Rootsweb Review

RootsWeb Review: RootsWeb's Weekly E-zine
12 September 2007, Vol. 10, No. 37
(c) 1998-2007 RootsWeb.com, Inc. http://www.rootsweb.com/
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available at:
http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/review/2007/0912.txt
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http://www.therootswebstore.com/
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IN THIS ISSUE:
1. Editor's Desk: News and Notes
1a. Roots Television Giving Away $1,000
1b. A Website Worth Looking At
1c. Book Notice
2. Using RootsWeb:
Learning the Ropes of Registering at MyAccount, Part I
3. Connecting Through RootsWeb:
My Family Story
4. Bottomless Mailbag:
The "USS Grunion" Located
Computer Problems
RE: Using File Searches to Find Lost Files
Searching for Lost Files on Your PC
More on Miracle Viewfinder (1)
More on Miracle Viewfinder (2)
Reading Tombstones
5. New at RootsWeb
5a. New User-contributed Databases
5b. New/Updated Freepages and Homepages by Individuals
5c. New/Updated Freepages and Homepages by Counties, States,
and Genealogical/Historical Societies
5d. New Mailing Lists
6. Humor/Humour
7. Subscriptions, Submissions, Advertising, Reprints

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IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Editor's Desk: News and Notes

1a. Roots Television Giving Away $1,000

Roots Television is sponsoring a contest for libraries, archives, and
genealogical/historical societies, to promote their new Societies
channel and Libraries and Archives channel.

To participate, post a link to their site on your organization's
homepage. The organization that generates the most traffic on Roots
Television by 31 October will receive $1,000.

For instructions on posting their link on your site, visit:
www.rootstelevision.com/howtolink.php

For questions, e-mail: info@rootstelevision.com

1b. A Website Worth Looking At

You're familiar with Wikipedia, a free online encyclopedia that anyone
can contribute to. But are you familiar with the genealogy wikipedia,
WeRelate?

With more than 500,000 pages, it is one of the fastest growing social
genealogy sites on the Web, and was recently named one of the top 101
best websites for tracing your roots by "Family History Magazine."

Everything is free. Start by searching for people you know; then
create your own pages for people in your family tree--either from
scratch or by uploading a GEDCOM. Others can contribute their
information to your page, though older versions of a page are
preserved. You can also see your ancestors' lives plotted on a map.

The website has a ten-minute tour to introduce you to its features.

www.werelate.org

1c. Book Notice

The Garrett Family of Duncan Creek, South Carolina with Allied
Families

Description: Six chapters, nine appendixes, 372 pages, illustrations,
full citations, and a surname index.

This family history documents the birth, marriage, and children of
Joseph Garrett Sr., who resided first in Fairfax County, Virginia. It
follows the migration of his descendants and allied families,
including the surnames of ABSHIER, ALLEN, BONDS, BURK, D'ARMOND,
DILLARD, FLEWELLING, LEE, MARTIN, MILLER, PRUDE, RAY, TANNEHILL,
WHITE, and YARBROUGH.

For further information or to order, contact: Glenn Garrett at
gag-1@worldnet.att.net

2. Using RootsWeb

Learning the Ropes of Registering at MyAccount, Part I
By Joan Young
joan@volunteer.rootsweb.com

RootsWeb registration questions come up frequently at the RootsWeb
HelpDesk. I set out to learn all aspects of the registration process
at MyAccount so that I could share them with you to help alleviate
some of the confusion.

WHY ROOTSWEB REGISTRATION IS NECESSARY
Over the years RootsWeb has grown to include many different programs
and features. Although RootsWeb is competely free, some services--like
WorldConnect--have long required a password for security and access
reasons. A password allows you, and no one else, to access your data
and delete, edit, or update information you have previously posted.

Registration unifies your formerly disjointed RootsWeb resources so
that they are all accessible from a single entry point. Additionally,
it allows you to use all areas of Ancestry, MyFamily, and The
Generations Network with a single username and password. Registration
also enables you to globally update account information such as a
change of e-mail address.

HOW TO REGISTER (FIRST TIME REGISTRANTS)
To register, go to www.rootsweb.com and click MyAccount in the upper,
right-hand corner of the page; or, go here, enter your name and e-mail
address, and follow the instructions:
https://myaccount.rootsweb.com/

After you enter your e-mail address, you may discover that you already
have an existing account. This may be because you previously used any
of a variety of Ancestry services. It may be that you had an Ancestry
subscription, guest account or trial, signed up for a class or to
receive a newsletter, used the RootsWeb/Ancestry message boards, or
received an invitation to visit a private MyFamily website. If you did
any of these things, you will already have an account.

You will not have an account if you merely subscribed to RootsWeb
mailing lists, submitted entries to the RootsWeb Surname List (RSL),
created a website at RootsWeb, uploaded a GEDCOM to WorldConnect, or
added a Post-em Note.

When registering, you will be asked to establish a username and
password for your account. Your username can be between five and fifty
characters and can include any combination of letters or numbers; no
symbols or spaces may be used. Your password must be between five and
thirty-two characters and only include numbers, letters, an underscore
( _ ), or a dash ( - ).

Once you have established a registration at MyAccount, a cookie is set
so that, if you choose, you may be automatically logged into your
account when you visit resources that require logging in.

WHAT IF I CURRENTLY USE MORE THAN ONE E-MAIL ADDRESS AT ROOTSWEB?
If you use more than one current e-mail address for various resources,
register with the address that you use most frequently at RootsWeb.
Then, click the "Add existing services to this account" link on the
MyAccount page.

On the page that appears, type in the secondary e-mail address/es that
you use for other areas of RootsWeb. This will link all of your
existing services to your MyAccount username and password, and they
will be tied together under your single account.

Note that this only works for functional e-mail addresses. Linking
old, obsolete addresses in the hopes that message board posts, etc.
connected with that account will link to the new one will not work.

MAY I HAVE MORE THAN ONE ACCOUNT?
For most users it is best to use a single master account for the
purpose of unification and ease of use, but under some circumstances
you may prefer to create more than one master account.

For example, if you wish to permanently use a secondary e-mail address
for some RootsWeb resources such as message boards you administer, you
will need to create a separate MyAccount registration for the second
e-mail address. If this situation applies to you, remember which
username is associated with specific services and be careful to ensure
you are logged in under the desired username.

Note that to create a second account you must use a different e-mail
address from the one on your existing account. If you use the same
e-mail address, the login process will recognize your existing account
and use that one.

Prior to the existence of unified RootsWeb registrations through
MyAccount, some users already had existing multiple accounts
(usernames) and this may cause confusion. These multiple usernames
will not disappear and cannot be merged into a single account. In
these cases, you should choose a preferred account and treat any
remaining accounts as inactive. Remember your preferred username and
use that username to log in.

If you have established RootsWeb resources that are tied to one of
your pre-existing multiple accounts and would like to add them to your
preferred active account, you will need to request assistance from the
RootsWeb HelpDesk to accomplish consolidation of all your resources
under one username.
http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/form1.html

Part II of this article will cover issues related to changing or
updating MyAccount information.

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3. Connecting Through RootsWeb

Want a free copy of "The Official Guide to RootsWeb.com"? We will be
giving free copies to the ten best "Connecting" submissions from last
week and this week.

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My Family Story
By J. Alan Woods

My story is about my father's Woods family. It began about seven years
ago with our first computer. My wife, Carol, began researching her
McMillion family, not knowing much about my dad's family other than
what my cousins and I grew up knowing.

I followed her lead, left a post on a message board, and began looking
for Michael Jiles Woods Jr.,Virgil Woods, Hazel Woods, and Estelle
Woods. I found them in the census living in Caddo County, Oklahoma, in
1910, 1920, and 1930. But that was it.

My grandfather was hard to find; it seems every ten years he changed
his name. I searched and searched and waited, hoping someone would
reply to my message. I posted more messages and searched.

The census information had me looking for Raleigh, Missouri, as my
grandfather's birthplace, but there is no such place. I looked at maps
new and old; there was no Raleigh, Missouri, as far as I could tell.
Someone suggested I try Rolla, Missouri, which made some sense since
the names were similar in sound. However, that led me nowhere either.
I was getting discouraged. All I knew was that my grandfather was born
in 1880 or 1881 in Missouri. I had never even seen a photo of him.

Finally, my luck changed. I received an e-mail and it said, "Could
this be your grandfather?" It contained a record from the 1900 census
from Arkansas--there was a Giles M. Woods, born September 1880 or
1881. Well, as it turned out, this Giles lived within walking distance
of my grandmother, Effie Louilla McDonald. By this time I was willing
to try any possible leads. The 1900 Arkansas census listed a brother
as head of the family with two other brothers (one named Oscar and the
other Giles M.) and a mother (Louisa). I found Louisa--her family was
Carters. And I tried contacting a person about her side of the family.
The reply was positive and we both agreed this Giles M. could very
well be my grandfather.

At about the same time, I received a reply to an old post about my dad
and uncle. It was from a cousin I had not seen in more than thirty
years. He sent me a photograph of my grandfather Woods and a photo of
some Woods children.

My Carter contact also asked me if I wanted photos of the Woods family
that she had. When I received them, one photo was of the Woods
children and it was the exact same photo I had gotten from my
cousin--down to the handwriting on it. I also received photos of my
grandfather's brothers and some more family history. I found out my
dad's family left Oklahoma after 1932, during the Dust Bowl days. They
had moved to Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Using RootsWeb again, I was
able to locate someone else who had an obituary for my grandfather
Woods.

Now I just have to work on my next brick wall--my great-grandfather,
George Washington Woods.

4. BOTTOMLESS MAILBAG
[Editor's note: The opinions expressed herein are those of the
authors and are not necessarily those of the editor or of
RootsWeb.com.]
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The "USS Grunion" Located
By Rhonda Raye

A month ago I submitted an article for the Bottomless Mailbag section
of the newsletter titled "Remembering the USS Grunion."

I explained the search that I and several others have undergone to
find family of the seventy crew members who served on the "USS
Grunion," which disappeared in the summer of 1942. We used RootsWeb
message boards, Ancestry census records, and many other sources to try
and locate family members.

I got involved with the project in July 2006 when I was contacted by
Bruce Abele, whose father commanded the "Grunion." He and his two
brothers have been on a long quest to locate the sub and figure out
what caused its demise. My great-uncle, Paul Banes, also served on the
sub.

I'm writing back now to let you know that both missions have been
accomplished. The Abeles found the sub and we located family members
for all of the crew members.

The sub was relocated this August, using a camera attached to a
Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). Pictures have been posted on the
following website, under Photo Search 07: www.ussgrunion.com. The sub
was identified by a "prop guard" that was ordered removed from
submarines not long after the "USS Grunion" was lost. The bow of the
boat is totally missing. As of now there is no clear evidence as to
why. Could it have been a torpedo that circled back, or an onboard
torpedo explosion? The detonators on the torpedoes at that time are
known to have had some serious defects. They still have a lot of
footage to analyze although the answer to that question may never be
found.

Nevertheless, no one thought the final resting place of the "Grunion"
men would ever be known. And the other great thing was that a
representative of the last "Grunion" family was found as the ship was
still out there taking pictures--what poetic justice.

I hope your readers will enjoy viewing our website, blog (you can get
to the blog from the website), and photographs. We honor the crew as
we unravel their story.

To read "Remembering the USS Grunion," visit:
http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/review/2007/0801.txt
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Computer Problems
By Lynne

There have been various helpful hints for computer users recently
posted in the RootsWeb Review. Some may not know that there's a
RootsWeb mailing list for the discussion about, and problems with,
computers and computer peripherals in genealogy research. The list is
called, of all things, COMPUTERS.

Computer users of all ages and skill levels are invited to join the
list and ask questions or answer queries. More information about the
list and subscription links can be found at
http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Genealogical_Computing/COMPUTERS.html.
* * *

RE: Using File Searches to Find Lost Files
By Anonymous

I enjoyed Mary's excellent article last week, titled "Using File
Searches to Find Lost Files." I can't speak for Apple, but I've seldom
found Microsoft's official site of much help when I had an
incomprehensible error message. I find it much more helpful to Google
the verbatim error message. You'll generally find others who have
encountered the same problem and helpful solutions.

To read "Using File Searches to Find Lost Files," visit
http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/review/2007/0905.txt
* * *

Searching for Lost Files on Your PC
By Anonymous

Mary, thanks for your article on relocating "lost" or misfiled
information on your PC. The methods you outlined are accurate, but
here's another one.

I highly recommend downloading the Google application called Google
Desktop at http://desktop.google.com/.

This utility will index your hard drive(s) and allow you to search for
information just like the Web-based Google search engine. You can type
a phrase or any other information you recall and initiate a search.
Within seconds, Google Desktop will return all files, e-mails, and Web
histories stored on your computer in a Web-based window. You can then
click on the links to open and examine the contents of each file.

The downside of the application is that they package other "Google
Gadgets" that will install at the same time as Google Desktop. These
can be disabled, but it's an extra step you need to do if the desktop
search utility is all you are interested in using.

By the way, none of the information Google Desktop indexes ever leaves
your computer. Everything is held private, although it looks just like
the "big time" Google search engine.

To read "Using File Searches to Find Lost Files," visit
http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/review/2007/0905.txt
* * *

More on Miracle Viewfinder (1)
By Marjorie Wilser

One of my favorite ways to photograph gravestones is to use an LED
flashlight--the very bright kind. Have a helper shine the light from
the side of the stone to illuminate the letters by casting them into
comparative shadow.

If you are in very bright sunlight, it helps to shade the stone with
an umbrella and then use the flashlight. Bright sun will make the
entire thing wash out, so shading and then selectively illuminating it
will give a better photo.

To read "Miracle Viewfinder," visit:
http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/review/2007/0905.txt
* * *

More on Miracle Viewfinder (2)
By Fran Bolton

In reading Debbi Greer's "Miracle Viewfinder" contribution about the
old instant camera that she no longer has, I immediately thought of
the many cameras I have seen at local goodwill stores here in my
state, selling for mere pennies. There should be similar secondhand
stores, which get their stock from household donations from the
public, in your state.

To read "Miracle Viewfinder," visit:
http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/review/2007/0905.txt
* * *

Reading Tombstones
By Lee Rickerson

I just read the article about using a mirror to clarify data on old
tombstones. One way to avoid having to carry another thing with you is
a simple additive to the clipboard (assuming you are using a
clipboard).

Take several pieces of silver duct tape (not the pliable, all-purpose
gray stuff) and stick it on the backside of the clipboard. When you
need enhanced lighting or shading (depending how you hold the
clipboard and reflect the sunlight) this becomes a wonderful tool. You
can also use aluminum foil as long as it is glued completely on the
board--taping around the edges will eventually lead to ripped foil.

5. New at RootsWeb

5a. New User-contributed Databases at RootsWeb
http://userdb.rootsweb.com/submit/
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The following databases have come online recently.
They are searchable, but not browseable.

Search: To look for specific data or occurrence of text in a file.
Browse: To view the entire contents of a file or a group of files.

TEXAS. Johnson County. 1933 Alvarado High School. 26 records.
Katherine L. Brown
http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/

5b. New/Updated Freepages and Homepages by Individuals
To Request a Free Web Account: http://accounts.rootsweb.com/
-------------------------------------------------------------
Can your cousins find your website at RootsWeb? Has it ever been
mentioned here or do you have a new, updated, or substantially
revised website at RootsWeb (it will have "freepages" or "homepages"
in the URL)? Send the URL, the title of the website, the name of the
author, and a BRIEF description of the site, including major
surnames, to: Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com
* * *
If your genealogy- or history-related site is located somewhere
other than at RootsWeb.com, you can add the link here:
http://resources.rootsweb.com/~rootslink/addlink.html
* * *

No New/Updated Freepages and Homepages by Individuals

5c. New/Updated Freepages and Homepages by Counties, States, and
Genealogical/Historical Societies
To Request a Free Web Account: http://accounts.rootsweb.com/
-------------------------------------------------------------

No New/Updated Freepages and Homepages by Counties, States, and
Genealogical/Historical Societies

5d. New Mailing Lists
To Request a New Mailing List: http://resources.rootsweb.com/adopt/
-------------------------------------------------------------
For information and an index to the more than 30,000 RootsWeb-hosted
genealogy Mailing Lists and for easy subscribing (joining) options go
to: http://lists.rootsweb.com/

NEW SURNAME MAILING LISTS

MACKEITH
MACLAURIN
MACWHINNIE
MCARTOR
MCCARVILLE
MCC***
MCCLINTIC
MCCLINTON
MCCLOY
MCCOURRY
MCCULLOUCH
MCFADIN
MCGAUGH
MCINTURFF
MCKENNON
MCLESTER
MCMEEKIN
MCMILLIN
MCPHEETERS

NEW REGIONAL MAILING LISTS

No New Regional Mailing Lists

NEW ETHNIC OR SPECIAL INTEREST MAILING LISTS

No New Ethnic or Special Interest Mailing Lists

6. Humor/Humour

In the 1920 census for Richmond, Ray County, Missouri, my father's
grandparents are listed with their two children. My grandmother was
listed as Erma and her brother was listed as Brother. He was five at
the time.

My dad always told me that his grandparents could not agree on a name
for their son so they called him Brother. I thought it was a nice
story but didn't believe it. Now I know it is true. His first grade
teacher ended up naming him.

At the same time I found a great-uncle of my father with a baby girl
two-and-a-half years old with the name of "baby." I guess it ran in
the family.

--Thanks to D. Siegel
* * *

Found a funny or "proper name for the job" in old records, or an
amusing entry in census, parish, church, or other records? Send them
to:
Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com. We also welcome other humorous
genealogy-related submissions.

7. Subscriptions, Submissions, Advertising, Reprints
-------------------------------------------------------------
SUBSCRIPTIONS. You received this newsletter because you are subscribed
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If you use a spam-filtering program, in order to receive the RootsWeb
Review please make sure that you're allowing e-mail from
rootswebreview@email.rootsweb.com. The RootsWeb Review is a free
publication of The Generations Network, Inc., 360 West 4800 North,
Provo, UT, 84604
* * *
The RootsWeb Review does not publish or answer genealogical queries,
and the editor regrets that she is unable to provide any personal
research assistance or advice. RootsWeb Review welcomes short (500
words or less) articles, humor, stories, or letters, and reserves the
right to edit all submissions. The announcement of books and products
is provided as a community service and is not an endorsement in any
way. All mail sent to the RootsWeb Review editor is considered to be
for publication--send in plain text (please, no attachments) to:
Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com and please include your full name and e-mail
address in the text.
* * *
ROOTSWEB REVIEW ADVERTISING CONTACTS.
AdSales Worldwide: Tami Deleeuw, tdeleeuw@tgn.com
* * *
REPRINTS. Permission to reprint articles from RootsWeb Review is
granted unless specifically stated otherwise, provided: (1) the
reprint is used for non-commercial, educational purposes; and (2) the
following notice appears at the end of the article: Previously
published in RootsWeb Review: 12 September 2007, Vol. 10, No. 37.
* * * *

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Rootsweb Review, 12 September 2007, Vol.10, No. 37