Over the past 10 plus years I have spent a lot of hours working on my family tree. Yay me. And I have discovered many things about my family, my heritage and my history. But what I have also discovered is that many fellow researchers are a bit ungrateful. 
Disclaimer: This is purely an opinion piece. I do not intend to turn my blog into a soapbox henceforth, but I have put so much time and effort into my family research that I desperately feel the need to say my piece. While you may not agree with me, I do hope to enlighten you along the way.
When I first stuck my toe into genealogy land, it was shortly after the advent of the internet and I owned a Compaq Presario that ran Windows 3.1. I ordered some cd’s from Broderbund and had one of the first iterations of Family Tree Maker. This opened up a whole new world for me about taking notes, keeping papers, organization and building a tree. But I still had to go out and physically locate the records for my ancestors from the library, historical archive or courthouse which was time consuming, expensive and I didn’t get very far.
I spent hours scouring the internet and my friends called me the Internet Queen. The story was that I had been to the end of the internet (psss….it is in Canada, don’t tell anyone!) But there wasn’t much to find in the way of ancestral records and they were certainly not imaged or indexed.
Now I am here to complain about the complainers!
Things have progressed in leaps and bounds in just over 20 years. I can access my family tree from my smart phone (which is WAY smarter than that hulking Compaq ever was), my ipad and any computer linked with wifi. I can share my tree with those that don’t even have a subscription to Ancestry. I can attach photos, view and search digitized images of census, land, church, marriage, birth, death and military records in the comfort of my home; with a glass of wine and in my pj’s, all while standing on my head. And I can do that any time of day or night (but I can’t really stand on my head). So why all of the bitching? Yes, Ancestry is expensive and some people will simply never be able to afford it. However many libraries offer free access to Ancestry and HeritageQuest is available ONLY through the library. So, expensive just became free. BUT, if you make multiple trips per week to the library and have to print out records you could quickly surpass this cost. Let’s say your nearest research library is 10 miles away or a 20 mile round trip. You drive there once per week x 52 weeks equals 1,040 miles on your car. Now let’s suppose your car gets 22 miles per gallon….you will have used 47 1/4 gallons of gas….at 3.00 per gallon you just spent nearly 142.00! The basic Ancestry membership is 189.99 (as of October 2014) so it is fairly easy to see that you could nearly spend that much trying to take advantage of the “free” version.
Ancestry has also been able to accomplish what may have once seemed impossible. They have digitized and published millions of records and collections. Some of them are quite rare, some obscure and some may only appeal to a small segment of researchers but they have made the effort and continue to preserve these fragile and important pieces of history. Ultimately the question is: If they don’t do it, who will? Perhaps the Latter-Day Saints? Yes, but even they can’t do it alone and in an effort to add records as quickly as possible to save those documents from mishandling or destruction, they have an agreement to work with Ancestry in regards to obtaining, preserving and digitizing those records.
While FamilySearch.org is a fantastic (and TOTALLY free) resource, the thing to keep in mind here is that digitization costs–a lot–and some one has to foot the cost whether it is through donations, tithing or subscriptions. First consider what it takes to get a record to that digital indexed level so that you can view it on your computer and search the article without having to read the entire document. Colorado State has undertaken a digitization project of its holdings. On their website here they review why they have chosen to accomplish this, how it will benefit the school and the end user all the while protecting the delicate historical documents. They go on to discuss the process of digitization which requires special equipment that is expensive, lots of time (which is expensive) and lots of technology (which is expensive). Finally, they discuss special challenges of records and holdings which are difficult to digitize while maintaining the integrity of the original document. Again, this is expensive. See a trend here? These old letters, leaflets and pages don’t just magically index, catalogue, photograph, digitize and publish themselves. Someone has to do it. Like many others in the genealogy community, I helped index the 1940 census via FamilySearch.org, which helped bring home the point that more than 150,000 people worked on some portion of the census indexing and it took 140 days or 20 weeks to complete.
Now to get to the thing that really has me in a tizzy. Genealogical television shows. You know the ones: Who Do You Think You Are? and Finding Your Roots just to name two. It isn’t the shows that have put a bee in my bonnet as it is the people that I see commenting about these shows on message boards and on Facebook.
The nice comments generally say: I loved this episode, It was moving, I found out so much about history that I didn’t know, I learned some new techniques or even I am related to that person
The naughty comments generally say: Why can’t you research “regular” people, You make the research look too easy, I wish I were rich like them and could fly all over the world to find my family, I don’t like that celebrity or my all time favorite–I don’t know who these celebrities are, but they should just pick someone off the street and help them…PICK ME….
So let’s step back and examine some of these “complaints”:
1. Why can’t you research “regular” people?
There actually IS a show for that called Genealogy Roadshow that started in Ireland in 2012. It was such a hit that it was picked up by PBS in the US and aired it’s first season in the fall of 2013. They are currently taping new episodes in Philadelphia in October of 2014. I would expect that they will air sometime in early 2015.
But let’s be realistic here, if you saw a tv commercial for a new show that featured the family tree of a mechanic, a farmer and a school teacher that live in Virginia, Idaho and California would you really be interested? Really? Using the celebrities is an ends to a means. Just like green beans on the end stand are a loss leader in the grocery store those stars are simply a hook to get you to tune in. Because at the end of the day no viewers means no adverts and no adverts means no money and no money means no show. With few exceptions, the celebrities featured haven’t been linked to equally famous individuals, therefore they did research “regular” people….it is the STORY of the ancestors that is ultimately compelling. Or at least it should be.
2. You make the research look too easy
Perhaps to a non-researcher. But I am willing to bet that at some point in your life, you too were a non-researcher and thought that this might be an easy weekend project or had plans for something else when you finished your family tree. (Insert gales of maniacal laughter here!) If you think it portrays the image that it is too easy, then you know better. But what are looking for here? Recognition for your years of hard work? Most of us struggle to have at least one family member as interested in our research as we are, so that we even have someone to pass it on to. Stop self aggrandizing and realize that these shows are not intended to be a primer or how-to. Do you think I (the unknown “regular” person) should be filmed sitting at my desk for hours searching various web-sites, making notes, printing things out and ordering records not available online? What a yawn.
3. I wish I were rich like them and could fly all over the world to find my family
Me too sister! But here’s the deal. The original Who Do You Think You Are? series aired in the UK in 2004 and focused on European celebrities. The flavor of the show is somewhat similar to the US version, which began in 2010. Europe is a bit more compact with lots of countries in close proximity and so it makes sense for them to travel to Scotland, Ireland, France, Germany etc. Keep in mind that with few exceptions, “Americans” are a created group from the many countries around the world. This melting pot situation means we have lots of miles and oceans to cross to work our way up the tree. A blessing and a curse. But again, this is television and what is the point of trying to vicariously research a celebrity tree if you don’t actively show their roots and how far flung some of us really are? If you don’t appreciate the backdrops of foreign countries and globe trotting celebs then the presentation formula of Finding Your Roots may soothe and satisfy you. Meanwhile, check out some of the UK WDYTYA shows on YouTube. You will be glad you did (even if you don’t know who the celebrities are—ha!)
4. I don’t like that celebrity
Yep, but I bet they have a cool family story. If you don’t want to watch because you don’t like who they are researching, then why would watch if someone you didn’t know was researched……? Person zero (the star) is the jumping off point, not the whole story. The formula of these shows is to be about the ancestors and not the descendant.
5. I don’t know who these celebrities are, but they should pick someone off the street and help them…..PICK ME….
Wait. What? If this celebrity is unknown to you, then they might as well be a regular Joe (no offense to Joe). What is the difference? In the end this complaint boils down to “Help Me!”. Okay, but help yourself first…..If no one in your family can aid you with your research then broaden your circle. Join a historical society, join Facebook groups, offer to do research in your area in trade for help with your family tree; there are more options and opportunities than there are letters on this page. Get busy and stop whining (yes, I went there) about a show that isn’t going to change its formula or help you research your tree.
There are many shows available now that focus on family research and I am sure that you will find one or more that appeals to you.
Finding Your Roots
Who Do You Think You Are?
Genealogy Roadshow
Roots: Our Journey Home
Faces of America
The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross
Need more? Check out Cyndi’s List for a continually updated and complete listing. Beyond that, even my 82 year old mother would say “Google It!” We don’t call her Google Girl for nothin’!
Google should be your friend. One of the beautiful effects of all of those shows above is that it spurs interest in an audience that previously never considered researching their heritage. Secondary to that is the demand for more records to be digitized which benefits us all. What wasn’t available online last week could pop up in a search this week! If you find yourself frequently searching the same terms over and over, then set up a Google Alert.
Keep researching. Instead of saying “I can’t go here, I can’t do this, I can’t find that” try saying “Here is my plan, I have a strategy, this is my research goal and if I find nothing this time, I will set it aside for now and/or ask for help”. Realize that several celebrities were chosen to participate in WDYTYA that the PROFESSIONAL researchers couldn’t find ample information on to go back more than a generation or two. Not all of us have success stories but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep researching. Delight in the success of others because in the end we are all related. Ultimately you may be able to tie your tree to theirs and thereby save yourself lots of work. (Think compiled records) Keep up to date with what new databases and records are released online. A great site for that is GenealogyInTime Magazine. Click here for the latest listing of releases.
I am lucky that I have been able to utilize the deductive reasoning of my nephew to move some of my most nebulous research forward. While we each wanted to know more details about our Sicilian connections, we have been able to “trade off” as it were. I searched for a bit then he would search, and we would compare notes and theories. This strategy helped both of us keep a clear head and not jump to conclusions when we had very few or no records to rely on. It also helped define our path of research where we were most likely to find supporting documents and even family stories. While none of these television shows has directly helped my research, my favorite, Finding Your Roots did provide an AH HA! moment. While reviewing Rebecca Lobo’s DNA results, Henry Louis Gates Jr. noted that she appeared to be about 12.5% Ashkenazi Jew, which translated to the premise that one of her eight great grandparents was likely Jewish. Since she had an unidentified great grandfather, it would stand to reason that this was probably where the Jewish DNA originated from. The mister has an unknown great great grandfather, and based on DNA test results for the mister, his sister and his aunt showing European Jew in their ethnic results, I am inclined to believe that this man most likely was of Jewish ancestry. Many of the peoples of Sicily were Jewish at some point in history but Sicily being an island of change, they were occupied by the Spanish who converted most to Catholicism. Some would become Crypto-Jews but that didn’t mean that the Jewish DNA wasn’t there to pass on to the descendants. You can read more about this ongoing mystery (which I am still researching) via this link.
If those genealogical shows get under your skin and you don’t like them, don’t watch them. Don’t use them as a guide for your own research but enjoy them for the entertainment that they are. You may learn a bit about history and some really amazing characters too if you relax and enjoy the process! The story of Anna Deavere Smith’s great-great grandfather Basel Biggs was moving and inspiring. Even she commented that her life would have been missing something had she never heard his story. Henry Louis Gates Jr. lamented that it was nearly lost to time and was incredulous that no stories of this brave man had been passed down to her.
The message is to focus on YOUR research and YOUR family and not what the people on those shows are doing. Inspiring and interesting? Yes, but it doesn’t further your research. Don’t be so ungrateful that genealogy has moved from the dusty back room of the library to the front cover of magazines and on your television. We were all new at this once and a sour attitude towards the growth of the industry only serves to scare off those would-be participants. I have been known to say that the answer is out there, you just have to find the person that has the missing piece of information that you need. These new genealogists are repositories of as yet undiscovered knowledge and they may be the key that unlocks the steamer trunk of answers you have been searching for.
I am thrilled that this media has created more interest in one of my many hobbies and it benefits me by having more access to records, contemporary publications and other resources that will further my quest to finally finish that tree! MU AH HAHAHAHA!
Now, could ya pass the popcorn?
