Author: Grant Brunner

The Federation of Genealogy Societies is holding their annual conference in Springfield, Illinois from the 7th to the 10th of this month. There will be many classes and panels available at the conference for those of you looking for more genealogy training. If you’re interested in coming, here is the information you need about how to register at the event. Geni is proud to have a booth at the 2011 FGS Conference, so we hope… Read the full story

In this episode, Grant sits down with Geni Pro member Bee Dalton to discuss how she uses Geni for her family research. We’re very pleased to talk to Bee, and we want to have more users on the podcast. If you’re interested in participating, please email Grant with your contact information.

Today we are happy to announce a brand new giveaway! This go ’round, we’re offering a three-month Geni Pro account along with a copy of the Geni Charting Companion to five lucky winners. Here’s the full breakdown: How to Enter 1) Tweet this phrase: Hey! @geni is giving away free Pro accounts. Details here: http://tinyurl.com/GeniPro #genealogy 2) Post a link to your Tweet in the comments below this post on the Geni Blog. Rules 1… Read the full story

We posted earlier this week that the tree display bug had been identified as a problem with Adobe Flash. As of today, Adobe officially released the latest minor update to Flash Player to version 10.3.183.7. Reportedly, updating to this latest release will fix the bug that caused text to display vertically instead of horizontally. Unfortunately, there is still a small bug in this release that relates to the names wrapping improperly. We’re still talking to… Read the full story

Beginning earlier this month, a portion of Geni users have been noticing the names in their tree displaying vertically. As soon as we started receiving reports of this issue, our engineers began investigating why some users were seeing this bug while others weren’t. As it turns out, this is a problem in the latest version of Adobe Flash. We’ve been working with the folks at Adobe, and they intend to release a fix for this… Read the full story

Last weekend, I spent my saturday in a small town in Ohio. That town is where my father’s family has been for generations, and it’s where our annual family reunion is held. Since I was going to be using this reunion as a way to collect and disseminate genealogical information, I decided it was worthwhile to let you folks in on how everything went down, and what I learned from it. As it turns out,… Read the full story

Interested in seeing what happened earlier in the week at IAJGS 2011 in Washington, D.C.? Take a look at some of the pictures we took while we were there: It was a very interesting conference, and we were very happy to see dozens of Geni users there. We’d like to see more of that in the future, so we’re going to make sure you all know when and where you can come see us in… Read the full story

[Download This Episode] [Subscribe in iTunes] [Subscribe in Your Favorite Podcatcher] Show Notes: How did you get started with Genealogy? I got started back in the early 1990s when my mother handed me a copy of a printed genealogy one of my ancestors had created in 1916. George W. Putman was my 6th cousin 5 times removed and he published The Genealogy of David Putman and His Descendants, 1645-1916 (view digital version online here). Only… Read the full story

If you’re going to be in the Washington, D.C. area from the 14th to the 19th of August, please make sure to stop by the Grand Hyatt Washington to visit our booth at the 2011 IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy. We’ll be there in full force with a good bit of swag to give out to all of you. We love talking to fellow genealogists and Geni users, so don’t hesitate at all to… Read the full story

[Download This Episode] [Subscribe in iTunes] [Subscribe in Your Favorite Podcatcher] Show Notes:   What is a genealogy research log? A research log is used to track your genealogy research findings whether they are online or in person at an archive or a library. Most genealogists need some system of tracking the information and evidence they locate in order to determine whether or not that data proves a relationship or a theory. Very often, as… Read the full story

I took some time recently to sit down with the folks at MobiWolf to talk about their wonderful Geni client for Android phones called GeneDroid. If you use an Android device, take a moment to read through this Q&A. And of course, we’d love for you to check out GeneDroid for yourself. What does GeneDroid offer? Access to the biggest genealogy database Geni from your handset. GeneDroid – it is an easy to navigate family… Read the full story

Last weekend, George and I were in Kansas representing Geni at the Midwest Family History Expo. We got to talk to hundreds of enthusiastic genealogists, and a bunch of Geni fans. We had two presentations about collaborative genealogy, and we also participated with Ruby Coleman, Arlene Eakle, and Holly Hansen in a blogging panel. Everyone who attended learned something, and that means a lot to us. We’re happy to be raising awareness of collaborative genealogy…. Read the full story

Recently, Geni had its fifth anniversary. In celebration, the whole crew took a day off to race go-karts, eat fondue, and reminisce. At this point, Geni is a fantastic amalgam of veteran employees and new blood. A constant flow of fresh ideas along with the strong foundation we’ve built over the last five years have made Geni what it is today. No matter how long the employees have been with the company, it truly feels… Read the full story

[Download This Episode] [Subscribe in iTunes] [Subscribe in Your Favorite Podcatcher] What is a family reunion and how can I get started organizing one for my family? Family reunions are as unique as families themselves and they come in all shapes, sizes and formats. For most families, a family reunion is held on an annual basis, and during the summer here in the United States, where family members get together to share a meal and… Read the full story

[Download This Episode] [Subscribe in iTunes] [Subscribe in Your Favorite Podcatcher] Geni Podcast: Interview with Dick Eastman by Geni, Inc. In this episode, Geni.com sits down with Dick Eastman of Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter to discuss his background in genealogy, blogging, and how his newsletter has changed over the past 15 years.

The LA Latino International Film Festival started on Sunday, so today we’re happy to celebrate a few well known Latinos from Los Angeles. Antonio Villaraigosa, 41st Mayor of Los Angeles, is an LA native. Born to a father from Mexico and a mother of Mexican descent, Villaraigosa has strongly supported the latino community. Interestingly, his maternal grandparents both came over from Mexico in the early 1900s. Villaraigosa’s grandfather worked as a merchant in the LA area… Read the full story

[Download This Episode] [Subscribe in iTunes] [Subscribe in Your Favorite Podcatcher] In this episode, Thomas and Grant dicuss collateral and cluster searches in regards to genealogy. Learn how you can gain information about your ancestors by learning more about history.

Today marks the 244th anniversary of the birth of John Quincy Adams — Sixth President of the United States. But did you know he did much, much more in his career besides serve as President? He also served as: US Representitive Secretary of State Ambassador to the UK Ambassador to Russia Ambassador to Prussia State Senator of MA Any single one of the positions would make for an illustrious career. Truly, he was a massive… Read the full story

Profile of the Day Profile of the Day: Diana, Princess of Wales Profile of the Day: Lena Horne Profile of the Day: Antoine de Saint-Exupery Profile of the Day: Archduke Franz Ferdinand Profile of the Day: Peter Falk Interesting Geni Blog Posts Featured Project: Signers of the Declaration of Independence Researching Bounty Land Warrants Free Geni Webinar Family Tree Tuesday – Aldous Huxley From the Genealogy Community Don’t Wait for the 1940 Census Don Grant,… Read the full story

Happy 4th of July, everyone! Today is a federal holiday here in the United States; a day dedicated to remembering the conceptual birth of America. Since many of us have today off, it’s a great time to read up about the history of Independence Day. As featured recently, we have a great project on Geni called Signers of the “Declaration of Independence”: Colonial America in 1776 Project. This is a great place to start, but… Read the full story

Todight’s Webinar: Creating and working with Projects on Geni.com Tonight at 8:00 PM ET, we’ll will be hosting a free webinar that will show you how to successfully participate in and create Projects. Space is limited, so register for your spot now. Don’t wait! Don’t forget that we post every webinar we do at GeniWebinars.com for you to watch at your leisure.

Profile of the Day Profile of the Day: Sonia Sotomayor Profile of the Day: George Clooney Profile of the Day: Erich Maria Remarque Profile of the Day: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge Profile of the Day: Errol Flynn Interesting Geni Blog Posts Featured Project: Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court Special Census Records Public Editing for Pros Geni Podcast: Securing Your Genealogy Family Tree Tuesday – The Wright Brothers From the Genealogy Community EOGN Podcast:… Read the full story

[Download This Episode] [Subscribe in iTunes] [Subscribe in Your Favorite Podcatcher] Geni Podcast: Securing Your Genealogy by Geni, Inc. In this episode, Thomas MacEntee and Grant Brunner discuss making sure that your genealogy is secure. We don’t want to lose any of our hard work, so listen to some of these great tips about security. Show Notes: How should I preserve original documents and photos for future generations? Preserving documents and photos is getting more… Read the full story

Profile of the Day Profile of the Day: Edward I, King of England Profile of the Day: Henry Ford Profile of the Day: Courteney Cox Profile of the Day: Betsy Ross Profile of the Day: Roy Orbison Interesting Geni Blog Posts Happy Father’s Day Featured Project: The War of 1812 Do You Have a Criminal in Your Family Tree? Colorado Family History Expo June 24th-25th Geni Podcast: Interview with Noah Tutak and Charles Edmonds Jamboree… Read the full story

Heading into Father’s Day in the United States, we thought it would be fun to pull some interesting facts about fatherhood from the World Family Tree and share them with you in this infographic. Here’s to dads everywhere!

The Colorado Family History Expo is being held June 24th-25th in Loveland, CO. Geni will be there in full force, so we want to see you there. If you’ll be attending this show, please stop by the Geni booth for some great free swag, Geni demos, and special offers. If you won’t be able to make it to the Colorado FHE show, stay tuned to our Facebook and Twitter accounts for all the details from… Read the full story

Betsy Ross was an American seamstress and upholsterer who has been widely credited with making the first American flag. Because of this, she is one of the most notable women related to the American Revolutionary War. Take a look at her tree to see if you’re related to her. View Betsy Ross’s Geni Profile

[Download This Episode] [Subscribe in iTunes] [Subscribe in Your Favorite Podcatcher] Show Notes: In this episode, Grant sits down with two members of the Geni team: Noah Tutak and Charles Edmonds. Noah, the CEO of Geni, Inc. lets us in on how he got introduced to Geni, and some of his favorite features. Charles, the Customer Service Manager, lets users know how to go about getting help and information. This episode is jam-packed with information,… Read the full story

From Friday the 10th until Sunday the 12th, we were out in full effect at SCGS’s Jamboree 2011. We had a great booth filled with free swag and conference specials. Also, we were proud to sponsor an incredibly fun Ice Cream Social for GeneaBloggers. Don’t forget that we’ll be at the Loveland, Colorado Family History Expo. If you’ll be in the area, you’ll be able to meet the Geni team as well as get some… Read the full story

Profile of the Day Profile of the Day: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Profile of the Day: Diane Lane Profile of the Day: Frank Lloyd Wright Profile of the Day: Louis XIV Profile of the Day: Dwight D. Eisenhower Interesting Geni Blog Posts Geni Podcast: AncestorSync Naturalization Records Babies in Geni Onesies Family Tree Tuesday – Elvis Presley From the Genealogy Community Amy Coffin’s four-part Jamboree recap: 1, 2, 3, 4 Randy Seaver’s four-part Jamboree… Read the full story

[Download This Episode] [Subscribe in iTunes] [Subscribe in Your Favorite Podcatcher] Show Notes: In this episode, Grant sits down with Dovy and Earl of Real-Time Collaboration to discuss their brand new product: AncestorSync. If you’re interested in learning about how to sync your data between your desktop client and Geni.com, listen on. These folks have a lot to offer in this episode. You’ll learn a lot.

At genealogy shows, we love to give out Geni onesies to parents, grandparents, uncles, and aunts. All we ask in return is that those family members send us a picture of their little one in the onesie. Today, we’re showcasing the first picture we received. As more come in, we’re happy to show them off to all of you. If you have pictures of your baby in a Geni onsie, don’t hesitate to e-mail it… Read the full story

Profile of the Day Angelina Jolie George Orwell Helen Keller Audie Murphy Interesting Geni Blog Posts Geni Podcast: Helping Others with Genealogy Featured Project: Salem Witch Trials Tamura Jones Previews AncestorSync School Records as a Genealogy Resource Family Tree Tuesday – Emily Dickinson From the Genealogy Community Better Than Soundex This Is The Face of Genealogy DNA Day at the Clayton Genealogy Library They Did Not Photoshop Their Birth Record Ask an Archivist Day on… Read the full story

[Download This Episode] [Subscribe in iTunes] [Subscribe in Your Favorite Podcatcher] Show Notes: Why should I help others with their genealogy? For me the question is more “why not help others with their genealogy?” Most of us had some sort of mentor or person who welcomed us into the world of genealogy whether it was a relative, a librarian, or a staff member at a Family History Center. I can’t say why it seems that… Read the full story

If you’re interested in learning more about the very exciting product from Real-Time Collaboration called AncestorSync, you’ll want to read the in-depth AncestorSync Preview by Tamura Jones. This long-form preview really shows off how impressive the technology is. If you’re a user of desktop software, Geni, or both, you should be very excited about the possibilities of AncestorSync. Also of note, Dovy (of Real-Time Collaboration fame) and I recently did a webinar showing off some… Read the full story

Profile of the Day Profile of the Day: Vincent Price Profile of the Day: Bram Stoker Profile of the Day: Oprah Winfrey Profile of the Day: Queen Victoria Profile of the Day: Douglas Fairbanks Interesting Geni Blog Posts Geni Podcast: The Problem with GEDCOM Featured Project: U.S. Civil War Notables Your Family Bible Family Tree Tuesday – Christopher Reeve Come See The Geni Team at Jamboree June 10-12 Free Webinar this Friday: How to use… Read the full story

[Download This Episode] [Subscribe in iTunes] [Subscribe in Your Favorite Podcatcher] Show Notes: Transferring Your Genealogy Database Data Many of us use genealogy database programs such as Legacy Family Tree, RootsMagic or Family Tree Maker to track our genealogy research and data. These programs often require and installation on your computer and a proprietary data file format is used. However, there are methods you can use to transfer data between these programs.  Why would you… Read the full story

June 10th through the 12, the Southern California Genealogical Society will be holding this year’s Jamboree in Burbank, CA. Geni will be there in full force. We’re based out of LA, so we’ll be making sure everyone has a good time. If you want to get some face time with the Geni staff, this is your best opportunity of the year. If you’re not already registered, please make sure you take care of that as… Read the full story

No more need for messy GEDCOM import/export where data gets mangled and lost. Let AncestorSync and Geni be your seamless interface for moving your family tree data anywhere you would like without losing any of your important data. Sources, photos, and documents are all kept in tact. Best of all, AncetorSync will keep your desktop software in sync with Geni.com automatically. GEDCOM is so yesterday. At 8:00 PM ET on May 27th, Geni.com will be… Read the full story

Profile of the Day Profile of the Day: Levi Strauss Profile of the Day: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Profile of the Day: Napoleon Bonaparte Profile of the Day: Johnny Depp Profile of the Day: Joan of Arc Interesting Geni Blog Posts Featured Project: Age of Discovery (1200-1600) What is a Gazetteer? Winners of the Family Tree Magazine and Geni Giveaway Family Tree Tuesday – Katharine Hepburn Free Webinar: Collaborative Genealogy on Geni.com Create Charts with Geni… Read the full story

We are proud to announce the winners of the Family Tree Magazine and Geni Facebook giveaway. Grand prize: Sadie Morgan Second prize: Kim Cotton Lori Pilla Laura Ramsay We will attempt to contact all of the winners as soon as possible. Thanks so much for taking the time to enter.

We’re very excited to announce that our first Webinar will be held today at 7:30 PM ET at GeniWebinars.com. Go there to register, and you’ll be walked through how to connect to the Webinar quickly and easily. In this webinar, you’ll be shown how collaborative genealogy works, and why it’s so important. Don’t hesitate to join in. It’s free!

We’re very proud to announce that TreeSeek is now completely integrated with Geni. You can now log in with your Geni account, and make some really great charts of your family tree for free. It’s simple and fast, so here’s how you do it: Step 1: Log in with your Geni.com credentials. Step 2: Create your tree by picking a profile to center on. For example, you’re the central person by default. Step 3: Pick… Read the full story

We spent the last week in Charleston, South Carolina at NGS 2011. Hundreds of free Geni tees, onesies, thumb drives, and brochures later, we’re all back safely in good ol’ Los Angeles. Also, we were very pleased to be demoing AncestorSync with the SharingTime folks. You’ll be learning much more about that project in the coming weeks. Very exciting stuff coming out. If you’re interested in seeing Geni’s booth in person, come see us at… Read the full story

Profile of the Day Profile of the Day: James K. Polk Profile of the Day: Florence Nightingale Profile of the Day: Constantine the Great Profile of the Day: Louis XVI Profile of the Day: Nelson Mandela Interesting Geni Blog Posts Geni Podcast: Memory Keeping Geni At NGS 2011 NGS 2011 with Dear Myrtle and Gordon Clarke From the Genealogy Community Genealogical/Historical Societies Using Social Media War of 1812 Privateers update #NGS2011: AncestorSync and Geni South… Read the full story

We’re in full force here at NGS. Take a look at some of the great people we’ve been working with this week. Here is Grant giving the thumbs-up with Gordon Clarke of FamilySearch: Here is Grant high-fiving Dear Myrtle:

Hey, everyone! I just wanted to take a second to remind you that we’re out in full force at NGS 2011. If you’re here in Charleston, don’t hesitate to come by, say hi, and get some really nice swag. If you’re not in South Carolina this week, play the home game by checking out our Twitter and Facebook accounts.

[Download This Episode] [Subscribe in iTunes] [Subscribe in Your Favorite Podcatcher] Show Notes: Memory Keeping As genealogists or family historians, we tend to be the “keeper” of the information and data, we do the research, we write up our finds.  Very often we want to share this information with family members and this is a natural extension of what we do as researchers. However there are some ways in which you can share family history… Read the full story

Profile of the Day Profile of the Day: Orson Welles Profile of the Day: Alan Shepard, Jr. Profile of the Day: Audrey Hepburn Profile of the Day: Joe DiMaggio Profile of the Day: Leonardo da Vinci Interesting Geni Blog Posts Featured Project: Fast & Furious Come see the Geni Team at NGS 2011 Tracing Your Mexican Heritage Geni Podcast: How Do I Find and Use Records? Family Tree Tuesday – Humphrey Bogart You Could Win… Read the full story

The National Genealogical Society 2011 Family History Conference (NGS 2011 for short) is right around the corner. From May 11th to 14th, thousands of genealogy businesses, bloggers, and enthusiasts will all be in Charleston, South Carolina for the conference. Pretty exciting, eh? Well, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There will be panels, booths, and giveaways galore, and Geni will be there in full force. The Geni Booth We’re coming loaded for bear. We’re… Read the full story