[Genealogy.net-users-en] night school

genealogy.net-users-en
1

Hello Wolf,
I hesitate to comment for fear of being thought stupid. I am not only a novice genealogist but also I am not very computer literate. I peck at the keyboard with one finger, so it takes me quite a while to get things done.

This said, I think that a lot of our members are in the same boat as I am. We share a desire to find our roots and to see how they have expanded, but we don't really know what questions to ask or what to do next. Your opening remarks at the beginning of night school is that "we will take it very slow". That sounded fine and I managed to get signed up and logged in, but from there I am stuck. I do'nt know what you want on a personal page, whether it be what your goal is and how you intend to accomplish it, a story of what you have already done, or a request for a basic understanding of the search process.

Maybe I'm in over my head. If so, please tell me so that I can stop wasting both of our time.

                                                                                                    Regards,
                                                                                                    enssaxon
                                                                                                    Edward Schilling

2

Hi Wolf,

I am new to your site and to the mailing list. I would be glad to join the "night school" because I have lots of questions about research in Germany (have a great great grandfather that is difficult to place). However, the log in page keeps telling me that my password is incorrect or missing.

How do I correct this?

Personal information: I am a retired nurse. Worked for the Illinois Dept of Public Aide for several years as a billing supervisor & fraud consultant. Got interested in Genealogy when we inherited my mother-in-law's Bible. Since then I have been on the hunt for my ancestors. Will be going to the first family reunion this summer and I am working on a "book" to present during the reunion. Currently I have 1400 people & their histories (wish I could brag that I did all of this by myself) but I had the help of relatives.

So would appreciate your help with the log-in problem.

Thanks
Tonia

3

PS
Will the "night school" have a session or lession on reading old German script? I have a sheet that I use when trying to read Danish & Norwegian documents and could really use something to help with the German documents.

Thanks
Tonia

4

Hi Tonia,

I am new to your site and to the mailing list. I would be glad to
join the "night school" because I have lots of questions about
research in Germany (have a great great grandfather that is difficult
to place). However, the log in page keeps telling me that my
password is incorrect or missing. How do I correct this? So would
appreciate your help with the log-in problem.

I can tell you, that the email-address tonianielsen@msn.com is not in
the database for GenWiki!

You are registered with this emailaddress to this mailinglist, BUT these
two different things (on the one hand: databases like GenWiki, GOV .... AND on the
OTHER hand: mailinglists at genealogy.net) DO NOT have same login data!!!

I made a page for all of you who have problems with login to help yourself in a first step.

http://wiki-en.genealogy.net/wiki/Help:Forgotten_Login_data

Thats the point, which you have maybe asked yourself:

"You are not sure if you are registered yet?"

I think this page can help you a lot. Try it.

If you still have problem, write me. We can manage it. Maybe Dolores wants to affirm this :wink:

Regards
Eric

5

Hi Edward and ALL,

You did a great job in answering my Email, thanks a lot !

You pretty well covered it all and showed me exactly where
the problems are.

Just let's try to solve them one at a time.
Uwe and Eric already gave you some very good tips and
suggestions and if you still get stuck, just holler..

I hesitate to comment for fear of being thought stupid.

Edward, didn't you hear of the phrase:
" There are no stupid questions, just stupid answers"..

Well, as a matter of fact, what do you call "stupid" anyway.
We just can't know everything and it depends what kind of
"yardstick" you are using and we all started sometime, somehow
with 0.... and when I start thinking about all the things
I don't know, then I know that I know NOTHING...

I peck at the keyboard with one finger, so it takes
me quite a while to get things done.

Just join the club, Edward.. I'm just a very little advanced,
and once in while, I'm using two fingers... ;-))

Just keep practising and things will improve and your typing
speed will increase "dramatically".. However, if you ask our
members, I'm pretty sure, there aren't too many of us able
to type with all fingers.... ;-((

Your opening remarks at the beginning of night school
is that "we will take it very slow".
That sounded fine and I managed to get signed up and
logged in, but from there I am stuck.

And here starts MY problem...meaning I failed to make it
clear enough. Therefore, I urge ALL of you, if you get stuck
anywhere, just click on the "call Wolf" button, (shown on every
page) and let me know your problem..

I do'nt know what you want on a personal page.

Basically, your "Personal Page" should be a slow starting point
for you to get used of the system. You actually can start with
just entering your name, or whatever you want to. And then on your
next visit add some more data, or maybe even a picture of yourself
or of your ancestors. And that's all the things you will learn in
our "Nightschool". This will be a step-by-step process and you will
be able to add and or edit more data all the time.

The easiest way to start this, go to :
http://wiki-en.genealogy.net/wiki/Help:Sign-in_for_Nightschool

and if you are already signed up go to your name and click
on "Personal Page" on the right of your name.
On the following page click on the edit tab on top and then
just start typing..

Before you leave, don't forget to click on the "Save page"
button. If you make a "boo-boo", there is nothing to worry,
EVERYTHING can be reversed easily...

Come on, give it a try....

Once we are through with the basic knowledge of the WIKI,
we will get to the "juwels" of the Genealogy.net databases like
FOKO, GEDBAS.. and many more...

Maybe I'm in over my head. If so, please tell me so that I
can stop wasting both of our time.

What do you mean, Edward ??

You are only wasting both of our time when you give up early,
but since we do NOT have ANY "giver uppers" amongst us this
this doesn't apply..

See you all in "Nightschool"...

Have a nice day,

Wolf

6

Hi all,

And here starts MY problem...meaning I failed to make it
clear enough. Therefore, I urge ALL of you, if you get stuck
anywhere, just click on the "call Wolf" button, (shown on every
page) and let me know your problem..

all of you can ask here, too!! You should ask your questions to the whole list. This way, you would help others too, who might have the same question and are just afraid to ask them...

At the same time you would take some of the load of Wolf's shoulders...

We have a few people in our list which are pretty good with the WIKI and they are able to answer your questions.

I do'nt know what you want on a personal page.

Ok, did you watched personal pages from some other users!? Maybe you get some ideas, to put similar things on your page.

http://wiki-en.genealogy.net/wiki/Category:GenWiki-Authors

This is a category where several user pages are collected. Check them out.

Regards,
Eric

7

Hello Eric and the rest of the list,

Eric wrote:

all of you can ask here, too!! You should ask your questions to the
whole list. This way, you would help others too, who might have the same
question and are just afraid to ask them...

I am one of them.....afraid to ask. And even when I ask, I don't always understand or it doesn't work out and then I don't ask the second time, but just stay quiet and hopefully learn from some other emails......

Greetings - SMILE
Sabina.

8

Sabina
If you are concerned about asking a question, send it to me privately & I will ask the list--there is a lot I don't know about German research. I have developed a reputation of not being afraid of speaking up (one of the "perks" of being older & retired).

Tonia

9

Thank you Tonia for the very kind offer but Eric has done a fantastic job so far. It's just me lacking time and rushing and not paying enough attention. Then I end up with having to ask a second time - or a third and God forbid, that's when one starts feeling stupid.

I will dedicate more time to GenWiki soon and perhaps then start asking questions.

Greetings from Canada
Sabina.