Introduction

This may be the hardest post to write. I set up this blog a few weeks ago but haven’t been able to get over this hurdle, so I’m just going to plunge in and see what happens.

I know these things usually start with the blogger telling a bit about her/him self. I’m going to do less of this than usual. I won’t list all of my credentials partly because I haven’t got a long list of them. In my life experience, I have encountered folks with a lot of degrees and such who rarely ever thought anything through themselves. They knew what the books and experts said and repeated that. I’ve also met people with little formal learning who had active minds, abundant curiosity and observational powers and thought very deeply. Of course, this isn’t always true. Some well educated people are very deep thinkers and some uneducated people seem to have forgotten how to turn their brains on. I think it best to leave you to read my blogs and decide for yourselves how much of a thinker I am.

I will say that I am getting old. I am female. I have been doing genealogy for over 20 years and have actually learned a little bit about how to do it. I have also paid my dues on message boards and lists/groups answering queries. Very occasionally, I have asked questions and in a few instances have even received useful replies.

I had thought I would do a blog with an emphasis on teaching others. I figured this would lessen the number of times I repeat the same info on the boards and lists. Instead, I could just point people to the blog posts. In reading about the new blogs on Geneabloggers.com, I have noticed how many others are doing or wanting to do blogs which teach beginners about genealogical research. I decided that if all of those other people are doing that, I should do something else.

All of my life I have been one to speak out bluntly. One of my favorite fictional people as a child was the little boy who pointed out the Emperor wasn’t wearing anything. I remember not understanding why he was the only one to speak up. I still don’t understand why so many stand by meekly. In genealogy, we need the facts, the truth. We need people who will speak up and point out the flaws and errors so we will make fewer mistakes ourselves.

I’ve been told one can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Actually, I think one can catch more flies with carrion or rotting meat than with anything else. All of this is irrelevant for me as I do not have any interest in catching flies or indeed in catching anyone or anything else. What I plan to do is point out some problems and mistakes and irritations in the hope that somebody might actually fix them. If these flaws and errors don’t get fixed (which I expect), then the few people who read my blog posts will be informed and might find some ways to work around these problems, mistakes and irritations when they do their own research. At least, the info will be out there.

I’m not as nice and polite as Dear Myrtle. I’m not as techie as Dick Eastman. You should all read those people and a bunch of others. What I am is blunt and reasonably honest and fearless. I can deduce if the Emperor isn’t wearing any clothes and I think I will be able to speak up and say so.  -------Jo