ShoeString Genealogy

ShoeString Genealogy

SSG Mission Statement

Mission Statement

ShoeString Genealogy provides Family Historians with information about how to research their ancestors both on the Internet and in libraries and other repositories. Besides how, we will show you where—locations for free and inexpensive information and the relative value of each.

Weekly Chat Calendar

Weekly Chat Calendar

Currently, we do four GENTREK chats each week; Jayne McCormick also does two American Civil War chats. We publish other chats and activities here, too.

View Calendar...

Dæ

Tip o' the Dæ

Genealogy techniques that can make your researches easier and/or more efficient. Computer and Internet tips that you'll also find useful.

Learn more...

Tip o' the Dæ

Search Google like a Pro

Google rose to the World's most popular search engine by the quality of its search results. But the Web has evolved since Google was launched and so has Google. With these ten tips you can use Google to search new media or old sites in more advanced ways.

  1. Find faces: Add &imgtype=face to the end of the URL after doing an image search to limit your image search results to faces, e.g. bean (for Mr. Bean and not the legume).
  2. Find document types: With the filetype operator, you can find certain file types, e.g. "elizabeth shown mills" filetype:pdf for finding pdf versions of Elizabeth Shown Mills' books.
  3. Get definitions: Find definitions for words, abbreviations, and more using define:, e.g. define:GENTREK.
  4. Search images by style: You can sort your image search results by photo, clip art, line drawing or face by selecting the relevant options after clicking Images in the left hand menu to find e.g. photos of Friends Meeting House.
  5. Search video dialogue: Use Google Video to find video dialogues between your favorite podcasters, e.g. title:george morgan drew smith.
  6. Find reusable content: With Google Advanced Search you can find Creative Commons content, content the creators have tagged as reusable. Click the + sign at the bottom of the page for "date, usage rights, numeric range, and more".
  7. Conversion: Google's search makes it easy to convert any unit of measurement, e.g. convert 10 kilometers to miles.
  8. Limit time: Sometimes you need to limit your search to a certain period or point in time.
  9. Wonder Wheel: Use Google's Wonder Wheel (available as an option in the menu on the left in the search results) as a search term thesaurus for a more precise search.
  10. Compare products: Add "better than" to your search to see compare products or find competitors, e.g. better than Legacy.

These 10 tips are extracted from the article 100 Google Search Tricks for the Savviest of Students by Online College Courses.

The Source Online

In 2010, Ancestry.com digitized the content of The Source and made it available in wiki format as one of the foundational sources for the Ancestry.com Wiki. Each chapter has been broken into one or more series of articles, links to which are found below:

Third Edition Table of Contents List of Appendixes

Genealogy Chats Calendar

  • Mondae, 14-May-12, GENTREK presents "A Revolutionary Voice" Do you know the author of this political statement? "Some writers have confused society with government, as to leave little or no distinction between them. Whereas they are not only different, but have different origins. For Society is produced by our wants and Government produced by our wickedness." Join us at 9:00pm EDT in the AOL Genealogy Chatroom to learn more.

  • Mondae, 14-May-12, GENTREK presents "Bastard!." Finding bastards amongst Royalty and the Nobility is not very difficult as the conduct of the rich and powerful always draws attention. The affairs of the lower orders tend to be more parochial matters. It is not realistic to imagine that a family tree can grow with neatly named ancestors in regular pairs throughout the past centuries. We meet at 10:00pm EDT in the Genealogy Wise Chatroom.

  • Thursdae, 17-May-12, GENTREK presents "Home Genealogy Library." "Documents are the primary sources of history; they are the means by which later generations draw close to historical events and enter into the thoughts, fears and hopes of the past." — John F. Kennedy. Join us at 10pm EDT in the chatroom of Looking4Kin.

  • Thursdae, 17-May-12, The American Civil War History chat will be Open Chat. Come join our chat at 11pm EDT in the AOL chatroom, Ancestral Digs.

  • Fridae, 18-May-12, the American Civil War History chat will present several book reviews sent by friends of BitsofBlueandGray.com. We'll see you at 10pm EDT in the AOL chatroom, Ancestral Digs.


Classic Sketch


Walt Van Arsdale, May 1923

"The Most Momentous Problem of Todae"
Walt Van Arsdale, May 1923

Shall she cut her hair — or shall she not? What girl has not so pondered? For hundreds of years a woman's hair has been her crowning glory — men have worshipped it, poets have written odes to it — and so the longer it grew the more it was prized. But now, what is mere beauty compared with never-ending comfort? And still . . .

It's so much fun primping and fussing. When she sits in the sun and lights play in her hair — why, she's charming! How many men have told her so? And still . . .

Oh, the day has passed when a girl's only ambition was to be beautiful! She wants to do "things" — and she needs time to do them. If she bobs her hair, she'll have ten minutes more in the morning, ten minutes more at — But, still . . .

What a problem!

ShoeString

Thought

Break out of routine


"One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star." — Nietzsche

Where do you need to do some "out of the box" (extracartonical?) thinking and living?

We are creatures of habit, of patterns. While initially the habits may have served us, they may now be limiting our ability to experience more of life.

What aspect of your life has become routine? How might you bring new life to it? Do some outrageous dreaming! Then do something completely different today.

Be open to seeing things: — from another's point of view, — from a higher and more inclusive perspective - with a beginner's attitude of wonder.

"When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world." — George Washington Carver


 

Weekly Reminder

Get Our Free Chat Reminder
Enter your name and email address:
Name:
Email:
Subscribe Unsubscribe

Happy Dæ Says:


U.S. Census Finder (by State)

More goodies in Utilities



Email me!
Vote for ShoeString: Vote, please!

You Are Visitor: since 31-Jan-2005


Our Friends

May the music of the meadow, with its songs of silver streams, bring sunlight to the paths you walk, and magic to your dreams.


Design by Data-Dæ Research, LLC