RootsTech 2014: Reflections

What a week! RootsTech 2014 is now in the history books and most of us are home, processing what we learned. This was my third on-site attendance and I found it to be my favorite so far. Although, you might be surprised as to why this one was my favorite (I will outline my reasons below.) I had hoped to blog about my experiences each day as I did at FGS, but I chose to focus on my new role as a speaker at RootsTech. Since official blogging is a closed list, and not something to be joined, I gave myself a break. After all, I would rather have a polished presentation after getting plenty of sleep instead of staying up and blogging each day, contributing to my overall exhaustion. I admire those who do blog officially for RootsTech (let alone those who speak AND blog - oy vey!)....it takes a huge commitment and a ton of energy! For those who were not able to attend, the syllabus material is still online for you to download, plus streamed sessions are available on the main site...it's not too late for you to join in the fun. At the bottom of this post, I will give you a tid-bit of news on how you can experience more RootsTech action in Central Kentucky on March 8th!

My central reasons for this RootsTech being my favorite are: space and flow of the event! Kudos to the organizers for moving the conference to the larger end of the Salt Palace! I never once felt overwhelmed with the crowd. The rooms were all within an easy walk or escalator ride, and seating was adequate for most of the sessions. I found some overcrowding in the ballrooms, but not nearly as bad as in previous years. The exhibit hall was PERFECT. I hope they never change a thing. Again, no crowding, flow was great. Demo hall was fantastic: sea of comfy couches and chairs which was perfect for just relaxing when needed, plus never breaking your stride in learning! The addition of the soft drink bar and popcorn stand were also very welcome. I am not a big soft drink kinda gal, but when my energy level started dropping in between meals and sessions, a small sugary drink went a long way to help me push further. Plus, it served to take the edge off. Exhibit halls are notorious for their high energy levels.

Session-wise, I still find RootsTech a tad disappointing, but simply from a personal standpoint. I still wish there were more advanced user classes. Although, I will confess that I did not pay to attend any of the advanced workshops - perhaps that would help, but I cringe at having to pay for more after the cost of getting to Utah in the first place! There are plenty of intro-level user classes and developer courses, but the experienced user is often overlooked at RootsTech, and, sadly, this has not changed. But again, this is a personal preference....I'm not sure about the percentage in this area. Is there a decent number of genealogists on my personal level of tech use? I know many genea-buddies who are, but I'm not sure about the number nationally. So, the sessions offered may be more in-line with the widest audience possible. This does not mean that I didn't get anything out of the sessions...on the contrary, I still got a lot of wonderful information!

One way RootsTech compensates for the lack of hardcore user sessions is by asking hard questions and encouraging dialogue that follows those questions. I attended more than one session that addressed serious tech issues within the genealogical community, and I valued the honesty of the speakers/panel, as well as that of the audience. Did we solve the issues that have plagued us for almost two decades? No, but dialogue is the first step in overcoming our challenges as a field.

Transition was also a theme I encountered this year, which is long overdue really. Our technology is changing at a rapid rate and it was refreshing to see the genealogy technologies changing as well....still somewhat slowly...but changing nonetheless. The cloud has finally made full headway into our tech field and was well represented.

I also found it amusing that one main cry among experts this year was "Read the TOS!" (Terms of Service) How many software agreements have we by-passed only to check the appropriate box that allowed the download to continue? I know I'm guilty after so many years of software changes and applications. We hastily do this out of the common assumption that only lawyers can understand it anyway - our experts would beg to differ, and reminded everyone that we have no one to blame but ourselves when it comes to tech companies over stretching their reach. One would think that this is a fairly basic message, meant for tech users from the past - but our increasing rate change dictates we pay more attention to the TOS - more now than ever!

Another issue rearing its head this year was the addition of PERSI to the FindMyPast repertoire. As a valuable resource well known to librarians, this is an interesting development. In our library, we currently subscribe to the older version of PERSI (last updated in 2009) as a part of Heritage Quest, distributed by EBSCO. The new version of PERSI is directed by the Allen County Public Library, where it originated, but will still be locked behind the subscription wall of FindMyPast. As of yet, they do not have a library subscription level to allow us access, but it is said to be in the works. I will weigh in more on this resource if that development comes to fruition.

Another genea-buddy: Jen Baldwin of FindMyPast & #genchat!

I could keep this post going indefinitely with all the goodies absorbed at this year's conference, but I know you all have lives to get back to! A couple of other favorite moments: Tweeting and the conference app were grand this year as was the live streaming portion offered - more to choose from this year. I was so busy that I didn't get to follow ANY of the blogging, but I hope to catch up with some leisure reading over the next weeks. My Mom got to attend with me this year, and even though she only came along to hear me speak, she came away from her sessions with a smile and a favorable vote "Wow, those classes were fun! I really enjoyed them!" Big thanks to the conference organizers who provided a lovely 'Getting Started Track' for low cost - it really allows everyone on a budget to experience RootsTech! She wants to come along next year to attend the full conference and dig deeper into the library! I think we have a new convert!

Mom and I just after my session on Friday!

BTW, as a side note...speaking at RootsTech was a  new experience for me, but a wonderful one! My session, about crowdsourcing events, was chosen as one of the 43 recorded sessions that will be available at the 600 Family History Fairs to be held worldwide over the next year. If you hear of a Fair in your area, keep an eye out for my session! KHS is hosting a RootsTech Family History Fair in two weeks on March 8th. I will post more about our upcoming free event in the next few days!

RootsTech 2014: Sneak Peek

While RootsTech may be a little less than 2 months away, the speakers and organizers are hard at work getting all of their logistical ducks in a row! Seriously, new updates and meetings are practically a weekly occurrence - and the Christmas season is no exception! Which is why you have seen so many posts and announcements from the 2014 participants. As the energy and buzz increase over the coming weeks, here are a few brief updates:

New RootsTech Flipboard Magazine, put together by Lisa Louise Cooke:

I have loved Flipboard for over a year now, but this new, curated issue, full of RootsTech scrumpciousness is a fantastic way to get into the RootsTech energy. 'Tis the season to sit by the fire with a cup of hot chocolate while the snow piles up outside - what better reading material than a collection of RootsTech commentary from your favorite writers/bloggers!? Flipboard is great for tablet reading, but is available across many platforms and via your PC.

RootsTech Session RT1452 (on-site & recorded):

One of the things speakers have been encouraged to do is introduce their session a little before the conference. As a sneak peek, I will expound a little beyond the general session description which reads:

"Piecing Together History: Crowdsourcing Events to Glean the Most Out of the Current Generation. As a technology driven society we have focused most crowdsourcing initiatives on social media venues and electronic metadata collecting methods. However, a balance of tech and nontech approaches is necessary to reach a generation in transition."

This session was birthed as a result of several crowdsourcing or "knowledge sharing" events that took place at the Kentucky Historical Society over the past few years. As a state historical society library, our collection runs the gamut from genealogy/history related books, to original photographic and manuscript collections. Many collections are small and family or community focused with little to no contextual information. In an attempt to provide additional information, we hosted a series of events called "Piecing Together History" to foster community engagement. Through this process, we had to assess the individual collections that would be used for the events, as well as determine what information was sought. This session will follow the steps we took in preparing the collections for community interaction, followed by the information gathering strategies utilized to ensure the information was permanently attached to the collection components. Over the past few years we have incorporated many strategies, including technologically driven gathering methods. Only after trial and error did we find a mutli-method approach that allowed for maximum involvement and knowledge sharing. This final method can be employed with any type of collection and with any type of group. From family reunions to academic settings, this session will demonstrate best practices for engaging audiences of all types and technological levels. (This session has been selected as a recorded session to be broadcast at the RootsTech Family History Fairs - see below)

RootsTech Livestreaming and Family History Fairs:

As a special treat, for those of you who cannot make the trek to Salt Lake City in February, you can still enjoy RootsTech sessions from your area via two options:

1. This year's conference will be livestreaming several sessions for free throughout the conference! Get a cup of tea and enjoy some sessions from home!

2. Many other sessions will be recorded for later viewing at local Family History Fairs in various national and international venues. As a goal for 2014, RootsTech is attempting to arrange 600 satellite locations around the world which will receive and broadcast recorded sessions from RootsTech 2014, in several languages. Information about the locations should be coming soon, so stay tuned to see if your area will be hosting a local fair to showcase some of the 2014 sessions! For those in Kentucky, the Kentucky Historical Society in Frankfort will be one of the venues showing the recorded sessions. We anticipate hosting our Family History Fair in March as part of our regularly scheduled Second Saturday programming. More info TBA.

Can't wait! See you all soon!
C

The RootsTech Ripple Effect

It's getting closer!! Before you know it, we'll be reveling in genealogy tech geekdom! No, I'm not talking about Christmas morning in the 21st century genealogist household....just the most tech-fabulous conference of all: RootsTech 2014!

For those of you who have never attended, I know the hype can be a bit overwhelming when this conference rolls around. Social media is the technological life-blood of this event, and I anticipate that increasing, not decreasing. Even though I have never been linked to this conference in an official capacity, RootsTech and I have a long history together, beginning with the very first year in 2011. From its very inception, we knew it would be different....but we had no idea how far it would reach in terms of influence and industry-wide growth. As we prepare for 2014, here are a few of my own observations and reflections:

1. Speakers/Sessions:
From the first year, I was involved pretty closely, as my Pastology business partner, Chris Starr, was invited to give two sessions on applying semantic web principles to online family trees. As an inaugural speaker, we had no idea what to expect. We prepared the presentations, submitted our required content, and flew out to embrace this new conference frontier. From what I remember, the sessions were much smaller, dialogue was flowing from day one, and attendees were sponges! The eagerness to learn and share new ideas was intoxicating and exhilarating. From that first year, everyone knew it was a huge success, and would only get bigger. I can also remember questioning its sustainability in one place (Salt Lake) with the other major conferences each year, and with the economy tanking like it was....but I underestimated the draw of technology in the genealogy field. It may have been slow to start, but once it got a foot-hold, nothing was going to slow the momentum. Here is a link to my first impressions that year:
http://journeyspast.blogspot.com/2011/02/rootstech-2011-my-take.html

Ripple effect: I was watching a demonstration recently about the online tree building option from FamilySearch, and the questions/issues raised with this type of interface were shockingly familiar. I remember chewing these questions over with my partner and with FamilySearch developers that first year - and it suddenly hit me - it happened! The semantic web foundations materialized exactly as he had presented that year! Seeing a technology principle applied to a new genealogy product was beyond exciting! It proved very quickly to me that the sessions and developer/user environment fostered at RootsTech is vital to our tech growth in this field. This is only one example among many, I am sure!

For 2014, I have noticed how the sessions may have some of the same intro classes for those new to technology, but the remaining sessions are evolving with our learning and understanding. Be prepared for new topics, advanced elements, and increased conversation. This will be MY first year as a speaker, on a subject gaining in popularity: crowdsourcing. Also new for 2014: satellite locations/streaming! At FGS 2013, I signed up my library (The Kentucky Historical Society) to be one of the satellite locations for the live/taped sessions. We have more to learn about this concept, but while an increased number of sessions will be live this year, we are told that even more will be taped, translated, and shared around the globe at various RootsTech Satellite locations. I was notified that my session may be selected for this type of sharing....gee, no pressure! Sweating a little at the thought....

2. Bloggers:

The official blogger list must be fairly well set at this late date as I am seeing more and more bloggers with their official badge added to their page. Alas, I am always a bridesmaid and never a bride in this category....but I have blogged faithfully every year since its inception. I will include a list of my RootsTech posts from the previous years below. I have to say that last year became a little controversial as the conference organizers chose to branch out to non-genealogy bloggers. This was a great idea in principle, but not successful in application. From what we could tell, only ONE of the non-genealogy bloggers chose to attend RootsTech and blog about it....very sad. Many of us hope they branch out to new or different genealogy bloggers out there this year, or we will have the same problem - repeat list of the same super-popular bloggers - who don't always blog about it throughout the conference.

Ripple effect: The trend of "official bloggers" has taken a firm hold on almost all genealogy conferences, both large and small. Due to some of the things learned at RootsTech over the years, the other conferences have embraced slightly different approaches: allowing bloggers to sign-up instead of appointing them, calling them ambassadors instead of bloggers, experimenting with Twitter users (as micro-bloggers). I hope RootsTech pays attention to the way other conferences are handling this situation - I think the other conferences have adapted and circumnavigated the troubling aspects much quicker.

3. Twitter:

I can't even remember if I was using Twitter in 2011. I don't remember Twitter being as big of an element at RootsTech that first year - but the second year - whoa!! By 2012, Twitter was large and in charge! The giant placards were around reminding people to tweet with the proper hashtag, and the big screens were up, letting us see the live Twitter feed about RootsTech. That was very exciting! I can remember tweeting and engaging with other Twitter users in the main hall during the opening sessions. That really enhanced the experience for me....I loved it, and continue to love that wonderful use of Twitter.

Ripple effect: The other major conferences took note, and now, with each conference I attend, Twitter conversation is lively, engaging, and educational! I am even seeing the large TV screens set to run Twitter highlights or feeds, just like RootsTech. A marvelous addition!

4. Un-Conferencing Sessions:

By far, this was my favorite feature of the new RootsTech concept. Bringing developers and users into the same arena for dialogue and engagement was brilliant! Over the years, I have seen this increase, and hope it continues to play a major roll in what we get out of RootsTech each year. I also hope the trend moves a little bit more centrist in collaboration - not so much developer to developer and user to user, but more developer to user, etc. I think that is vital to developing products that are genealogist/user friendly.

Ripple effect: I have noticed the major conferences trying to implement this feature - but while the opportunity to engage is there, folks have not warmed to this idea outside of the RootsTech arena. I hope people realize its value and participate more, but some things may not convey well outside of RootsTech....or they may just take a little bit more time.

5. Future:

While I am very excited about RootsTech 2014, the big talk on campus is 2015 when FGS and RootsTech converge at the same time, in the same conference venue. The Salt Palace is large enough to accommodate two conferences at once. Each year I have attended, there has been a different type of conference on the other side of the building. Although, I am confused about logistics when it comes to the sessions and exhibit hall contents. FGS already has a tech track, just as NGS does - which is another ripple effect from RootsTech - some of the sessions are FROM RootsTech that year. Plus, the exhibit hall for RootsTech is clearly more tech focused - even booksellers were a big controversy one year. Oh well, I'm sure we will learn more later as the those in charge hammer out the details....but one thing is for certain: I anticipate MORE streaming sessions each year. Perhaps one day, all of RootsTech will have an online only pass....wouldn't THAT be awesome!

For your reading pleasure - My Journeys Past RootsTech Anthology:

2011
RootsTech 2011: My Take

Distinction of Honor @ RootsTech!

RootsTech Rebuttal

Perspectives: RootsTech 2012

2012
RootsTech Bound Kentuckians?

RootsTech Day 1

RootsTech Roundup

2013
RootsTech Virtual Edition

Pandora's Box: Official Bloggers

RootsTech Rowdies in Google+