I have been asked by a person who is writing a genealogy lessons for her class, why do people research? She wants imput other than from a religious point of view. She would like to step outside of her world and find out why the rest of us research our families. She also had question on how computer literate the average person is. How about the rest of your family and friends? Most of mine other than my chidlren could care less. Thank you Marilyn

----- Original Message ----- From: "Marilyn Bess" <bess@penn.com> To: <SENIOR-NEWBIE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, May 03, 2005 8:54 AM Subject: [SR-NEWBIE] Reasons for research > I have been asked by a person who is writing a genealogy lessons for her > class, why do people research? She wants imput other than from a religious > point of view. She would like to step outside of her world and find out why > the rest of us research our families. She also had question on how computer > literate the average person is. How about the rest of your family and > friends? Most of mine other than my chidlren could care less. Thank you > Marilyn > Since this is a computer list, rather then a genealogy list, I'll only address the computer question. The research question could perhaps be discussed on the Rocking-Chair-Roots-L. I lead a Genealogy Roundtable discussion group for our local genealogical society. I find that the majority of the group, over half of whom are newbies, use the computer for email and can manage a basic genealogy program. By the time they've been doing genealogy for a year or so they have fairly good computer skills and can use search engines and message boards. This is true no matter what their ages. Just about every senior center has computer classes and many have classes in genealogical computing. The most popular discussion topics all are about using the computer to organize research, search strategies, software programs, and favorite URLs for online data. So, here in Southern CA, I'd have to say the average "hobby" genealogist who started within the past 15 years tends to be moderately computer literate. Regards, Sharyn

----- Original Message ----- From: "Sharyn Hay" <storknurse7@earthlink.net> To: <SENIOR-NEWBIE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, May 03, 2005 12:20 PM Subject: Re: [SR-NEWBIE] Reasons for research > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Marilyn Bess" <bess@penn.com> > To: <SENIOR-NEWBIE-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Tuesday, May 03, 2005 8:54 AM > Subject: [SR-NEWBIE] Reasons for research > > >> I have been asked by a person who is writing a genealogy lessons for her >> class, why do people research? She wants imput other than from a >> religious >> point of view. She would like to step outside of her world and find out >> why >> the rest of us research our families. She also had question on how >> computer >> literate the average person is. How about the rest of your family and >> friends? Most of mine other than my chidlren could care less. Thank you >> Marilyn >> > > Since this is a computer list, rather then a genealogy list, I'll only > address the > computer question. The research question could perhaps be discussed on > the Rocking-Chair-Roots-L. > > I lead a Genealogy Roundtable discussion group for our local genealogical > society. I find that the majority of the group, over half of whom are > newbies, > use the computer for email and can manage a basic genealogy program. By > the time they've been doing genealogy for a year or so they have fairly > good > computer skills and can use search engines and message boards. This is > true > no matter what their ages. Just about every senior center has computer > classes > and many have classes in genealogical computing. The most popular > discussion > topics all are about using the computer to organize research, search > strategies, > software programs, and favorite URLs for online data. So, here in Southern > CA, I'd have to say the average "hobby" genealogist who started within the > past > 15 years tends to be moderately computer literate. > > Regards, > Sharyn > > > > ==== SENIOR-NEWBIE Mailing List ==== > To leave the list, click here and send: > mailto:SENIOR-NEWBIE-L-request@rootsweb.com?subject=unsubscribe > To leave the DIGEST, click here and send: > mailto:SENIOR-NEWBIE-D-request@rootsweb.com?subject=unsubscribe > > ============================== > Jumpstart your genealogy with OneWorldTree. Search not only for > ancestors, but entire generations. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13972/rd.ashx >

Because it makes us feel so connected to family. I took some information about his grandparents to give my husband's brother. His wife acted irritated, afraid it was "that religious stuff", I am sure. After talking to him about it for awhile I was leaving and Bev said, "Do you think you could find something about my grandmother?" You just can't help but want to know about family! Lenore ----- Original Message ----- From: "Marilyn Bess" <bess@penn.com> To: <SENIOR-NEWBIE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, May 03, 2005 9:54 AM Subject: [SR-NEWBIE] Reasons for research I have been asked by a person who is writing a genealogy lessons for her class, why do people research? She wants imput other than from a religious point of view. She would like to step outside of her world and find out why the rest of us research our families. She also had question on how computer literate the average person is. How about the rest of your family and friends? Most of mine other than my chidlren could care less. Thank you Marilyn ==== SENIOR-NEWBIE Mailing List ==== Keep informed of the latest news and new databases, webpages and mailing lists at RootsWeb. Subscribe to the weekly RootsWeb Review. To subscribe, start here: http://newsletters.rootsweb.com/ ============================== Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx

Marilyn, WHY??? Well.... I am very curious about what life was like back then... I want to know where I came from...I only knew ONE of my grandparents personally.... so, this is about the only way for me to get to know them.... It's fun!! I LOVE old photos, and it's fun to find out who the people on them were.... PAX NancyT I have been asked by a person who is writing a genealogy lessons for her class, why do people research? She wants imput other than from a religious point of view. She would like to step outside of her world and find out why the rest of us research our families. She also had question on how computer literate the average person is. How about the rest of your family and friends? Most of mine other than my chidlren could care less. Thank you Marilyn ==== SENIOR-NEWBIE Mailing List ==== Keep informed of the latest news and new databases, webpages and mailing lists at RootsWeb. Subscribe to the weekly RootsWeb Review. To subscribe, start here: http://newsletters.rootsweb.com/ ============================== Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx

I have been asked this question many times Marilyn & my answer in short is HISTORY. What would we do without it? & without the ordinary person. the famous wouldn't be so. This is our little bit of fame or infamy. & who we are. It certainly wasn't Nelson, that won the battles but the men he commanded! as was the case with all our hero's Etc. It wasn't Stephenson that built the rocket. but his tradesmen. and so it goes. It's about how or ancestors, lived & died. what kind of work they did. who they married. in short better then any novel as it is ours. Regards Arthur ----- Original Message ----- From: "Marilyn Bess" <bess@penn.com> To: <SENIOR-NEWBIE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2005 1:24 AM Subject: [SR-NEWBIE] Reasons for research I have been asked by a person who is writing a genealogy lessons for her class, why do people research? She wants imput other than from a religious point of view. She would like to step outside of her world and find out why the rest of us research our families. She also had question on how computer literate the average person is. How about the rest of your family and friends? Most of mine other than my chidlren could care less. Thank you Marilyn ==== SENIOR-NEWBIE Mailing List ==== Keep informed of the latest news and new databases, webpages and mailing lists at RootsWeb. Subscribe to the weekly RootsWeb Review. To subscribe, start here: http://newsletters.rootsweb.com/ ============================== Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx

Nothing is more thrilling to me than to receive an e-mail from a total stranger who turns out to be a a cousin. A friendship immediately develops and soon we discover we have so much in common ie a first cousin is doing genealogy on one of the same names I'm interested in and turns out that we exchange info constantly. She lives in Canada and since I can't get to Canada as frequently as I would like, she e-mails all the names she has done research on, I enter it in our family tree. I then send her a copy of "our book" on a CD. I met her in person on a recent trip to Canada and what fund we had sharing tales. If I had not been interested in pursuing my family roots, I would never have met my delightful 1st cousin in Canada. I hope this person who is asking the question "why do people research" will some day have the same "thrill" I have had. This is only 1 of many instances. Phyllis -----Original Message----- From: Marilyn Bess [mailto:bess@penn.com] Sent: Tuesday, May 03, 2005 8:54 AM To: SENIOR-NEWBIE-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [SR-NEWBIE] Reasons for research I have been asked by a person who is writing a genealogy lessons for her class, why do people research? She wants imput other than from a religious point of view. She would like to step outside of her world and find out why the rest of us research our families. She also had question on how computer literate the average person is. How about the rest of your family and friends? Most of mine other than my chidlren could care less. Thank you Marilyn ==== SENIOR-NEWBIE Mailing List ==== Keep informed of the latest news and new databases, webpages and mailing lists at RootsWeb. Subscribe to the weekly RootsWeb Review. To subscribe, start here: http://newsletters.rootsweb.com/ ============================== Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx