Author: James Tanner

Expanded Commentary on the Rules of Genealogy: Rule Nine

Editor’s Note: This article by James Tanner was originally published in the Genealogy’s Star blog site and is used with the author’s permission. Expanded Commentary on the Rules of Genealogy: Rule Nine I have slowly been going back to the list of the Rules of Genealogy and writing about each individual rule. There are presently 12 Rules. Here is the current...

More on Rule Four: There Are Always More Records

Editor’s Note: This blog article was originally published by James Tanner in the Genealogy’s Star blog site and is used with the author’s permission. Expanded Commentary on the Rules of Genealogy: Rule Four I published the first six Rules of Genealogy back on July 1, 2014. See “Six of the Basic Rules of Genealogy.” This short list included the most...

Your Work on the FamilySearch Family Tree Will Never Be “Done”

Editor’s Note: The following article was originally published by James Tanner on the “Rejoice and Be Exceeding Glad” blog site and is used by permission.  Your work on the FamilySearch Family Tree will never be “Done” Some processes and activities and our lives on earth all have a definite beginning point and an end. Genealogy changes with every new birth...

What Is Worth Preserving?

Editor’s Note: This article by James Tanner appeared previously in the Genealogy’s Star blog site and is used here with the author’s permission. The Ultimate Digital Preservation Guide, Part Five — What is worth preserving? The real question behind all digital preservation efforts is determining what is worth preserving. Obviously, the incremental cost of digital storage has been falling for...

Correcting Indexed Records on FamilySearch

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published by James Tanner on his Rejoice, and Be Exceeding Glad blog site and is used with the author’s permission. For some years now, many genealogists have been asking FamilySearch for the option to correct indexed records. From the very beginning of the FamilySearch website, it has been obvious that some of the indexing...

Do You Have a Research Plan?

Editor’s Note: This article was published in the Genealogy’s Star blog site by James Tanner and is used with the author’s permission. Do you feel your genealogical research is like a random walk in the park? Perhaps, you should think through your objectives and come up with a research plan. There is always a measure of uncertainty in any research...

Understanding MyHeritage’s Smart Matching™ Technology

 Editor’s Note: This article was published in the Genealogy’s Star blog site by James Tanner and is used with the author’s permission. As I teach classes about MyHeritage.com, I find a lot of confusion about the differences between the website’s Smart Matching™technology and the Record Matches. Once users understand the differences, they begin to see the tremendous power in both technologies. Here...

Introducing The Family History Guide: Exploring Genealogy Series #12

Editor’s Note: This blog article by James Tanner was originally posted on the Genealogy’s Star site and is used here with the author’s permission. You can click the YouTube video below to watch the presentation as well. Introduction to The Family History Guide Exploring Genealogy Series #12 This is #12 in the Exploring Genealogy Series on my YouTube Channel. Although...

The Google Goldmine for Genealogists

Editor’s Note: This article is part of a series of blog posts written by James Tanner and is used with the author’s permission. Getting the Rest of the Gold out of the Google Goldmine for Genealogists Part Seven https://chrome.google.com/webstore/category/extensions Google Help Google Search Google Newspapers Archive Google Drive Google Docs including Sheets, Slides, Forms, Draw and more Google Keep Google...

The Next 5 Steps to Improving Your Family History Experience

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published by James Tanner in his Genealogy’s Star site and is used with the author’s permission. If you are wondering about the first 5 steps, see “5 Steps to Improving Your Family History Experience.” Here are the first 5 steps: Focus on the places Learn about the places Identify the types of records that...