1972 <= yes, that’s how long I’ve been doing genealogy. I started when I was 9-years-old.
I’ve made mistakes. The important thing: I have learned from them!
I have done four “do overs.” — pre Nostalgia (I know! It’s was so much easier then.)
- from pencil, pen and paper to computer. The computer was a 486 with an orange monochrome monitor using Windows 98 and MSOffice97.
- from Windows 98 to Windows XP
- then MSOffice97 upgraded to 2010
- then started backing up to an external harddrive 5yrs ago
Through it all, I still keep hardcopies. I have 18 binders (2018 update: 22 binders) filled with ATKINSON relations and three (2018: nine!) others that have ATKINSONs that are supposed to be related, but i have found no proof. (These hardcopies are printed every Christmas holiday.).
Next, I have three thumb drives (2018 truth: only two now) that get updated very month. One will eventually get dropped off to the safety deposit box at the bank (when I remember to take it.); and will then get swapped out a month later with a new one.
Finally, there is DropBox, with photos (2018: now in Flickr), documents, letters, etc all neatly sorted. It is updated every time I am working in the files.
Then there are four clear plastic boxes (2018: double that!) with brightly coloured file folders in them.
Now, the only downfall, I have 6 banker’s boxes (2018: and two apple boxes) with assorted (original) papers that need sorting and scanning. I will find time to do it …
Of late, I have been enjoying questions and conversations from younger cousins, regarding how they could get started.
More on that later.
SLR