This document provides an overview of social media and how genealogists can use it. It defines social media as forms of electronic communication used to share information online. The history of social media is discussed, noting the rise of platforms like Compuserve, AOL, Google, and popular social media sites from 2002 onward. Popular social media platforms like blogs, microblogs, social networks, and media sharing sites are described along with examples of how genealogists can use each for collaboration, research, education and more. The document concludes by advising genealogists to use multiple platforms to build connections, ask for help from others, and crowdsource their research through social media.

1. The Ins & Outs of Social Media
For Genealogists
SHANNON COMBS-BENNETT

2. Housekeeping Items
• Please make sure your electronics are off
or on vibrate
• Questions will be taken at the end
• Handouts are provided for your use
• Please do not record or photograph this
session without prior permission

3. What it is and what it can do for you
DEFINING SOCIAL MEDIA

4. Defining Social Media
“forms of electronic communication (as Web
sites for social networking and microblogging)
through which users create online communities
to share information, ideas, personal
messages, and other content (as videos)”
"Social Media." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web.

5. History, or how did
this all begin?
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1969 start of Compuserve
1971 first email sent
1978 Bulletin Board System (BBS)
1991 WWW goes public
1997 AOL instant messenger
1998 Google launched
2002+ launch of many popular social
media sites
• Today…
From mediabistro.com, designed by KurosDesign.com

6. Not just for kids, and maybe it never was
People 50 and older are one of the fastest growing
groups of users
Source: jeffbullas.com , “12 Awesome Social Media Facts and Statistics for 2013”

7. To use or not to use, that is the question
• Pick and choose
• What do you want to get out of it
• Be a super user of a few
http://onlinedigitalmedia.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/social-media.jpg

8. Privacy Concerns
• Public vs Private
• What is and is not
already out there
• Monikers, aliases, and
plain old fake names

9. Examples of popular platforms and what they do
SO, WHAT’S OUT THERE

10. Blogs
• Short for weblog
– First started in 1999
• Blogger or Wordpress
• Genealogy uses
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Research logs
Cousin hunting
Topic specific
Your choice…

11. Microblogs
• Blog type with limited
size
• Words or photos
• Twitter or Tumbler
• Genealogy uses:
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Collaboration
Call to action
Education
Networking

12. Social Networks
• A place to create and
nurture connections
• Facebook or Google +
• Genealogy uses
– Collaboration
– Education
– Research help

13. Media Sharing Sites
• Pictures, Videos, Audio
• Podcasts, YouTube,
flickr, Picasa, Pintrest
• Genealogy uses
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Research
Collaboration
Cousin hunting
Education

14. Other Genealogy Specific Sites
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Genealogy Wise
GenForum
Family Tree Circles
Wikis
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FamilySearch
Ancestry
ISOGG
Familypedia

15. A brief how-to on making this all work for you
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

16. It’s all about crowdsourcing
You don’t have to work alone anymore
– Make contacts far and wide
– Saves time
– Saves resources
– Get real time results

17. Use more than one platform
• Combinations are key
- Different functions
- Different users
• Build similar
connections on each
- It’s okay to stalk your
favorites
- Build stronger
relationships
• Don’t be afraid to ask
for help

18. Example 1: Surfing the web late at night

19. Example 1: Great educational experience

20. Example 3: Education opportunities

21. Let me have it and thanks for coming!
QUESTIONS?

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