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Sherlock's Genealogical Adventures

Follow Sherlock on his adventures into genealogical mysteries.

1 minute reading time (234 words)

HELLO! What a fantastic piece of technology!

General Genealogy

Tim Firkowski

Friday, 03 February 2012

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Its only been a few days since I have been here in Salt Lake City for the Rootstech Conference, but I have discovered an amazing technology that I feel I must share with everyone. This technology is a must have for all genealogists and it costs almost nothing.

OK, now that I have your curiousity up, you are asking yourself... What is he talking about? Please spill the beans! It is the simple and inexpensive act of saying "HELLO".

It is so wonderful to be able to put out your hand and say hello. I have been meeting so many new people, most of them I had only met on Facebook or Second Life. This opportunity to network is one of the greatest tools we have as genealogist and probably one of the most effective. Not only can it help our business, but also recharge our research batteries. We can hear about all of each others problems and successes. You get to learn that you are not alone and have the opportunity to learn something new without having to attend a lecture or workshop.

The venue can be as simple as a few chairs in the Hotel Lobby. One such gathering the other day taught me all about "The Genealogy Bump" this is the act of using smart phones to pass along contact information between other genealogists. The demonstration had mixed results, but it was still interesting.

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About the author

Tim Firkowski

I have been doing genealogy research since 2002 & have worked full time as a Professional Genealogist since 2008. I specialize in Polish and American-Canadian Genealogy. As a member of APG, I was the 2010/2011 President of the New England Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists (NEAPG). I have Certificates of Completion for studies in "Foundations of Forensic Genealogy" and "Advanced Forensic Genealogy Techniques". I have been a volunteer librarian at the local Family History Center, and a genealogy research consultant at “Ask the Expert” Ancestry Road Shows. I have traveled to Poland numerous times & researched in churches and archives. At conferences and special events, you may find me dressed up in my Sherlock Holmes outfit, or my Kujawy (the folk costume from the region in Poland where my ancestors came from).