Congratulations for getting past that title! What is she on about? Do read on ...!
Like many others, I'm off to WDYTYA Live at the NEC in Birmingham at the end of this week and was reviewing the many different interesting workshops that are on offer, several of which I am looking forward to attending. However, in discussion with a fellow genie, I felt compelled to resort to one of my erstwhile rants, declaring that I would be giving a miss to anyone lazy enough to include that sledgehammer of a genealogical hook - "Brick Walls!" - in their title. And sure enough, there are at least 4 (possibly 5 if you count "Overcoming Trench Walls") talks all trying to lure you in with promises of "learning to love them" / "psyching them out" / "breaking them down" / "tackling them in London". Now, I'm sure that all the speakers will have something unique and useful to offer in the way of advice and I ought to attend them all before I pass judgement, but that's my point - I won't be as the talk title is a massive turn-off for me.
It's exactly the same with the main family history magazines and their websites. Those of a statistical bent could while away a rainy Sunday I'm sure, going over back issues and counting up with nauseating frequency how often we are treated to the same articles over and over again on the topic of rendering genealogical masonry to dust. Yes, there is often very useful advice in these articles and everyone, including me, will benefit from inspiration at certain times in their research. But I'm sorry but could we possibly change how we visualise the challenge every once in a while?
When you think you've reached a stop in your research, it's not that the genealogical equivalent of the former East German border guards have maliciously thrown up an impenetrable barrier in your way that it is going to take all your intellectual might to break through and leave you weeping at bruised knuckles. It's a bit more like the maps of old where everything went a bit vague in the blue bits at the edges - you know "Here be Dragons" territory! Actually, when you reach a stop, essentially you've come to the edge of the map of your known world of genealogical resources and knowledge and it's all gone a bit blank. But that can be exciting too. Where to next? Time to think about exploring new countries (e.g. new resources and not just those on-line) or specific back-roads (e.g. researching siblings.) Think of it more as learning to navigate a new expedition into the past, not a series of demolition jobs. Genealogy is a journey, not a building site.
Pedantics of language? Absolutely! But who knows, it might stop old cynics like me in my tracks!
Like many others, I'm off to WDYTYA Live at the NEC in Birmingham at the end of this week and was reviewing the many different interesting workshops that are on offer, several of which I am looking forward to attending. However, in discussion with a fellow genie, I felt compelled to resort to one of my erstwhile rants, declaring that I would be giving a miss to anyone lazy enough to include that sledgehammer of a genealogical hook - "Brick Walls!" - in their title. And sure enough, there are at least 4 (possibly 5 if you count "Overcoming Trench Walls") talks all trying to lure you in with promises of "learning to love them" / "psyching them out" / "breaking them down" / "tackling them in London". Now, I'm sure that all the speakers will have something unique and useful to offer in the way of advice and I ought to attend them all before I pass judgement, but that's my point - I won't be as the talk title is a massive turn-off for me.
It's exactly the same with the main family history magazines and their websites. Those of a statistical bent could while away a rainy Sunday I'm sure, going over back issues and counting up with nauseating frequency how often we are treated to the same articles over and over again on the topic of rendering genealogical masonry to dust. Yes, there is often very useful advice in these articles and everyone, including me, will benefit from inspiration at certain times in their research. But I'm sorry but could we possibly change how we visualise the challenge every once in a while?
When you think you've reached a stop in your research, it's not that the genealogical equivalent of the former East German border guards have maliciously thrown up an impenetrable barrier in your way that it is going to take all your intellectual might to break through and leave you weeping at bruised knuckles. It's a bit more like the maps of old where everything went a bit vague in the blue bits at the edges - you know "Here be Dragons" territory! Actually, when you reach a stop, essentially you've come to the edge of the map of your known world of genealogical resources and knowledge and it's all gone a bit blank. But that can be exciting too. Where to next? Time to think about exploring new countries (e.g. new resources and not just those on-line) or specific back-roads (e.g. researching siblings.) Think of it more as learning to navigate a new expedition into the past, not a series of demolition jobs. Genealogy is a journey, not a building site.
Pedantics of language? Absolutely! But who knows, it might stop old cynics like me in my tracks!