Friday, April 18, 2008

6 worst things to do with a genealogy chart

I promised this quite a while ago when I wrote The 10 Best Things To Do With A Genealogy Chart. 10 best things was easy to come up with, 6 worst things was harder to come up with than I thought. This one deserves a Lettermanesque count down.

6)Put it in the corner and let it collect cobwebs. This is what I did with the blank one that I never filled out. Now since I don't have to fill it out with what I already know, I can mark up my working charts with what I am learning and sources I want to look in to.

5)Apply as wall paper (tough when you move). You wouldn't believe how many people come to us after they have painted their family history on the wall and then have decided to move.

4)Put it on the wall to show everyone “it is all done.” A personal pet peeve. Why stifle all the fun?

3)Give them to the possessive relative without making a copy. All extra copies are 1/2 price at Generation Maps.

2)Send them to relatives who don’t appreciate them. We once had a client say that he was disapointed when he sent charts out to a family reunion that he wasn't able to attend. He did say they loved the tube it was sent in for storing cheese ?!?

And the number 1 worst thing to do with a genealogy chart....

1)Throw darts to see who you should try matching and merging in New FamilySearch. Apparently I come from good, hardy, mergemagnet stock. Though there are strains of money in my family, many of my ancestors are called IOU's--Individuals of Unusal Size. Maybe throwing darts would be the best way.

More at thechartchick.com and generationmaps.com

No comments: