Saturday Night Fun-My Answers to Randy Seaver's Survey

Randy Seaver’s blog, Genea-musings,  is a daily read for me.  His Saturday night questions are very interesting and today I wanted to add my thoughts to last night’s questions.  Here we go!

a)    Which genealogy software programs for your computer do you use (e.g., Family Tree Maker, Reunion, GRAMPS, etc.)?  I have been using familytreemaker since 1996.  I plan on buying rootsmagic soon.

b)  Which online family trees have information submitted by you - in either a separate online tree (e.g., Ancestry Member Tree) or a universal (collaborative) online tree (e.g., WikiTree)?  I have trees at ancestry and geneanet.

c)  For which subscription genealogy record providers (e.g., Ancestry) do you have a subscription?  Ancestry and newspapers.com.  I’ve had geneabank for several years, but decided to switch up newspapers this year. I am lucky I can get fold3 and heritagequest for free through my public library card.

d)  Which FREE genealogy record providers (e.g., FamilySearch) do you use regularly?  Familysearch (daily), findagrave and fultonhistory (AKA Old Fulton NY Postcards) are my top three.  Fultonhistory is a one man newspaper website, where I find tons of information on my ancestors in the Buffalo area. I also use ancestorhunter to find other free newspapers online.

e)  How much time do you spend each week doing actual genealogy research online?  About 10.   

f)  How much time do you spend each week doing actual genealogy research in a repository (e.g., library, archive, courthouse, etc.)?  I volunteer at a local public library genealogy room for 3 hours a week.  I research like crazy while I’m there.  I also spend two full days each year in the Buffalo, NY public library genealogy room – for another 16 hours.  I usually have one other 1 day trip a year.  So 3 hours a week plus 24 hours per year.

g)  How much time do you spend each week adding information to your genealogy software program (either on your computer or online)?  Two hours a day/14 hours a week.  More in the summer.  I work at a school so I have many more hours free to research.

h)  How much time do you spend each month at a genealogical society meeting, program or event (not a seminar or conference)?  I’m a member of two local genealogy groups, each meeting is 2 hours long, and I go twice a month.  Four hours a month.  I might drop in to another society meeting once or twice a year, if there’s a subject or a presenter I’m especially interested in.

i)  How much time do you spend each month on genealogy education (e.g., reading books and periodicals, attending seminars, conferences, workshops, webinars, etc.)?   Estimate an average number of hours per month over, say, a one year period.  I read about 6 genealogy books a year.  My first genealogy conference was two years ago.  Since then, I’ve been to two or three a year (going to FGS this week.)  All have only been 8 hours long, so about 28-32 hours in a year.

j)  How much time do you spend each week reading, writing and commenting on genealogy blogs, websites, and social media?   Estimate an average number of hours per week over, say, a one month period.  Ah…this is my weakness. An hour a day, 7 days a week. I still work fulltime or I’d be doing this much more.