It's true. I won't be going bald anytime soon! I can stop pulling my hair out in frustration. My prayers have been answered. Yippee!
What is the reason for my joy and glee you ask?
I now have what I have longed for for many years... a complete Polish / English dictionary. It's not an ordinary Polish / English dictionary, it's a COMPLETE one. What do I mean by that? I mean I can look up a Polish word in any of it's glorious conjugations or cases and find out what it means. This is terrific because in the past I'd have had to know the root of a word to find it's meaning and with 7 cases in the Polish language, believe me, that was often a challenging task. Here's an example of what I mean...
mieć = to have
Present Tense-Actual
ja mam = I have
ty masz = you have (singular)
on/ona/ono ma = he/she/it has
my mamy = we have
wy mamy = you have (plural)
oni /one mają = they have
Present Tense-Frequentative
miewam
miewasy
miewa
miewamy
miewacie
miewają
Past Tense-Actual
ja miałem/miałam
ty miałeś/miałaś
on/ona/ono miał/miała/miało
my mieliśmy/miałyśmy
wy mieliście/miałyście
oni/one mieli/miały
Past Tense-Frequentative
miewałem/miewałam
miewałeś/miewałaś
miewał/miewała/miewało
miewaliśmy/miewałyśmy
miewalicie/miewałycie
miewali/miewały
Future Tense-Actual
ja będę miał/miała
ty będziesz miał/miała
on/ona/ono będzie miał/miała/miało
my będziemy mieli/miały
wy będziecie mieli/miały
oni/one będą mieli/miały
Future Tense-Frequentative
miewał/miewała
miewał/miewała
miewał/miewała/miewało
miewali/miewały
miewali/miewały
miewali/miewały
Conditional-Actual
ja miałbzm/miałabym
ty miałbyś/miałabyś
on/ona/ono miałby/miałaby/miałoby
my mielibyśmy/miałybyśmy
wy mielibyście/miałybyście
oni/one mieliby/miałyby
Conditional-Frequentative
etc. etc. etc.
Imperative... Particples... on and on...
All those words in bold print... they are versions of "mieć" which means "to have". But if I come across any of them when I'm reading I won't be able to find them in a standard dictionary. Just like in an English dictionary you won't find "parties" as a separate word. You have to know that it is a version of the root word "party" and then you'll find the meaning of it in the dictionary. Same is true here. But if you don't know the language, like I don't know Polish, when you see "będziecie" you don't think, gee, I wonder what "mieć" means. You look up "będziecie" (not realizing it's paired with "wy" and "mieli") and you come up with nothing. Now I can look up "będziecie", be referred to "być" and learn that it's a version of "mieć" which it tells me means "to have". Yay! :-D
I know this is not unique to the Polish language, having to know the root of a word to look up the meaning. But yee-gads that makes it tough to translate a Polish document for research!!!
If you are researching ancestors with Polish roots you're bound to come across this same problem. And now you too have the means to solve your problem. You can find it for free on the University of Pittsburgh web site...
Online Dictionary, Polish>English, English>Polish
Hat tip to guest blogger Barb, writing for Anna's Polish Blog.
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Celebrity Genealogy
FACES OF AMERICA
Wednesdays, February 10-March 3, 2010
8:00-9:00 p.m. ET on PBS
– Elizabeth Alexander, Mario Batali, Stephen Colbert, Louise Erdrich, Malcolm Gladwell, Yo-Yo Ma, Mike Nichols, Queen Noor, Eva Longoria Parker, Meryl Streep and Kristi Yamaguchi Join Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. As He Attempts to Find Out: What Made America? –
| |
| Professor Gates with actress Meryl Streep Credit: Joseph Sinnott /©2009 WNET.ORG |
Looking to the wider immigrant experience, Professor Gates unravels the American tapestry, following the threads of his guests’ lives back to their origins around the globe. Along the way, the many stories he uncovers — of displacement and homecoming, of material success and dispossession, of assimilation and discrimination — illuminate the American experience. Professor Gates’ guests include poet Elizabeth Alexander, who composed and read the poem at President Barack Obama’s inauguration, chef Mario Batali, comedian Stephen Colbert, novelist Louise Erdrich, writer Malcolm Gladwell, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, film director Mike Nichols, Her Royal Highness Queen Noor, actress Eva Longoria Parker, actress Meryl Streep and figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi.
FACES OF AMERICA spans four episodes.
· “The Promise of America” (w.t.) (2/10) – Episode one explores the dynamic and shifting relationship America had with her new immigrants in the 20th century. World war tore apart families and sundered the fabric of many lives, but America beckoned and millions came. America was an ambivalent host, however. At its best, it was a place of refuge and salvation, as it was for film director Mike Nichols whose entire family escaped Nazi Germany. At its worst, it was a country that would imprison two generations of Japanese Americans, including the forebears of Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi. Viewers will discover the buoyant American optimism that shaped chance — as in a single encounter that changed cellist Yo-Yo Ma’s life forever — to pave the road to success.
· “Becoming American” (w.t.) (2/17) – Episode two explores the many journeys to becoming American that defined the “Century of Immigration” (1820s-1924) and transformed the United States from a sleepy agrarian country into a booming industrial power. Stephen Colbert’s Irish great-great-grandfather escaped poverty and religious oppression in Limerick and never looked back, whereas Mario Batali’s great-grandfather, who left the place where his family had lived for centuries, struggled to survive in the quartz mines of Montana. Queen Noor’s Syrian great-grandfather quickly found his footing in New York’s first Arab-American community, while Kristi Yamaguchi’s grandfather faced exclusionary laws and racially defined barriers to citizenship for decades. The obstacles, short cuts, tragedies and successes encountered or created by the guests’ ancestors from around the world reveal the complexity of our shared history and identity as Americans.
· “Making America” (w.t.) (2/24) – Episode three tells the story of the peopling of the New World, how land came to define the settling and identity of America and how the guests’ ancestors were part of this history. Viewers learn of Meryl Streep’s eighth great-grandfather who fought in Metacom’s War; records of a land dispute in Spain that forced Eva Longoria Parker’s ancestors to leave for the New World in 1603; and Yo-Yo Ma’s Chinese genealogy, which gives insights into the identity that Ma has longed for his whole life.
· “The Record Within” (w.t.) (3/3) – Episode four takes up the ancestor search where the historical record leaves off and links the guests’ distinctive family histories to the broader history of “the family of man.” Combining the documented stories of some of the guests’ last known ancestors with DNA evidence, the series travels backward through time to reveal both distant relatives and surprising shared ancestral connections. Elizabeth Alexander learns that she is a direct descendent of Charlemagne and that her paternal roots are not only European, but Jewish. Meryl Streep and Mike Nichols discover that they are distant cousins, as do Yo-Yo Ma and Eva Longoria Parker. Interwoven with these stories and others is the journey of the host, Henry Louis Gates, as he, his father and brother undertake a historic project to have their entire genomes mapped, thereby learning everything they possibly can about their own family. This episode offers a compelling and thought-provoking meditation on the importance of ancestry, the meaning of family and the role of both in creating identity.
FACES OF AMERICA will be available from PBS Home Video: ShopPBS.org; 800-531-4727, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Underwriters: The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The Coca-Cola Company, Carnegie Corporation of New York, The Atlantic Philanthropies, Johnson & Johnson, The John D. and Catherine T. Macarthur Foundation, Public Television Viewers, PBS and Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Producers: Kunhardt McGee Productions, Inkwell Films and THIRTEEN for WNET.ORG in association with Ark Media
Presenter: THIRTEEN New York
Executive producers: Henry Louis Gates Jr., William R. Grant, Peter Kunhardt and Dyllan McGee
Senior producers: Barak Goodman and Sue Williams
Online: pbs.org
Format: CC Stereo HD (16:9)
For images and additional up-to-date information on this and other PBS programs, visit PBS PressRoom at www.pbs.org/pressroom.
A Gift of My Time Freely Given
It's hard for me to remember a time when I wasn't volunteering for one thing or another. I don't think I volunteered for anything during my high school or college years or even during the early years of my career. I think it started for me when my kids were born so that's going back about 25 years or so. I volunteered to help out at dance recitals, soccer games, field trips, teaching art appreciation to second graders, etc. That sort of stuff went on for years as my kids went from grade school to middle school and then to high school. By the time I got interested in genealogy (13-14 years ago) I had plenty of volunteer experience under my belt.
I didn't start volunteering for anything that could be classified as genealogy-related until about 10 years ago. My first "project" was to create a web site for the Polish Catholic church in Detroit that my great grandparents attended. Not only did I research the parish history to do so but I went through the parish record books to put together a genealogy section as well. Nobody asked me to do it. I just wanted a web site and I made one. I got to know the pastor and few key people in the parish and it all went well. Then one day the pastor put a notice in the church bulletin asking for people to work on creating a database of the baptismal, marriage, and death records for the parish. I volunteered for that too. I started with the death records and worked on them on and off for several years. I had hoped to get others to help me out but I just couldn't coordinate the project to get it off the ground.
Then the pastor was assigned to another neighboring parish. It too was a Polish Catholic church that some of my ancestors had attended. That parish didn't have a web site either, so I made one for them too. So then I was maintaining two parish web sites and working on the database.
Somewhere along the way I discovered that I had family ties to yet another Polish Catholic parish in Detroit. It didn't have a web site either. Yep. I did it again. So then there were three. All with genealogy sections and historical ties to my family.
At about the same time that I was creating all these church web sites, I volunteered to take over and expand the web site for the Polish Genealogical Society of Michigan. It wasn't long after that that I was asked to join the board of directors. So then I volunteered to serve there too. While I was a member of the board I wrote for the society journal in addition to what I was doing on the web site and I voluntarily did a survey of the membership (primarily to take a pulse on where they were technology-wise). I made many friends during the time I was active as a board member but it was a very time consuming activity for me when combined with the writing and web mastering I was doing.
I also created a genealogy web site with information of specific interest for those with Polish ancestors from Detroit. I'm sorry to say that site has really suffered since I started blogging. I find it hard to keep it current these days.
As a result of the web sites I've created, I can count on getting several email requests for help each month. I do my best to connect people with the resources they need to research their family history. Sometimes that's a quick thing, sometimes it takes more time. Sometimes I don't have the answers people seek. But I give it my best shot in any event.
I find it hard to say "no" when people ask me for help so I end up over-committing myself. I can't begin to guess at how many hours I've put in volunteering for genealogy-related projects. I can say this though, I've met the very nicest people in the course of my volunteering. I don't regret any of it. I only wish I had more time and more money to give to further the cause of genealogy research.
I've cut back on my volunteering some in recent years. I still maintain the church web sites and my own Detroit/Polish genealogy web site but I'm no longer active with the PGSM web site or the board of directors. Blogging dominates my time these days and in a way that's a volunteer effort in itself. While much of what I write is for my own needs, there's also a great deal of information I pass along on my blogs that is strictly for the benefit of others. So I definitely feel like I'm still giving voluntarily to others in the genealogical community that way too. And once again I've met the nicest people along the way...
Written for the 87th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy, Topic: Volunteerism
I didn't start volunteering for anything that could be classified as genealogy-related until about 10 years ago. My first "project" was to create a web site for the Polish Catholic church in Detroit that my great grandparents attended. Not only did I research the parish history to do so but I went through the parish record books to put together a genealogy section as well. Nobody asked me to do it. I just wanted a web site and I made one. I got to know the pastor and few key people in the parish and it all went well. Then one day the pastor put a notice in the church bulletin asking for people to work on creating a database of the baptismal, marriage, and death records for the parish. I volunteered for that too. I started with the death records and worked on them on and off for several years. I had hoped to get others to help me out but I just couldn't coordinate the project to get it off the ground.
Then the pastor was assigned to another neighboring parish. It too was a Polish Catholic church that some of my ancestors had attended. That parish didn't have a web site either, so I made one for them too. So then I was maintaining two parish web sites and working on the database.
Somewhere along the way I discovered that I had family ties to yet another Polish Catholic parish in Detroit. It didn't have a web site either. Yep. I did it again. So then there were three. All with genealogy sections and historical ties to my family.
At about the same time that I was creating all these church web sites, I volunteered to take over and expand the web site for the Polish Genealogical Society of Michigan. It wasn't long after that that I was asked to join the board of directors. So then I volunteered to serve there too. While I was a member of the board I wrote for the society journal in addition to what I was doing on the web site and I voluntarily did a survey of the membership (primarily to take a pulse on where they were technology-wise). I made many friends during the time I was active as a board member but it was a very time consuming activity for me when combined with the writing and web mastering I was doing.
I also created a genealogy web site with information of specific interest for those with Polish ancestors from Detroit. I'm sorry to say that site has really suffered since I started blogging. I find it hard to keep it current these days.
As a result of the web sites I've created, I can count on getting several email requests for help each month. I do my best to connect people with the resources they need to research their family history. Sometimes that's a quick thing, sometimes it takes more time. Sometimes I don't have the answers people seek. But I give it my best shot in any event.
I find it hard to say "no" when people ask me for help so I end up over-committing myself. I can't begin to guess at how many hours I've put in volunteering for genealogy-related projects. I can say this though, I've met the very nicest people in the course of my volunteering. I don't regret any of it. I only wish I had more time and more money to give to further the cause of genealogy research.
I've cut back on my volunteering some in recent years. I still maintain the church web sites and my own Detroit/Polish genealogy web site but I'm no longer active with the PGSM web site or the board of directors. Blogging dominates my time these days and in a way that's a volunteer effort in itself. While much of what I write is for my own needs, there's also a great deal of information I pass along on my blogs that is strictly for the benefit of others. So I definitely feel like I'm still giving voluntarily to others in the genealogical community that way too. And once again I've met the nicest people along the way...
Written for the 87th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy, Topic: Volunteerism
Monday, January 04, 2010
Changes in the Carnival of Genealogy for 2010
A new year has arrived and with it will come changes in all of our lives, some for better, some for worse. That's just the nature of life. Changes are inevitable in the life of the Carnival of Genealogy too. The arrival of the new year seems like a good time to introduce some much needed changes to the COG. Most of these changes have come about out of necessity but some are entirely my preference.
When I first started the Carnival of Genealogy, over three years ago, it was "the only game in town" so to speak. What I mean by that is, it was the only themed writing project of it's kind for genealogy bloggers. Now, of course, it is only one of many, many themed writing projects available for those who choose to blog about their family history and genealogy research. With so many options now available to genealogy bloggers including daily, weekly, and monthly blogging prompts, as well as a variety of blog carnivals, the COG is poised to change to something a bit different from the rest.
Change in Format
The format of the COG will change from one all-inclusive group of a varying number of articles to a maximum of 30 articles per edition, 10 of which will be "select articles" that I will comment on and introduce, and one of which will be "the feature article" which I will highlight more extensively. A photo/avatar of the author of the featured article will be posted in a prominent place on the Creative Gene blog until the next edition is published. I'm thinking about awarding a prize to one of the featured authors in conjunction with the 100th edition of the COG later this year. Let me know what you think of that idea. I'll keep ya posted on that part.
The cap of 30 submissions comes out of necessity. I need to be able to plan my time and know in advance the maximum amount of time needed to put the COG together. The most recent edition of the COG, published earlier today, had 65 submissions. I didn't read them all because I just couldn't free up that much time in the period from the deadline to the publishing date (48 of the 65 submissions were received in the 48 hours before the deadline). In my opinion, there is a point at which the COG is just too big... too much for readers/fans to read in a reasonable period of time and too much for me to deal with on short notice. I think that point is 30 articles per edition.
Just for reference, of the 25 editions of the COG published in 2009 (December 15 was a "twofer" which I'm counting as separate editions for this purpose), only 5 editions exceeded 30 submissions. Those 5 most popular topics were: #1 Happy Dance [50], #2 NY Resolutions [40], #3 Uncles [33], #4 Women's History [32], #5 Swim Suit Edition [32]. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm terrible at guessing which topics will be popular and which will be "misses". I expected "Happy Dance" to be popular but not that popular. And I expected "Family Fun" to be popular but with only 11 submissions it was a real miss. The average number of submissions was 24.5 per edition in 2009, well under the new maximum of 30. So it really shouldn't change things all that much.
How will I decide which 30 articles will be included in each edition of the COG? I will not be using a juried selection process for COG submissions. The first 30 submissions received, "on topic", will be included. Period. However, "on topic" will now mean that those articles submitted that essentially say "this doesn't apply to me/my family" or "I don't have much to say on this topic" will no longer be included. I will consider them "off topic" to allow that opportunity to go to someone who has something relevant to share on the topic.
I have put a widget/doodad on the left side bar of this blog to keep track of the number of submissions I have received for each edition. It would be a good idea to get into the habit of checking here to see where things stand. I will update it as often as possible. I wish there was a way for me to cut off submissions on the blogcarnival web site but I can't. I know many (many!) of you are in the habit of waiting until the last minute to write up your COG posts. When it comes to popular topics (whichever those may be) it may mean your article won't get included. I'm sorry for that. All I can say is write early and submit your article early if it's one you really care about.
Change in Emphasis
I want to keep the COG open to everyone, including those new to blogging. But I also want to encourage quality writing. Early on in the COG I highlighted good writing and encouraged readers to visit the blogs of those authors who showed real talent. I want to get back to those roots. Therefore, I'm asking you to put your best foot forward when it comes to submitting articles to the Carnival of Genealogy. Please don't dash off a quick post just to be a part of it. I want the COG to be a quality publication with well thought out, well researched, and well written articles. For the most part, it has been. But there have been a few articles here and there that weren't. Because those articles were still "on topic" I've included them in the past but I won't be doing that anymore. I'm no editor, but I recognize a compeling story when I read one. Likewise I can recognize an article that is well researched, well written, well sourced, or creatively presented. These are the sorts of things I will be mentioning in the 10 "select articles" in each edition.
The "feature article" will be an opportunity for me to highlight that article/author that stands out from the crowd. Let's face it, we bloggers put a lot of time and effort into what we publish on our blogs but we don't get much recognition for it. There are the comments, yes, and getting mentioned in someone's "roundup" is always nice, but there's not much else. Until now. Now those who participate in the Carnival of Genealogy have an opportunity to get recognized, thanked, and promoted for their outstanding efforts.
Change in Marketing
I welcome and appreciate promotions and links from bloggers participating in and reading the COG but the Geneabloggers Group on Facebook has gotten so big that a promotion there can create a "blog-alanche" of submissions, more than I can deal with. I cringe at the thought of all the rejection notes I'd have had to send out for the edition published earlier today. So, I've asked Thomas not to promote the COG on the GeneaBloggers on Facebook group anymore. I'm looking for quality not quantity of submissions and I think word ofmouth blog promotion will better suit this relatively small publication. This is actually not a new way of marketing the Carnival of Genealogy, simply a return to the old way of doing things.
Change in Frequency of Publication
I've had several requests to change the COG to a once-a-month carnival. I have thought about this request long and hard. And then I thought about it longer and harder. I've agonized over it, really. I asked some veteran participants in the COG for their opinions and then I thought about it even more. I came up with a list of topics that would require more lengthy research and writing time and would work well in a month-long time frame. I pretty much decided to go ahead with the change to once-a-month and then I read about the "favorite" topics that participants enjoyed in the past and look forward to in the future (in COG #84-What the COG Means to Me) and I realized that if I continue to include the favorite topics (which I would personally like to do) it would only leave me with 5 "new" topics each year. I admit that thinking up new topics has become more challenging with all the other themed writing projects out there but I can come up with more than 5 good ideas off the top of my head! So, here's what will happen. Some months the COG will have 2 editions and some months it will have one. I'm going to change it up and you'll have to pay attention to the deadlines in each "call for submissions" to know which is which. COG participants are a highly intelligent bunch and I'm sure this will not be too confusing for you all ;-)
Changes in Topics
I will not be listing future topics for the COG on the Creative Gene blog this year. I think it took some of the fun out of it to know in advance what the next topic would be when each edition was published. I'm also going to play around with some more creative and challenging topics this year. I hope you're up for a challenge! I think you'll find them fun and educational.
All in all, I don't think these changes are major ones but they will hopefully make for a higher quality publication and one I can better manage putting together. I hope the COG will continue to be a platform for new bloggers and also become a place where genealogy and family history researchers who excell in writing will get noticed, applauded, and promoted. I welcome your feedback on these changes and I hope you will continue to read, participate in, and promote the Carnival of Genealogy.
And on that note, it's time for a Call for Submissions!
The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is: Volunteerism! Here's a chance to toot your horn about whatever genealogy projects, organizations, or events you voluntarily give your time and efforts to. What do you get out of volunteering? How did you decide what to volunteer for? How much time each month do you spend volunteering for genealogy projects/organizations/events? Is there an organization or project you'd like to recommend to others? Tell us all about it! The deadline for submissions is January 15, 2010.
When I first started the Carnival of Genealogy, over three years ago, it was "the only game in town" so to speak. What I mean by that is, it was the only themed writing project of it's kind for genealogy bloggers. Now, of course, it is only one of many, many themed writing projects available for those who choose to blog about their family history and genealogy research. With so many options now available to genealogy bloggers including daily, weekly, and monthly blogging prompts, as well as a variety of blog carnivals, the COG is poised to change to something a bit different from the rest.
Change in Format
The format of the COG will change from one all-inclusive group of a varying number of articles to a maximum of 30 articles per edition, 10 of which will be "select articles" that I will comment on and introduce, and one of which will be "the feature article" which I will highlight more extensively. A photo/avatar of the author of the featured article will be posted in a prominent place on the Creative Gene blog until the next edition is published. I'm thinking about awarding a prize to one of the featured authors in conjunction with the 100th edition of the COG later this year. Let me know what you think of that idea. I'll keep ya posted on that part.
The cap of 30 submissions comes out of necessity. I need to be able to plan my time and know in advance the maximum amount of time needed to put the COG together. The most recent edition of the COG, published earlier today, had 65 submissions. I didn't read them all because I just couldn't free up that much time in the period from the deadline to the publishing date (48 of the 65 submissions were received in the 48 hours before the deadline). In my opinion, there is a point at which the COG is just too big... too much for readers/fans to read in a reasonable period of time and too much for me to deal with on short notice. I think that point is 30 articles per edition.
Just for reference, of the 25 editions of the COG published in 2009 (December 15 was a "twofer" which I'm counting as separate editions for this purpose), only 5 editions exceeded 30 submissions. Those 5 most popular topics were: #1 Happy Dance [50], #2 NY Resolutions [40], #3 Uncles [33], #4 Women's History [32], #5 Swim Suit Edition [32]. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm terrible at guessing which topics will be popular and which will be "misses". I expected "Happy Dance" to be popular but not that popular. And I expected "Family Fun" to be popular but with only 11 submissions it was a real miss. The average number of submissions was 24.5 per edition in 2009, well under the new maximum of 30. So it really shouldn't change things all that much.
How will I decide which 30 articles will be included in each edition of the COG? I will not be using a juried selection process for COG submissions. The first 30 submissions received, "on topic", will be included. Period. However, "on topic" will now mean that those articles submitted that essentially say "this doesn't apply to me/my family" or "I don't have much to say on this topic" will no longer be included. I will consider them "off topic" to allow that opportunity to go to someone who has something relevant to share on the topic.
I have put a widget/doodad on the left side bar of this blog to keep track of the number of submissions I have received for each edition. It would be a good idea to get into the habit of checking here to see where things stand. I will update it as often as possible. I wish there was a way for me to cut off submissions on the blogcarnival web site but I can't. I know many (many!) of you are in the habit of waiting until the last minute to write up your COG posts. When it comes to popular topics (whichever those may be) it may mean your article won't get included. I'm sorry for that. All I can say is write early and submit your article early if it's one you really care about.
Change in Emphasis
I want to keep the COG open to everyone, including those new to blogging. But I also want to encourage quality writing. Early on in the COG I highlighted good writing and encouraged readers to visit the blogs of those authors who showed real talent. I want to get back to those roots. Therefore, I'm asking you to put your best foot forward when it comes to submitting articles to the Carnival of Genealogy. Please don't dash off a quick post just to be a part of it. I want the COG to be a quality publication with well thought out, well researched, and well written articles. For the most part, it has been. But there have been a few articles here and there that weren't. Because those articles were still "on topic" I've included them in the past but I won't be doing that anymore. I'm no editor, but I recognize a compeling story when I read one. Likewise I can recognize an article that is well researched, well written, well sourced, or creatively presented. These are the sorts of things I will be mentioning in the 10 "select articles" in each edition.
The "feature article" will be an opportunity for me to highlight that article/author that stands out from the crowd. Let's face it, we bloggers put a lot of time and effort into what we publish on our blogs but we don't get much recognition for it. There are the comments, yes, and getting mentioned in someone's "roundup" is always nice, but there's not much else. Until now. Now those who participate in the Carnival of Genealogy have an opportunity to get recognized, thanked, and promoted for their outstanding efforts.
Change in Marketing
I welcome and appreciate promotions and links from bloggers participating in and reading the COG but the Geneabloggers Group on Facebook has gotten so big that a promotion there can create a "blog-alanche" of submissions, more than I can deal with. I cringe at the thought of all the rejection notes I'd have had to send out for the edition published earlier today. So, I've asked Thomas not to promote the COG on the GeneaBloggers on Facebook group anymore. I'm looking for quality not quantity of submissions and I think word of
Change in Frequency of Publication
I've had several requests to change the COG to a once-a-month carnival. I have thought about this request long and hard. And then I thought about it longer and harder. I've agonized over it, really. I asked some veteran participants in the COG for their opinions and then I thought about it even more. I came up with a list of topics that would require more lengthy research and writing time and would work well in a month-long time frame. I pretty much decided to go ahead with the change to once-a-month and then I read about the "favorite" topics that participants enjoyed in the past and look forward to in the future (in COG #84-What the COG Means to Me) and I realized that if I continue to include the favorite topics (which I would personally like to do) it would only leave me with 5 "new" topics each year. I admit that thinking up new topics has become more challenging with all the other themed writing projects out there but I can come up with more than 5 good ideas off the top of my head! So, here's what will happen. Some months the COG will have 2 editions and some months it will have one. I'm going to change it up and you'll have to pay attention to the deadlines in each "call for submissions" to know which is which. COG participants are a highly intelligent bunch and I'm sure this will not be too confusing for you all ;-)
Changes in Topics
I will not be listing future topics for the COG on the Creative Gene blog this year. I think it took some of the fun out of it to know in advance what the next topic would be when each edition was published. I'm also going to play around with some more creative and challenging topics this year. I hope you're up for a challenge! I think you'll find them fun and educational.
All in all, I don't think these changes are major ones but they will hopefully make for a higher quality publication and one I can better manage putting together. I hope the COG will continue to be a platform for new bloggers and also become a place where genealogy and family history researchers who excell in writing will get noticed, applauded, and promoted. I welcome your feedback on these changes and I hope you will continue to read, participate in, and promote the Carnival of Genealogy.
And on that note, it's time for a Call for Submissions!
The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is: Volunteerism! Here's a chance to toot your horn about whatever genealogy projects, organizations, or events you voluntarily give your time and efforts to. What do you get out of volunteering? How did you decide what to volunteer for? How much time each month do you spend volunteering for genealogy projects/organizations/events? Is there an organization or project you'd like to recommend to others? Tell us all about it! The deadline for submissions is January 15, 2010.
Carnival of Genealogy, 87th Edition
Because this edition of the COG was promoted via the Genea-bloggers group on Facebook, there was a deluge of articles submitted. I can't imagine anyone reading through all 66 articles in one sitting so I've put them in groups of 10 with an identifying letter/number to more easily reference where you left off when you come back to reading.
The cold winds of January are blowing and there's nothing like a nice hot mug of peppermint tea to warm you up. So pour yourself some tea, grab a handful of the leftover Christmas cookies or fruitcake (pop them in the microwave for a few seconds to "freshen" them), and check out this extra large collection of articles. The carnival is on for 2010!
A1 Elizabeth presents Uncorked: My Goals for 2010 posted at Little Bytes of Life, saying, "2010 promises to bring exciting changes and new challenges. But as long as 2009 goes away, I'll be happy!"
A2 Randy Seaver presents Genealogy Goals and Dreams for 2010 posted at Genea-Musings, saying, "tried to set achievable goals and describe wild dreams for his 2010 genealogy adventures."
A3 LOOKING4ANCESTORS presents Ch-ch-ch-Changes and Genea-goals for 2010 posted at LOOKING4ANCESTORS, saying, "Kathryn shares the changes that are happening at her blog LOOKING4ANCESTORS, plus her own personal genealogy goals for 2010 as well as announcing her four new family history blogs."
A4 LOOKING4ANCESTORS presents Just One Genea-Goal for 2010 posted at The Lake Family of Lincolnshire, saying, "Kathryn has just one genealogy goal for 2010 for this ancestral line of her family. Read her post to find out what it is."
A5 LOOKING4ANCESTORS presents Genea-goal 2010: Proving William Ryckman posted at Our Ryckman Roots, saying, "Achieving these goals may result in happy genea-dancing!"
A6 LOOKING4ANCESTORS presents George Family Genea-Goals 2010 posted at George Family Gleanings, saying, "Starting a new genealogy blog focusing on my Welsh roots is one of my genea-goals for 2010, and since it's still 2009, I guess I'm off to a good start. Read Kathryn's post to find out more about her goals for 2010."
A7 LOOKING4ANCESTORS presents My Walsall Way Wishes for 2010 posted at Walsall Ways, saying, "Connecting with cousins across the pond is one of the goals I have to achieving genea-bliss in 2010."
A8 M. Diane Rogers presents New Year's Genea-Resolutions - 2010 - Carnival of Genealogy posted at CanadaGenealogy, or, 'Jane's Your Aunt', saying, "My 2010 genealogy goals are similar to 2009's, but mainly involve more scanning, more organizing and, from both these tasks, more sharing of my personal genealogy research. And I want to have some fun while I'm working and encourage others to join in."
A9 Joan Miller presents Genealogy Goals for 2010 posted at Luxegen Genealogy and Family History, saying, "Digitize, DNA, GG and more!"
A10 Greta Koehl presents New Year’s Genealogy Resolutions for 2010 posted at Greta's Genealogy Bog, saying, "Though I admire the courageous people who resolve not to resolve anything but to let life lead them where it may and let their research guide them rather than the other way around, I have to publicly shame myself into doing the hard work I know that I will need to do. Thus, my resolutions - it's the only way."
B1 Tina Lyons presents 2010 Genealogy Goals - 87th Carnival of Genealogy posted at Tina's Genealogical Wish List.
B2 Whitney McKim presents 2010 Genealogical Resolutions posted at MyNeChimKi's Genealogical Services, saying, "I'm beginning to become more serious about my genealogy. Therefore, I'm taking this epic year (2010) to focus and do more quality work and educate myself further. I have resolved..."
B3 Thomas MacEntee presents My Personal New Year's Genealogy Resolutions posted at Destination: Austin Family, saying, "For my 2010 genealogy resolutions I set out seven simple steps to having a better genealogy experience - will I make it? Will it be that simple? Stay tuned."
B4 Gayle Gresham presents 2009 - What A Year! 2010 - Bring It ON! posted at Colorado Reflections.
B5 Kathryn Doyle presents Blog Resolutions For 2010 posted at California Genealogical Society and Library blog, saying, "Blog resolutions go hand-in-hand with my marketing and "Internet Presence" duties for the California Genealogical Society. I crossed a big one off the list just last week!"
B6 Leah Kleylein presents Random Notes: 2010 Genea-Resolutions (COG 87) posted at Random Notes, saying, "5 Genea-Resolutions/Promises for 2010"
B7 Caroline Pointer presents Genealogy: To Know Them Is To Know Me posted at Family Stories, saying, "What my one focus has been all along on my blog."
B8 Tracy presents A Checkered Past, A Better Future posted at The Pieces of My Past, saying, "My plans for the upcoming year and the new decade."
B9 Margo M. presents 2010 Genealogy Goals | Briley Genealogy posted at Margo, saying, "NewYear, new page, and hopefully, resolutions kept."
B10 Miriam Robbins Midkiff presents Resolutions 2010 posted at AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors, saying, "After an unsuccessful 2009, I've narrowed my goals to three: two realistic, and one from my wish list."
C1 Regina presents Getting It Done In 2010 posted at Kinfolk News: Random Thoughts and Research Notes, saying, "Just two but I'll be working on them all year!"
C2 Dru Pair presents Find Your Folks: 2010 New Years Genealogy Goals posted at Find Your Folks, saying, "Professor Dru's 2010 genealogy goals and assessment of 2009 goals."
C3 Judy Cole presents New Year Resolutions posted at The Genealogy Gals.
C4 Donna M. Moughty presents Genealogy Resolutions for 2010 posted at Donna's Genealogy Blog, saying, "Here are some resolutions not only for 2010, but also for the new decade."
C5 Susan A. Kitchens presents How can I help you with your resolutions for 2010? posted at Family Oral History Using Digital Tools [News], saying, "I've done the big ambitious list of what I want to accomplish for the year. Nope, not doing that. (though I DO have plans). I'm turning the tables this year in what constitutes MY resolution. It has to do with helping you with YOUR resolution."
C6 Steve Danko presents Genealogical Resolutions for 2010 posted at Steve's Genealogy Blog, saying, "I accomplished two of my five resolutions for 2009. The other three resolutions from 2009 remain on my list for 2010, and I've added two more resolutions just to make sure I don't slack off in the New Year!"
C7 Al Wierzba presents Al's Polish-American Genealogy Research: My 2010 Genealogy Goals posted at Al's Polish-American Genealogy Research.
C8 Leah presents Resolutions for 2010 posted at The Internet Genealogist, saying, "I don't really have any resolutions so I chose to write about the things I'd like to keep in mind more in the coming year."
C9 TK presents 2010: The Year of Getting Stuff Organized posted at Before My Time, saying, "My resolution is simple... do some grunt work so I can get MORE STUFF!!"
C10 Sheri Fenley presents You Say You Want A Resolution, Well You Know . . . posted at The Educated Genealogist.
D1 Jasia presents Resolutions for 2010 posted at Creative Gene.
D2 Donna Pointkouski presents Here We Go Again: Genea-Resolutions posted at What's Past is Prologue, saying, "Donna Pointkouski reviews last year's genea-goals and firmly resolves to try harder this year!"
D3 Dr. Bill (William L.) Smith presents Follower Friday - My 2010 Genealogy Resolutions posted at Dr. Bill Tells Ancestor Stories, saying, "My 2010 Genealogy Resolutions - thank you for the opportunity; I would generally not write them down, but it was a really good exercise. Hope each of you have a positive experience with it as well. I've also enjoyed reading the early ones posted, as well!"
D4 Liza presents New Year's Genealogical Goals posted at Folk Archivist's Blog.
D5 Ruth Stephens presents 87th Carnival of Genealogy: The Little Engine That Could* posted at Bluebonnet Country Genealogy.
D6 Tami Glatz presents My 2010 New Year's Resolutions posted at relatively curious about genealogy.
D7 John Newmark presents 2010 Genealogy Resolutions? posted at TransylvanianDutch, saying, "I resolve to continue my family history research, and I resolve to continue to breathe. Pretty much the same thing."
D8 Kathy Buirrow presents Finishing the unfinished or where to I go from here in the coming year. posted at Kat's Mountain.
D9 Liz Haigney Lynch presents Carnival of Genealogy: New Year’s Resolutions! « The Ancestral Archaeologist posted at The Ancestral Archaeologist.
D10 Carol presents 87th Carnival Of Genealogy, New Year's Resolutions posted at Reflections From the Fence, saying, "Resolutions, bumps in the road or opportunities? Neither, I now think it is the journey that matters."
E1 Jennifer Shaw presents New Years GeneaResolutions 2010 posted at ShawGenealogy, saying, "My goals to complete in 2010."
E2 Apple presents I Firmly Resolve posted at Apple's Tree, saying, "I firmly resolve that, come hell or high water, I will......."
E3 Pam Warren presents New Year's Resolutions, Goals, or Whatever They Are posted at Granny's Genealogy, saying, "Things are piling up in Granny's genealogical world! No clear plan yet, but a goal of taming the monster, and a new acronym invented: DWTD!"
E4 Kim Eisman presents Carnival of Genealogy- 2010- Brick Walls, Paper Piles, Proof, & Expansion posted at Ancestors of mine from Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky & beyond, saying, "2010 Resolutions in All Their Glory."
E5 Frances Ellsworth presents New Year's Resolutions and Other Hopes. posted at Branching Out Through The Years.
E6 Wendy Littrell presents I Resolve To . . . (2010 Edition) posted at All My Branches Genealogy, saying, "I wasn't as ambitious in my resolutions as I was last year, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the 5 I listed I'll be able to accomplish!"
E7 Bill West presents West in New England: GENEA-RESOLUTIONS FOR 2010 posted at West in New England, saying, "Eternal genea-optimist that I am, I'm ready for another year of genealogy research and fun!"
E8 Susan C Pentico presents My Resolutions, Enhancing my Research, Carnival Bound posted at Susi's Chatty Performances on Genealogy.
E9 Geniaus presents New Year's Resolutions! Carnival of Genealogy 87th Edition posted at Geniaus, saying, "My first task is to repost and evaluate my list of resolutions for 2009"
E10 Antra presents Genealogy Goals for 2010 posted at Discovering Latvian Roots.
F1 Becky Wiseman presents Ain't Makin' No Resolutions! posted at Kinexxions.
F2 Midge Frazel presents Time to Plan posted at Granite in My Blood, saying, "Keeping better records of who I have helped, what we accomplished, and the dates we did it are part of my goals for the coming year. Isn't March the beginning of the new year?"
F3 Amy Coffin presents COG 87 - New Year's Genealogy Resolutions posted at We Tree, saying, " Amy looks back at her 2009 resolutions and offers up some goals for 2010."
F4 Melody Lassalle presents My Genealogy Goals for 2010 posted at The Research Journal.
F5 Cheryl Fleming Palmer presents My Wish for 2010 posted at Heritage Happens, saying, "After Christmas I still have a wish? What could it be? Can it come true? Can 2010 take care of that wish? Is this a wish or a resolution?"
F6 Shauna Hicks presents New Year Genie Aspirations - In 2010 I Will posted at Shauna Hicks, saying, "These ten points summarise how I plan to progress my family history research and share my knowledge with other family members and friends in 2010."
F7 Family Tree Gal, Carolyn presents New Year. New Goals. How About You? posted at Family Tree Quest's Blog, saying, " Now that I've recovered from spinal surgery, 2010 is bound to be great!"
F8 Carol Wilkerson presents COG - Modest Genealogy Goals For 2010 posted at iPentimento | Genealogy and History, saying, "I made some genealogy goals for 2010. Come check them out."
F9 Jessica Oswalt presents My 2010 Genealogy Resolutions posted at Jessica's Genejournal, saying, "My genealogy research goals for 2010."
F10 Amanda Acquard presents Goals for the New Year posted at A Tale of Two Ancestors.
G1 Terri O'Connell presents 2010 New Years Resolotions posted at Finding Our Ancestors.
G2 Tonia Kendrick presents Reflections and Resolutions posted at Tonia's Roots, saying, "Anniversaries invite us to reflect, review, and plan for the future. The two-year anniversary of this blog, combined with the year-end, put me in a particularly reflective mood. I’ve been thinking about what I’ve accomplished and what goals I want to set for the coming year. . ."
G3 J.M. presents New Year's Resolutions posted at Tracing My Roots, saying, " I have a few resolutions for this year. Some of them are very blog oriented at first glance, but really, they just help my research stay on track"
G4 Julie Cahill Tarr presents 2009 Achievements & 2010 Resolutions posted at GenBlog, saying, "A look at my accomplishments from 2009 and my plans for 2010."
G5 Cyndi Beane Henry presents COG - New Year's Resolution[s] posted at Mountain Genealogists, saying, "My New Year's Resolution[s]"
G6 footnoteMaven presents Putting on the Pearls posted at footnoteMaven. My mistake for not including Maven's ever so creative post. Better late than never!
Whew! Did you take notes? It will be interesting to see how far we get with our plans this year!
Call for Submissions! (blank)
No, that's not a mistake. There are changes coming to the COG this year and I'll be detailing them in a separate post later today. The call for submissions for the next edition will appear in that post as well. Stay tuned!
Thanks for another great poster, fM!
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