The family is your link to the past -
It is also your bridge to the future.
Twelve years ago, 5 CUE members started meeting at Dave Howell's house to form a Special Interest Group (SIG) focusing on how computing can assist those researching their family ancestors. None of us possessed expertise in genealogical research. One might say we were driving by the "seat of our collective pants" in our quest for the right tools to do the job.
We decided that we first needed a quick, convenient means to record, organize, store, and print out family trees and narratives in book form. The group reviewed several software packages, rating each one using criteria such as ease of use, breadth of functions, charting ability, price, etc. And the winner was, Legacy 3.0, and still is today - only it's now up to Legacy 7.0. This software is so vast with a plethora of features to meet just about all the needs we can ask of it. It does not disappoint even the most experienced genealogist.
From this point one, we set out to explore the immensely expanding sources of genealogical data. At the time, we estimated about 70,000 websites containing ancestral data. Today, the number of sites is well into the hundreds of thousands! We quickly learned that we needed to zero in on the more useful search engines that can do a decent job of getting the information we need. Sure, we can "Google" it. And we were surprised at how effective it can be under certain circumstances.
Using a list of features we felt important for a website to possess, we did come up with and published a list of about 70 useful websites. In the process of searching out the more prominent research engines, we were able to secure a "group subscription" to Ancestry.com. Through our SIG, most of our members subscribe to, and use, Ancestry.com from the comfort of their homes anytime of the day or night!
While achieving these milestones over the years, we have vastly improved our collective (and individual) knowledge on the "how to's" and "whereabouts" of genealogical research. The group has available to it many articles specializing in many different areas of genealogy that help members do their research. This dedication to genealogical research is largely responsible for our current status as the largest SIG in C.U.E.
Currently, we are viewing a series of tutorials on how to use Legacy 7.0. We also entertain problems anyone is having with their personal research and discuss tips and the latest in genealogical research.
Dave Howell, SIG Coordinator (by default!)
814-866-7308
Regular meetings held:
7 PM, the first Tuesday of the month
usually at 3904 Myrtle Street
Erie, PA 16508
RSVPs are appreciated.