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Midwest Computer Genealogists newsletter for May, 2003 Volume 10 Number 5
The Midwest Computer Genealogy group usually meets the 3rd Saturday of
each month. Our next meeting will be at Foxwood Springs in Raymore.
Foxwood Springs is about a mile east of highway 71 on highway 58.
Foxwood's web site is http://www.foxwoodsprings.org.
Our May meeting will be May 17th at 9:00 A.M. At which Dan Coleman
will present a program on genealogy resources available at the Kansas
City Public Library, electronic and otherwise.
On June 21st we will have a presentation by Norma Lilja will show us
how to buy and sell on E-Bay and find items of interest to
genealogists.
Other groups:
For information on The Family Origins users group which usually
meets at the Blue Valley Library, 151st and Antioch on the first
Saturday of each month from 9 AM to 11 AM. The new Blue Valley Library
address is 9000 W. 151st St please contact Jim Stout at jimstout@earthlink.com
or Rowena Shaffer at snowtop@juno.com
. The next FOG meetings will be on June 7th and July 5th where we will
continue to discuss the new program RootsMagic. The newly released RM
is, in my opinion, so riddled with problems as to be dangerous. I
recommend waiting until the promised patch, due in about a month, to
see if it makes the needed improvements. Meanwhile, we will also
discuss Family Origins which most of us still use."
To check on the status of FOG use this revised URL: http://chezjacq.com/fog
and to check on MCG use: http://chezjacq.com/mcg
The TMG (The Master Genealogist) group Meeting is held the 2nd
Saturday of each month starting at 10:00 AM. The meeting is at the
Cedar-Roe Library at 5120 Cedar in Roeland Park KS this is (West of
the shopping center). For questions contact Judy Revare at
913-491-1768 or email to judy@revare.com. You can also check the web
sites for TMG for upcoming news at http://chezjacq.com/tmg
and http://jacq.org/tmg.
Secretary report of the April Meeting
The April 19th assembly of the Midwest Computer Genealogists convened
at 9:00 am. On Sat., April 19, in the Bromwell Lounge at the NBA
Foxwood Springs Living Center, Raymore, MO. President DON BJULAND
presided.
The President asked for volunteer members to serve as a Nominating
Committee in advance of an annual election at our June meeting. An
appointment of a Nominating Committee was not made at this meeting.
However, Ivan Waite volunteered to serve as Recording Secretary for
meetings held at this Raymore location.
Program Chair, ROWENA SHAFFER, announced that May program for this
assembly will be presented by DAVID COLEMAN, staff member of the
Kansas City Missouri Public Library. Coleman will address the holdings
of the Public Library of interest to Genealogists, and that
library’s on-line electronic resources.
Rowena also announced the program for our MCG assembly in June will be
presented by NORMA LILJA, a resident of this NBA Living Center. Norma
will primarily address using the E-Bay on-line service to locate, to
purchase, and to sell materials and services of interest to
Genealogists.
By consensus of this assembly, it was decided to omit the monthly
assembly in July as the annual conference of the American family
Records Association (AFRA) is scheduled to convene in July at the
Holiday Inn-Stadium Convention Center, located in Kansas City, MO just
South of 1-70 on the East side of Blue Ridge Cut-Off.
Rowena then introduced the program presenters for this assembly, RON
FRANCIS and AARON MAUK, from the Micro-Center store in Overland Park,
KS.
This very informative program was focused on the protection and
security of created data, operating software, and the operating
computer hardware we learned that:
1) ZIP drives are a far better choice for backing up data files and
application software as compared to portable "Flash" or
"Jump" drives, which are primarily used for the transfer of
data files from one computer to another;
2) The transfer speed of digitized data on a USB -2 port and cable is
40 times faster than with the use of a USB-1 port and cable; (most
USB-2 connectors have been pre-installed on new CPUs since November
2001)
3) The disk capacity of a DVD is much greater than that of a CD,
particularly when storing video images on disk; DVD will hold over 2
hrs. digitized video, while a CD holds only 1/4 hrs. or less of same
digitized data. The use of "Skin-Doctor" software to repair
scratched CDS or DVDs was also discussed.
4) The difference between "firewire" connectors and
transmission of digitized data and the "firewall" security
protection of same; "Firewire" refers to the speed of the
data transmission and "firewall" pertains to internal CPU
security from unauthorized users or hackers’;
5) Hard drives, once declared obsolete for replacement, should be
appropriately ‘erased’ by the use of "Blackout" or
similar software. It was explained that a hard drive containing
sensitive data should be completely erased prior to passing the CPU on
for the use of others or to salvage.
We discussed the use and security of the Cable and DSL ISP services.
In great detail, we discuss the installation and use of wireless
"Router" and "airport" transports in a home
environment. It was advised that most wireless routers and airport
base stations have a range up to 150 feet, depending upon the local
environment and surrounding magnetic fields.
There was considerable discussion focused on the current and projected
impact of wireless technology on the cell phone. Tele-cable, and DSL
ISP industry. It was noted that DSL ISP services are provided by other
companies in addition to that of the Southwestern Bell Co. MARJORIE
SLAVENS reported that she and her mother MILDRED, have been
subscribers, for almost a year, to DSL services provided to them by
the Southwestern Bell Company.
We discussed the Microsoft "XP" operating system for PCs as
compared to the M/S Windows 98 operating systems for PCs. Some people
present expressed difficulty with printer & print drivers
resulting from the installation of the XP operating system. It was
reported that as of June 1, 2003, Windows 98 operating systems
software will not be sold, bundled, or tech supported by Microsoft
Corp!
Problems with pop-up, (unwanted) advertisements and unwanted, invasive
electronic ‘cookies' were discussed. It was advised that a computer
user must be very careful not to open or read Gator popup ads, because
with one click of the mouse, you may be automatically connected to a
payable subscription service! 'Ala-Ware’ is said to be a very good
shareware to protect computer users against unwanted "Gator"
'pop-ups'. This software package can also be purchased from some
computer retail stores such as Micro-Center, Inc.
Pertaining to the on-line availability of up-date downloads for
antivirus protection, it was stated that an early AM scheduled
automated update is the preferred update procedure for downloads of
on-line anti-virus software.
Finally, there was considerable discussion of the pros and cons of LCD
vs. CRT computer monitors. It was explained that most newly
manufactured monitors now on the market are of the flat-screen LCD
type for both PCs and for newer models of Macintosh desktop computers.
It was advised that the life expectancy of the LCD monitor is
generally from 3 to 5 years, while the life expectancy of the CRT
monitor has been much over 5 years. However, the LCD screen does not
contain any radioactive mineral elements, as does the CRT monitor, and
the LCD monitor uses much less electrical energy than that of the CRT
monitors.
The appropriate and legal method of the disposition of used, obsolete
and dead CRT monitors was discussed. It was stated that the Surplus
Exchange, Inc., 1100 Hickory St., in the Central Industrial District,
Kansas City, MO, 64101. (Ph: 816-472 0444) will accept without charge,
donations of working CRT monitors, which are tested on site at the
time of the delivery to the loading dock. (They will also accept dead
CRT monitors at a charge of $12.00 each as the fee for legal
disposition of the dead CRTs.
The Chair thanked the guest speakers for sharing their time and
expertise, and very generous door prizes. At the drawing for prizes
supplied by Micro-Center Store, MCG members, Marjorie Slavens and
Alfred McCamey were the lucky winners!
The May 17th, 2003 assembly of the MCG will convene at 9:00 am. in
Bromwell Lounge of NBA Foxwood Springs Living Center, 1500 West
Foxwood Drive, Raymore, MO. (see map at www.foxwoodsprings.org)
Reported by Ivan Waite, April 20, ‘03
Combination Secretary and President's Comments for the month.
We are now moving into May and the group's year is coming to an end
and we need to elect officers for the coming year that starts July 1.
Actually the job of president is not that bad about all you have to do
is each month sort of direct the meeting the real job is with the
program committee as without their hard work we would not be having
much of meetings so come on people step up to the plate and help out a
bit. I am sure that you could also use a new newsletter editor also
and get a new view of things from what I put down on the paper each
month. Or we could use some writers to come up with articles of
interest to the group instead of the mishmash I throw in each month.
We all say we have no talent but give it a try and it may turn out
like the TV ad where the kids say, “let Mickie try it” and then
they say, “Mickie likes it”. So give it a try and you may find it
is not that bad and can say I like it.
Don
Tidbits for information
Jack Revare says that this is an interesting website. http://www.familytreedna.com/
Social Security Death Index records are free for use at http://ssdi.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi
PROGENY SOFTWARE RELEASES FREE PROGRAM Leave your mark on the fruits
of your genealogical labor with a new software utility. GEDmark, a
free program from Progeny Software, places your seal of
ownership on every individual in your genealogy files. With GEDmark,
you can submit GEDCOM files to a large database without sacrificing
your author information. GEDmark scans your computer to find GEDCOM
files. Once those files have been detected and identified, you simply
select the proper file, enter your authorship information and click
Start. In a matter of seconds, GEDmark attaches your name, address,
phone number, e-mail address, Web site URL and any comments to every
record in the file. When other researchers select individuals from
your file to include in their family history database, the ownership
information remains linked to those records.
Here is the site of another newsletter that is available for a free
subscription www.langa.com
and group member C. C. Barnds sent it to me. Check it out has a
lot of links to old articles that may be of interest to you.
Need Iowa information the item below may be of help:
The WPA did cemeteries in Iowa in 1942-43---and MOST of those have
survived, not all, but MOST. I would check with the county
involved, or check with the Iowa Genealogical Society in Des Moines.
They have a lot of Iowa records like that---don't know if they have
that county or not, but it is worth a try. Their address is igs@iowagenealogy.org
or online you can see them at http://www.iowagenealogy.org
They have tried very hard to scoop up as much of the Iowa stuff as
they can---and are always looking for new things to add to their
shelves.
Interesting items below and are food for thought
Joke time
Ole and Lena finally visited a Las Vegas casino. Ole won on the first
try, and played that same machine all evening long. "Look,
Lena! Every time I put in a dollar, I win all these quarters!"
Lena said, "That's the change machine, dear". (Don’t
we wish it would go that way at the boats)
Contact members of the MCG group are as follows:
Don Bjuland (editor) dbjuland@att.net
Group dues are still $12 a year and the year runs from June 30th to
July 1st of the following year. New member dues are prorated at
a dollar a month for balance of club year remaining.
You may send your dues payment to
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