When I first started doing genealogy, I searched forums and message boards but rarely used anything beyond that. Most of my research was done by traveling to family history centers, court houses, and wherever else I could find the records I needed.
Since I discovered how technology can help, my research has changed dramatically. I remember posting for the C.O.G. #43 and here I am posting again. I can definitely say that my choices have changed somewhat since then.
First, there is one thing that hasn’t changed. I still have my old HP Scanjet 1600 Scanner! It’s still kicking and I don’t see any reason to spend money to replace something that is working well!
So, what new technology do I use nowadays? Well, it may surprise you to discover that I really don’t use that much as far as hardware. The two main additions to my hardware portion of technology are my digital camera and my external hard drive.
I recently purchased a new camera. It’s a Nikon CoolPix S3100. I must say that it rocks! Compared to my old camera this is so much better. The pictures are so much better and the actual time it takes to snap the picture is much faster also. I also enjoy the fact that the battery lasts a lot longer than my other camera.
Now I can’t wait to get it out to a graveyard and see how it handles tombstone photos!
About a year ago I purchased a 500GB external hard drive for backup purposes. It’s worked really well but I am planning on upgrading that soon. I would like to purchase a 1TB external for backup and perhaps send the 500GB to my sister with all my genealogy backups on it. That way I would have an external backup also, away from the cloud!
Lest I forget, there is also one more piece to add to this equation. I now have my very own laptop! I’m still getting used to it but it’s nice to finally have a mobile PC! It’s a Toshiba Satellite L655 and it’s working great! I’m being careful to only use it for genealogical purposes and not adding a lot of junk to it!
Now I would like to address how I use technology via the web! One of my biggest additions lately has been Dropbox. With Dropbox I can keep my genealogy files backed up and also access them when I am on the go. It’s only 2GB of free space but that works out fine for how I use it. I plan on checking out other backup options soon but for now Dropbox is what I use most!
In my post 3 years ago, my surprise pick was MySpace! Needless to say I no longer do MySpace! I now use Facebook for social networking and it works quite well for me. I even have a Facebook Page for my blog now. I ventured into Twitter for a while but it just didn’t seem to fit me at the time.
The biggest use of technology for me online? Well, that would definitely have to be my blog! There are so many websites out there that I could sing the praises of but only one is specifically designed around me and that is because it is designed by me! My blog allows me to put information out there for my family to see as well as luring in unsuspecting cousins! 
Technology changes so often that it is sometimes hard to keep up. With me, I’ve found that it’s not so much about keeping up with technology as much as it is making sure that the technology I use is keeping up with me! Not everything everyone else is using will work for me and not everything I use will work for everyone else.
When it comes to technology, I believe it is a personal thing! It’s not how much you use but how well you use what you have.
To sum it all up, here is the “hardware” I use most:
- HP S5220F Desktop
- Toshiba Satellite L655 Laptop
- HP Scanjet 1600 Scanner
- HP Deskjet 1000 Printer
- Hitachi 500GB SDMini Exernal Drive
- 16GB USB Flash Drive
- Nikon CoolPix Camera
And here are the websites I use the most:
- Dropbox
- My Blog
- FamilySearch.org
- Snapfish
Have a great weekend,
Ken
Thanks for sharing your experience, Ken. I’ve got Family Tree Maker and all my genea-files on the same model of laptop and it’s working well. I also try to keep backups on external drives both at home and at my parents. I should look into dropbox. Perhaps that would help with the frustrations I’ve had since setting up a new desktop all-in-one computer last weekend. The Windows Home Group only works if the laptop isn’t asleep!
I’ve tried a couple of times to set up a Facebook page from my blog but couldn’t figure out how. I saw pages for “official representatives” of everything from rockstars to local pizza places, but nothing for a personal blog, which is how your page looks. Nothing in the Facebook help actually helped. What am I missing, Ken?
Jim’s Girl,
I clicked on the one that says “Cause or Community” and for the name I put in the name of my blog. You can then go to the “Edit Page” portion of your page and then to “Basic Information” and you will have an option to select a category. Select “Websites and Blogs” from the first drop-down box and “Personal Blog” from the second and Voila! You are ready to go.
Let me know when you get it going and I will be sure to give you a “Like” to help you get your “vanity” URL.
By the way, Dropbox is awesome! Hey, you can store up to 2GB for free and it automatically syncs when you are connected! Mine is synced with my laptop, desktop and the other desktop in the living room!
Also, if you click on my link, you will get an extra 250MB of storage and so will I! (You can do this up to 8GB free!)
Thanks for stopping by!
Ah, I wondered if that was the way. I’ll give it a try. Thanks, Ken.
Thanks for the insights. I agree wholeheartedly with your thoughts on why change if what you have works well.
My blog is one of my favorite tools too! I’ve met so many distant cousins through it, I love it!
Great post!