Bits and Bytes

02

Bits and Bytes: the quarterly update from your csagsi.org webmaster

        In this issue I would like to talk about online safety.
        As we go about our genealogical research, we are always very careful to verify the information we collect. For instance, while an aunt may under report her age we generally hold vital records to be valid resources from which we can rely. But can each of us say the same for those to whom we are giving our information? Or are we freely offering personal information, not to fellow genealogists, but to those with more nefarious purposes?
        Welcome to the world of the Internet.
        As genealogists, one of the ways we can attract those who may share our interests is by publishing (with a query, for example) our ancestry. Unfortunately, identity thieves view our openness as a ripe field to be harvested. Some of the things we do at CSAGSI to minimize your exposure include requiring you to approve, first, that your member information be included on the Member's Pages of the web site and when that information is published, it is done so with a vagueness that insulates you to some extend. In other words, the listing is of your surnames and villages of interest rather than a complete lineage.
        But you need to exercise caution, as well, and while there is no evidence to suggest that genealogists are victims of identity theft more often than the general population, common sense suggests you use care when surfing the web and when sharing personal information.
        That doesn't just make sense for genealogy, but for everything.

        As always, I love to hear from websurfers. Visit me at www.csagsi.org/webmaster and drop me an email with your comments and suggestions. And if you haven't done so already, take the csagsi.org survey on the site.

Best Regards,
Chris Miksanek
CSAGSI webmaster since 1996!

01

Bits and Bytes: the quarterly update from your csagsi.org webmaster 
         

         Welcome to "Bits and Bytes," the quarterly update from your csagsi.org webmaster. In this issue I would like to tell you about the site's most popular feature, "the Ask and Answer Forum."
         The "Ask and Answer Forum," is a place where members and guests can post general questions and comments for other members and guests to read and even respond to. The intent of the page is provide a forum where general information can be exchanged. For instance, while a posting requesting specific information on an ancestor's career would not be appropriate here, a general posting asking about the process for researching old employment records would be greeted, presumably, by someone with such experience. The results, then, benefit a much broader audience. The cumulative body of the Ask and Answer Forum is, therefore, is repository of genealogical information. Visit the forum and see for yourself. You may even be able to answer a few postings!
         As always, I love to hear from websurfers. Visit me at www.csagsi.org/webmaster and drop me an email with your comments and suggestions. And if you haven't done so already, take the csagsi.org survey on the site.
 
 Best Regards,
 Chris Miksanek
 CSAGSI webmaster since 1996!