Here is an article that is not about any of the "normal" topics of this newsletter: genealogy, history, current affairs, DNA, and related topics. However, it is a topic that I suggest that all computer users should be familiar with:

URL is the abbreviation for Uniform Resource Locator. A URL is the global address of documents and other resources on the World Wide Web. For instance, this newsletter's home page is found at a URL of https://www.eogn.com.

When writing email messages, social media messages, web pages, articles for newsletters or magazines, or simply taking notes for your own usage later, it is easy to copy-and-paste a URL into the text. But what if you want to print your document out or give a presentation with the link? Many web addresses run 100 characters or longer and contain a mish-mash of upper and lower case letters, punctuation marks, and more. Try entering those into a web browser manually!

A long URL that is shortened by a URL shortener is the best idea for making web pages easier to share. Instead of 100+ character monstrosities that are ugly to look at and impossible to remember or type, using a URL shortener like TinyURL.com or bit.ly makes them much more manageable. 

For instance, my recent article on “The New York Public Library’s Jewish Division Digitized 800 Years of Jewish History" refers to more information available at https://www.jta.org/2024/03/20/culture/the-new-york-public-librarys-jewish-division-digitized-800-years-of-jewish-history.

Would you like to enter that address into a web browser by hand? Or perhaps you would prefer to enter https://tinyurl.com/2rcv33jd?

You can find a lengthy list of other URL shorteners at: https://zapier.com/blog/best-url-shorteners/.

If you have Scottish ancestry, do you know the tartan worn by your clan?

Well, first of all, there are no official rules. According to the Court of the Lord Lyon King of Arms:

"There are no strict rules on who has the right to wear a particular tartan... Wearing a particular clan tartan indicates that the wearer bears an allegiance to the chief of that clan...  There is no official register of tartan. Records of designs are maintained by the Scottish Tartans Authority, Fraser House, 25 Commissioner Street, Crieff, Perthshire, PH7 3A Y. The Lord Lyon has no jurisdiction over tartan..." 

Official or not, many customs have been developed over the centuries about the wearing of various tartans. I have Stewart ancestry, so I thought I would look up that tartan. I was surprised to find that there are different ones for Stewart of Appin, Stewart of Galloway, Stewart of Rothesay, Stewart of Bute, Stewart of Bute Hunting, Castle Stewart, Stewart Royal Family Tartan, and many more. I’ll ignore the livery tartan for Jacky Stewart's Formula One motor racing team as I doubt that I can claim that one anyway. 

Eventually I did find a tartan for just “Stewart,” but I still am not sure if that is the appropriate one for me or not. I guess I need to spend some more time in the genealogy records to see just where my Stewarts originated in Scotland. 

The fact that there are so many tartans listed makes for a fascinating study. Luckily, you can find a lot of information about tartans online. You may even find the one worn by your ancestors.

Probably the best place to find your clan's tartan is at the Scottish Register of Tartans, a web site run by the Scottish government and undoubtedly the best reference authority. It can be found at http://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/.

To become completely immersed in Scottish culture, visit Electric Scotland at http://www.electricscotland.com. This is an enormous site with thousands of pages about a wide variety of topics.

By the way, National Tartan Day is celebrated on April 6 in the United States, so you have plenty of time to order your kilt. 

Hmmm, I wonder how I would look in a kilt? Oh, never mind. I don’t think I have the legs for a kilt.

The following announcement was written by the folks at Findmypast:

There are over 1.3 million new additions for you to explore. 

This Findmypast Friday sees a huge update to our collection - we've added a total of 1,312,523 new Scottish records. 

If your ancestor spent time in a mental health institution in years gone by, their name may appear in this week's new Mental Health Institution Admission Registers. You can also explore over a million new Poor Law and crime records. 

From Scarborough to St. Andrews, we also added five new titles to our newspaper collection.

Scotland, Mental Health Institutions Registers & Admissions

We've added a brand new set of 220,7317 Scottish mental health institutional records this week, spanning 1858 to 1921.

Scotland, Court & Criminal Database

We've also added over a million Scottish court database transcriptions to this existing collection, making it easier than ever to uncover those criminal connections within your family's history. 

These records are taken from the Court of Sessions, Crown Counsel Procedure Books and the Scottish Prison Records Index. 

Scotland, Poor Law & Poor Lists

If your Scottish ancestor received Poor Law relief between 1845 and 1930, their name may appear within these 7,906 new records. 

This week we added registers from Wigtownshire and the Scottish Borders to this existing collection, meaning it's easier than ever to locate your Scottish ancestors within our records.

Discover the Prisoners of War News and more

We added five new titles to our newspaper archive this week. For anyone interested in Second World War history, the Prisoners of War News isn't to be missed - first published in November 1940, this British Red Cross publication was printed in Aberdeen. 

Prisoners of War News.

It details the names and other details of British soldiers who were held as prisoners of war in Germany. If you're having trouble finding your ancestor in our traditional POW records, this title may help to fill in the gaps.

With a total of 292,085 brand new pages added to the newspaper archive, we've also updated a further 17 publications this week.

Here's everything that's been added to our newspaper archive this week.

New titles:

• Gravesend Messenger, 1998-1999
• Kent County Examiner and Ashford Chronicle, 1888-1889
• Prisoners of War News, 1940-1945
• Scarborough Evening News, 1889, 1986-1992, 1995-1997
• The Regiment, 1896, 1898-1901

Updated titles:

• Arbroath Herald, 1985
• Bridlington Free Press, 1986
• Broughty Ferry Guide and Advertiser, 1974-1978
• Fife Free Press, & Kirkcaldy Guardian, 1971-1973, 1979-1982
• Forfar Dispatch, 1985
• Fraserburgh Herald and Northern Counties’ Advertiser, 1959
• Galloway Gazette, 1986
• Halifax Daily Guardian, 1915-1917
• Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail, 1983
• Horncastle News, 1972-1976
• Market Harborough Advertiser and Midland Mail, 1992
• Melton Mowbray Times and Vale of Belvoir Gazette, 1992-1993
• Middleton Guardian, 1988-1989
• Northampton Mercury, 1987
• Ripon Gazette, 1958, 1973-1977, 1988, 1997
• St. Andrews Citizen, 1992
• Star Green ‘un, 1907-1908, 1962-1974

Last week, we added new Irish records to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. View the full release here.

The Association of Professional Genealogists is excited to announce the upcoming Virtual Professional Management Conference, Set Sail: Navigate Your Genealogy Career, scheduled for 19-21 September 2024. This premier event is dedicated to exploring the latest trends, insights, and best practices in genealogical career development and business management.

As we embrace the virtual format this year, we are inviting dynamic and knowledgeable speakers to share their expertise with our diverse and engaged international audience.

APG is now accepting proposals for creative, interactive, and actionable learning presentations to energize and boost attendees’ genealogy careers.

The Call for Presentations is open and the deadline for submissions is 21 April 2024 at 11:59 PM EDT.

For full submission details, suggested topics, and more information, visit our website at https://www.apgen.org/cpages/2024-pmc-call.

Ready to submit? Click here to submit your proposal on Whova.

APG prefers new and original presentations tailored to professional genealogists and their businesses. APG will consider proposals from non-APG members and encourages submissions from international professionals.

Suggested topics focused on the theme, Set Sail: Navigate Your Genealogy Career include, but are not limited to:

• Advanced Technology/Artificial Intelligence Integration
• Business Expansion Strategies
• Client Relationship Management
• Collaboration and Networking
• Diversification of Services
• Educational Services and Training
• Ethical Considerations
• Financial Management
• Forensic Genealogy
• International Business
• Legal, Privacy, Confidentiality Insights
• Marketing and Branding
• Professional Development Opportunities
• Professional Writing and Publication
• Websites

Deadline for submissions is 21 April 2024 at 11:59 PM EDT.

APG welcomes speakers from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to participate in our event. Committed to creating an inclusive environment, we value and respect diversity, and we will strive to provide accommodations to ensure that every speaker can fully contribute their unique insights and experiences.

Our programming team will carefully review all submissions and select presentations based on their relevance, innovation, and potential impact on the professional genealogy community. We look forward to receiving your proposals and creating an enriching virtual experience for our community.

Feel free to share this call with your contacts and others who may be interested.

Questions? Contact Dawn Carey Henry, PMC Manager at apgpmc@gmail.com.  

Sponsorship Information: Contact APG Advertising Manager Pam Israel at admgr@apgen.org.

The following is a Plus Edition article written by and copyright by Dick Eastman. 

A new buzzword is becoming popular in high tech. Well, it isn't really a new buzzWORD as much as it is a buzzABBREVIATION (if there is such a thing). 

According to Wikipedia's definition of IPFS: 

"The InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) is a protocol and peer-to-peer network for storing and sharing data in a distributed file system. IPFS uses content-addressing to uniquely identify each file in a global namespace connecting all computing devices."

While that explanation is technically correct, I think it deserves a bit more explanation. I prefer the explanation offered on IPFS.com:

"A peer-to-peer hypermedia protocol designed to preserve and grow humanity's knowledge by making the web upgradeable, resilient, and more open.""

Even that is a bit cryptic. I would prefer:

"IPFS is the next iteration of cloud computing.'

Another simplistic explanation might be: "The InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) is a protocol and peer-to-peer network for storing and sharing data in a distributed file system."

I have been using IPFS to store backup copies of all my newly-created files for the past several months and I am very impressed with these low-cost file storage services. I thought I would describe them this article.

Cloud computing has become one of the major advances in computing technology of the past decade or so. It provides both increased file space for storage of thousands of files as well as (optional) backup copies of files already stored locally in your own computer(s). Again, referring to Wikipedia:

"Large clouds often have functions distributed over multiple locations, each location being a data center. Cloud computing relies on sharing of resources to achieve coherence and typically using a 'pay-as-you-go' model which can help in reducing capital expenses but may also lead to unexpected operating expenses for unaware users."

IPFS deviates from that definition in that each location does NOT need to be in a data center.

In addition, IPFS typically offers lower prices for data that is stored off-site. In addition, IPFS offers encryption and other techniques to keep your data private, meaning that nobody else can view any of your data other than yourself (unless you explicitly give others permission to view your files). 

IPFS is an abbreviation for "Interplanetary File System" which should win some sort of award for the coolest product name in the industry. "Interplanetary?" Just what is that?

The remainder of this article is reserved for Plus Edition subscribers only. If you have a Plus Edition subscription, you may read the full article at: https://eogn.com/(*)-Plus-Edition-News-Articles/13333558. (A Plus Edition password is required to access that article.)

If you are not yet a Plus Edition subscriber, you can learn more about such subscriptions and even upgrade to a Plus Edition subscription immediately at https://eogn.com/page-18077. 

The state of New Jersey, where Reclaim The Records has successfully acquired and freely released millions of historical records in recent years, is trying to amend their state-level Freedom of Information law, which they call the Open Public Records Act (OPRA), to limit access through bills S2930/A4045.

This controversial plan was pulled from the state Appropriations Committee at the last minute with promises that it would return.

“Democracy is being threatened all over the country, and this is an outrageous and immoral effort,” Beverly Brown Ruggia, the financial justice program director for New Jersey Citizen Action said, calling the bill an “attempt to gut one of the most democratic” pieces of legislation in the state.

This bill to gut the power of the state’s public records law has raised concern among genealogists, historians, journalists, and champions for government transparency to the level of action.

Recent efforts through OPRA have finally released the New Jersey Marriage Index (1901-2016). Back in 2017, when they first tried to get a copy, the New Jersey Department of Health (DOH) refused to release the index and Reclaim the Records prepared to file suit. With the help of the office the New Jersey Attorney General they were eventually posted online, for free, for everyone.  A few months later, Reclaim the Records again leveraged OPRA to obtain the first-ever New Jersey Death Index.

One of the reasons these efforts were possible was that unlike many other states’ open records laws, New Jersey’s OPRA mandates that someone who wins a records access lawsuit against the state deserves to have their attorneys fees paid by the state. Because of this, state government agencies are more hesitant to blatantly break the law and wrongly withhold records from the public, because they know they will be on the hook for the fees if they lose the case.

The newly-proposed bill would change that law however, an attempt to chill the ability of requestors to challenge agencies that withhold government records.

You can read more in an article in the New York Almanack web site at: https://www.newyorkalmanack.com/2024/03/new-jersey-records-access/

Jewish New York was once defined by pushcarts and peddlers; immigrants arriving through Ellis Island; densely packed kosher restaurants; lively Yiddish theater and daily newspapers in Yiddish and Ladino. 

Those days are long gone — but that period is just some of the Jewish history captured in documents and ephemera collected and carefully cataloged by the Dorot Jewish Division at the New York Public Library. Their collection includes the very first edition, in 1897, of the Yiddish daily newspaper Der Forverts, matchbooks from Jewish businesses like Schapiro’s Kosher Wines, scripts of plays from the Yiddish writer Sholem Asch and photographs of the Lower East Side from more than 100 years ago. 

A photograph of street life on the Lower East Side taken by Morris Huberland. (Courtesy Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs)

For decades, New Yorkers could request to see such items during a visit to the New York Public Library’s main branch. 

Now, as part of a belated celebration of the Dorot Jewish Division’s 125th anniversary — which was marked officially in November 2022 — the library has curated and digitized select materials from the division’s archives for a new online exhibit. Now, anyone, anywhere can virtually scroll through thousands of years of Jewish history both local and global, from amulets found in Jewish tombs in Jordan dating to the fifth and sixth centuries to a 1903 guide welcoming new Jewish immigrants to the U.S. 

You can read more in an article by Julia Gergely  published in the Jewish Telegraphic Agency web site at: https://tinyurl.com/2rcv33jd.

American Ancestors' newest initiative, 10 Million Names, combines the work of historians and genealogists to bring the past to the present. 

It’s a sad fact that identities of people who were enslaved in the United States have historically been obscured, if not completely unreported. But a Boston-based non-profit organization hopes to bridge the gap between living descendants of Africans today and their often forgotten ancestors. 

The long-term goal of American Ancestors’ 10 Million Names project is to recover every name of the estimated 10 million men, women, and children enslaved on the land that became the United States.

American Ancestors is the global brand of the New England Historic Genealogical Society. NEHGS was the first genealogical society in the nation, established in 1845. Their newest initiative, 10 Million Names, combines the work of historians and genealogists to bring the past to the present. 

American Ancestors has shifted to a broader perspective in recent years, moving well beyond New England. Recently, for instance, they worked with Richard Cellini — now a member of the 10 Million Names advisory board — on the Georgetown Memory Project. 

Through their collaboration, the memory project presented the family history of 272 people found on a bill of sale between Jesuit priests of Georgetown University (then Georgetown College) to plantations in Maryland and Louisiana. 

You can read more in an article by Adora Brown published in the boston.com web site at: https://tinyurl.com/wfzjn3mp.

In Tennessee, there's a proposal to make it illegal for first cousins to marry each other. Representative Darren Jernigan introduced the proposal in the House, and Senator Jeff Yarbro introduced it in the Senate.

The proposal wants to change a part of Tennessee law about who can marry who. Right now, it's not allowed for cousins to marry, but the proposal wants to make it clearer by saying descendants of grandparents can't marry either.

The bill states, "Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 36-3-101, is amended by deleting the language "nor the child of a grandparent" and substituting "nor the lineal descendant of a grandparent."

You can read more in an article at: https://97x.com/tennessee-lawmakers-outlawed-first-cousin-marriages/

Genealogists typically read lots of obituaries but very few of them match the one for George Ferguson of Oak Bay, British Columbia. Quoting from George's obituary:

"What to say about George? Certainly, no one could accuse him of having been a loving son, brother, or father. He'd gladly have stolen the shirt off your back and he was generous to a fault with other people's money. Was he a small-time con-man with grandiose schemes? Probably. But another view of him is that he was the most exciting member of his family and of the families he married into. He was a poor man's rhetorician who beguiled certain woman into buying into his promises and dreams."

"...he was a United Church minister who passionately improvised sermons for congregations in Quesnel, Barkerville, Bella Bella, Greenwood, Nipawin, Sask. and Kelowna. It is impossible to say whether or not George was actually religious. Anyway, God's name rarely came up when George was flush."

As to his death:

"The next day, we brought in some beer, toasted his life with him, drank with him, and helped him to make several thoughtful good-bye phone calls. He reminisced a bit and gave us a few unhelpful instructions. He died without pain the next evening..."

I never met George Ferguson and I feel that is my loss. I suspect I would have liked him and probably even admired him for being such a scoundrel. After reading his obituary, you may have a different opinion of George.

This was a man who will long be remembered, although perhaps not for his charity and strong morals. You can read the full obituary at http://goo.gl/EdI8op.