreePlane ) and a free Dropbox account. If you’re going to be moving around, I would suggest a portable version of mind mapping software. FreeMindPortable (I’m offering up my personal copy since I don’t know where I got it from. Just unzip it and it’s good to go.) FreePlanePortable (designed to install in the PortableApps Platform ) If you go to genealogy conferences and take notes ...

I read about someone making a Research Toolbox . I’m signed up for Thomas’ webinar in April to learn how. I rooted around til I found out what a Research Toolbox is. Apparently, it’s a collection of your genealogy links that you put altogether in one place for convenient access. I was going to leave a note for Thomas and tell him I couldn’t wait til April for his ideas because it’s a million years from now but his Comments section was closed. I think it was one of those daily things and if you miss the day you’re out of luck. So I stayed up til sunrise ...

So are you done taking inventory? Writing about it has helped to focus me in getting to the parts that were/are stuck. As I’ve made changes I’ve also changed my post about Taking Inventory so if you’re trying to follow that exactly, and I’m sure you’re not, it’s been updated several times. If you don’t know where to begin, pretend someone just walked in your door and asked you to explain your genealogy world to them. What’s in this box? What’s in that box? Do you have any photos? Where do you keep them? What’s that filing ...

Welcome to MRIN filing on steroids. If you’re already using the MRIN Filing System I don’t need to convince you of anything. If you’re not, you’re doing something else entirely. Foot-long file names, color-coding, Dear Myrt’s coffee table binders , Marlo’s Heritage Collector Suite , or some other combination or permutation. Filing systems are like religion. There’s plenty of them to go around and everyone thinks theirs is the best. At MRIN Central, we know we’re the best. When God created filing, He said, “Let there be numbers.” ...

I decided to spend the day cleaning out my storage area because I haven’t done it for years and I’ve been tossing things any-old-where for all that time. But not cleaning all of it because that’s too much of a challenge for one day … only 8 boxes. A few years ago I picked up this item in a second-hand store, not because I know what it is but because it looks like an organizer of some kind. Anything to do with organizing peaks my interest, Life being the disorganized mess it is. And I thought I’d figure out what to do with it after I got home. After awhile of ...

This week I decided to make my little hovel wireless. I’ve been thinking about a netbook and being able to use that somewhere besides sitting in my usual chair. It might weigh only 3 pounds so I could put it on my lap and stretch my legs out for a change. Maybe not all that different than sitting in my usual chair? Then I got sidetracked to Kindle . Since eReaders don’t really ‘do pdf’s’ or videos either, which is mostly what I want, that pushed me over to Apple iPad . And from there into the depths of Tablet PC’s and that’s where my heart is ...

Last night I watched two hours of Geoff Rasmussen explaining the New FamilySearch integration with Legacy Family Tree . Geoff was in fine form, obviously excited about this new addition to Legacy . And it does look like a fine piece of programming. The LDS church has both the religious doctrine and the funds to drive this massive project of attempting to unite all the genealogy trees of the world into one. For non-LDS members there’s not much to see yet, (registration is possible, logging in is not) but it was interesting to see what’s coming for the rest of us eventually. ...

As I read through other genealogy blogs, I often come across talk of disorganization, ideas and plans for organization and wishes for family members who will care about it after we’re gone. Some people are organized by nature and everything’s put together like an Army cot; you could bounce a dime off it. Some people are somewhat organized and given a week they could pull it together pretty well. And others are living in the land of wishful thinking and plan-to-do-someday and it will never get done. For most of us, this is not a religious requirement; it’s a hobby, so it ...

I’m in search of another house. In 1973 I went to Pennsylvania to visit my father. I didn’t know I was going to visit my father. I didn’t know I was going to Pennsylvania. I was traveling around the U.S. and Canada and it just happened. I remember the house clearly but that isn’t helping me because I can’t find it. Or, at least, I think I can’t find it. I signed up for a $1 trial of Inteligator . I typed in my father’s name. I got back 3 cities and 4 zip codes. A Pennsylvania zip code. Progress. Typing in [city name], PA, [zip code], Bing Maps put ...

I had a Google Account for a very long time before I realized there was such a thing as my Dashboard. The reason for that is because it’s not particularly noticeable. It’s buried, if you will, as the 5th text link on the Settings page. The main reason, though, is that there’s virtually no reason to log in to Google Account Settings. If I’m going to Webmaster Tools, for instance, I just go there directly. The Dashboard is an A to Z listing of all the Google products you use and the information you’ve freely given away about yourself in each one. As mentioned ...

I’ve been using EverNote 2 for years, and I never noticed this before. Under File on the menu is an option called Import Wizard. What this does is import individual files if they’re text, html or images. This can be done once or set for Auto-Import on a continual basis. There are only two steps. Choose a folder to import your files from. Then choose if you want your files imported once or to have that folder continually monitored. You can change your mind about that later under File/Properties/File Auto-Import. That’s it. You’re done. My mind reels with the ...

In the year 2011 A.G., let it be known there really is life after Google. I have very happily left Google Reader and returned to my roots – Sage RSS Reader for Firefox . This is blog-reading in high style. I like things simple and clean and that’s what I’ve got. No logging in and out. No Google Account tracking my interests and contacts. Free of buttons and tabs and options up the yin-yang. Just straight to my browser for a private and quiet cup of tea while reading what the rest of the world is up to. A single button on the Firefox navigation toolbar opens and closes ...

It’s taking me awhile to laser-focus my goals for 2011. But one thing has become very clear: One of my goals is to use as few Google products as possible. No offense to Thomas MacEntee’s recent webinar on Google products, tips and tools . They do seem to be everywhere. Welcome to GoogleMart. Due to Google’s (last 12 months or so) relentless “don’t communicate, just shoot” campaign against affiliate advertisers, I’ve recently joined the extremely long line of Google AdWords advertisers with permanently banned accounts. Because I’m a disabled ...

After eons without , JLog now has gravatars! Most of you do not. If you want your own, instead of an auto-generated one, go to Gravatar.com . You don’t need a website. Just sign up for a free account, insert the email address you use for making blog comments, upload a picture of what you want your gravatar to be. And that’s it. Now, when you post a comment (on most any blog except Blogger) your gravatar will show up. If you’re commenting on Blogger, which is most genealogy blogs, you’ll need to add a profile picture to your Google account. And when you post a ...