Saturday, August 1, 2015

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun -- Survey of Genealogy Activities

Calling all Genea-Musings Fans: 

 It's Saturday Night again - 
time for some more Genealogy Fun!!



Here is your assignment if you choose to play along (cue the Mission Impossible music, please!): 


1)  
Answer these questions in my survey about your genealogy resources and usage:

a)  Which genealogy software programs for your computer do you use (e.g., Family Tree Maker, Reunion, GRAMPS, etc.)?

b)  Which online family trees have information submitted by you - in either a separate online tree (e.g., Ancestry Member Tree) or a universal (collaborative) online tree (e.g., WikiTree)?

c)  For which subscription genealogy record providers (e.g., Ancestry) do you have a subscription?

d)  Which FREE genealogy record providers (e.g., FamilySearch) do you use regularly?

e)  How much time do you spend each week doing actual genealogy research online?  [Note:  not reading, or social networking, but actual searching in a record provider].  Estimate an average number of hours per week.

f)  How much time do you spend each week doing actual genealogy research in a repository (e.g., library, archive, courthouse, etc.)?  Estimate an average number of hours per month over, say, a one year period.

g)  How much time do you spend each week adding information to your genealogy software program (either on your computer or online)?  Estimate an average number of hours per week over, say, a one month period.

h)  How much time do you spend each month at a genealogical society meeting, program or event (not a seminar or conference)?  Estimate an average number of hours per month over, say, a one year period.

i)  How much time do you spend each month on genealogy education (e.g., reading books and periodicals, attending seminars, conferences, workshops, webinars, etc.)?   Estimate an average number of hours per month over, say, a one year period.

j)  How much time do you spend each week reading, writing and commenting on genealogy blogs, websites, and social media?   Estimate an average number of hours per week over, say, a one month period.

2)    Answer the questions in a blog post of your own (and please drop a link as a comment in this post), in a comment to this post, or in a Google+ or Facebook post.

Here's mine:

a)  I use RootsMagic 7 to enter all ancestral information into a database.  I also use Family Tree Maker 2014 and Legacy Family Tree 8 occasionally to take advantage of their features.

b)  I have my family tree information in these online tree systems:

i)  Separate tree:

*  Ancestry Member Tree (several, replaced very 1-2 years), use Hints 
*  MyHeritage (rarely updated), use Record Matches
*  GeneaNet (never updated)
*  FindMy Past (never updated), use Record Matches
*  Mocavo (never updated)

ii)  Collaborative tree:

*  FamilySearch Family Tree (updated frequently), use Record Hints
*  WikiTree (updated occasionally)
*  Geni.com (updated occasionally)
*  WeRelate (updated rarely)

c)  My subscription genealogy record collection websites:

*  Ancestry.com
*  MyHeritage (tree and data)
*  FindMyPast
*  Mocavo
*  GenealogyBank
*  American Ancestors

d)  My most-used FREE genealogy record providers:

*  FamilySearch
*  Find a Grave
*  Google
*  USGenWeb
*  Rootsweb

e)  Doing online genealogy research each week:  Average per week = 8 hours

f)  Doing repository research each month:  Average per month = 2 hours

g)  Adding information to family tree database each week:  Average per week = 12 hours

h)  Genealogy society events and meetings:  Average per month = 16 hours

i)  Genealogy education:  Average per month = 16 hours

j)  Reading genealogy websites or contributing to social media:  Average per week = 32 hours

Adding all of that up totals about 60 hours per week.  Which is about right, I think!

Since I do a lot of genealogy blogging, I spend at least half of my time every day on social media.  I try to streamline my time reading by using my iPhone for email and blogs, and try to limit my time on Facebook to 30 minutes a day or less.  I really should get out more to the local repositories.  I do spend at least one day each year at the Family History Library and an hour or two at the local libraries each month.  My genealogy education this past year was limited to society events, webinars, RootsTech and Jamboree.  The last three years, we went on a genealogy cruise.


The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2015/08/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-survey-of.html

Copyright (c) 2015, Randall J. Seaver


Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.


4 comments:

DanniDoodle said...

a) Software program: Legacy Family Tree 8
b) Online family trees: Ancestry Member trees and FamilySearch Family Tree
c) Subscription records: Ancestry.com and GenealogyBank
d) Free records: FamilySearch, Georgia's Virtual Vault, Find A Grave, University of Florida Digital Collections, Fold3 (public library access) and BillionGraves.
e. Estimated actual research: 5 hours per week, mainly on the weekends.
f. Repository research: 0
g. Adding info: 5 hours per week. Working on backlog and now trying to add records as I find them.
h. Time at meeting/events: 0
i) Genealogy education: 6 hours per month. Mainly Legacy webinars.
j. Reading websites: 3 hours per week.

I work 8 hours a day / 5 days a week. I try to read genealogy blogs and check a hint or 2 on Ancestry.com on my lunch hour and watch webinars on the weekend.

Lisa S. Gorrell said...

This was interesting as a time management exercise. I spent less time on genealogy than I thought!
http://mytrailsintothepast.blogspot.com/2015/08/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-survey-of.html

Amy Urman said...

I posted my assignment on my blog - http://thegenealogysearch.blogspot.com/2015/08/a-little-saturday-night-fun.html

Lois Willis said...

Here's mine - the time spent is just a guess, I may spend more time on researching than I have indicated.
http://loiswillis.com/sunday-afternoon-genealogy-fun-survey-of-genealogy-activities/