Issue 6.11
At the new FamilySearch Center in Riverton, Utah, recently Dan Lawyer spoke. Dan Lawyer is a Senior Product Manager for FamilySearch. He says experts are reaching a shattering conclusion: “Doing genealogy is hard.”
But it can be incredibly enjoyable, and the obstacles can be overcome. Speaking to an audience gathered January 15, 2011, Lawyer explained that finding and organizing information about people is difficult because the nature of life presents both logistical and technical hurdles.
Lawyer said, “Our goal is to make it easier, easier to work together, easier to access and share and preserve, easier to give and receive help, and easier to do genealogy without being a genealogist.” He acknowledged that most people trying to find and link their ancestors together have a love-hate relationship with computers. He said that today’s technology is genuinely a boon and a time-saver, illustrating how much time it took him to find information without a computer and comparing it to researching on the Internet.
It took him one hour and 20 minutes to work without a computer and only 22 seconds with one. “That’s a bazillion times faster,” he said. Lawyer said one way to improve the chances of genealogical success is to stop thinking “My Tree” and start thinking “Our Tree.” He suggested genealogical research could be something akin to Wikipedia, which is slowly gaining credibility as people add and subtract information from the popular website.
“People want to make the data right,” he said. “But people feel better if they can see evidence that supports changes.” Lawyer sees a day coming when documentation can be scanned into the database that proves without dispute a particular date or place. That day is probably only six months to a year away, he said.
“The goal is to release as much as possible for the lowest cost possible,” Lawyer said. To facilitate that end, much more help is needed with indexing records. http://indexing.familysearch.org/ Currently, 2.4 million records are waiting to be done, with more coming online every day. “That’s one way you can help,” Lawyer said. “That will make it go a bazillion times faster.”
Shanna Sullivan Jones is a professional genealogist. For additional information, Shanna can be reached at (435) 628-4900 or shannasjones@msn.com