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This is what I think is the best kept secret when it comes to technology and computers and all the devices, etc. Everyone assumes that everyone else knows more than they do. The truth is, I think a lot of us have what I call Swiss Cheese Brain when it comes to this stuff. We know a lot but we don't know it all. There are definitely big holes in our understanding of what some people refer to as 'the basics." It is unrealistic to think that most people know everything about technology just by the shear number of changes and new products and information flooding our world constantly. We have a life to live beyond the devices and machines.
I have come to this conclusion based on my own very unscientific study. When I try to figure something out with no success, I'll say to someone "I really don't know how to do this...can you explain it too me?" I often discover that the person I ask isn't quite sure either. Hmmm, interesting.
It is OK not to know it all. I read once,
"If you know more than everyone else in the room, you are in the wrong place. " So with that in mind, let's talk about flash drives. After all we need to know something about them because they have been the preferred way to capture and store genealogical information for awhile.
A flash drive is used for storing information from one computer to use on the computer later or on another computer. By inserting the device into a USB port on the side of the monitor of the computer (or on the keyboard if you use an iMac), you can copy information on to the flash drive making that information mobile. We sell flash drives at the Oakland Family Search Library. The price is on the flash drive depending on how many GB it has.
I prefer it for some things and also like to have things stored in a cloud for mobility.
DISCLAIMER: Now for all you techies out there and lovers of the fine details I know there are other places USB ports can be found, but for the purpose of keeping it simple...think blog, not textbook.
Installing it:
Insert the open end into the USB Port on the left hand side of the computer.
A temporary window may appear acknowledging the drive.
To access the Flash Drive, bring up the computer window.
Select Start and then select "Computer"
You can also just press the Start Key and the letter "e" on the keyboard at the same time.
The link to the lesson below will give you illustrations on all these steps and options. It will also illustrate and describe how to use the flash drive for various websites. For our purposes here, I will just tell you how to remove it when you are finished and you can go to the body of the lesson for the particulars on its use.
Removing The Flash Drive:
Make sure that your flash drive now contains the information you have copied before disconnecting.
When you are done using the flash drive, check the bottom right corner
of the of the system tray menu. It will appear as a flash
drive icon with a green check.
If it is not there, click on the little white arrow for see the icon. Illustrations in lesson below.
Click on the green checked icon and choose eject to safely remove the flash drive (hardware).
If you get the message Do Not Remove, go back and close the program. Then eject it as directed.
The other things discussed in this lesson are IrfanView and how we use it in various websites like Family Search and Ancestry.
IrfanView is a compact, small, non-commercial graphic viewer for Windows based programs. It is Freeware for educational purposes and is installed on all the computers in the Library. It can be seen on the left hand side of the taskbar on the bottom left of the page and looks like a red cat. (Actually to me it looks like road kill, a cat face down and spread eagle on the pavement...just sayin'.) It gets its name from its creator, Mr. Irfan whom I read is from Austria. In the library the IrfanView image viewer is the default when saving images to a flash drive. It is imperative that you go into the lesson materials from Linda to see the illustrations and get step by step directions for using IrfanView with the various websites. And then do some practicing. You can also use the IrfanView for editing, etc. on your home computer for free as long as you are not using it commercially.
Just from my own experience, I find that web-clipping to Evernote is also good for capturing images and so is taking a picture with your smart phone. There seem to be lots of ways to do what you need to do to preserve what you have found at the library. If someone comes in to the Library and doesn't have a flash drive or want to buy one, they can take phone pictures of the url to find their page again at home. Smart phones have lots of applications while doing genealogy and family history but that is for another day.
Speaking of finding things...patrons often leave their flash drives in the computer and leave without them. If you should happened to discover one left behind, please put it in the lost Flash Drive drawer behind the main counter (bottom drawer directly opposite the staff sign in binder and calendar.) Please mark it with the date and day of the week it is found. That will help someone else find them should the patron return. It is a great idea to have people name their flash drives with their phone number then it is always easy to return.
Thank you for your patience for being a week late. Catching up now after a week of wonderful experiences with our grandchildren and their parents. Now on to tomorrow's lesson. :-)
Filling in the holes...thank you so much, Linda!
