Whoa, Backup!

Mark Rabideau / Tips & Opinions, Tools / 0 Comment

Backups, file duplication, redundancy, security are essential dimensions of performing quality genealogy work; well honestly they are required for any type of computing.  Having said that, most people don’t bother with any of this unless, and until, they have a catastrophe, and even then only for a short while after an accident.

To my mind these functions need to be easy, seamless and nearly automagic once they are established.  All this is to say, data synchronization and backup must require very little, if any, extra effort or thought.  Extra effort or thought are almost always extra… and extra things tend to get forgotten.

Like many of you over the past few months, I have read and ‘participated’ in numerous discussions regarding “what happens to my data when I’m gone“.  Truth be told, it is worth even more to have a plan to make certain you can use your data while you’re here.  And then, you can make certain it is available for others when you are gone.  If your data does not survive you working on it, it hardly matters what is left when you’re gone.

So let me provide a bit of food for thought on the topic. To begin, I will briefly describe my simple working computer environment:

• in my home office, I have a slow and unreliable Qwest “high-speed” network, which really means we have a poorly performing DSL network;  the only reason we keep this network is because no one else will bring us a network of any type (sad but true)
• my primary PC is an Asus K52F running 10.4 LTS Ubuntu Linux (yep, a geek)
• my travel buddy is a netbook PC- an eeePC 1000HE running 10.10 Ubuntu Linux
• I also have a nifty iPad to augment my image as super geek and cool old genealogy guy…

Given I have multiple PCs and I’m lazy, my objective is to keep the Netbook and K52F fully synchronized so that the same data is available on whichever PC (Asus) I pickup. My super cool iPad is slightly different in that it is set to access pre-selected information/data for reading and display purposes (this information, too, needs to be both current and synchronized with my other machines).  In addition to gaining information access, I want to be certain that my PCs are continually backed up and that all data is available for easy recovery, at any time. Lastly, I want my data to be 100% secure, redundant, and stored non-locally, call me paranoid.

What all of this means is that:

• I need to store my data on a Cloud server which offers a zero-knowledge account; in my case, all my files are directly encrypted on my source PC and my password never leaves my PCs.  Sooo, I have to be certain NOT to loose either my username or password (they are my responsibility, not the responsibility of some service provider).  My service provider can access neither my files nor my passwords.
• all of my data is encrypted using AES, RSA and SHA for security purposes- the same algorithms used for government security
• the Cloud server needs to have its files stored redundantly and in different locations, in my case this includes storage in Switzerland, Germany and France (I live in Colorado)

Wuala, the provider I am currently using, does all these things.  Plus, it offers its services on Windows, Mac, and Linux.  Their tools can also be operated directly from any PC using a browser, without one of my PCs ever being involved. Finally, this system integrates on each of my PCs as a network drive, so I am able to open and edit my files in the application of my choice (there are one or two other providers of roughly similar services, including SpiderOak).

As a genealogist, this system also allows me to send links to files and folders to anyone. Recipients can click directly on a provided link and access designated files in their browsers.  This feature will allow me to provide better information access to my clients, a service which I am about to begin providing.

So what does this really do for me?  Here’s a small list of what I see as benefits:

• my stuff is backed up- I am pretty certain (99.999% certain, I will always be able to get at a copy of my information)
• each of my PCs have access to current data (anything I view is current and accurate)
• my data is less prone to local disaster, because it is spread across the planet
• once setup, all of this takes place with very little intervention on my part (remember I am lazy)

And perhaps most importantly, I can give my designee access to everything I own. My information is safe for use both while I am here and when I am gone. By either handing a designee my PC or by setting them up to share all or parts of my data files, images, videos, a full, or partial, suite of my materials can be securely transfered to my successors, users, and/or clients.

If you might want to learn more about the specific environment I use from Wuala please use this link.  If you sign-up for a free account, I’ll get some additional disk space added to my available allotment.

Genealogy- iPad or Netbook?

Mark Rabideau / Tips & Opinions, Tools / 7 Comments

Lately, I have gotten a lot of questions about the little computers I carry around to help with my genealogy tasks. Questions like:

• What do you think of the iPad?
• Do you like your Netbook?

In general, people want to know how I like the devices and whether they should consider buying one or more for themselves. This post is an attempt to respond to those questions.

Let me begin by saying I have been working with computers since 1974.  Yep, I am an old guy, old PC habits, old PC biases.  I have them all.  But in fairness, you need to be aware of this as I am certain my background colors my opinions.

Data entry:

Let me start this out by saying I am writing this post on my regular PC; I am not using either of the little guys. To my mind this speaks to the biggest problems with these little devices- data entry. Both machines offer facilities to perform data entry but one is much more severely constrained than the other.

The iPad’s on screen keyboard is nothing short of horrible, to be honest it is my greatest disappointment with the iPad itself. iPads offer an peculiar two stage alphabetic/ numeric keyboard which is missing any directional positioning keys (arrows). It is, for me, an incredibly uncomfortable and difficult typing experience. Not being a perfect typist to begin with, the iPad brings my error rates to new heights. And as for speed, it takes me at least three times longer to enter text on the iPad than it does on the Netbook (which is slower than my regular laptop). Oh how I long for the days of Palm/ Handspring Graffiti.  In fairness, it’s not as if the netbook is without it’s faults here, too. Tiny keys, too big fingers make for difficult and slow typing; but, functional it is.

Compatibilty with other PC applications:

Here I have to say the Netbook is again the winner. The iPad has a large application base but they are different from those available on PC platforms, be they Windows, Mac or Linux (like I use). All this is to say, your favorite genealogy programs will not run on an iPad but they will (with just a little planning) run very nicely on a Netbook.

Screen image quality:

WOW! what else can I say about the iPad screen.  My Netbook is okay, but not WOW!

Adverts/ Advertisements:

iPads are an advertisers’ dream. Adverts are simply everywhere. To eliminate them requires that a user “Jailbreak” the iPad in order to get access to ‘apps’ that block adware. Netbooks, like regular PCs, are perfectly capable of blocking ads; all you need are the correct browser(s) and correct browser plugin(s). This function may not seem that important on a 17″ monitor but it is hugely significant when you have only ~60% of the screen real estate – as is offered on these little guys.

USB, webcam, SD card availability:

Netbooks offer these on even the cheapest models. Not so the iPad.

OS (Operating System) interoperability:

One of the most frustrating aspects of the iPad, for me, is the fact that the iPad does not recognize, interface well with, or support Linux. It requires a Windows or Mac to initially boot and from that point to backup. It assumes all systems functions will be managed through an iTunes (Apple) proprietary interface. The Libertarian in me does not like that at all. Netbooks do not have that same proprietary bend.

Modification or removal of included applications:

All PC vendors seem to want to pollute their devices with preferred apps. Netbooks and iPads are no exception. However although it is time consuming to clean up a Netbook of undesirable applications, it can be done. But the iPad, nope. You get to keep the silly map, video, photo, iPod apps whether you want them or not. So I have moved mine onto an unused subordinate-screen.

Window to window (screen to screen) navigation:

Because of the tiny screen sizes, navigation is not easy on either machine. But it is easier on the Netbook because of a users ability to use short-cut keys and traditional navigation to move from A to B. However, the iPad touch screen navigation is much more Fun & Cool. iPad navigation is also built around some very nice eye candy, like turning pages. Truly cool and not bad, just different. I am certain that the iPad screen navigation is the wave of the future.  The zoom and movement functions are intuitive and fun to learn, but learn them you must because the iPad smart phone navigation screens will surely take over.  They are simply to good not to.

Size & weight:

Both devices are in the same weight and size class. Screens are about 10 inches, and the weight is in the 2-3 (US) pound range- about 1 kg.

Cost:

The iPad is the clear winner here! An iPad costs, on average, twice what a Netbook does. Hmmm, maybe that’s not being a winner? Well, Apple thinks it is.

Coolness & fun factor:

Although the Netbook does have a certain Lilliputian coolness to it, it is nothing like the coolness the iPad has. People really seem to like the iPad form factor and ‘finger’/ touch screen navigation. As always, Apple has a real design winner in the iPad space. The Netbooks really simply look like laptops that were washed in too hot water and were left for an extra cycle or two in the dryer.

The bottom line:

The bottom line, is I will gladly keep them both. I like them both, a lot. But if I am forced to carry only one device with me to do my research, I choose the Netbook.  But I have my weights out and am building my strength because I don’t want to leave my iPad behind.

Genealogy & Social Networking Technologies #2- Twitter

Mark Rabideau / Tips & Opinions, Tools / 2 Comments

Surprisingly, Twitter has become an essential communication vehicle for me. And, no one is more surprised than I am. I never thought that I would become a Twitter user, much less become one of those people who rely on Twitter.

Initially,I thought that Twitter was both frivolous and oriented towards the younger folks. I guess that probably says something more about me becoming stodgy and old then it says anything useful about Twitter; but nonetheless one fine day, I gave it a whirl.  The rest is history.  Now, I use Twitter everyday I use the computer, which is to say almost everyday.

With Twitter’s 140 measly ‘allowable’ characters, I am able to announce what I am doing and discovering to the world, or at least to that little part of the world interested in #genealogy, #ahnenforschung, #history etc. And amazingly enough, you the ManyRoads reader who also uses Twitter comes by for a look-see.  People I never knew, or knew might be interested in mywork, stop by, share information or simply become stealth readers; by the way, that is approximately 99.98% of you (Yes, I am one of those guys who tracks statistics…).

Additionally, Twitter has provided me with avenues for sharing what I find, or more precisely what other ‘Twitterers’ find,  as you can see on our News! page. I am able to filter the news streams, build lists of people (other Twitterers) with whom I share common interests (see My ManyRoads List). I use (meaning read) their/your feeds then either for myself alone or for further sharing and aggregation.

I am able find new information from people and places around the globe covering topics such as:

• #genealogy
• #genealogists
• #famhist
• #ancestry
• #familysearch
• #familytree
• #surnames
• #historic
• #antique
• #ancient
• #brickwall
• #archives

In Twitter speak, words prefaced with # are called hash-tags (hastags). Truly they are nothing more than keywords, if you will, for sorting through the piles of streaming Tweets/ information, in order to see those topics in which I, and you if you use them, are interested.  I personally find the above hash-tags to be very good for finding meaningful genealogy information and articles. Additionally, I am able to use those very same hash-tags for generating information feeds to various software systems like paper.li and Gwibber, the social feed reader I use.

As you well know, both genealogy and genealogical research are reliant on finding hidden, not easy to locate, information. A communication tool like Twitter has become, in this arena, a real asset in finding information… previouly hidden and obscure, to me.  It is also a useful communication vehicle which facilitates meeting, talking, and connecting with like minded individuals- those people searching for information similar to that which I seek.

More to come…

Further Readings

• Genealogy & Social Networking Technologies #1

Genealogy & Social Networking Technologies #1

Mark Rabideau / Tips & Opinions, Tools / 0 Comment

Social networking (media) ought to be a useful adjunct to genealogy research. Or more complexly stated, genealogy and genealogists should benefit greatly through improved interpersonal, Internet communications technology (better known as social networking).  Of late, I have been trying to employ a number of web oriented ‘social’ technologies in an effort to up ManyRoads site readership and traffic.

It probably bears stating, the reason I (and most genealogy bloggers) seek higher traffic is because I both appreciate and need the contact/ interaction in my genealogy searches/ efforts.  By that I mean, you (our reader) have knowledge and information that might help me in my search(es), just as I have information that might help you in yours.  Yes in addition to my personal efforts I, also, do genealogy work for fee; but as anyone who has been on ManyRoads very often knows, I provide a lot of information, images and documents for free and without strings.  And, much of that information has been sourced through your good communications to me.

To place the success of my efforts, thus far,  in a tangible context, I would share the following.  Out of the 160,000 +/- page reads, 65,000 visitors we have had during the past year I have made contact with approximately:

• 10 new “to me” cousins
• a few new clients
• 10 GB of new information (all stored here on ManyRoads for everyones’ use)
• numerous valuable and detailed assists in the editing my genealogy work
• dozens of photos of family members that I did not know existed
• numerous unbelievable and useful links to previously lost aspects of my family’s past

Well you get the idea.  It takes a lot of traffic to keep and create a good information flow; and, such is the context within which the communication technologies I am about to discuss operate.  Each medium attempts, in one way or another, to reach out into areas and places in the hope/ desire of triggering mutual information sharing and communication. The most significant aspect of this ‘reaching out’ is that it is almost blind. It’s a bit like putting your arm under a rug and reaching, rummaging, searching for a lost pebble.  You do not know the shape, the location, texture, or size of the pebble, nor can you see it.  You simply know it might be there and you want to find it. So, you reach.

In subsequent articles (posts) I will discuss my efforts with the following social technologies:

• facebook
• linkedin
• networkedblogs
• twitter
• yahoo groups
• rss feeds

By the way, I doubt there will be single, dedicated posts for each item on the above list.

If there are technologies you want to hear about, but they are not on my little list, please let me know.  I may have tried them and would be happy to share what I have learned; if not, perhaps I should try them and then share what I learn.  More to come…

Further Readings

• Genealogy & Social Networking Technologies #2- Twitter

GPS & Genealogy

Mark Rabideau / Tips & Opinions, Tools / 0 Comment

Should genealogy rely on GPS data?  When I recently heard the query, it gave me pause especially since people seemed pretty agitated over the point. I have to admit, it does seem that the value of GPS data is a point worth pondering, at least for a little while.

It is probably worth noting that commercial GPS is really only about 10 years old and is primarily a US national system for establishing global location. To quote the ever popular Wikipedia:

GPS is owned and operated by the U.S. Government as a national resource.

Also, there are at least two competing and one non-competing GPS system online or soon to be online:

• competing systems will be from the Chinese (Compass) and Europe Galileo (Europe);
• the non-competing system is a Russian military system.

As competing & complimentary global positioning systems reconcile and move towards international standards and as new systems evolve, there are likely to be changes in nomenclature and other characteristics. At least that is how everything else seems to work in the technology realm.

Let me conclude with a random thought in this space. If we are looking for an old grave… how does GPS deal with continental drift? Since GPS finds/ identifies a location on the planet presumably this means that in 500 years different things will occupy the old location…. in other words, grampa is on the move ;^) Seriously though at the rate of 1.5 -10 cm movement per year, this could create a grave situation in just a few years (sorry I could not avoid the pun).

To me, the biggest benefit of the current US GPS is that it makes Google Earth and the like usable in genealogy software packages. But to my mind, maps continue to be a more stable and reliable long-term form of locational documentation for genealogical purposes.

Technology Advantages

Mark Rabideau / Tips & Opinions, Tools / 0 Comment

Technology can and should be an crucial adjunct to your genealogical efforts.  As a matter of fact, I contend that no effort is complete, nor can your genealogy efforts be fully effective, without effective technological support.  The support can be as simple as using a word processor or as complex as writing large databases to manage and maintain your data, documents and images.

As I am sure you are aware, today’s technology options are both extensive and cost effective.  They can even be free.  As a web developer and genealogist, I, personally, rely almost exclusively on OpenSource technologies.  To give you a rough example of my software costs, I will enumerate my most significant and vital adjunctive technologies:

• WordPress (the Blog/ Content Management System I use)- Free
• OpenOffice (the PC Office Suite I use for most document creation)- Free
• GRAMPS (the Family Tree software I use to manage genealogies and export to my website)- Free
• The GIMP (the image, photo editing software I employ)- Free
• Geany (the tool I use to write code for my websites)- Free
• php, html, java (the languages used most frequently in my websites)- Free

The list could go on; but you can see from the above list, the costs need not be high.  Even the ‘expensive, proprietary tools’ (note my bias!) most people purchase are very cost effective.

Having said this, what do these tools and technologies really do for me and my genealogy efforts? Quite simply, they allow me to perform tasks such as:

• clean up documents
• enhance and/or repair photos
• write family histories
• maintain family trees

But most importantly, they allow me to share my work with both known and unknown family members, complete strangers, and those interested in researching the same areas I do. They make it possible for each of us to create an information explosion out of the tid-bits of information we each hold or have individually, and thereby these technologies enhance our understanding of our families and of our past.

Additional Readings are available on Technology for Genealogy.

Outside the box

Mark Rabideau / Tips & Opinions, Tools / 0 Comment

Genealogy is where you find it.

Most often those looking for their relatives follow the tried and true paths of searching the Internet as well as searching the ‘traditional’ genealogy venues such as town halls, LDS Family History Centers, etc. Many people even go so far as to restrict their searches to the Internet only, typically relying on the ever popular:

• Ancestry
• FamilySearch
• Genealogy.com
• RootsWeb

Truth be known, these are all very good and useful search locales. However, there are at least two items worth noting:

• one, not everything ‘you need’ can be found on these venues and
• two, not everything labeled as genealogical represents the totality of genealogical information available.

You do yourself and your family a disservice if you restrict or limit your searches to the traditional and/or Internet sources.

You really need to look outside the box. There are few reasons why this is helpful and reasonable. Firstly, all genealogy and family history occurs with the context of time and place; and secondly, most genealogy sites do little to help you develop a comprehensive understanding of either historical context or external events. Having said that, there is a lot of information available ‘out there’ that is freely provided to those who will simply bend over and pick it up.

So, where is the outside of the box? Where do I recommend you look? Well here’s a brief set of pointers to other information and enlightenment:

• Stores. I recommend you visit businesses and people specializing in old things. Better yet visit those that/who specialize in old things like those your ancestors may have used, owned, or even enjoyed. Why? Well, every one of them may help you understand life as it was lived by those who preceded you.
• Book places. Read books! Yes, I know history was boring in school. But perhaps if you read about the wars, politics, migrations, etc. that your ‘folks’ lived through, you might understand them and their choices a bit better.
• Museums. Go look at old things and images of old places. Every look might help you understand a little more about where you came from, what was going on, how people lived.

Simply stated look around. Information and ideas are everywhere. Besides you might just discover that this expanded searching adds pleasure, adventure, and ‘stuff’ to your life as well.

Posts in this Series

• Outside the box
• The best non-genealogy genealogy places #1
• The best non-genealogy genealogy places #2
• The best non-genealogy genealogy places #3

This post is also published on Geneabloggers

The best non-genealogy genealogy places #3

Mark Rabideau / Tips & Opinions, Tools / 1 Comment

I debated whether or not this was the correct title for my posting but settled on it anyway!

I really do not have a long list of items to present here, but rather a very small listing with only two, wonderful, non-genealogy genealogy places; they are:

• Flea markets
• Antique shows

As is typical of flea markets, there was everything from bread to vegetables to “old things”. Given my genealogy interests you can imagine that my focus was on old things- more precisely old German things. Only infrequently do I discover items of interest. This visit was different from the norm. What I stumbled upon was a basket full of Wanderstocks (hiking sticks/ canes). All had medals on them but one was special, to me. It was from pre-1933 Germany and had 48 medal badges afixed to it- auf Deutsch: es war ein alter Wanderstock mit Eisenkuppe und 48 Plaketten.  Not only did the stick have 48 medal badges but two of them were indicators of the original owner’s political sentiments -which although they are not mine, they do provide an interesting historical context for the time.

• Medal badge number one reads: Deutschlands Nationale Erhebung (Germany’s National Awakening or Rise) — 1933 with images of the Reichstag flanked by images of Hindenburg and Hitler.  (similar but not exactly like the one on this page).
• Badge number two reads: Landhaus Adolf Hitler Obersalzburg
• The other 46 badges were obtained by the original owner from hikes across Bavaria (Zugspitze, Muenchen, Linderhof etc.) , the Erzgebirge, not to mention Venice, the Dolomites, etc.

Quite a find for a flea market in Littleton, Colorado.

Antique markets offer similar items, old photos, memorabilia, etc.  The only problem with each is that they often tend not to have belonged to your family, but they certainly can help you flesh out history, illustrate peoples’ thinking during certain crucial time periods, all the while providing great entertainment.

Posts in this Series

• Outside the box
• The best non-genealogy genealogy places #1
• The best non-genealogy genealogy places #2
• The best non-genealogy genealogy places #3

Here today…gone tomorrow

Mark Rabideau / Tips & Opinions, Tools / 2 Comments

Grab the data while you can.  I guess that is what every online genealogist needs to have as their motto these days.

Today I uploaded a very useful (helpful) WordPress plugin called:

• Broken Link Checker- It checks your blog for broken links and missing images and notifies you on the dashboard if any are found.

Well much to my dismay and surprise when I installed and ran the plugin, it found nearly 175 out of 1055 links ManyRoads to be broken or redirected.  That seemed like a lot to me.  I had been running several ‘free’ services to check my site for broken links and every week; they were reporting ‘happily’ that everything was ‘just fine’- zero broken links. Obviously, these checkers were not doing their job very well!

In addition to noticing that a site as large as ManyRoads needs good automation, I think I can safely conclude you ought never to trust that another website will either stay online or keep reference information, which you need, intact.  I even discovered lost links to lengthy articles from Wikipedia.  They were simply removed!

My recommendation for self-protection is that when you find something useful and relevant do the following:

• take a copy (keep it offline)
• ask permission to publish (Keep it offline if you must); do not violate copyright laws!
• check your sources periodically to see if they are still alive
• if not… well then I really do not know what to advise. On ManyRoads I am simply stating that the material is no longer available where I found it, placing a date on the text and removing the link (Since WordPress keeps backups of my Pages/Posts hopefully I can find an old link if I need it.)
• clean up your dead links; you need to do that in order to keep your search engine optimization in good health.

More later….