Mid-Atlantic Region 2018 Source-a-Thon Team Chat

Question

This is the official chat page for the Mid Atlantic Team.  What's a Mid Atlantic Team you say?  Well, it started off as a New York Team.  But as other teams formed and all of us super-kewl sourcerers moved around and found our niche, it was thought that there was a need to widen the focus of this team.  Eventually, we decided to go with this old map from I think 1892.

As you can see, it includes New York, New Jersey, Connecticut [I know!  I added it!], West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, District of Columbia.  But this is just so we could have a name for this team; you can source anywhere you want.

This team is always small, so if you are new, or want extra help and/or guidance, this team is a good fit for you!

Here is a link to the help pages explaining the Source-a-Thon - HELP PAGES EXPLAINING THE SOURCE-A-THON HERE!

Mid Atlantic Team Freespace

Click here to check your ranking

Post a Sourcing Selfie for prizes!  This is a thread where you can post a selfie of yourself while sourcing.  It's new for this year.

Comments

Lucy,
You just pointed something out I spent almost three years doing for myself.
I went through each Maltby profile one at a time to find the ones that were unsourced and worked on them.  How I wish I had asked Patty's question years ago, or, that you were a mind reader on one of those sourceathons I only did that name.

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Patty, Did you find the page all right and find any names you need on it?
These family pages are arranged with profiles by last name at birth, LNAB.

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Beulah, you are too funny!  I think we've been on the same team for everything.  I am pretty sure I didn't know that little trick until very recently.  I have some families that need soooooo much work.  Like Woodbury.  What a nightmare!

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I finished the Maltby GEDCOM after close to three years.  I sourced between 4000 to 5000 profiles.  I don't know what got it orphaned but took affront to my ancestors left drifting and took it on as a personal project.

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Congratulations, Beulah!  That's quite an accomplishment.   I'm sure your ancestors are proud!

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Thanks.  It was kind of a labor of love for the immediate family and then just kept going.

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I admire your perseverance.  I don't know that I could stick with it.

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I'm relying on the premise that keeping your brain active helps stave off
Alzheimers disease.  At almost 82 I'm aware of senior moments and find
that many computer games bore me.  I have found a hobby in wikitree
that seems to fit two interests and may be of help physically.

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Beulah -

Thanks for responding. I'm a day late and a dollar short, but no, I did not find "Miller". I kept scrolling through the last names but there were so many pages, I gave up. If one could just insert a last name into a search box for that letter, it would have helped immensely.

Patty

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Patty, go to the top of your personal profile page and remove the rehxxxxx
part of the name so only miller remains.  Click on the icon just to the right of it and it will take you to the Miller family page.

Answer 1

I'd like to join! Over half my ancestry comes through the mid-Atlantic states.

Comments

Hi Sharon,
We would love to have you on our team.  Go to the very top of the G2G
page and ANSWER the question, "Have you registered for the sourceathon-2? "and say you would like to be on our team..  You will be issued a source-a-thon number
and eventually a badge for your profile page.  Welcome aboard.

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Thanks! Already joined the Source-a-thon through there -- #74; I'll edit to add the team.

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Great.  We're off to a good start.  Usually we are short of members.  We
aren't a competitive team for high numbers of profiles sourced.  Last year
I won a t-shirt for participating and one of the team notified me of my name
being drawn.  I like that kind of support for each other.

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I found you and added you to the official team.  You are number 071.  I'm also adding the Texas databox on our page for you.

Answer 2

Yay!  We've been busy!  I see we have had some sign-ups in the thread.  I wasn't sleeping all day or anything all day, I was working.  I decided to add another Buffalo Soldier to the database and I am getting better at writing and sourcing and stuff.  Imagine my excitement when I found out that there was a child!  I am so sad that so many of the Buffalo Soldier's who have received the Medal of Honor did not seem to leave much of a family of descendants.  That makes it more difficult to get them connected.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Williams-67434

Answer 3

Hello everyone!  I have a question.  I've seen it hinted that, "you only need one good source to delete the unsourced category."  Another group is already doing research and is making lists to have ready when it starts.  I'm hoping we aren't planning to be like that.  I would rather get at least one source for each major event in their life if possible and play within the rules. 

I'll be working in New Mexico so if anyone wants to join me, I have some books with sources not available online.

I want to start right now!  Three and a half weeks is too long to wait!! 

Comments

You are correct Marcie. Technically one good source is fine,  but it's always better to make the best profiles you can. This team is not concerned with winning per se. Of course don't spend hours looking for a source for everything if it's just not there,  be reasonable.

If you are looking for more quantity,  you could find family groups that need sourcing and do them all at once.

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I also asked Ales if he could give us a table for New Mexico.

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I figured out how to do it myself.  I added the New Mexico databox at the end so it would be easy to find.

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Thank you!!!

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I agree with you as far as doing this at your own pace.  One year I did
make a list of profiles that had sources before hand.  I think I only managed
to do about 200 in the whole "thon" and the team together did less than 2000.  The highest profilers each had more than 1000 each.  I have to admit that my skills and arthritic fingers would never get me near that, but
i never gave it a thought to be concerned with totals.  I'm too laid back.  Be
yourself and be happy!!!!!!!

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I'm so glad to read your comments Beulah. I am definitely not a speedy sourcer. And I always enter all of the sources I find for a profile. I'm always amazed on the Saturday sourcing sprint that I've gone from 1 to 8 in the last couple of months and when I check the tracker there are those with 50 to 300. I can't imagine how they do it!

So I'm going to be happy as I love sourcing and do my best!

Answer 4

Okay, I am such a geek!  I just made spreadsheets to use for researching, with the profile id, name and my best sources listed across the top.  Then I can pick maybe 5 names, go research, then come back and enter them. Most of my earlier sources are books and it's just easier to search them in batches.  14 more days!!!!

Comments

You are not a geek, you are organized!  I have lots of spreadsheets.

Answer 5

I just got the email that I've been moved to Knit Sourcers per my request.  You have all been wonderful but I am a dedicated knitter and this is my tribe. Thank you so much for welcoming me.  Have fun with the challenge!

Comments

Knit--purl--source--enjoy!!!

Answer 6

Over  the last three months I have used the Rootsearch/familysearch feature to remove over 300 profiles from profiles with LNAB beginning with
letters A, B, and C in unsourced New York.  Not bragging, just want to let you know there will not be a lot of profiles left that will have sources available and you may want to look in other letters for quicker results.  I will continue with letters D and probably E during the weekend.  I have a granddaughter who wants to visit so I know I won't get any further.  Just a heads up, hoping to save someone time looking for unsourced profiles
that may have them available.  Anyone else with similar research to report to team mates?

Answer 7

Am I going crazy or have I actually seen some posts where people are already sourcing for the "Source-A-Thon"? Isn't it just for the last weekend of September?

Also I've been assigned #384 by Langholf-2 and I don't see the number added by my name yet.

Thanks!

Comments

Louise, some people are sourcing current unsourced profiles to get in
some practice to learn or refine those skills.  The profiles will not count
for credit to the sourceathon.  I am adding your number as soon as I finish this note.   Beulah

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Thank you Beulah!

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You're welcome.  I hope I get a chance to help some one win a prize by
seeing their number if it is drawn.  We can all help each other that way
when we get underway.

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I'm getting excited for the Source-a-thon and it appears that so many on Wikitree are also getting excited!

I never worry about "door prizes" for my self because, and you can even ask my husband, if it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all.

But it will be exciting to see and be happy for those that do win!

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I found people on my watchlist that were not sourced!  I guess I need the practice!

Answer 8

Is everybody all set?  Questions?

Comments

Is anyone on this team picking a certain area to work on or are we just going right into it? I was thinking I'd mostly focus on Pennsylvania, but I don't want to step on anyone's feet so I could go with a certain time period or a certain letter if that's needed.

Thanks!

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Just go right into it. If you are working on something specific and are afraid someone will step on your toes,  you can let us know, otherwise knock yourself out.

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I'm focusing on Maryland, though I may wander off into other areas.

Answer 9

This year there is a new challenge for all you Sourcerers.  You are encouraged to take a selfie of you sourcing.  The image can be posted here.  If you want, you can also post it to Facebook and in the thread.  That will count as two entries, as long as you remember to use the hashtag #WikiTree so they can find it.  What a great way to let your friends and family know why you are avoiding them and not taking their calls...you are sourcing!

Answer 10

Lisa's name was drawn at 8 p.m.  Claim your prize.  Go team Go.

Comments

Yay.  Star won a prize and claimed it on Sunday at 5 p.m.  Go team Go

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Oh good.  She deserved one since she is our number one SuperStar!  She made the most entries for our team!

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Congratulations Lisa and Star!

Happy to see people on our team win some door prizes!

Also congrats Star for being our #1 SuperStar for the most entries on our team, way to go!

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Great job, Team!  I was on the Chat, so I claimed my prize before they posted the winners.  I probably could have sourced more during the Source-A-Thon if I didn't join in all the Chats, but I really enjoy watching/listening to them and reading everyone's posts.

Answer 11

I believe I already signed up for the Mid Atlantic Team but just to be sure. I added my answer here too.