Genealogy Today LLC

Family Tree Connection At One Million Names and Growing

2007-10-01T11:13:00.001-05:00

Our flagship database, Family Tree Connection, reached the one million name milestone last month. Launched in 2003, this project is about archiving and transcribing genealogical information from smaller documents published between 1830 and 1930.

Looking beyond the traditional genealogical vitals (birth, marriage, census and death records), the Family Tree Connection project captures information from a variety of organizations: schools, churches, clubs, societies, prisons, orphanages and business associations are just a few examples.

These organizations frequently published reports, proceedings and rosters that contain relevant information for genealogists often including addresses and occupations. Surprisingly, many clubs and societies kept track of their members long after they moved out of the area, giving genealogists all sorts of migration data to track their ancestors movements around the country.

Family Tree Connection is a subscription database with a very affordable annual rate of just $29.95 -- slightly more than two dollars a month for complete access to the existing database and all of the weekly updates (of typically 5,000 to 10,000 names).

Tracking Surname Updates with RSS/XML

2007-01-15T11:39:00.000-05:00

Back in 2004, we launched our free Surname Tracker service to help visitors to Genealogy Today stay advised of new records added for the particular surnames they were researching. This service was based on the GenWatcher service Illya had developed for his personal web sites at D'Addezio.com. Since then, over 80,000 genealogists have signed up for the Surname Tracker.

While delivery by e-mail continues to be the preference of a majority of our visitors, many have begun asking for an RSS feed so they can get the update news even faster. Currently, the e-mail version of Surname Tracker sends out about 2 to 3 updates a month. With the new RSS/XML feeder version, you can receive the updates instantly. We've added quick links for many of the popular RSS-based services, plus a generic XML button for adding the feed to any RSS-reader.

This new service will be busy for the next few days, as concurrently with this release we've published another 12,000 records to the databases at Genealogy Today. This update included two very interesting finds:

Nevada Indigent Insane 1879-1880 Report - Report of the Commissioners for the Care of the Indigent Insane of the State of Nevada For the Years 1879 and 1880. This incredible document lists the names of the Nevada residents that went mad and were cared for at Langdon and Clark's Asylum in California. Including in the listing is the "Cause of Insanity", which ranges from "religion", to "epilepsy", "hereditary", and even "jealousy" and "unrequited love".

History of the American Legion, 1919-1924 Virginia - History of The American Legion, Department of Virginia, 1919 - 1924. Including History of Individual Posts and Roster of Membership as of August 1, 1924. The roster includes thousands of names of people involved with the American Legion, and has pictures of the officers and executive committee members.

Many of the items were added to the Family Tree Connection database. For a list of the new resources, check out today's Genealogy and How blog post.

Rolling in the Genealogical New Year 2007

2006-12-31T18:35:00.000-05:00

In the spirit of bringing in the New Year with a splash, Genealogy Today published over 24,000 new names across several databases. Included in the release were 473 war ration books, 197 funeral cards and 182 mug shots and wanted posters.

Also included were two extremely interesting and unique resources:

Indianapolis Police 1910 Souvenir Review - Dedicated to the Indianapolis Police Department, June the First 1913. Includes a roster and history of the department, along with many photos. This amazing book was filled with names of the officers, along with some history of the department.

Citizens' Mutual Fire Ins. Co. 1883 Members - By-Law No. 9, As Amended, And List of Members of the Citizens' Mutual Fire Insurance Company, Of Kent, Allegan and Ottawa Counties. Grand Rapids, Mich., 1883. This book had over 8,000 names in it.

Many of the items were added to the Family Tree Connection database, which reached the 750,000 name milestone with this update. For a list of the new resources, check out today's Genealogy and How blog post.

Starting the year with over 1.92 million names online, Genealogy Today has set the goal of reaching 2.50 million names by the end of 2007. This will include significant additions to the war ration book and business card collections.

Nebo Reporter, December 28, 2006

2006-12-28T12:17:00.000-05:00

GenealogyToday.com was mentioned in an article, "War Ration books are a hidden treasure," which discussed the war rationing process of World War Two and our related indexing project of the books. The article states, "a new movement is underway to preserve, protect against loss, and share these items of everyday life," and discusses how books can be donated to our project.

You Always Find a Friend

2006-12-09T09:08:00.000-05:00

Genealogy for many is a self-rewarding hobby. Those that find multiple interested family members are among the lucky ones. That's what's so amazing about the Salt Lake Christmas Tour, and it's emphasized by the saying on the back of the tour t-shirts: "I may not find an ancestor, but I always a friend."

And from some of the attendees, I've also heard that you may also find a cousin!

Imagine having breakfast, saying "does anyone have {surname}" and getting a "sure, I do" from across the table. Then after a little exploration learning that you're sitting across from someone connected to your tree!

That's how interesting this tour is. There is a tremendous amount of information sharing among the attendees. And while some say that nothing beats high-speed Internet access, the bandwidth "across the table" often will exceed even the best online capacity.

It's been an exciting week, hearing so many success stories. The combination of having on-site access to the Family History Library and the tour coaches, has led to many genealogical discoveries -- some of which have remained elusive for years.

While many Internet "prophets" predict that the growth of online genealogical information will soon eliminate the need for travelling for your genealogy, nothing will ever be able to compare to this unique "research family" reunion.

Do You Know What You're Missing?

2006-12-04T23:07:00.000-05:00

I'm in Salt Lake City this week participating in the Leland Meitzler [pictured right with Donna Potter Phillips] Annual Christmas Tour. I've never been on a research tour before, but have visited the LDS Family History Library many times. Now I get it. Accomplishing in one week that would otherwise take months, (as the MasterCard commercials say) priceless.

This morning kicked off with a session by George Ott who essentially in one hour unlocked all of the mysteries of finding information in The Library. We all know how to use a library right? Well, approaching this library the same way you would your local library will work, but just much, much more slowly.

Then you have the team of professionals coaches at your disposal -- each having a specialty to ensure that you have a resource regardless of the geographic regions that you are most challenged by. The researchers hang out in The Library all week, and all you have to do is stop by, signup for a time slot, and you've got a free appointment. Signup with a research each day of the week and think about how much help your going to get and how much money that would have cost if you had to hire them yourself.

They are really "coaches". They don't tell you "oh, go look that up in the ...". They give you the play by play , "Go to this floor, check this reference book, find the FHL reel and find the document. And then come back tomorrow and we'll talk about the next step." It's really like having a coach on the sidelines helping you get to the goal line.

Most of the coaches also teach classes on various topics throughout the week. Pick the topics you would like a little guidance on. Learn tips and tricks for researching that particular topic in The Library.

Now I'm starting to see the value of spending a week in Salt lake City on the Christmas Tour, and not all tours offer this level of service. Have you ever been on a genealogy tour? Was it anything like this?

The Fayetteville Observer, November 23, 2006

2006-11-23T21:28:00.000-05:00

GenealogyToday.com was mentioned in Catherine Pritchard's article, "Relatives should be first source for family tree," (which happens to be one of our primary "mantras"). And Thanksgiving is a perfect time to get other family members interested.

New Railroad and Masonic Blogs

2006-11-20T21:47:00.000-05:00

We're pleased to announce that two new blogs focusing on very unique subjects were launched this week by Genealogy Today founder Illya D'Addezio. Railroad-Employees.com and Masonic-Ancestor.com will highlight online resources for tracing ancestral connections in these challenging subject matters.

Blogging Once Again... It's Good to Be Back!

2006-11-12T10:58:00.001-05:00

We are in the process of restoring our blog after experiencing a ongoing database corruption issue that is now resolved. Thank you for your continued patience. New blog posts will be coming shortly.

24-7 Family History Circle, October 22, 2006

2006-10-22T22:10:00.000-05:00

Maureen Taylor mentioned our funeral card project in her blog post, "Tips from the Pros: In Memoriam," and states "These cards are genealogical gems–evidence of a death and very collectible."

Always On the Job!

2006-04-09T20:21:00.000-05:00

People kid me about my Genealogy Today jacket, but I think it’s important as a small business owner to follow the creedance that you’re always on the job. The jacket accomplishes two things. First, it’s an amazing advertising tool. I’m 6′3″, so I make a good billboard.

Second, it’s a reminder for me to be “on”. One of my mentors in the business world once told me that when you’re behind the closed doors of your office, you can relax and let your emotions show. But when you’re on the floor, “it’s showtime” and you should be upbeat and positive about the job we’re doing. So, in a way, the jacket is my uniform, and when I’m wearing it I’m ready for anything.

It is a bit strange, however, to be standing on line (this happened to me in the post office) and all of the sudden the person behind you begins talking to the jacket (or the back of my head). But its a great way to strike up a conversation.

One fellow genealogy webmaster whom I have a great deal of respect for is Bill Cribbs (check out his site Genealogy Buff). He’s really perfected the “always on” approach to promoting his web sites, but he takes the concept even further by not only mentioning his site, but first engaging the strangers he meets to get enthused about doing genealogy. He really promotes genealogy first, and his site second.

I think in part, that’s what I am hoping to accomplish. Certainly I want people to visit my site, but I’d like them to get excited about digging into their ancestry. But all too often I switch into “marketing man” and chat up my site.

You may also be walking through a parking lot in the tri-state (NJ/NY/CT) area and stumble upon my SUV (well, it’s really for Moon, our show dog). As you can see in the picture, the SUV is often “on the job” as I am about town running errands.

Again, it’s serving a useful purpose as an advertising tool, however, it’s a bit embarrassing to come out of the grocery store and see two older women standing by your car chatting about the magnet they just saw. But, put on my happy face, give them a Genealogy Today card (so they don’t forget the URL), and Moon and I resume our travels.

My point of this blog is that even the little things can make a difference. Even if you’re running a web site that gets thousands of visitors a day, they may only see your site and never get that feeling of it being “real”.

When people SEE me with the jacket, or my truck, they feel a personal connection with the web site. They know there is a real person behind the scenes, and he’s just an average guy who even does the family grocery shopping. And it’s that confidence that leads to more word of mouth communication.

Paul Allen (often referred to as the “other” Paul Allen) recently blogged, Are You Talking to Your Customers?, where he explains the benefits of speaking to the people who use your products and services. Paul, by the way, was one of the co-founders of Ancestry.com (and the subsequent company MyFamily.com).

It is just as important as talking to the people that know your site, as it is to talk to people who don’t. One of the questions I always ask people is “what do you think a web site called Genealogy Today would offer?”. I chose the name back in 1999 because I wanted to develop a site that focused on new and unique ways to research (and resources to search).

But just because that’s the vision in my mind, it doesn’t mean that it will make the same impression on others. Getting this candid public feedback gives me ideas for features that might enhance the site, and also warns me of possible expectations that the site doesn’t (but could) fulfill. The last thing I want is for people to land on the home page and think “this isn’t what I expected.”

Acadian-Cajun Roots

2006-03-28T08:02:00.000-05:00

Today we announced the online release of The Acadian-Cajun Family, a database of more than 1.2 million records developed by Yvon Cyr over the past ten years. Yvon is a remarkable person who, after enduring a lifetime of incredible challenges, remains committed to his heritage and helping others trace their Acadian ancestors. Being able to collaborate on an online offering of this information was a wonderful opportunity.

Read our press release, “Tracing Acadian-Cajun Roots for Genealogists“.

Movin’ On Up…

2006-03-20T08:53:00.000-05:00

We recently relocated our offsite storage, and it has made our lives so much better. The former 100 sq. ft. location has been replaced with a 300 sq. ft. space complete with shelving and two workspaces.

Running a small business, you’re always looking to cut corners. But what price can you put on efficiency? Time is a critical asset for a business owner, so anytime you can streamline a process, you should do it. It can free you up to work on other aspects of the business, which can generate more revenue.

The mail order business of Genealogy Today has been growing, and I finally realized that too much (unneccessary) time was being spent everyday fulfilling the orders. In the old space, everything was in boxes and if my memory lapsed even a little bit, I could waste upwards of an hour trying to locate a product. Plus, when there was a recent trade show, some of the inventory would still be crated up and in another location. And newly purchased inventory often would still be in my house waiting to be carted off to the storage space.

With this new setup, orders are fulfilled quicker and with less effort (and frustration). Customers are happier because they get their goodies sooner, and I’m spending less time away from my office — thus, I have more time to spend expanding our databases.

Don’t underestimate the ROI of expanding your company’s space. Factor in the time-savings involved with better organization, easier access and more clearly defined operational procedures.

BYU’s 2006 Computerized Genealogy Conference

2006-03-16T19:50:00.000-05:00

The BYU Computerized Genealogy Conference was held from March 10-11 in Provo, Utah, and Genealogy Today attended (Room 2277, Booth #23) for the first time. This conference is designed to be a how-to guide for everyone, including beginning, intermediate, and advanced researchers. Pictured to the right is our booth (click on it to see an enlarged version of the photo).

Betty Lindsay (editor of GenWeekly) handled the Genealogy Today booth and gave the following report: “They have a pretty good-sized group at the conference. The parking lot has been completely full, and they have five simultaneous sessions going on at any given time. We had a good crowd on the first day. We went through almost three bags of the letter openers [giveaways]. The people coming to the table were quite interested to know who we were and what we had to offer.”

“Not many students coming through, although one of the vendors in our room is from the BYU computer science department (check out www.onepagegenealogy.com). I’ve also seen a few presenters, some of whom may be faculty. But mostly what I’m seeing is the average conference-goer, and quite a few Family History Center managers/directors, asking when we will have a library subscription option. We are also in the room with a new company, Acentra, and PedigreeSoft.com.”

The featured presenters for this conference were Curt B. Witcher and Alan Mann. Mr. Witcher is the department manager for the Historical Genealogy Department of the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana. And Mr. Mann is a manager of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

BYU also hosts a Genealogy and Family History Conference in August. This year’s theme is Strengthening Ties That Bind Families Together Forever.

Get Inspired to Retire — Super Ideas!

2006-03-13T12:53:00.000-05:00

We received a letter on March 13, 2006, from Kaplan Publishing informing us that Genealogy Today was THE family history web site featured under the topic “Dig for Your Roots” (page 40) in a new book entitled, Get Inspired to Retire: Over 150 Ideas to Help Find Your Retirement. Authors David Saylor and Greg Heffington wrote, “Tracing a family genealogy is a legacy for your children, grandchildren, and great-granchildren. No matter how insignificant something sounds to you today, it may be invaluable to future generations.” Great advice! The ideas in this colorful guide will help you plan for and make the most out of your retirement.

St. George Jamboree 2006

2006-02-19T11:33:00.000-05:00

The Genealogy & Family Heritage Jamboree was held on Feb. 10th and 11th in St. George, Utah, and Genealogy Today attended (booths #120/119) for our second year. Pictured to the right is our booth (click on it to see an enlarged version of the photo)

This event was sponsored by My Ancestors Found’s very own Holly Hansen and Jenni Johnson. Holly was the Jamboree Chair, coordinating all aspects of the event during the past year. Jenni did massive amounts of work behind the scenes including the website, marketing collateral, the program, the 300+ page syllabus and so much more.

Dick Eastman (blog) wrote “My Ancestors, Inc. and the volunteers from the Washington County PAF User’s Group staged a first-class genealogy conference with lots of presentations from some of the leading genealogy experts of today. The vendors’ hall was full of exhibitors and often was full of attendees.”

Our own Betty Lindsay (editor of GenWeekly) handled the Genealogy Today booth, sharing the exciting developments on our site and all of the unique information we have available.

The funeral cards drew a LOT of interest. People were really intrigued. It set them to thinking about what kinds of things could be used as resource material, and it provided a great lead-in to talking about the other “unique” sources we have in the Family Tree Connection.

This show has really seen some great growth with over 1,000 people attending (although the Dixie Center estimated traffic at well over 2,000), and has become a great event to kick off the year’s conference schedule. If you’re not familiar with St. George, it’s in the southern part of Utah, and just a short drive from Las Vegas.

You can count on us being there in 2007! (Scheduled dates are Feb. 9th and 10th)

Lucky Seven

2006-02-18T14:42:00.000-05:00

This month GenealogyToday.com celebrated its seventh anniversary, and just as people get wiser as they get older, so too has the site evolved (slightly) to better reflect it’s core strengths.

All aspects of the company have been adjusted to follow a more focused direction, everything from how frequently we publish articles, to how we want to appear in search engines, to the messages we give in our printed advertisements, and to the creation of this new blog-formatted corporate site.

The revised home page highlights our emphasis on providing information through articles, news and databases. We moved the search box to top position of the page, and moved the key feature links higher up.

With theses superficial changes, come serious growth in the data we provide. Beginning in 2006, we’ve set a goal of adding 10,000 new names every week. Because we are a firm believer in the importance of balance (you know, Ying/Yang), we’ve also set an internal mandate to ensure that we maintain an equal level of free versus paid information in the databases (collectively).

What’s the ultimate goal? To continue providing our visitors with meaningful value, the most professional service, and establishing long-term relationships built on trust and our integrity. The goal hasn’t changed, but how we approach it has.

Introduction

2006-02-17T16:28:00.000-05:00

Genealogy Today owns and operates family history web sites that help researchers locate online information and promote collaboration through the innovative use of technology.

Established in 2005 by Illya D’Addezio (blog), Genealogy Today is a limited liability corporation located in the state of New Jersey. Prior to the formation of this LLC, the business was managed as a sole propietorship and dates back to February 1999 when the flagship site was launched.

Our site portfolio continues to grow; with careful investments in established sites that complement our core values. Beginning in 2003, Genealogy Today entered into the subscription database market with the launch of Family Tree Connection and has since expanded its offerings.

Core Values

2006-02-17T11:58:00.000-05:00

The fundamental beliefs and principles of Genealogy Today extend to all of our efforts, from article writing to database publishing. These values are expressed in every task we undertake and reflect our passion for genealogy.

Trust - establishing long-term relationships by earning your firm belief in our honesty.

Meaningful Value - we want to meet or exceed your expectations on every visit to our site.

Quality Standards - our goal is to maintain the highest quality in the information we provide.

Professional Service - we strive to exhibit the highest levels of professionalism, competency, and ethics.

Collaboration - we seek results through collaboration — with our partners, and with our visitors.

Innovation - we are constantly looking for ways to innovate and improve.

Technology - we integrate technology into our web sites to best serve our visitors.

Open Communication - we recognize the importance of open, honest, and respectful communication.

Excellence - we insist on giving our best effort in everything we undertake.

Teamwork - we value and respect the contributions of our team members.

Press Room

2006-02-17T11:47:00.000-05:00

We have not yet issued any press releases at the corporate level. The following are some announcements made on GenealogyToday.com:

Genealogy Today Earns TRUSTe Privacy Seal

Genealogy Today Expands Reach into UK Market with Acquisition

Genealogy Today Initiates Project to Capture Military Roots

Helping Genealogists Make New England Connections

Genealogy Site Launches Service to Capture Lost Family History

Yourfamily Under New Management

Subscription Databases

2006-02-17T11:43:00.000-05:00

Family Tree Connection, launched in 2003, with the goal of capturing details about the lives of our ancestors — from their early years in school, through college and then moments in their adult lives. For years, Illya has collected hundreds of rare documents, pamphlets and unique out-of-print books that contain genealogical tidbits about people from around the world (although mostly in the United States and Canada). These are the source of the information in the Family Tree Connection database.

GenWeekly, launched in 2004, as an e-publication packed with information that will help people of all ages and levels of genealogical experience discover their unique heritage. Staffed by several dozen freelance writers, this weekly newsletter includes original articles, industry news and upcoming events. Included with the subscription is full access to the article archive.

New England Early Genealogy, launched in 2004, brings a database of over 70,000 records compiled by Alice Howe Palmer over the past fifteen years online for the first time. Previously available on CD-Rom, this database is the result of Alice’s effort to connect and interconnect names from the early New England period. All of the names include any available basic data: birth, death, marriage dates, towns of residence, citations documenting sources.

Town Reports Online, launched in 2005, allows you to quickly search across the many sections, for various towns — as the information in these old town reports varies greatly. Town Reports are an excellent source of genealogical information, often including the births, marriages and deaths that occurred during the year. These reports sometimes contain the report of the school superintendent, which lists the teachers and honor roll students.

The Acadian-Cajun Family, currently under development, will be the first online release of a database of over 1.2 million records developed by Yvon Cyr over the past ten years. Compiled from various sources, the Acadian-Cajun Family will allow subscribers to effortlessly navigate through hundreds of interconnected family trees, viewing birth, marriage and death data along with citations documenting the references used.

Contact Us

2006-02-17T11:38:00.000-05:00

Genealogy Today is a privately-held business operating in New Jersey with a single employee, the founder, Illya D’Addezio (blog). All writing, editorial and data entry functions are performed by freelancers who reside around the country.

Several of our subscription databases are the result of collaborations with other webmasters. Illya leverages his marketing and technical background to help bring these valuable resources to a broader audience.

We welcome the opportunity to partner with individuals and/or companies who share our core values. Please contact us by email (owner@gentodayllc.com), AOL IM (illya65), MSN Messenger (illya@daddezio.com) or telephone (908-963-1277).

Site Portfolio

2006-02-17T11:15:00.000-05:00

Genealogy Today, our flagship site lauched in 2000, started as a portal that tracked all things (sites, articles, books, etc) new in the world of genealogy. Always emphasizing new and unique ways to approach genealogical research, the site began adding original content, first articles and later data (transcriptions & databases). A variety of fully-integrated acquisitions expanded the content as well.

UK Genealogy, acquired November 2002, this site is one of the leading genealogy starting points for British research launched in 1999.

Ancestor Quest, acquired March 2003, this site started off in 1996 as a single page of Passenger List links, and was expanded to help people find their roots.

Your Family.com, partnership formed June 2003, to market and manage the day-to-day operations of this interactive genealogy site launched in 1996.

Missing Persons Register, acquired December 2003, was one of the Internet’s oldest free people finding services, launched in 1996.

Find Lost Ones, acquired January 2004, this site was launched in October 2001, and included over 8,000 listings.

Awesome Genealogy acquired February 2004.

GenWeekly, acquired August 2004, is the newsletter designed to help individuals of all ages and genealogical experiences.

UK Genealogy Links, acquired September 2005, is an innovative site focusing on central England research developed in January 2000.