[Genealogy] Genealogy Blasphemy and More

Tue Aug 11 07:29:06 CDT 2026

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Genealogy Update 11 August 2026

** Genealogy Blasphemy
** Problem-Solving With NotebookLM--don't miss it
** Full-Text Searching at FamilySearch--still time to get

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Genealogical Blasphemy
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*From a while back, but still true. *

As an off-the-cuff remark to a question after a presentation I made at the
Southern California Genealogy Jamboree recently, I said something to the
effect that we didn’t need to know every minute detail of our ancestor’s
lives.

It was not a slip of the tongue.

There were quite a few looks from the audience indicating that some could
not believe what I had said. A genealogist who believes that we don’t need
to know absolutely everything about our ancestors? Yes. I am a genealogist
who thinks we really don’t need to know every detail of our ancestor’s life
or our ancestors’ lives. Singular or plural, it makes no difference.

I’m not talking about information that is in publicly available records.
I’m not talking about restricting any access to public information or
closing records. Not by a long shot. My comment had nothing to do with
public records of any sort nor restricting access to those records or the
information they contain.

And for a variety of reasons, I think it’s beneficial to have a knowledge
of your family’s health history.

But I think there’s a limit.

The dead need some privacy and there are some details that are better left
to the dustbins of history. There are some family squabbles for which we
don’t need to have a detailed, blow-by-blow account. It is often sufficient
to know that there was “bad blood” between two individuals and what the
cause of that “bad blood” was. The minute details are not always necessary.
If I witnessed a fight between two brothers at their father’s funeral that
resulted in extreme name-calling and their mother returning to the funeral
car in tears, I’m not certain anyone is served by a multi-page account of
the event. Knowing they argued over their father’s estate from the moment
he died is probably sufficient.

And if, for whatever reason, we only have “part” of the story, then we
should only report that part which we know from our own first hand
knowledge and experience. If  I personally saw that relative A and relative
B did not get along (because I never witnessed them speaking to each other
at family functions, was told to never seat them at the same table,
witnessed a few [or a great deal of] verbal spars between them, etc.) but
have no idea what caused the problem, then I should not speculate in my
records about what the problem was.

Because if I do not know, then I do not know. I should stick to what I know.

Is it blasphemy to say that we don’t need to know every minute detail of
our ancestors’ lives? I don’t think so.

I’m reasonably certain that most of us have a detail or two we would like
to take to our graves as well.

We are researching these long-deceased individuals, we’re not necessarily
their personal confidant.

*Intro price  ($23)  ending today 10 August--save $5*

*We are excited to announce this completely new program!*

Problem-Solving with NotebookLM

Unlock your family history with the power of AI!
[image: image.png]

Michael John Neill’s presentation, "Genealogy Problem-Solving with
Notebook," provides a comprehensive guide to using Google’s free NotebookLM
platform to revolutionize your research.The presentation is down-to-earth,
practical, and…not full of AI hype and exaggeration.

This session explores how genealogists can upload up to 50 diverse
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files—to create a centralized research hub . Neill demonstrates practical
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decks directly from their documents.

Beyond technical setup, the presentation emphasizes responsible AI use.
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Whether you are looking to transcribe audio recordings or compare your own
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<https://michael-john-neill.dpdcart.com/cart/buy?product_id=250942&product_price_id=274053&gateway=paypal>.
View as often as you want.

-------------------------
Full-Text Searching at FamilySearch Webinar
-------------------------

No Monkeying Around!
[image: image.png]
** FamilySearch Full-Text Webinar August 2026 Version Released

We're excited!

We have finally released our updated webinar on using
FamilySearch's full-text search. If you pre-ordered this presentation and
did not get your download link, please let me know.

We talk about various ways to use the advanced search--keywords, wildcards,
places, dates, searching versus filtering, and more.

This updated presentation is an hour long, includes discussion on full-text
search strategies, options and includes an extensive handout. Presentation
style is clear, informal, and practical.

Learn how to get the most from full-text search and what search options are
available. Full-text search is more than just typing a few words in boxes
and hoping for the best.

Save $10 (extended for one day--last day is 8 August) by ordering now
<https://michael-john-neill.dpdcart.com/cart/add?product_id=246272&method_id=268990>---download
is immediate. View as often as you like. No streaming.

Order your copy today at the intro price of $25
<https://michael-john-neill.dpdcart.com/cart/add?product_id=246272&method_id=268990>--regularly
$35.

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Michael John Neill
Genealogy Tip of the Day
PO Box 17
Henderson, IL 61439
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