[Genealogy] Posting Online and Known to Unknown

[Michael John Neill]

Need to unsubscribe? Manage here
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/mailman/listinfo/genealogy_genealogytipoftheday.com>
.

12 January 2026

** When You Post Something Online
** Full Text Webinar at FamilySearch 2026 Version--Intro Price Ending
** Working from the Known to the Unknown


--------------------------
When You Post Something Online
--------------------------

A few reminders based upon personal experience and reality about posting
something in a blog or any online forum–genealogy-related or not:

   - You do not know who will read your content.
   - You cannot control how people react to that information.
   - You cannot control where or how people respond to what you posted.
   - No one has to ask your permission to have a reaction to what you wrote.
   - Someone may “use” your information without asking. They may or may not
   give you credit. They may even violate copyright law. How you pursue that
   violation depends on your time, skill level, financial status, etc.
   - If you are going to get in a snit over how someone reacts to what you
   posted, do not post it.
   - People may be hurtful, mean, or downright nasty in their response. It
   may not be fair, it may not be nice, but it happens.

The only person whose reaction you control is your own.


-----------------------------

January 2026 Full-Text Search at FamilySearch Webinar

Intro price ENDING--regularly $37.50--save $7.50

-----------------------------

We’re excited to offer this revised presentation on the full-text searching
at *FamilySearch*--reflecting changes made to the site since this was
recorded in August 2025. We’ve redesigned our presentation as this
functionality continues to change. And…we have an extensive handout
complete with forms to help you find more people.

If you have purchased an earlier version of this presentation--email me at
mjnrootdig at gmail.com for the code to order this revision for $10.
Fully Utilizing Full-Text Search: Revised for January 2026

Your purchase includes:

   - *A 90 minute (or more presentation)* you can view as often as you want.
   - *Detailed handout* with charts and forms to help organize your
   searches. Charts and forms sent as separate files you can edit and
   customize and not as a locked PDF you have to re-create yourself as a new
   document.

We’ll be including and discussing:

*Determining what is in Full-Text Search—*what you can access at home and
what you will have to be in a FamilySearch facility or affiliate to access.

*Seeing How AI Transcriptions are different*—they aren’t like the
transcriptions made by humans. That can change your approach.

*Remembering that Full-Text means every word*—approaches need to differ as
we aren’t looking up a name in an index any more.

*Asking Who* is in the record? We aren’t just searching for the main person
like we did with traditional indexes. We’ll discuss how to determine who
could be mentioned in a record.

*Determining How to search?* There are a variety of ways to search and
filter results. We’ll see how each one works to help determine the best
strategy.

*Creating search strategies*—how full-text search changes your approach and
why just dumping terms in search boxes is not always effective.

*Determining what you found* The interface does not always make this clear.
We will show you how to get beyond the confusion and help you get enough
detail for a citation.

*Creating effective problem-solving approaches*—what to do when you cannot
find something you want.

*Demonstrating practical examples*—completely new people and families from
our previous presentations.

Available for immediate download for $30
<https://michael-john-neill.dpdcart.com/cart/add?product_id=246272&method_id=268990>.
Complete handout included and additional forms.

-------------------

Common Names When Using Full-Text Search?

-------------------

Having difficulties with common names when using the full-text search at
FamilySearch? Take a look at our presentation on this very topic.

Common Name webinar:

https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2025/11/04/common-names-at-familysearch-full-text-webinar/

-----------------------

-----------------------------

Working from the Known to the Unknown

-----------------------------

“Working from the known to the unknown” is advice often given to beginning
genealogists. The premise is that it is best to begin family history
research with the individuals about whom you know something, using what is
known about those individuals to connect them to earlier people in their
family. It’s a valid piece of advise and generally is a successful approach.

But there’s another way in which that phrase is applicable to genealogical
research as well.

If you are trying to read script in a foreign language, don’t start with
something in 1600. Use records in that language in a much later time
period. The script will be easier to read. The records may have column
headings to help you become familiar with the words and the handwriting. As
your skill level increases, work your way back in time–researching earlier
families. The handwriting will become more difficult to read, the column
headings won’t be in the records, and you’ll have to up your skill level.
But having a grounding in the basics, by using those later records, will
make it easier to transition to earlier records. Of course the handwriting
will change, the words may be different, and the structure of the records
may be a little less organized. But you’ll be better equipped to handle.

The same can be send for those who want to read 17th century Virginia land
patents. Transcribe later records, even if this involves records on
families you “already know have been done.” Reading 17th Virginia land
patents is difficult if you’ve never read a deed from the 18th century or
even the early 19th century. Build your skill level.

The same is true for understanding the basics of DNA. If you have matches
from families that are well documented, review those matches. See who they
share and who they don’t. Review those matches and the shared segments of
DNA they have. Try and map the chromosomes as best you can–on those
families that you “already know.” You may discover that you don’t know
everything you think you do, but at the very least your understanding of
DNA analysis and research will be improved. And *that* will help you to
analyze those matches where you don’t know any of the underlying family
structure from paper records.

Working from the known to the unknown doesn’t just apply to the people you
research.

It also applies to how you research.

-----------------------
Unsubscribing?
----------------------
*Need to unsubscribe? Do so at:*
*https://genealogytipoftheday.com/mailman/listinfo/genealogy_genealogytipoftheday.com
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/mailman/listinfo/genealogy_genealogytipoftheday.com>*

--
--
------------------------------------
Michael John Neill
Genealogy Tip of the Day
http://www.genealogytipoftheday.com
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://genealogytipoftheday.com/pipermail/genealogy_genealogytipoftheday.com/attachments/20260112/018ded67/attachment-0001.html>