Getting the BEST from Ancestry.com

Thank you LostCousins!

Tonight I attended the TriCity Genealogical Society presentation with a rather ho-hum attitude about the promised topic, “Getting the BEST from Ancestry.com”. I have been an Ancestry.com user for years. I know my way around that website like no one’s business, or so I thought. I was just sure that this was going to be one of those topics geared for beginners, but I’ve always been able to walk away with some new treat or tool from a beginner’s lecture, so what the heck. More than anything I was looking forward to supporting Margie Beldin by my attendance. I won’t list all of the hats Margie has worn for TCGS because I just know I’ll miss one or two. For me Margie has always been a part of the glue that keeps the Society going.

If I was disappointed in anything tonight it was in my initial attitude toward the topic.  Margie Beldin gave a wonderful presentation with poise and grace that captivated her audience. She spoke well, displaying that she had an expert level understanding of Ancestry.com.

Margie dissected Ancestry.com to show so many hidden treasures that I was never aware were available. While she did this she explained that it was not necessary to have a subscription in order to take advantage of what Ancestry.com has to offer. Not only did she walk her audience through how to get the most out of the Search Tab, but she also helped us explore the Learning Center of Ancestry.com.

I have read some of Ancestry.com’s wiki postings from time to time, but I was not aware of the many webinars, blogs and other professionally written articles that were just sitting there waiting for me to be educationally entertained. I was amused, yet my curiosity was spiked, to discover Ancestry.com has a YouTube channel. Imagine that! With my smartphone by my side, I will never again have to ponder what to do with that unplanned 10 minutes of waiting.

Throughout her presentation, Margie was sensitive to the cost of an Ancestry.com subscription. She shared ways to enjoy all aspects of what Ancestry.com has to offer by mixing registering (not subscribing) with Ancestry.com from home and taking freely given hints to the Family History Center to explore the actual digitized documents.

At the end of the evening I spoke with many of the genealogists that have been researching their family history for years. The tone in the room was a mixture of “That Margie. She sure is a class act. She gave another awesome presentation” with “Shoot. I’ve been a member of Ancestry.com and I never knew half the stuff that was revealed tonight.”

Curious about the picture and caption above? Margie's finale was information on how to get a great discount on an Ancestry.com subscription. Go to http:\\goo.gl/tBgkt to learn what she shared. Sign up for LostCousin's newsletters to stay on top of breaking news and various discounts.

~Susan