In today’s edition of Vault Vednesday I’ll talk about Thursday classes at the NGS Family History Conference and the expansion of FamilySearch services.

NGS Conference Thursday’s Classes

A couple of weeks ago I shared my class picks for Vednesday. Here are just a few of the Thursday classes on my radar. For other classes you might enjoy better, check the schedule.

I like the look of “From Research to Report: How to Write a Proof Summary” by Kay Haviland Freilich, former BCG president. If ...

Want to be a better genealogist? Take the inventory below to identify a baby step you can take to become a better genealogist.

In each table below, read the descriptions for each level. Place a check mark in the row that best describes you. If you have any questions about the meaning of words, read “Genealogical Maturity Model (GMM) Definitions.”

Sources # Level Sources Check 1. Entry

Typically relies on compiled genealogies.

  2. ...

Want to be a better genealogist? Take the inventory below to identify a baby step you can take to become a better genealogist.

In each table below, read the descriptions for each level. Place a check mark in the row that best describes you. If you have any questions about the meaning of words, read “Genealogical Maturity Model Definitions.”

Sources # Level Sources Check 1. Entry

Typically relies on compiled genealogies.

  2. ...

It had to happen sometime. It was inevitable. An influential Hollywood star has experienced that ethereal connection we call serendipity. Who, you ask? Lisa Kudrow. She’s the executive producer of “Who Do You Think Your Are?” How do I know she’s felt it? If you’ve experienced it then you know that the word serendipity—any word, any description—falls short. Kudrow, faltering, stammering, put it this way:

I'm going too far, but it's almost like supernatural to me.1

Yup. She’s felt it.

...

Today’s Vault Vednesday warns of your last chance to get the early bird registration discount for the NGS Family History Conference, recounts the completion of the Granite Mountain Record Vault (GMRV), and gives a great link for spreading the word about “Who Do You Think You Are”

NGS: Last Day for Early Bird Discount

Early bird registration must be postmarked by 8 March 2010 so this is your last chance to enjoy all the benefits of early registration:

Whether your register for the entire conference, or just one ...

“This is a passion project. It is intelligent. It is smart. It is deeply moving,” Andrew Wait said of the upcoming show, “Who Do You Think You Are?” in his closing remarks at 2010 Bloggers Day. WDYTYA chronicles the journey of seven celebrities on a quest to discover the genealogical roots of who they are. Sarah Jessica Parker, Susan Sarandon, Spike Lee, Matthew Broderick, Brooke Shields, Emmitt Smith, Lisa Kudrow.

Ancestry.com is a major sponsor. They have provided a website that viewers can use to build a family tree. And they are giving away $20,000 in ...

Last year I intended to do stupendously rich articles about Ancestry.com Bloggers Day presentations. Since I never got around to it, this year you’re getting my stupidously poor notes.

Today I will finish the presentation of Tony Macklin, the Ancestry.com search product manager.

The issues for the design of Search are: Relevance and control Browse (which is very important and also instructional) Speed and efficiency Showed us a prototype for a new, new search (Thomas MacEntee nicknamed it “HD search,” to distinguish it ...

This past weekend a major failure in a Utah data center brought down hundreds of websites, including at least one genealogy site. With the St. George Family History Expo starting tomorrow, the Family History Expos website (www.fhexpos.com) has been down all week. A notice on their website assures attendees that the conference will go forward as planned, but if you wish to register at the door, bring check or cash. Their credit card software was on their website and they may not have it up again by the time the conference begins.

A test of the fire system at Consonus ...

In today’s edition of Vault Vednesday I’ll talk about Vednesday classes at the NGS Family History Conference and the reservoir at the Granite Mountain Record Vault (GMRV).

Vednesday Classes

As I’ve mentioned, after Jay Verkler’s opening keynote (including virtual vault tour!) the exhibits open at 9:30. Then at 11:00 the classes begin. NGS Conference classes are one of the best ways to improve your Genealogical Maturity.

Here are just a few of the Vednesday classes I’m considering. Check the schedule ...

[As I am writing this article, the Family History Expo website is down. The links to the website may not be working yet when you read this article. If not, try again later.]

#FHExpos is the Twitter tag for the St. George Family History Expo this weekend. But I’ve painted myself into a conflict of interest corner and I need your help ASAP to get me out! I accepted an invitation from Holly Hansen to be a Blogger of Honor at this weekend’s conference.

Holly’s wonderful. Her marketing for Family History Expos draws people to ...

Last year I intended to do stupendously rich articles about Ancestry.com Bloggers Day presentations. Since I never got around to it, this year you’re getting my stupidously poor notes.

Tony Macklin is the Ancestry.com search product manager.

How many user-submitted corrections are being made? There were 80,000 a month before the new record page that combines the record view, the image view, and the correction page all into one. There are 900,000 a month now The new combined page was not immediately used for all databases It was ...

It's called coincidence, hunch, synchronicity, fortuitous luck, spiritual guidance, paranormal activity, karma, extra sensory perception, life-after-death, fate, divine intervention, genetic memory, manifestation of providence, intuition, statistical inevitability, inspiration, psychic channeling, revelation, subconscious reasoning, vision, sixth sense, collective subconscious, dream, past-life imprinting on present consciousness, educated guess, inner voice, out-of-body journey, chance, non-mechanical reality, portent, omen or "the sheer cussed wonder of things."1

...

Last year I intended to do stupendously rich articles about Ancestry.com Bloggers Day presentations. Since I never got around to it, this year you’re getting my stupidously poor notes.

Eric Shoup gave the presentation on Ancestry.com products.

2009 new product features: Member connect Enhanced image page Message center New person page New design for collection home pages Showed an example Displaced an advertisement to bring the browse interface to the top-right of the page. Added a section of related DBs ...

It’s Vault Vednesday! This is another in a series highlighting the Granite Mountain Record Vault (GMRV) and the NGS Family History Conference coming to Salt Lake City, 28 April—1 May 2010.

Optimized for Preservation

The Granite Mountain Record Vault was designed to be an ideal long-term storage facility. The location is ideal in many ways, shielding genealogical records from most natural disasters: hurricanes, flooding, tornados, lightning, and so forth.

Office space (above left), hallway ...

Last year I intended to do stupendously rich articles about Ancestry.com Bloggers Day presentations. Since I never got around to it, this year you’re getting my stupidously poor notes.

Following our virtual tour of the Ancestry.com Washington, D.C. scanning facility, Tom Foster, director of member services gave us a real tour of the Ancestry.com call center. The center is located one floor below digital preservation services.

The funnest part of the tour was the moment we emerged from the elevator and were greeted with squeals of delight. An Ancestry.com ...