Edmonton 2013 Conference - A SMASHING Success!!

Just got home last night from another fantastic conference in Edmonton. They set records for attendance and that is a fact that is quite astonishing as most groups are struggling, worldwide. Edmonton is obviously doing lots and lots of things right! Maybe Shannon and all her awesome helpers should be organizing all conferences?? GREAT job folks!!

As a speaker, [and a huge "Thanks" to all who saw fit to invite me back],I can tell you that Edmonton goes out of their way to make speakers feel appreciated. It starts with the initial invitation to submit proposals, continues throughout the entire process, and culminates with the large attendance in a lovely venue. Most important to me is all you wonderful folks who come up to me throughout the entire conference to share your thoughts and questions, your exciting new finds, and to just say "Thanks"!! It certainly makes the long long hours, that turn into months, of working on the presentations ... all worthwhile. "Thanks" right back at you!! I LOVE the Edmonton conference, always have, always will.

Now, once laundry is done and I get some sleep , I'm anxious to dive into the syllabus and see what new things I can learn! Speakers seldom have the opportunity to hear any other speaker as the odd half hour available to us is spent fine tuning our *next* presentation for the group.

Cheers Guys!!
Pat xo
Oh yeah, I also have to add that it was SUCH a pleasure to not be surrounded by 4 freakin' feet of snow for a few days! I'm so ready to golf and garden. This year I should be living in the North I guess.

Top 40 Genealogy Blogs 2013

Thanks to FamilyTree Magazine lists the following blogs as their top picks for 2013. Click through to be taken to whatever interests you from

http://familytreemagazine.com/article/Top-40-Genealogy-Blogs-2013


I'm off to the Alberta Provincial Conference tomorrow. This year it's held in Edmonton and I LOVE LOVE LOVE speaking there!! Besides which it's warmer way up north ... well warmer than it is here.


Cheers,
Pat

London's 2013 "Who Do You Think You Are" - free handouts!

This is just awesome!! SoG, the Society of Genealogist's, has just made available handouts from the speakers presentations at the Who Do You Think You Are held in London Feb. 2013. Not all speakers are represented yet, so check back, but the ones that *are* there are spectacular!! More good reading during the 'winter with no end' in our part of the world!!


http://www.sog.org.uk/learn/who-do-you-think-you-are-2013-speakers-handouts/


Cheers,
Pat

Facebook clues can reveal your secrets

"Researchers from Cambridge University have discovered that simply by analysing Facebook 'likes' it is possible to make highly accurate predictions about people - from the colour of their skin to their gender, orientation, political allegiance, and much more. Combine those inferences with what people explicitly tell you about themselves, and you could know more about someone than their own relatives!



Other research has found that by collecting relatively innocuous information from a variety of online sources you can build up a far more detailed picture of somebody than they ever intended - be very wary of choosing the same user name at different sites.



Have you tried searching for your own name using Google? Or for your email address (put it in double quotes)? Or for your user names? You might be surprised at what you find!"

Thanks to Peter Calver for the above article. Peter runs the LostCousins website. Have a look at http://www.lostcousins.com/. You can sign up for his free newsletter from this site.


I tried the double quotation searches and discovered a potential problem with one of my user names!! Yikes!! I have been guilty of re-using names and even passwords. I know we're not supposed to, BUT there are just tooooooooooo many needed to create new ones each time you sign into a new website... and then try to remember which goes where! Anyway, for your own protection, give those searches a try guys. Forewarned is forearmed?


Pat (at least today sunlight is streaming through my windows ... improving ones mood, however slightly)

First Name Abbreviations

In many historical documents, first names were abbreviated. There is a free listing at

http://www.genealogyintime.com/dictionary/list-of-first-name-abbreviations.html


Happy Searching!
Pat ..........who is sitting here most unhappy with what she sees out her window. Bloody snow ... again ... and it's 07th April. ENOUGH!