Thursday, February 9, 2017

RootsTech Like No Other Conference You've Ever Attended.

Have you ever been to a genealogy conference--a local all day event, Jamboree, NGS, or FGS?

You've seen nothing yet until you've been to RootsTech. RootsTech is unique unto itself and I really do love it.

True, it has things in common with other conferences: keynotes, classes, workshops, luncheons, and a vender area but, where else do 30,000 genealogy enthuseists from beginner to professional get together to share their passion?  If you drop names like Tom Jones or Judy Russell you're just as likely to get a blank stare as an "I love him or her".

Where else do you start the day  with Alvin and the Chipmonks and end it with Rogers and Hammerstein's Climb Every Mountain?

In between I attended some fantastic sessions.

 I started the day with Kitty Cooper and How to Use DNA Triangulation to Confirm Ancestors. She began by asking how many had tested their DNA and invited those who had not to leave, no hurt feelings, this was an advanced class. The man sitting next to me chose to stay even though he said he knew very little about DNA. At the end,  I was delighted and he was totally confused.

I went to the Family Search Luncheon. Nice lunch, nice conversation and an interesting talk including the history and future of the Family History Library. Diane Loosle With her talk Who Moved My Microfilm? The truth behind the library you have always loved assuaged some of my concerns about the loss of books to digitizing.  She talked about the enormous number of linear feet of new books they receive each year and the problem of making decisions about what can stay and what can go - many become digitized.

For my next class I chose one I was sure I would like, Tom Jones' Writing About and Documenting DNA Test Results. Big take away, read all the sample NGSQ articles in the syllabus. Well that and follow all the steps for beginning, middle, and end ( notice the Oxford comma, Tom uses them a lot)

After that I decided to skip my 3 o'clock class and take a look at the vender hall. You can't make it through in an hour so I'll have to go back tomorrow.

My last class was another with Tom Jones Organizing Evidence to Reveal Lineages. Each time I hear him, I learn a little more. I've got two problems that this method could work really well with.

Tonight we topped the day off with the opening event, Music - It Runs in the Family.  

Nothing beats the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the music of Rogers and Hammerstein.

Now it's time for bed. Another big day tomorrow.

#rootstech

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