I have now added a Blog and Guestbook to Kevin’s Portal. The Blog is simply a news update Blog for the site, announcing changes to that site and comments on new links added to it and/or links removed from it.
Tag Archives: new
Latest News From Tracing our History
There have been a number of things happening at Tracing our History over the last couple of days, including the overhaul of Kevin’s Portal as mentioned in an earlier post. The latest happenings are listed below:
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The latest issue of Research has been completed and is now available online via the link below:
http://tracingourhistory.com/newsletter/research.html
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The first collaboration project has been launched via the Tracing our History Stixyboard (a password is required – please request one). Details of the project and how to use Stixyboard are covered in the above-mentioned newsletter.
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Collaboration features of the Tracing our History site have been moved to a new section of the site. Visit the collaboration page at:
http://tracingourhistory.com/collaboration.html -
The Kevin’s Portal updates can be found at:
http://kevinmatthews.zxq.net/
The updates and overhaul at Kevin’s Portal are also covered in the newsletter.
Wow – Great New Features in Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader
As most people probably know, a PDF reader is required to read PDF files. Usually you would use Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader for that. Now there is even more reason to use Adobe’s piece of software for doing just that. Adobe has just released version X of the software and it has some massive improvements – improvements that will be of great help to family members at Tracing our History.
The following are the ‘new’ features of version X of Acrobat PDF Reader:
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Read, search and share PDF files
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Convert to PDF
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Export and edit PDF files
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Add rich media to PDF files
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Combine files from multiple applications
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Increase productivity and process consistency
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Streamline document reviews
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Collect data with fillable PDF forms
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Protect PDF files and content
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Comply with PDF and accessibility standards
OK, that all sounds very confusing I guess – it does a bit to me also. Now this is how I see at least some of the improvements and they are what I’ve been looking for for a long time.:
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There is the ability now to highlight text within a PDF file
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There is the ability to add a note to what is highlighted and make comments. If the PDF file is sent to someone else to look at it can be opened and comments can be made in reply to what you have written. This makes a PDF file very collaborative in research.
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There is the ability to place sticky notes onto the file – just as you would with a book or magazine. Again, these can be replied to or edited.
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Obviously the PDF file can be shared with others for their comments and be passed backward and forwards.
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The PDF file can also be sent to someone else right in the reader software by email or via Adobe Online.
So they are just some of the uses of version X, but they are brilliant for genealogy research.
To get Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader X visit:
http://www.adobe-new-downloads.com/
Latest Site News
Tracing our History is now very close to completing its move to the new domain http://tracingourhistory.com . In fact I will soon be removing most of the content from the old site and simply leaving a redirection URL on the main page. There are just a few more things to do before I can make the move complete.
I have now got the ‘history’ section of the site up and running – currently there are a few links not working quite right, but it is very close to being finished – with the exception of the local history part of the page (but that won’t be too long).
http://tracingourhistory.com/history.html
I have issued 8 usernames and passwords to the private/secure section of the site, allowing these family members access to the family history book and eventually the tree and various other files that will be stored there. So things are moving along nicely I think.
Once the site is fully operational my attention will turn to work on headstones/cemeteries and trying to get a better system up on the site for those. I am also continuing to work away at the family history database and getting all of that information sorted out properly.
Photo Albums Now Live
I have been hard at it and now have the photo albums all up at tracingourhistory.com. These are all the family related photo albums hosted at Flickr.
See the photo albums at:
http://tracingourhistory.com/photos.html
Have a peek at the new site at:
http://tracingourhistory.com
Research – The Tracing our History Newsletter goes Live
Work is progressing well on the new site and already some sections of the site are going live and working well. I have now got the newsletter section of the site running, along with the first edition of a new newsletter.
The new newsletter is called ‘Research – The Tracing our History Newsletter,’ or ‘Research’ for short. The newsletter archives will be hosted at Scribd, but you will be able to download them from the tracingourhistory.com site via an embedded widget from Scribd. With this widget from Scribd I will no longer need to update the site when adding a newsletter – just simply upload the newsletter to Scribd and the embedded widget updates the site automatically. All very easy.
How can you subscribe to the newsletter? You don’t need to really. If you subscribe to the Tracing our History Blog you will be notified when a new issue of the newsletter is posted and you can then go to the site to download the issue. Those who do not have Internet access will need to let me know (or via someone that does) that they would like to have a hard copy sent to them – or, someone may be able to print them a copy.
Get the first issue of Research at:
http://tracingourhistory.com/newsletter/research.html
Have a peek at the new site at:
http://tracingourhistory.com
New Site Coming Together
Work on the new site is proceeding well. I have now got the front page right (I think) and have also uploaded a new page called ‘Family Anthology.’ Basically it takes the articles relating to the family (and penned by the family) from the former library page and puts them in a section of the site by themselves, thus separating them from the history section of the site. I also think the new and improved pages for each of the articles are far better than the old. This section is up and running
at:
http://tracingourhistory.com/library/libraryarchive.html
Have a peek at the new site at:
http://tracingourhistory.com
New Site Development Peek
A new and improved site is already under way. I have been working on the front page of the tracingourhistory.com site and I think it is already looking far better then the current site. I am really keen for the new site to be a major improvement on the current site and I’m encouraged by what I have at the moment, even though it is only a start.
Have a peek at:
http://tracingourhistory.com
Tracing our History: New Domain Name
I have just registered the domain name tracingourhistory.com for my family history site. I will no longer be updating the old site at http://particularbaptist.com/matthewshistory/index.html .
So what does this mean? You will need to continue to use the old site for the next couple of months while I build the new site/transfer files. When the work is completed I will add a link to the new site (at the old site) directing users to it. This work will need to be completed by June 2011, for this is when I will no longer have an account at the current host. The new domain, tracingourhistory.com, will be on a new host site. This will save me a fair amount of money over time.
The new site will bring all the sites associated with my family history under the same name of ‘Tracing our History.’ This name takes the focus of any one particular surname such as Blanch, Lilley or Matthews, and allows the user of my site to look at all the surnames being researched without bias to any one in particular. I want to be able to include all of the family in my collaborative and interactive research site/s.
By doing this I am hoping to establish the next step in my family history research and provide a much better tool for my family and those family members yet to come.
You will be able to follow my progress on the new site by visiting the tracingourhistory.com site. This Blog will also follow progress on the site and the feed is also on the old site.
FAMILY HISTORY BOOK AND FAMILY TREE
I have been researching my family history for a number of years now and have a family history web site. The site is all about my family’s history, as well as other areas of history that I’m interested in – Australian history, The US Civil War, King Alfred of Wessex, etc.
Visit: http://particularbaptist.com/matthewshistory/index.html
In the last little while I’ve been able to put together a couple of things on the site that have helped to provide visitors with an insight into my family history.
The first is a book that I have put together which includes some historical notes on my family as well as the family tree itself from several different perspectives. The other is the family tree being now available via the web site from several perspectives – i.e. from the Blanch side, from the Lilley side, from the Matthews side, etc.
Visit: http://particularbaptist.com/matthewshistory/familybook.html
It is good when all of the research begins to come together and you have something that you show for it – like the book (available to download in PDF format) and the online family tree. The research is far from complete, even though it is already reasonably extensive. I have continued to work behind the scenes updating information and gaining new content – all of which will make its way to the web site in time, though another major update of the book and tree online will be some time off yet. I have some solid work to do over the next 12 months at least, which will considerably add to the family history and tree.
Of course, if you have any information that might be of assistance I would love to hear from you and you can contact me via nrbcpastorkev@yahoo.com.au Thanks in anticipation of any help you can provide.
