A Blogging Overview: The Bloggers’ Geneameme
You know I love blogging, so how could I go past Jill Ball’s (aka Geniaus) new geneameme, “The Bloggers’ Geneameme“.
Jill writes …
“It’s NationaI Family History Month here in Australia and I have been procrastinating about hosting an online activity to mark the event. I am very interested in hearing about the practices and thoughts of fellow Geneabloggers so thought I’d dream up a little geneameme on the topic. You are invited to respond to the questions in this short geneameme via a post on your blog. Please write as little or as much as you like and don’t feel obliged to answer all the questions.”
So here goes …
1. What are the titles and URLs of your genealogy blog/s?
Lonetester HQ – www.lonetester.com
Memorabilia House – www.memorabiliahouse.com
2. Do you have a wonderful “Cousin Bait” blog story?
I have had some people contact me, but no-one close. What I have found very cool, is that my cousins are enjoying learning about the history of the family through me sharing the pictures and stories.
3. Why did you start blogging? Is there someone who inspired you to start blogging?
I started my blogs because I had already been blogging for work, and decided I needed my own, as i had more I wanted to say and share with others.
4. How did you decide on your blog/s title/s?
The Lonetester HQ one I took quite a while took quite a while to come up with, as I was deciding on my social media name at the time, so thought about it probably too long. And that’s what it ended up as. The Memorabilia House one just came to me one night. The name, together with the whole concept of the site.
5. Do you ever blog from mobile devices? What are they?
I do from my laptop if I have net connection. But I don’t have a smartphone or iPad.
6. How do you let others know when you have published a new post?
I put a link on my Lonetester Facebook page, as well as tweeting it, and mentioning it on Google+.
7. How long have you been blogging?
Excluding the time I’ve been blogging for work, as I was doing that for quite a while before starting my own blogs – almost two years.
8. What widgets or elements do you consider essential on a genealogy blog?
A search bar, share buttons, subscribe or follow details, contact details, and to be able to see the past posts easily. Also I would recommend using widgets/tools for analytics, and for SEO.
9. What is the purpose of your blog/s? Who is your intended audience?
My blogs have different purposes. Lonetester has three functions: it’s part genealogy findings, part educational for others and then rest is whatever I want to write about. While Memorabilia House is primarily meant for my family to know what family heirlooms exist, and what the story behind them is.
10. Which of your posts are you particularly proud of?
I’ve done well, and have narrowed it down to three posts.
I really like the Family History Through the Alphabet Challenge: C is for Convicts, as this was the first time I’d put all the details of my family’s convicts together in one post.
Also the My Family History Through the Alphabet Collection, which was the one where I did a round up each post. It really was a challenge, but I did manage to get through it.
And thirdly, Facebook and Genealogy: 100 Links for Australian Researchers, as this is one that I’m always referring people who are sceptical about Facebook to, as it shows them just how much useful genealogy stuff is found on Facebook.
11. How do you keep up with your blog reading?
It’s rather spasmodic, but I do get to do some blog reading at work.
12. What platform do you use for publishing your blog/s?
Wordpress.org.
13. What new features would you like to see in your blogging software?
It might be a feature that’s there already, but if so I haven’t found it yet. And that is a way to make my pictures bigger when someone clicks on them.
14. Which of your posts has been the most popular with readers?
That would have to be my 33 Free Websites for South Australian Genealogy post.
15. Are you a sole blogger or do you contribute to a shared blog?
It’s all me. Every word of it!
16. How do you compose your blog posts?
Mostly straight into WordPress, but if I’m not near a computer, I’ll take my “blog book” which is a notebook with LOTS of ideas as well as some fully handwritten posts. From that, I then type them up later. Some posts pretty much write themselves, and can be done in half an hour. Others I’ve had half written for months before going back to them.
17. Do you have any blogs that are not genealogy related? If you wish please share their titles and URLs.
Not at this stage <g>.
18. Have you listed your blog/s at Geneabloggers?
I do have Lonetester HQ listed there, but not Memorabilia House, as that’s primarily for family only, so didn’t feel the need to get it listed there.
19. Which resources have helped you with your blogging?
Looking around at other people’s blogs, and working out what you do and don’t like about them is the best thing I did.
20. What advice would you give to a new Geneablogger?
What are you waiting for? I saw a quote recently, “Blog, and they will come” … and it’s true.
10 Responses to “A Blogging Overview: The Bloggers’ Geneameme”
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Good advice Alona! I think we’re all big advocates of the benefits of blogging.
Thanks Pauleen. I can’t believe that I (accidentally) left out the bit about the blogging community, as that’s been a BIG bonus of blogging.
I’m sure there is a way to have the photographs enlarge when they are clicked on, unless they are posted at full size. Sometimes one of mine won’t enlarge and I have to take it out and reinsert. My finding eliza blog is at wordpress.org and the photos enlarge. Sorry I can’t be more exact. feel free to contact me if i can help.
Kristin, thanks for the info on the enlarging photos. I shall have too look harder and I shall get it sorted out.
Thanks for the response and support Alona. When one puts out a challenge like this geneameme or your fab A-Z activity there is always the concern that no-one will join in.
I appreciate your quick response and thoughtful replies to the questions posed.
Jill, you had nothing to worry about it’s a great Geneameme ;-D … I can understand what that feels like though, as I did go through it with the Alphabet Challenge.
As always Alona…a fabulous post. I have bookmarked your Facebook post for further perusal. How did I miss that one?????
Alex, thanks for the feedback and for the bookmark of my Facebook page too.
You should be proud of those 3 posts. I remember them all.
I mentioned you in me post as it was your Family History Through the Alphabet which inspired me to blog.
I cannot thank you enough for getting me started. If I had more time, I would geneablog full time!
Thanks again.
Sharon
Aww thanks for the comments Sharon. It’s not only the connections that you make along the way, it’s the comments, and encouragement that you get from other geneabloggers just adds to it all ins’t it! And I couldn’t agree more about geneablogging full-time if given the chance. There’s so many stories that NEED telling, just not enough hours in the day.