Google+ Hangout with GeniAus

There are many links in this particular post.  But I believe that you'll have to click "Continue reading" for them to work!

Now why would I be interested in learning more about Australian genealogy in the first place?  When I say "more", I mean anything at all because I know next to zero about Australian genealogy specifically!

However, as I have learned over the years, it's good to listen to any source in your field.  Especially when the subject matter is completely foreign....no pun intended toward the Australians!

Because of the time zone differences, I got up at 5 AM (...good grief...) in order to be conscious at 6 AM when the Google+ Hangout was scheduled to start.  Congratulations to Australian genealogist Jill Ball as she was the epitome of punctuality....Thank you Jill.

If you have any interest in "Down Under" research, check out her blog at Geniaus and follow her.  Or, if you're on Google+, search for her and add her to your "circles".

Here are some of the web sites and blogs that I think will be useful:

1) Claiming Kin where I was introduced to "Transcript 2.4", a software tool that is free for non-commercial use with a paid professional version.

2) Russ Worthington's blog "Family Tree Maker User" is a must for anyone using Amcestry.com's genealogy software Family Tree Maker.  I purchased my first version of FTM in 1998 (I think) and I've kept it up to date since.  I'm currently running FTM 2014 but, as with anything else, I get into a rut and fail to look at new features or functionality.  I only spent a few minutes there and found myself saying "Wow"!

3) The National Library of Australia's web site contains many sources which can be useful to almost any researcher.  Links to books, images, historic newspapers, maps, music, archives and more can be found there, albeit mostly Australia focused, and might be found to be useful.

4) One Name studies are vital to researchers whose challenge it is to research a surname that can be spelled in a variety of ways.  In other words, virtually every surname out there!  Take a look!!  On their home page they state: "A One-Name Study (ONS) is a project researching all occurrences of a surname, as opposed to a particular pedigree (ancestors of one person) or descendancy (descendants of one person or couple)."

5) Much of the other discussion revolved around FamilySearch.org's WIKI.  I'll admit that I've looked at them before but when I say "before" it was well before the LDS website was "improved" and I haven't been to the WIKI's in a while.  What I can tell you is that after you log in and click the "Search" button, you'll see "WIKI" to the right of the top bar, just underneath the words "Family Tree".  Here's a link to take you directly to the WIKI's main page.

There were a few others, but most concerned the activities and blogs of Australian researchers that I didn't feel would benefit me so I didn't take note of them.

I would appreciate any feedback from readers wo might take a look at any of these sites.  I would also ask for other suggestions that we all could find usefeul.