I love cloud computing and use it several times daily. I use a cloud-based email service. I make backups of all my files to a cloud-based service, and I’m even writing this article with a cloud-based word processor. I have written a number of times about cloud-based services.

There is one big question, however: what happens to your files when a cloud computing service disappears abruptly?

This is not an idle question. Cloud-based file storage services have suddenly disappeared a number of times, for a number of reasons. However, one other problem is perhaps more common: you pay for a cloud-based server’s services and then, when it comes time to renew that payment, you don’t have enough money available.

In fact, any cloud-based site could disappear at any time for any number of reasons. Not only can legal authorities shut it down (that happened to MegaUpload.com (now renamed and back online as mega.com), but so can bankruptcy, or a fire or a tornado if the backup service itself isn't backing things up properly off-site, which strikes me as rather stupid, but it does happen. If anyone chooses to use off-site backups, it should be an online backup service that preaches to its customers about the need for off-site backups! However, low-budget backup services might not practice what they preach.

I will suggest the answer for all of these problems is simple: keep your own backup copies.

No hard drive is perfect. Likewise, no cloud-based service is perfect. You should always keep a backup copy of every important file stored on your hard drive, and you should also keep a backup copy of every important file stored in the cloud. 

The backup copy, in fact, might be a simple copy of the original file that is presently stored on your hard drive. If the backup copy suddenly becomes unavailable, who cares? The original should still be available. If you are constrained by disk space, you might want to copy important files to a plug-in USB external hard drive or to a CD or DVD disk or even to a flash drive for short-term local storage as well as to a cloud-based backup service for off-site storage before deleting the file(s) from your hard drive. For those who are truly paranoid, like myself, always backup your files to at least TWO different cloud-based backup services in different locations as well as to a local USB external drive, and also keep the original on the computer's hard drive. With four copies stored in three different locations, the odds of any one disaster destroying everything are slim indeed.

I suppose the argument is that one electro-magnetic pulse from a nuclear attack still could destroy everything. While possible, I doubt if any of us will be worried about genealogy file backups following such a disaster. I suspect we will all be spending our waking hours focusing on more important issues, such as staying alive, finding food, water, and a roof over our heads. In short, I don't plan backups to use in case of nuclear disaster.

I also don't back up everything. For instance, I don't back up my computer's operating system because I know I can always obtain a new copy from the manufacturer or at my local computer store. Likewise, I don't back up word processors or spreadsheet programs or other applications because new copies are readily available online or in stores. However, I do make at least four copies of every bit of data I create or anything created by others that I decide is worth saving.

At home, I keep the original files on each computer's hard drive, plus I have a 14 terabyte external hard drive that plugs into the computer's USB connector. I run software that backups up every new file to the USB external drive within minutes, sometimes within seconds,  after it is created. 

NOTE to Macintosh users: You already have TimeMachine installed on your system. It is the best free backup program I have ever seen, and Apple gives it away free of charge. If you are not already using it, run out now, purchase a USB external hard drive, return home, plug it into your computer's USB connector, and configure TimeMachine. You'll be glad you did.

In addition, all my important data files are backed to Dropbox's cloud-based service within a few minutes of their creation. If that wasn't enough, my computer also makes daily backups to Amazon's S3 (Simple Storage Service) cloud-based file storage area. If Dropbox suddenly goes offline, I still have my original file plus my local backup copies plus the copy on Amazon S3. Likewise, if Amazon suddenly disappears, I still have the original plus local backups plus the copy on Dropbox.

I have a similar setup on my laptop computer. I have a portable plug-in USB hard drive that I don't always take with me on short trips. However, any files I do create will be backed up the next time I plug in the portable hard drive. Likewise, if I have a high-speed Internet connection, I can manually backup files to Dropbox and Amazon S3. However, I do not have the laptop set for automatic backups because sometimes my Internet connection is very slow or perhaps I am paying for the number of bytes being sent. In those situations, I will wait until I am back within range of a high-speed, low-cost connection before making backups. If it is a very important file, I might make an immediate backup copy to a flash drive that I usually carry in my pocket.

NOTE #2: The likelihood of Amazon disappearing seems remote. The company is well-funded, scrupulously honest, and keeps multiple copies of all files stored in multiple data centers around the world. One local fire or tornado won't impact Amazon S3 very much. In fact, the  earthquake in Japan a few years ago shut down Amazon's Tokyo data center in Japan for some time, but no data was lost as backup copies were also stored in other Amazon data centers around the world. All Amazon S3 users with data stored in the Tokyo data center were able to retrieve their files within a few hours.

Details about Amazon S3 cloud-based backup services may be found at http://aws.amazon.com/s3/.

NOTE #3: I may write about Amazon's S3 cloud-based storage service someday. I have it installed both at home and on my traveling laptop, and I use it daily. It is a heavy-duty backup service and is one of all the cloud-based backup services. I think it is cheaper than purchasing your own hard drive, and it makes off-site backups as well as any other service I’ve used. However, I also found Amazon S3 to be a bit complex to configure, so I don't recommend it for computer novices. If you have some systems administration experience, you might want to use Amazon S3's amazingly low-priced backup service. You can read more at http://aws.amazon.com/s3/.

I also keep a lot of my backups on pCloud at: https://pcloud.com/. You can never have too many backups!

Let's return to the original question: What happens to your files when a cloud service shuts down?

The answer is: Not much.

That assumes that you performed your backups in a professional manner like what I’ve described here: you kept multiple backups regularly and stored them in multiple locations.

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, I suspect this article will be of interest to anyone who is an educator.

Microsoft is partnering with tutoring organization Khan Academy to provide a generative AI assistant to all teachers in the U.S. for free. From a report: Khanmigo for Teachers, which helps teachers prepare lessons for class, is free to all educators in the U.S. as of Tuesday. The program can help create lessons, analyze student performance, plan assignments, and provide teachers with opportunities to enhance their own learning.

"Unlike most things in technology and education in the past where this is a 'nice-to-have,' this is a 'must-have' for a lot of teachers," Sal Khan, founder and CEO of Khan Academy, said in a CNBC "Squawk Box" interview last Friday ahead of the deal. Khan Academy has roughly 170 million registered users in over 50 languages around the world, and while its videos are best known, its interactive exercise platform was one which Microsoft-funded artificial intelligence company OpenAI's top executives, Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, zeroed in on early when they were looking for a partner to pilot GPT with that offered socially positive use cases.

The following is a press release issued by the (U.S.) NationalArchives and Records Administration:

The original Emancipation Proclamation will be on display, along with General Order No. 3, at the National Archives in Washington, DC, from June 18 to 20, 2024. Special extended exhibit hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Timed ticket entry is available but not required. Reserve a ticket at recreation.gov.

“The Emancipation Proclamation and General Order No. 3 are fundamental to understanding our nation’s history,” said Archivist of the United States Dr. Colleen Shogan. “Together, these records represent a pivotal moment in America’s pursuit of a more perfect union. I’m proud to have them on display at the National Archives as we celebrate Juneteenth, and I look forward to adding the Emancipation Proclamation permanently to the Charters of Freedom in the National Archives Rotunda soon.”

In celebration of Juneteenth and the viewing of the Emancipation Proclamation and General Order No. 3, join us on Tuesday, June 18, at 3 p.m. ET in the McGowan Theater for interactive performances. Verbal Gymnastics Playback Theater  will engage the audience with innovative storytelling. Come share stories of what Juneteenth means to you and see how the theater group’s actors, musicians, and storytellers creatively use improvisation to play back what is shared. This event is free and open to the public.

Please check our website for additional information.

The National Archives Building in Washington, DC, is located on Constitution Avenue at 9th Street, NW. Free admission and fully accessible. Metro: Yellow or Green lines, Archives/Navy Memorial station. Reserve timed entry tickets on Recreation.gov.

The Emancipation Proclamation and General Order No. 3 Featured Document Presentation is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of The Boeing Company.

Featured Document Display: The original Emancipation Proclamation
East Rotunda Gallery
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached the third year of the Civil War. Lincoln’s proclamation, which declared “that all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free,” was “a fit and necessary war measure for suppressing rebellion.” The Proclamation also declared the acceptance of Black men into military service. By the war’s end, almost 200,000 Black soldiers and sailors had fought for the Union and freedom. 

As a first step, the Emancipation Proclamation promised freedom and a new beginning for several million Americans and fundamentally transformed the character of the war. It recognized the moral force behind the Union cause and strengthened the Union both militarily and politically. As a milestone along the road to slavery’s final destruction, the Emancipation Proclamation has assumed a place among the great documents of the nation.

Related Featured Document Display: ‘Juneteenth’ General Order No. 3
West Rotunda Gallery
The freedom promised in the Emancipation Proclamation was finally delivered to 250,000 people who remained enslaved in Texas two and a half years after President Lincoln’s historic proclamation and two months after Union victory in the Civil War. On June 19, 1865, U.S. Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3, which informed the people of Texas that all enslaved persons in the state were now free. This day has come to be known as Juneteenth, a combination of June and 19th. It is also called Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, and it is the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

Emancipation, however, was not a singular event in United States history. There were many emancipation days as enslaved people obtained their freedom in the decades spanning American independence through the Civil War. They were an important element of the abolition movement, which fought to end slavery and liberate the millions held in bondage across the country. That goal was not fully realized until December 6, 1865, when the requisite number of states ratified the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, legally ending slavery in the United States. 

While Juneteenth was initially celebrated primarily by people in African American communities in Texas, nearly all states and the District of Columbia recognize Juneteenth as an official state holiday or observance. On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed a bill into law establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday. 

Related Online Resources

• Find resources related to African American History at Archives.gov. 
• Emancipation Proclamation and DC Emancipation Exhibits Celebrate Freedom National Archives News story
• National Archives Safeguards Original ‘Juneteenth’ General Order National Archives News story
• The ‘EP’ at the National Archives Pieces of History blog on the Emancipation Proclamation’s fabled history
• Visitors Get a Rare Opportunity To See the Emancipation Proclamation National Archives News story
• "The Meaning and Making of Emancipation,” a free National Archives eBook
• Rediscovering Black History, a National Archives blog
• Records of the Freedmen’s Bureau, established by Congress to help former Black slaves and poor Whites in the South in the aftermath of the Civil War. Read an article about efforts to preserve and digitize this collection.

Horse & Hound has partnered with digital archive specialists Archive Digital to make decades of the magazine’s back catalogue available to subscribe to online.

Issues from the magazine’s launch in 1884, until September 2012, are available to read at The Magazine Archive with a subscription to this archive. Current Horse & Hound magazine subscribers can subscribe at a reduced rate – as well as accessing all digital editions of the magazine from September 2012 onwards in the H&H app as part of their subscription.

Archive Digital has previously produced digital archives of some of Horse & Hound’s sister titles including Rugby World and Golf Monthly, but none with such a vast number of volumes as Horse & Hound’s 140-year-old title.

H&H editor-in-chief Sarah Jenkins said: “As journalists at H&H we have long enjoyed visiting the physical magazine archive in its various office positions over the years – looking through bound issues you find such gems as early interviews with some of our most revered riders. You see how times have changed, and how much has stayed the same – we’re still having debates about overweight horses, for example.

“Being able to access the archive digitally now is a huge treat, and much easier than wading through mountains of physical copies for the article you want. The search function on the digital archive allows you to find every reference to ‘Lucinda Green’, or ‘Michael Whitaker’, or your own horse’s elementary open results from 2020. You can peruse hunt reports from great moments in the sports history, the first Badminton report – which is not a patch on what is produced today, unsurprisingly – Grand Nationals, and more. You can see the evolution of the publication, and its survival through wartime, the hunting ban and more. I hope all with equestrian and media interests will find the new archive a fascinating resource.”

You can read more in an article by Sarah Jenkins published in the horseandhound.co.uk web site at: https://bit.ly/4boPStj.

"Blue Origin's tourism rocket has launched passengers to the edge of space for the first time in nearly two years," reports CNN, "ending a hiatus prompted by a failed uncrewed test flight."

The New Shepard rocket and capsule lifted off at 9:36 a.m. CT (10:36 a.m. ET) from Blue Origin's facilities on a private ranch in West Texas.

NS-25, Blue Origin's seventh crewed flight to date, carried six customers aboard the capsule: venture capitalist Mason Angel; Sylvain Chiron, founder of the French craft brewery Brasserie Mont-Blanc; (software engineer and entrepreneur Kenneth L. Hess, a retired software engineer and entrepreneur who developed Family Tree Maker, which was bought by Ancestry.com in 2003); retired accountant Carol Schaller; aviator Gopi Thotakura; and Ed Dwight, a retired US Air Force captain selected by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 to be the nation's first Black astronaut candidate... Dwight completed that challenge and reached the edge of space at the age of 90, making him the oldest person to venture to such heights, according to a spokesperson from Blue Origin...

"It's a life-changing experience," he said. "Everybody needs to do this."

The rocket booster landed safely a couple minutes prior to the capsule. During the mission, the crew soared to more than three times the speed of sound, or more than 2,000 miles per hour. The rocket vaulted the capsule past the Kármán line, an area 62 miles (100 kilometers) above Earth's surface that is widely recognized as the altitude at which outer space begins...

"And at the peak of the flight, passengers experienced a few minutes of weightlessness and striking views of Earth through the cabin windows."

A new online-only exhibit created by the Montana Historical Society explores the experiences of area residents who participated in the Korean War.

Situated between World War II and the Vietnam War, the Korean War is often overshadowed by those conflicts despite its own far-reaching geopolitical implications, many of which remain present today.

“In comparison to World War II and the Vietnam War, the Korean War is often seen as an isolated conflict with minor repercussions. However, the war had far-reaching geopolitical implications and in part shaped the Cold War,” said Aaron Rau, a Montana Historical Society archivist who put together on the project with senior registrar Kendra Newhall. “We wanted to create an exhibit that offers a glimpse into the experiences of Montanans who served in this relatively overlooked conflict. And, as Memorial Day approaches, the exhibit also serves to recognize and honor the sacrifices they made.”

“Voices of the Forgotten War” includes oral histories, transcripts, photographs, and artifacts related to Montanans who served in the war. The audio, images, and artifacts in this collection offer a unique glimpse into this relatively overlooked conflict.

“The objects related to Ethel LaRock and her lengthy military service (1952-1976) are among the most interesting items on display,” Newhall said. “Ethel had a dynamic and fascinating career that led to her traveling the world, from Southeast Asia to Europe. She was awarded a Bronze Star for her service in the Korean War and, by the time she retired, held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Later in her life, Ethel spent many years volunteering here at the Montana Historical Society. She told the best stories and was a pure joy to be around.”

The Korean war started on June 25, 1950, when North Korea – supported by China and the Soviet Union – invaded South Korea, which was supported by the United States and the United Nations.

Following the invasion by North Korean troops, the United Nations, which was led by the United States, committed ground troops to the Korean Peninsula to prevent the collapse of South Korea. What today is known as the Korean Conflict lasted for three long years, and as no formal peace treaty was signed, the conflict remains unresolved in a “frozen” state of hostilities.

View the exhibit at Voices of the Forgotten War (catalogaccess.com).

Whether it's a case of hidden history or an overwhelming number of spots to take in, a collection of historical experts in Charleston are working to make learning about the city a bit easier.

The Preservation Society of Charleston is connecting a 50-year-project with the Internet.

"It's a living database," said Laurel Fay with the Preservation Society of Charleston. "It's called the Historic Markers Map."

Fay has put six months into the project, helping to narrow down some of the city's history.

"It's a publicly accessible tool and anyone who is interested in learning more about Charleston and our historic markers can go to this website and kind of explore," she said.

The group has put around 150 markers at homes and other structures throughout the peninsula. Each marker provides details, including when the structure was built, who lived there decades and even centuries ago, and even their roles in Charleston's society.

You can read more in an article by Jason Tighe published in the abcnews4.com web site at: https://bit.ly/4bNZZaR.

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

How much do you know about the inner workings of your genealogy society? Such organizations would include the larger societies, such as National Genealogical Society or the New England Historic Genealogical Society. It also includes smaller societies, such as the African-Atlantic Genealogical Society, the Charlotte County (Florida) Genealogical Society, and the Dallas (Texas) Genealogical Society. 

Do you know how much money is collected each year by your society? Are the total fees collected increasing or decreasing each year? Do you know how much of that money is spent? Even more important, do you know HOW it is spent? How much of it is spent on members’ services versus on the building or on salaries? In fact, just what is the salary of the executive director, CEO, or whatever the position is called? How about the salaries of the other senior executives of the society?

Would you like to check similar numbers for a museum or a historical society or a charity that asks you to donate money? How much of your donation is paid out to the charity’s needs versus how much is put into the senior executives’ pockets? 

Sure, you can read the societies’ or charities’ financial statements in their annual reports. I’ve read many of those in recent years and can tell you that such annual reports are always painstakingly written in order to present each organization’s financial picture in the best possible light. While U.S. laws dictate that the published financial information must be accurate, it is easy to omit a few items that are not specifically required by statute. Compensation for senior executives is one such figure that frequently seems to be missing from the reports distributed to members. 

Would you like a detailed and unbiased “second opinion” as to the entire financial picture? That includes salaries as well as how the rest of the money is spent. Luckily, that information is easy to obtain.

Almost all genealogy societies are non-profit operations. In the United States, this means that most societies operate as public 501 (c)(3) non-profit organizations. As such, these organizations must file certain tax documents with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The document that interests us is the Form 990, the annual reporting return that certain federally tax-exempt organizations must file with the IRS. It provides detailed information on the filing organization's finances, including the salaries of the top executives if their total compensation is more than $50,000 each. In effect, a Form 990 for non-profit organizations is roughly equivalent to a Form 1040 for individuals: it provides “the whole picture.” The Form 990 can provide fascinating details of a non-profit’s financial affairs, usually far more detailed than what is found in the organization’s printed annual report.

Unlike your tax return or mine, the tax documents of public 501 (c)(3) non-profit organizations are public information. You have a right to see these public documents, whether you are a member of the organization or not. 

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/13358369. (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 following announcement was written by  American Ancestors® (also known as the New England Historic Genealogical Society):

_{Photo of the Color Guard of the Sons of the Society of Colonial Wars and the 9th and 7th regiments, N.Y.N.G., parading in New York City, 1918. (Image courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.)}

Today we have added ten new volumes to our General Society of Colonial Wars Membership Applications, 1893-1949 database. These volumes include application numbers 3640-5264 and contain 279,496 records, 655,852 names, and 26,402 pages. This database is searchable for given names and surnames, and includes records for provided births, baptisms, marriages, deaths and burials listed for persons in the line of eligibility for membership on the application forms.

This database will eventually include all original and supplemental applications to the General Society of Colonial Wars starting from their formal founding in 1893, and currently includes applications 1-5264. Material is not included, however, for individuals listed in the applications who were born after January 1, 1950. If an application in the current range is excluded, it is either due to the privacy policy, or it has been deemed as missing from the archive. 

This database was created through a partnership of the General Society of Colonial Wars and American Ancestors.  The Society of Colonial Wars was founded in New York in 1892 (the General Society was founded a year later in 1893) for the purpose of furthering the interest in, and study of, America’s Colonial history for the period between the settlement of Jamestown, Virginia on May 13, 1607 and the battle of Lexington on April 19, 1775.

Through the years, the General Society of Colonial Wars has established a large network of Colonial War descendants all over the United States. For more information about this society, visit the General Society of Colonial Wars webpage here.

Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.This database is available to Individual-level and above.

Here is an article that is not about any of the "normal" topics of this newsletter: genealogy, history, current affairs, DNA, and related topics. But keep reading and you will find the connection:

From an article by Anthony Leone published in the myNews13.com web site:

Blue Origin to launch crewed New Shepard rocket

(The article contains a lot of introductory information which I will omit here. However, the following caught my eye under “Meet the Crew”:

Kenneth L. Hess: He is both a software engineer and entrepreneur who developed Family Tree Maker, which was bought by Ancestry.com in 2003.

Yes, he obviously is a genealogist!