If you’re read much of this blog, you may have noticed that Findagrave.com is one of my favorite genealogy research sites.
One thing you might not realize right away is that volunteers create all of those helpful Findagrave.com pages, called “memorials.” By volunteers, I mean people who use the site and decide to contribute.
I recently began creating my own memorials on Findagrave.com.…
As an IT pro, one of the most common complaints I hear from people is slow computer performance. Fortunately, you don’t have to live with a creeping computer.
Even if you’re not a computer geek like me, you can correct many of the most common causes of computer slowness.
Here are 10 reasons why your Windows computer might be slow. Some of these tips are more involved than others.…
Shortly after buying a laptop from Walmart.com for my then 11-year-old daughter for Christmas 2015, I wrote a Walmart Care Plan review based on my experience at that point.
I purchased a two-year Walmart Care Plan, administered by Asurion, with the laptop. It covers both functional issues and accidental damage.
I’m skeptical about buying extended warranties. However, in this case, I felt like the Walmart Care Plan was a good bet.…
Computers have changed a lot in the 20+ years that I’ve worked in the technology field. What you knew (or thought you knew) a few years ago might not be true anymore.
The upgrades and software that really matter now have changed a bit. You don’t need to buy productivity software like Microsoft Office for home use. You can use the free Google Docs, Google’s low-cost G-Suite, or Microsoft’s online products (both free and paid versions are available).…
I’ve researched my family’s genealogy for more than two decades. Genealogy is a fulfilling and somewhat addicting hobby that’s easy to start and doesn’t cost much money to continue.
One of the challenges of genealogy research is making sure that your information is accurate. How do you know whether a source is reliable?
I’ve created this list of 10 common genealogy research sources and rated their general reliability on a five-point scale.…
Google knows a lot about your ancestors if you know how to search for it. These 5 tips will help you get the most out of your Google genealogy research.
A word of caution, though – take care when you find other people’s family trees. Don’t copy any information from other people’s genealogy unless they cite reliable sources.
Because of genealogy researchers copying other people’s mistakes, you might find the same misinformation across multiple family trees.…
You may have already figured out that Google probably knows more about your dead relatives than you do. Among Google’s many free tools is their image search platform. It might help you figure out who is in some of your old, unlabeled photos.
Once you’ve checked with everyone who could possibly know who is in your photos, it’s worth checking to see if Google might have the answer.…
No matter how savvy you are about your smartphone, you might make these six common smartphone mistakes.
Do you assume poor battery life is always about the battery itself? Do you pay too much for your mobile plan?
Are you using a lot of mobile data without realizing it?
Do you accidentally delete emails and wonder how it happened?
Do you buy phones based on marketing hype rather than your own individual needs and research?…
One post that often appears on my list of top 10 most popular has to do with clever Android smartphone hacks.
Did you know that you can take a screenshot – a picture of what’s on your screen?
You can also easily sync photos and videos to your computer and share them with others. There’s no need to email huge files individually anymore.…
One of the commonly overlooked gems of genealogy research is free and easily accessible on the internet – state archives and historical societies. These state agencies are tasked with storing almost any sort of government record you can imagine.
What’s in various state archives, along with what’s available online, will vary by state. Many of them function as a repository of all documents from state, county and municipal governments.…