DAWESROOTS

A couple of days back I commented on how OGS is missing the boat by running old-fashioned essay competitions rather than a 21st-century equivalent which would appeal more to the younger generation.

M. Diane Rogers pointed out that "it's not only the young working with the 'new media' either. Some of us grandparents aren't paper bound anymore."

Diane's point was reinforced for me when Bob Dawes, one of the leaders in Quinte Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society, drew my attention to his new blog at www.dawesroots.blogspot.com/ "intended for those who are interested in the genealogy of Thomas DAWES / DAWS / DAW who was born in Hadlow, Kent, England about 1809 and married Ann LANGRIDGE in Lewes, Sussex, England on 10 November 1834."

We all know it's a good idea to write our family history but that can be quite daunting when you think about completing a whole book. Writing a blog for your family history is one way to cut the challenge down to size, and makes the information available for Internet cousins to find.

With increasing effort to archive the Web it's also a way you can preserve your family history research for that time, perhaps decades in the future, when one of your descendants or members of your extended family become curious about their roots.

As a bonus, Bob tells me it has already stimulated some of his UK Internet cousins to research common lines.