Off to a good start!

I have finally sent out the emails to everyone for whom I had an address. I reached even more people thanks to Elain broadcasting it across her email list. I have heard back from a good number of people but not everyone. I guess I don't expect everyone to be as into this subject as I am.

I have begun writing September's installment on Thomas and Anna Downs. It is going quite well, and it should have more meat on its bones than the two parter on the six boys. I think it will also be a more interesting read.

Candee had a good recommendation for the blog. While I always saw it as a way for everyone to share in the discussion about the site, I always envisioned it as opinions on what I should cover next, or advice on which way to tackle a particular topic. Candee saw the blog as a great vehicle for others to share their stories. That would be awesome, but unfortunately, I have turned public comment on the blog off. I was sick of getting comments telling me how to save on my mortgage. We could still use the blog that way, but anyone wanting to comment needs to join the blog. If anyone wishes to, please send me an email and I will generate an invite for you.

Missy also stressed the sharing of stories as crucial. This blog can still be the backroom lounge I had invisioned it, its just that you need to register to participate in the conversations and fun. There is no cost for joining the blog. And yes, it would be a great place for someone to leave a story or two.

The other issue I am facing is the suggestion everyone has made. That is that I approach this person or that one. I am avoiding this for several reasons. First of all, if I don't approach everyone, some may feel miffed and left out. I've also noticed that those who are approached will give you some information, but it quickly becomes a chore. Both of these outcomes are not accptable with me.

On the other hand, I know that older generations often need to be reassured that others are actually interested in what they have to share. When they learn this, sometimes you can't stop them, and this would be great. I'm hoping to find that balance of encouraging everyone, yet pressuring no one. If you know someone who has information to share, please encourage them to share it. At least reassure them that I would be very interested.

It doesn't have to be stories. Birth, marriage and death certificates, newspaper clipping, photos, or anything else I will take. You don't even need to part with the preacious relict. You could scan and email, Xerox and fax, or Xerox and mail. My goal is to save all of this onto a family history CD at some point and then everyone can share in the history.

In closing I want to say that my thoughts and prayers are with all of you in the south who were hit by Katrina. I know Marj was without power for a number of days. Please, everyone remain safe

Bill

Finally!

This blog makes a great reality check. I noticed that my last post was August 4. In it I said that I would be ready to send out the invites to family in a few days. It is now 24 days later and I'm finally ready to do this. There was far more work than I had realized there would be to get things going.

A good example of this was the actual genealogical charts and family group sheets. This is the part that many people want to see, so they can see who their great great grandfather was. There are many software solutions that I could use to generate the content automatically. This would be a great labor saver, but everyone of them fell short on one or more key requirements. Without getting into technicalities, they were good for connecting a person to their parents and grandparents, or to show the descendants of an individual. But what we need, for example, is one where you can show the descent of Cyril Downs and John Downs from Thomas Downs (going foward), but then show the ancestry of John's wife Helen or Ina's second husband George, and any connection between the two. And I suppose I just let one of many cats out of the bag. Yes, they were cousins and I will show how they are related this fall in one of my articles.

Many of the software solutions would regenerate the entire site every time you made a change in the data. This would prohibit me from linking the charts to things like biographies and other such customizations. My modifications would just be written over the next time I changed the data. My solution is to create my own solutuions from scratch. I spent the better part of a whole day creating, and then tearing down, my version of a cyber family group sheet. I am now satified with the final product. I will now build the family group sheets individually for each family. I can add and connect as needed without changinging everything. This will make more work for me, but I think it will be best in the long run.

My current plan is to add to the charts and sheets as I write articles about the family. My goal is to get this web site fully presentable by the end of the year.

Bill

Decisions, decisions!

As I discussed in my previous post, I have found out that publishing something of this scale on the net is a decision intensive endeavor. I have made a major decision, and I'm going to go live online with as much as I have completed. I guess I'm going to have to edit out some large parts I'm not happy with, but there is still plenty that I feel is acceptable and can be published now.

Actually, I have a confession to make. I published the site and it went live last fall. I just didn't tell anyone. Some of the core elements were just easier to troubleshoot early on that way. What I mean by going live now is that I am telling some people about the site. It will no longer be "for my eyes only." In a day or two, I will be sending emails out to two groups inviting them to this blog and to visit the site. The first group will consist of a couple of close friends who often act as my critics, or who's opinion I value greatly. You guys know who you are and I thank you for all the advice in the past, and any you may give in the future. I am not necessarily trying to solicit your help, but you are the ones who would say, "You should have told me about this sooner..." The other group consists of family members. Many of you may take a passing fancy in the family history, and for you guys this blog may seem pointless. This is fine, and trust me, my feelings aren't hurt. But I'm hoping to find one or two of you who might wish to take interest in this project early on. I would value input from someone like that, and if no one comes foward, that is also fine. At least I have not left someone out who might have wanted to participate.

From now on I will no longer talk about the day I go live, it is here. I guess the next milestone to look foward to is the day we kick-off. This will be the day that the site is ready for the most casual of surfers and could be looked at as a cohesive whole. This will be the day that I submit it to search engines, list groups, BB's etc. It will also be the day that all of those annoying "under construction" graphics will be gone.

There are still plenty of decisions ahead, but I will save them for another time. I have probably been rambling on long enough.

Bill

Welcome!

This blog is where I publicly share my thoughts, plans, concerns or anything else related to my genealogical web site, DownsGenealogy.com. I have been researching my family's history and genealogy since 1978. Over the years I have amassed boxes and file cabinets full of notes and information. Over the last few years, I have begun to put everything into a systemized digital format so it can be preserved and easily shared. The purpose of DownsGenealogy.com is to publish this information and share it.

During the summer of 2004 I began building DownsGenealogy.com. Now, a year later, I find myself shocked that this site is not up and in a functional format. Presenting the information in a published format is a rather complex knot of issues. As I tackle one facet of the site, I realize that I need to address things someplace else on the site. Do I need to expand the site to include explanations of certain principles, or would my efforts be better spent on getting another page filled out with more detail.

I hope that the site will stand on it's own as my published work. I want this blog to act as a place to share my thoughts, justify decisions, or discuss things related to the site, and the process of publishing it, without the casual reader needing to be overwhelmed in scope or depth. This is an experiment and I hope that anyone who wants a say in any of this finds their way here.

Bill Downs
bill@downsgenealogy.com

http://www.downsgenealogy.com