Gotta Love the Geneablogger Community
Sorry guys, but I’m sticking with the RootsTech theme here again (I’m still not quite done … trust me there was a LOT packed into just a few days, so it takes a while to write about it). Anyway one thing that really struck me was the welcoming-ness (if that’s not a word, I’m making it one for here) that I felt from other geneabloggers at RootsTech.
In creating the ‘Geneabloggers‘ website Thomas MacEntee has not just created a place to find other genealogy blogs, together with tips on how to start your own as well as continuing blogging prompts, but he really has created the geneablogger community. It is one that I am proud to be a part of. And one that makes you feel very welcome.
With at least 80 geneabloggers registered for the the event, sadly I didn’t get to meet them all, though I did meet quite a few. However Sonia Meza who writes the Red de Antepasados blog, was one that I didn’t manage to meet, but I do agree with a comment that she wrote on the Geneabloggers at RootsTech Facebook page
“I’m enormously grateful for your support and company. Despite the language, I never felt more welcome and expected. Thank you for being my friends and colleagues.”
And Randy Seaver of the Genea-musings blog writes …
“I enjoyed meeting at least 60 GeneaBloggers (I didn’t write them all down and I’m not sure I can match faces with names), and some of them I had not met before (Alona Tester, Helen Smith, Rosemary Morgan, Michael Hait, Lynn Broderick, Ginny Sommarstrom, Denise Olson, M. Diane Rogers, Amy Crow, Laila Christensen, Michael Maglio, LisaM from Billion Graves, GeneDocs Wetpaint (Eric Jelle), and many more!). This group is friendly, fun and energetic – it’s like we’re instant cousins when we meet.”
Meeting the geneabloggers at RootsTech was made a whole lot easier thanks to the “blogger beads” which we were all wearing. It made it easy to go up to someone and say “so you’re a geneablogger too”, and then start a conversation. And it was exciting to meet someone and say “oh I know you, I read your blog”, but I did find it a little wierd when people said that back to me … maybe because I don’t actually think about who might read this, and that it is actually out there for the world to see. ;P
At RootsTech I met geneabloggers from the US, England, Scotland, Canada, Norway, New Zealand and not forgetting my fellow Aussie geneabloggers who made the trek over there too. So no matter where you came from, there’s the connection that we all love geneablogging.
Anyway that’s enough writing bits from me for this … here are some geneablogger pics that you’ve been waiting for!
me meeting Leland Meitzler (GenealogyBlog.com)
me meeting Dear Myrtle (dearmyrtle.com)
Two Aussie geneabloggers: me (lonetester HQ) and Helen Smith (From Helen V Smith’s Keyboard)
Linda the blogger for BillionGraves, and me (yes, again)
Two more Aussie geneabloggers: Jill Ball (Geniaus) and Liz Pidgeon (Infolass)
the queen of interviewing and geneablogging with the king of geneablogging: Jill Ball and Thomas MacEntee
the gorgeous Cyndi of Cyndi’s List!!
Marie Dougan (from Scotland), Lisa Louise Cooke (US), John D. Reid (Canada) and Helen Smith (Australia) – and yes, they all blog!
I got to meet Dick Eastman and Bobbi King (his wonderful book reviewer)
John meets the Aussies: Helen Smith, John D. Reid, and me!!
Audrey Collins (The Family Recorder)
Drew Smith of the Genealogy Guys, and Lisa Alzo (The Accidental Genealogist)
my new Norwegian geneablogger firends: Torill Johnsen (President DIS-Norge/Norway and president Coop Øst,) & Laila Christiansen (Slekt og slikt!)
Chris Mueller (RootsNotes) and Schelly Talalay Dardashti (Tracing the Tribe)
Michelle Patient from NZ (Patient Genie) with me (Lonetester HQ)
Helen Smith (From Helen V Smith’s Keyboard) and Randy Seaver (Genea-musings)
PLEASE NOTE: I do need to make a special mention to Thomas MacEntee for the Geneablogger logo on this post. And I need to thank Helen Smith and Roger Moffat for allowing me to use some of their photos here too. A BIG thank you all.
7 Responses to “Gotta Love the Geneablogger Community”
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Hi Alona,
You posts have inspired me to attend RootsTech in future.
I enjoyed looking at your photos too. It is funny how you get a perception of what someone looks like and then when you see them, they look totally different.
Regards
Sharon
Awesome Sharon. I’m really hoping to get back to RootsTech in 2015. So maybe I’ll see you there 😉
Thrilled You enjoyed The Rootstech Vibe, Alona.
You Now understand Why I Enjoy It So Much. The people You Meet are Fantastic.
The VIBE at RootsTech was awesome. You know I did have someone ask me if I’d come the RootsTech “because of all of of Jill’s raving about it”. I said that it did have some influence ;P.
RootsTech 2013 was a lot of fun because of bloggers like you! The autograph book brought back memories and your hats were signature 🙂 I look forward to seeing you next year!
Awww thank you Lynn, it was fabulous to meet you, and while keeping in touch online is one thing, there’s nothing that beats meeting a person face-to-face. Unfortunately it won’t be at RootsTech 2014 though, as I’ll be on our next genealogy cruise at that time – so I’m ‘aiming’ for 2015, so we’ll see. Till then I shall see you online! ;-D
Hi Alona,
I want to let you know that your blog post is listed in today’s Fab Finds post at http://janasgenealogyandfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2013/04/follow-fridayfab-finds-for-april-12-2013.html
Have a great weekend!