13 September 2011

GenealogyInTime Toolbar

GenealogyInTime magazine has launched a handy and free genealogy toolbar giving direct access to a free genealogy search engine, listing new genealogy records, providing a blog feed to 100+ popular genealogy bloggers, links to genealogy resources and Google gmail, and a meter with website statistics.


Amongst the over 100 popular genealogy blogger feeds are Eastman’s Online Genealogy NewsletterDear MyrtleGeneabloggersFootnote MavenThe Genealogy GuysScottish Genes and Anglo-Celtic Connections.

I can see this being very useful to me. However, I was initially reluctant to install the toolbar.

First, at present the toolbar works with Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox browsers. They account for two-thirds of the visitors to my site, but I switched to the Google Chrome browser, about 10% of visitors here, some months ago. I had to reactivate Firefox to try the toolbar.

Second, toolbars take up screen space although a couple of clicks will hide it and regain the space.

Third, installing the toolbar means Alexa can track the sites you visit.  The terms of use state:
THE TOOLBAR COLLECTS AND STORES INFORMATION FOR ALEXA ABOUT THE WEB PAGES YOU VIEW. IN SOME CASES, INFORMATION COLLECTED BY THE TOOLBAR MAY BE PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE, BUT PRIVACY IS IMPORTANT AT ALEXA, AND WE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO ANALYZE WEB USAGE DATA TO DETERMINE THE IDENTITY OF ANY TOOLBAR USER. 
You can opt out of that data collection, although that could change. The terms of use, which you have to agree to before installing the toolbar, provide:
Alexa may change any of the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement, including the Alexa Privacy Policy and other policies and guidelines governing the Toolbar, at any time in its sole discretion. NOTICE OF MATERIAL CHANGES TO THIS AGREEMENT WILL BE POSTED HERE WHEN THEY BECOME EFFECTIVE. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR REVIEWING THE NOTICE AND ANY APPLICABLE CHANGES. 
I'll be returning to my Firefox browser more often to use the GenealogyInTime toolbar.


Download the toolbar at:

1 comment:

Alison (Vancouver) said...

It's an amazing tool bar! I put in a fairly unusual name and up flashed (it was that fast) about 8 pages of references. About a dozen were useful, including giving me a whole new line of inquiry. Thanks!