Another Geneameme & Global Genealogy

Jill at Geniaus is at it again! - It's time for a Geneameme to celebrate August, which has been family history month in Australian (New Zealand of course took part too!)

The challenge Jill has set is laid out fully at her blog post, but the questions are:

1. What are the titles and URLs of your genealogy blog/s?
2. Do you have a wonderful "Cousin Bait" blog story? A link to a previous blog post might answer this question. 
3. Why did you start blogging? Is there someone who inspired you to start blogging?
4. How did you decide on your blog/s title/s?
5. Do you ever blog from mobile devices? What are they?
6. How do you let others know when you have published a new post?
7. How long have you been blogging?
8. What widgets or elements do you consider essential on a genealogy blog? 
9. What is the purpose of your blog/s? Who is your intended audience?
10. Which of your posts are you particularly proud of?
11. How do you keep up with your blog reading?
12. How long have you been blogging?
13. What platform do you use for publishing your blog/s?
14. Which of your posts has been the most popular with readers?
15. Are you a sole blogger or do you contribute to a shared blog?
16. How do you compose your blog posts?
17. Do you have any blogs that are not genealogy related? If you wish please share their titles and URLs.
18. Have you listed your blog/s at Geneabloggers?
19. Which resources have helped you with your blogging?
20. What advice would you give to a new Geneablogger?

My main blog is Anglers Rest, which tends to cover all my interests, but mainly genealogy and books. I also have several other blogs, which deal with specific projects - 

Italian Genealogy

Sutera Tales ~ The beginnings of a One-Place Study

Puttenham One-Place Study

Orlando One Name Study

Worship One Name Study

Grave Encounters - which looks at cemeteries, graves and memorials etc

The titles of the blogs were pretty much set by the project they were covered, with the exception of Anglers Rest, which is the name of our house.

I share my blog posts, from all blogs via a network blog link up to my twitter feed. That same feed also shares to the Anglers Rest Face Book page.I also have an email subscribe facility on my blogs. I also share via Google+, which I am just starting to embrace a bit more. I think it is important to enable others to access your blog updates in a selection of ways. That way you can welcome dialogue with others; which is one of the points of blogging. 

I welcome comments to my blogs. I do not accept anonymous comments and do not use verification codes, which drive me nuts! I have a short time window for comments, so if a comments comes in after a particular time frame, then it is moderated. 

I started the Anglers Rest blog back in 2002 when blogging was just about starting. Many of my contemporaries were using Live Journal, which I found irritating, and eventually most of them moved to Wordpress. I do have a page at wordpress which I developed as an attempt to undertake a small project to see how on got on with it, but I do prefer blogger!

The purpose of Anglers Rest was initially for my own amusement. I share the items which I find interesting, which are typically books and genealogy. Over time, especially the last few years I have gained quite a following, which is lovely that anyone should feel my inane drivel is worth reading! 

My audience is typically readers and book lovers and those from within the genealogical community which is a perfect fit! There are a few others including some former colleagues who occasionally mention that they read posts. The one thing I have never done is promote or really mention my regular day job, as blogging was really a release valve for me. Over recent years I can reflect that blogging has become part of my existence and I enjoy it, the interaction with others it brings, not just in terms of reading and commenting, but development further into Google hangouts.

One of the most useful and informative sites is run by Thomas at Geneabloggers - he has daily prompts which over the years I have randomly taken part in. Usually weekly there is a list of new genealogical bloggers which is added to his huge database. Mine are included and truly, the Geneabloggers site should be one of the first places a new genealogy blogger visits.

The biggest underestimation anyone can have is the power of blogging. Apart from being potentially therapeutic, it is a a huge source of information and friendship. I have developed some great friendships because of blogging. That extended source of collaboration is great and enables even the shyest of people to take part. The team mate spirit as a group of bloggers take part in lengthy events such as the April A-Z Challenge or Family History Writing Month. February was quite a busy genealogical month as you can see from my review post HERE. Further collaboration is with Historical Tapestry, a historical fiction blog that I contribute to and I contribute to The Grave Yard Rabbits, which has been on a summer break.

The process of blogging is a two way street. Since the demise of Google Reeder I can not get into the swing of thing, and am way behind on reading and commenting. I imported by Google RSS feed into both Feedly and Flipboard, which I prefer out of the two.

I like to compost my blog posts at my desk via laptop. I have an iPad, which is getting a little tired and now could do with being upgraded, but at my desk is where I feel more comfortable. However, I often have ideas for blogs and column posts (I write a blog post and a column post each month for the In-Depth Genealogist) when I am out and about or in front of the telly. Those notes are recorded either in my notebook or in OneNote.

I have had various posts over the years that seem to have received lots of comments either privately or by comments being left. Sometimes the interest in particular posts is curious. Posts which I think will be popular are not and vice versa.

Something that has been a success is The Book of Me, Written by You, which I am now going to give a shamelessly plug to. I have not created a blog for it, but the prompts will be delivered each week from 31st August 2013 through until the end of December 2014 via Thomas at Geneabloggers and via the Anglers Rest blog. There is a Facebook group set up read for discussion. You can read all about the project and find out what it is all about HERE

Now, given what I have said in response to Jill's questions about blogging and it's collaboration between genealogists. I am going to set a challenge. The internet has made interaction between genealogists across the world so easy. How about this. A blog that will embrace Global Genealogy daily. If you would like to take part in this collaboration blog please leave me a comment with your email address or send me an email with Global Genealogy in the subject line.

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Jill, I have had a lovely hour or so responding to your questions. Thanks also must go to you for planting the seed of the global genealogy.