Did you know the Wiki has a new face lift? It is still the same great place to research information about localities and genealogical
83,000 such helpful tools in the FamilySearch Wiki.
83,000 such helpful tools in the FamilySearch Wiki.
James Tanner says it is the best genealogical research tool on the Internet. He should know as he is one of the volunteers on the Wiki Research Team and serves as a moderator for it for Utah, New Mexico and Arizona. The moderators check the articles submitted for authenticity and accuracy. Thus assuring that the content is of value to the rest of us. As Kim Miller said in our Boot Camp Training, "When you don't know what to do, Think Wiki!" YOu'll also be happy to know that the "Big Blue Button" that says Records Online Kim taught us about is still there!
I am glad they have improve the design and usability of the Wiki but it is still always a little period of adjustment that is needed when you have to relearn things. That is just part of this game. Changes...constantly. We can handle that...it's what we do.
I maintain that it is easier to learn a new aspect of something you are already familiar with than to think you should just wait until the changes are complete and then learn it. The secret within that statement is that they will never be done.
James has done 4 blog posts on The Wiki's new look. You should definitely read them. Did you know you can "Watch" the articles you are interested in for updates and changes? Did you know they have a Talk section for each article so you can pose questions or converse with others? You can even write articles on your area of expertise but you need to review the policies and rules for that first. You can find links to all of these things in the four articles James has done.
One of the things I like so much about James Tanner is that he is clear in his thinking and instruction. The link below is the fourth installment of his series on the Wiki and at the bottom it contains the other three links for the full series. It is OK to read #4 first as it has a great overview.
One of the things I really like is that from the start page of the Wiki you can look for links and find the contents by categories. Just like the Home Page of FamilySearch there is a lot of help on how find what you need if it is there. It is the portal to the entire Wiki. According to James Tanner you can get everywhere from the start page to progress in your own research (or to help a patron). So Wiki Wiki (Quick Quick) check it out to find the help you need. Learn more about the Wiki by going to the Search tab on the tool bar at FamilySearch.org and clicking on the dropdown menu! It is the last link on the menu. Dive in!
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