NOTE: This article is not about any of the "normal" topics of this newsletter: genealogy, history, current affairs, DNA, and related topics. However, this article contains information that I believe all computer users should be aware of, whether they plan to use it themselves or not. However, if you are looking only for true genealogy, history, current affairs, DNA, and related topic articles, you might want to skip this one. 

Proton aims to create a privacy-centric internet that empowers people worldwide to regain control of their digital lives. The company started with Proton Mail, a fully secure e-mail service that sends encrypted email messages that can only be read by the sender and by the addressee, no one else. No hackers, no corporate spies, no government spies, and no one else.

Proton later followed that up with the Proton VPN, Proton Calendar, and Proton Password Manager, all of which maintain privacy so that hackers, corporate spies,  government spies, and others cannot see what you are doing on your computer. That's the way the internet should work: total online privacy for all users.

This week the company announced the release of Proton Drive Windows app, a method of securely storing encrypted Windows files in the cloud. The present release only works on Microsoft Windows but a future release for Macintosh is promised for "real soon now."

I have been an enthusiastic user of Proton MAIL and Proton VPN for some time now. I suspect I will add Proton Drive for Macintosh as soon as it becomes available and probably will write about it in this newsletter at that time.

The key difference between Proton Drive and other cloud-based storage options is that it will offer free, encrypted file storage by default. The service will also offer all of the essentials such as multi-device syncing, offline downloads and version history. I won't describe all the rest of the new (and very different from other cloud-based file storage services) features of Proton Drive Windows App. Instead, I will simply point you to the announcement in the Proton Blog at https://proton.me/blog/proton-drive-windows.

NOTE: By the way, I am not compensated in any way for writing this article. I am simply a very satisfied user of Proton products and plan to continue using them until something even better comes along. The folks at Proton do not know that I am planning to publish this article. In fact, I doubt if the folks at Proton even know who I am.

The following is a press release issued by TheGenealogist:

New Seafaring Records

TheGenealogist has just released a range of records that will appeal to many British family historians with seafaring roots. As an island nation, we have seen countless ancestors go to sea, especially in the two World Wars. Whether our forebears served in merchant vessels or in warships, this latest release has records of interest for those with both types of sailors in their family trees.

Researchers can use these records to reveal names, dates and information about ancestors who were recorded in a number of Navy Lists for the Royal Navy (RN) that cover both WW1 and WW2. Family historians looking for Merchant Navy (MN) mariners killed or who died on service in WW1 will also find something in this release for them, as well as gaining access to names for merchant seamen honoured with medals and awards between 1914-1918. 

For those who have lost seafarers, whether in either the Royal Navy or the Merchant Navy, then this collection of records is a useful addition. Family history researchers will be able to look for ships that were sunk. The new resources include Merchant Shipping Losses 1914-1918, and the British Merchant Vessels Lost or Damaged by Enemy Action During the Second World War 1939-1945. For the Senior Service’s vessels, the Returns Showing the Losses of Ships of the Royal Navy 1914-1918 will give details of the ship and where it was sunk.

Fully searchable by name or keyword from TheGenealogist’s Master Search. The new additions include records from a variety of sources, including:

The Navy List 1914
The Navy List January 1916
The Navy List April 1918
The Navy List August 1937
The Navy List October 1937
The Navy List July 1943
The Navy List April 1945
Return Showing the Losses of Ships of the Royal Navy 1914-1918
Merchant Adventurers 1914-1918
Merchant Shipping Losses 1914-1918
British Merchant Vessels Lost or Damaged by Enemy Action During Second World War 1939-1945

To learn more about how this collection of records helped us in the research of a mariner whose daring deeds earned him a VC read TheGenealogist’s article: Under the “Red Duster” and the White Ensign.

https://thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2023/under-the-red-duster-and-the-white-ensign-2246/

About TheGenealogist

TheGenealogist is an award-winning online family history website, who put a wealth of information at the fingertips of family historians. Their approach is to bring hard to use physical records to life online with easy to use interfaces such as their Tithe and newly released Lloyd George Domesday collections. 

TheGenealogist’s innovative SmartSearch technology links records together to help you find your ancestors more easily. TheGenealogist is one of the leading providers of online family history records. Along with the standard Birth, Marriage, Death and Census records, they also have significant collections of Parish and Nonconformist records, PCC Will Records, Irish Records, Military records, Occupations, Newspaper record collections amongst many others.

TheGenealogist uses the latest technology to help you bring your family history to life. Use TheGenealogist to find your ancestors today!

The following is a press release from Findmypast:

England Roman Catholic Parish Baptisms  

A brand-new diocese joins the Catholic Heritage Archive this week. 243,092 Catholic baptisms for Leeds have been added into this existing record collection, covering the years 1757 to 1913. With images and transcriptions, you can expect to learn names, birthdates, baptism dates and the parish, in addition to both parents’ names. Some original images also include addresses and godparents’ names, so be sure to check. 

England Roman Catholic Parish Marriages 

A further 56,525 Catholic marriage records have been added, again for the Diocese of Leeds. These cover the years 1776 to 1913. You may discover names of both spouses, fathers’ names, marriage date and parish. 

England Roman Catholic Parish Burials 

If your Leeds ancestor was Catholic and died between 1759 and 1913, you may find them in these 26,195 new records. Details within the records vary, but you might learn names, ages, birth and death dates and the parish.  

England Roman Catholic Congregational Records 

Rounding off the new Leeds Catholic records are 152 congregational records, spanning 1798 to 1845. Again, details vary, but you may find a combination of name, age, birthdate, event date, parish and deanery.  

Newspapers 

Three new titles, updates to a further 10, and over 43,000 new pages make up this week’s newspaper release. 

New titles 

·         Stowmarket Weekly Post, 1905-1917 

·         Darlaston Weekly Times, 1882-1887 

·         Waterford Citizen, 1871, 1885 

Updated titles 

·         Crediton Gazette, 1882 

·         Enniscorthy Echo and South Leinster Advertiser, 1917 

·         Free Press (Wexford), 1912-1915, 1917-1921, 1923  

·         Huddersfield and Holmfirth Examiner, 1861-1863, 1865-1867, 1870, 1872, 1939-1949, 1951, 1978-1979 

·         Limerick Echo, 1903 

·         Loughborough Herald & North Leicestershire Gazette, 1883, 1888  

·         Newmarket Journal, 1921-1925, 1927-1928  

·         Stalybridge Reporter, 1907 

·         Stratford-upon-Avon Herald, 1964-1968  

·         Suffolk and Essex Free Press, 1960, 1962-1963, 1980 

Call For Proposals

NGS 2024 Family History Conference

EXPANDING POSSIBILITIES
17-18 MAY 2024

AND 

FOCUS
16 MAY 2024

SUBMISSION DEADLINE

11:59 p.m. ET, 18 August 2023

The National Genealogical Society (NGS) invites innovative proposals for its 2024 Virtual Family History Conference Expanding Possibilities and preconference FOCUS sessions for genealogy society and reference services leaders. 

Expanding Possibilities in Family History

This year’s theme, Expanding Possibilities, is focused on innovation and finding new ways to solve problems. For the main conference, we seek session proposals that creatively teach genealogical concepts or highlight innovative tools and techniques for family history research. We encourage submissions that

• include innovative use of technology, including tools in the Zoom and/or Whova platforms used by NGS for virtual events
• facilitate audience interaction beyond the traditional question-and-answer period at the end of the presentation
• use multiple examples and cases from diverse families in presentations
• discuss artificial intelligence (AI) in genealogy research or how genealogy organizations use AI to preserve or increase access to genealogically important records and data.

Since this is a virtual conference, proposers should consider the content they intend to present in the context of teaching methods that encourage online interaction with students.

NGS will host an online meeting (see below) to facilitate open discussion about innovative ways to approach lectures for 2024.

Topic Areas

NGS encourages proposals of interest to family historians from beginning to advanced levels. Conference topics under consideration include the following and more:

Cultural and Community-Specific Research 

Researching family connections in the diverse population groups throughout the United States and their ancestry worldwide, including African American, Asian and Pacific Islander, European, LGBTQIA+, Middle Eastern, Hispanic and Latin American, and Native American families.

DNA

DNA methodology, results interpretation, case studies correlating genetic and documentary evidence, and DNA analysis tools.

Land and Maps

Federal and state land records, mapping tools, sources and techniques for recreating neighborhoods, and using land records to solve difficult problems.

Methodology

All aspects of family history methodology, from basic organizing tips to source documentation, planning, research techniques, and interpreting findings.

Military

Sources and techniques for researching military ancestors, emphasizing early American wars.

Records and Repositories

The use of record types such as religious, military, immigration, tribal, land, court, and vital records; the use and content of local, regional, and national record repositories.

Regional Research

The history, records, repositories, and ethnic and religious groups of specific United States regions, with special emphasis on migrations into, within, and out of the region, origins of early settlers, and history of native people.

Technology

Online databases, websites, and tools for accessing digitized record images, computer applications for organizing and preserving information, and advances in artificial intelligence.

Women

Methods and records for researching, and stories about, women throughout the American experience.

Writing

Techniques and tools for communicating family history information, from family sketches to articles for peer-reviewed journals.

FOCUS for Genealogy Organization Leaders

For FOCUS, we seek proposals highlighting innovative public outreach and engagement programs, and ways that genealogy organizations can plan and conduct those programs. Expanding on the success of the annual SLAM! Idea Showcase, FOCUS sessions this year should highlight genealogy organizations’ activities to encourage people to explore their family history and learn more about genealogy. We encourage submissions that

• provide information about successful public outreach programs that other organizations can replicate
• include information about how the program was organized, including planning tips, tools, and techniques
• highlight innovative marketing techniques your organization used to reach the public
• provide details about financing such programs, including revenues, expenses, and net revenue goals and how those are determined.

In addition, NGS also encourages presentations that facilitate the development of public outreach programs that genealogy organizations can adopt for America’s 250th birthday in 2026.

Sponsored Lecture Proposals

A limited number of sponsored lecture proposals for the main conference and FOCUS will be accepted from genealogy organizations and companies in 2024. Sponsors pay any speaker fees directly and agree to a minimum sponsorship fee of $750 per lecture payable to NGS.

How to Propose

Use the submission portal to submit regular sessions for the main conference, sponsored sessions for the main conference, or FOCUS sessions for genealogy organizations.

NGS is seeking sessions that can be presented in three possible virtual formats:

1. Live broadcast with live virtual Q&A
2. Pre-recorded broadcast with live Q&A, and
3. Pre-recorded on-demand presentation with Q&A via asynchronous use of the Whova app.

Select your preferred format(s) as part of the submission process. NGS reserves the right to invite proposals in any format.

NGS members will receive first consideration as speakers.

Speakers who wish to submit lecture proposals may submit up to four proposals electronically. Each submitted proposal requires the following information:

• Speaker’s full name, mailing address, telephone, and email address
• Presentation title, not to exceed fourteen words
• Lecture summary for program brochure, not to exceed twenty-five words
• Lecture outline, not to exceed 1500 words
• Speaker’s biography, not to exceed twenty-five words
• Speaker’s recent lecture experience, including a listing of national or regional conferences where the speaker has presented in the last three years
• Identification of the appropriate audience level: beginner, intermediate, advanced, or all.

NGS encourages new, innovative topics and presentations. Please do not submit a proposal for a lecture that has been presented previously at a regional, state, or national level events, is scheduled to be presented before May 2024, or is available for free online. Presentations that have been given to small local groups are okay.

Speaker Honorarium

Speakers for Expanding Possibilities will receive a $750 honorarium and complimentary registration for the conference.

FOCUS presentations should be submitted on behalf of a genealogy organization. The organization will receive a $500 honorarium, and the speaker will receive complimentary registration for FOCUS.

Be Prepared

NGS has a free webinar, Becoming a Better Conference Speaker: Proposals and Preparations, which can be found at the National Genealogical Society YouTube channel. Speakers are encouraged to view the video before beginning the proposal process. Topics covered include lecture proposals, presentations, syllabus materials, communications, and delivery.

Acceptance notifications and speaker contracts will be issued in the fall of 2023. Syllabus material, due 1 March 2024, is required for each lecture or presentation and will be included in the compendium distributed to all conference registrants (main conference) or as an Information & Answers Series paper for genealogy organizations (FOCUS).

Online Meeting for Proposers

On 20 July 2023, at 8:00 p.m. ET, NGS will host an open discussion to assist potential main conference speakers on innovation in presentations and methods to encourage audience interaction via Zoom and Whova. Register here.

A similar meeting to assist FOCUS proposers will be held on 27 July 2023, at 8:00 p.m. ET. Register here.

NGS requires Zoom authentication to participate in online meetings. You must have a Zoom account (free or paid) to participate.

Submit Proposals Here

From an article by Danny Klein, the genealogy librarian at the Jersey City Free Public Library’s New Jersey Room and a founding member of the Hudson County Genealogical and Historical Society: 

Artificial Intelligence, or AI, has been prevalent in the news, social media, and entertainment a lot lately. But what is it and what does it mean for genealogy? Let’s start with what it is. Wikipedia defines AI thusly:

…perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information — demonstrated by computers, as opposed to intelligence displayed by humans or by other animals. “Intelligence” encompasses the ability to learn and to reason, to generalize, and to infer meaning.

We’re already used to AI. We have Netflix and Amazon algorithms that suggest new films or products based on what we’ve watched or bought previously. We don’t tend to think of that as AI, but it certainly fits the description.

And it’s also been used in genealogy. It used to be the case that optical character recognition, or OCR, software could only read printed documents. But last year the National Archives and the big database companies used AI algorithms to help transcribe handwritten 1950 Census returns when they were released.

But what can we as researchers do with AI?

You can read the full article in the NJ.com web site at: https://www.nj.com/hudson/2023/07/what-impact-will-artificial-intelligence-have-on-genealogy-research-tracing-our-roots.html.

The following is a press release written by Quest Diagnostics:

SECAUCUS, N.J., July 11, 2023 -- Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX), the leader in diagnostic information services, today announced the launch of its first consumer-initiated genetic test, now exclusively available through the company's consumer health business at questhealth.com. Called Genetic Insights, the new offering helps people understand their potential risk of developing certain inheritable health conditions, with advanced technology and end-to-end support that includes personalized health reports and access to genetic counseling.

Using a saliva specimen, Genetic Insights analyzes 36 genes to identify potential risk of nearly two dozen inheritable conditions, including breast and colon cancer; a number of heart and blood disorders; and carrier status for cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, and Tay-Sachs disease. Designed to address gaps in existing consumer genetic tests, the new test is powered by advanced next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology*, which can analyze thousands of DNA variants in genes associated with disease and looks at more regions in a person's genome than microarray testing technology.

"Genetic Insights goes beyond the typical consumer genetic test. The Quest team spent the past couple of years innovating not just the test, but the entire consumer experience to deliver comprehensive, complex genetic health data in a way that is digestible and actionable to the end user," said Dr. Sarah South, PhD, FACMG, Executive Scientific Director of R&D for Molecular Genetics and Oncology, Quest Diagnostics. "The use of NGS is a crucial distinction­, because NGS-based tests are uniquely able to identify a wider range of genetic conditions and keep pace with new genetic discoveries."

A uniquely guided user experience

Individuals who purchase Genetic Insights at questhealth.com will receive an at-home saliva-collection kit and ship back their sample to Quest Diagnostics for analysis in one of the company's state-of-the-art laboratories. An independent physician orders the test for the individual, provides personalized information about the link between the genetic findings and the individual's health status, and is available to discuss the individual's questions. Test results will be available within three to five weeks.

Each kit includes an activation code to unlock access to a personalized, secure interactive Genetic Insights online dashboard, where users can:

Supporting the continuity of care

To support a dialogue about inherited health risks and action steps, Genetic Insights also allows individuals to download and share clinical lab reports directly with their own doctors. Within the lab report, healthcare providers can access quick reference guides, which are intended to help facilitate discussions between providers and their patients and include key lab findings and clinical guideline-based resources and recommendations.

"Half the physicians in the U.S. trust Quest for their laboratory tests, so we added unique features, like physician reference guides, to support dialogue and continuity of care between individuals who order Genetic Insights and their providers," Dr. South said. "We also wanted to ensure access to genetic counseling and easy-to-understand educational content, so people have the end-to-end support to understand and act on their personal health risks."

Genetic Insights is now available for adults (ages 18+) in the United States** to purchase on questhealth.com for $199.

For more information, visit questhealth.com and follow @testwithquest on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.  

*The Genetic Insights test is based on advanced NGS technologies that can detect 80-90 percent of inherited risk for specific health conditions1, including at least 80 percent of DNA variants linked to a higher risk of developing the most common form of inherited breast cancer. However, it is designed to be an elective screen and is not as sensitive as other NGS-based genetic test services that physicians may order in situations that require diagnostic-level sensitivity. Based on the results of this test and personal or family health history, an individual's physician may suggest additional genetic testing. The Genetics Insights test does not identify genetic risk markers of all known inheritable diseases.

**Excludes AK, AZ, HI, and NY

About Quest 

Quest empowers consumers by making affordable, high-quality, trusted healthcare easy. With innovative tools, we give consumers more control over their own healthcare journeys and meet them where they are, supporting both consumers and their care teams. Our consumer-initiated test service allows people access to the same quality lab tests used by doctors and hospitals, providing the information and insights they need about their health. With more than 75+ lab tests available at questhealth.com, from general health profiles to tests for conditions ranging from heart health to sexually transmitted diseases, consumers can shop, schedule test appointments, and access results securely from a phone or computer.

About Quest Diagnostics

Quest Diagnostics empowers people to take action to improve health outcomes. Derived from the world's largest database of clinical lab results, our diagnostic insights reveal new avenues to identify and treat disease, inspire healthy behaviors and improve health care management. Quest annually serves one in three adult Americans and half the physicians and hospitals in the United States, and our nearly 50,000 employees understand that, in the right hands and with the right context, our diagnostic insights can inspire actions that transform lives. www.QuestDiagnostics.com.

Quest® is the brand name used for services offered by Quest Diagnostics Incorporated and its affiliated companies. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated and certain affiliates are CLIA-certified laboratories that provide HIPAA-covered services. Other affiliates operated under the Quest® brand, such as Quest Consumer Inc., do not provide HIPAA-covered services. 

When Judith Ezekiel was five years old, her grandfather drove her and her two brothers to Arlington National Cemetery, to see a statue made by their relative.

Moses Jacob Ezekiel, Judith's cousin four times removed, was a renowned Jewish sculptor in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. His most famous work, what he called the "crowning achievement" of his career, has stood inside Arlington since 1914: the Confederate Memorial.

"My grandfather was quite proud of his artistic prowess," Ms Ezekiel says. At some point in their childhoods, Judith says, he took all 15 of his grandchildren to see Ezekiel's work.

The monument, a bronze statue and plinth on top of a granite base, commemorates the men who fought and died for the slave-holding southern states in the US Civil War.

For more than a century, this statue commemorating the Confederacy has stood inside Arlington - known as America's most sacred shrine. Overlooking Washington DC across the Potomac river, it hosts some 400,000 graves: US soldiers, sailors, astronauts, actors, and even two presidents.

But by next year, by order of the US government, the monument must be removed. The decision is part of an ongoing movement to rethink how the US remembers the Confederacy.

You can read more in an article by Toby Luckhurst of BBC News at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66004176.

I have been a big fan of Evernote for many years, mentioning the product many times in previous articles in this newsletter. (See https://eogn.com/Sys/Search?q=evernote&types=7&page=1 for an index of the many articles where I have mentioned Evernote.) Sadly, the product appears to have fallen on hard times.

I have become disillusioned with Evernote over the past year or so for several reasons and am now considering switching to a different product. 

The following is a brief article published in the Slashdot.org web site at: https://slashdot.org/story/23/07/10/2318212/evernote-lays-off-most-of-staff-triggering-fears-of-closure:

"Evernote, the note-taking and task management application, is triggering fears of closure after its parent company Bending Spoon laid off most of the company's staff and announced plans to relocate all operations to Europe. Thurrott reports:

Most of the company's "operations will be transitioned to Europe," Bending Spoons CEO Luca Ferrari told SFGate, due to the "significant boost in operational efficiency that will come as a consequence of centralizing operations in Europe." As a result, most of Evernote's staff in the San Francisco Bay area and Chile has been laid off and those offices will be closed for good. 

"Bending Spoons won't confirm how many Evernote employees it laid off, but Ferrari claims all is well. "Our plans for Evernote are as ambitious as ever," he said. "Going forward, a growing, dedicated team based in Europe will continue to assume ownership of the Evernote product. This team will also be in an ideal position to leverage the extensive expertise and strength of the 400-plus workforce at Bending Spoons, many of whom have been working on Evernote full-time since the acquisition."

I am now looking at alternative replacements for Evernote. One that looks appealing is Joplin, a freeware open source product that seems to have a lot of enthusiastic users.

Question: Do you use Joplin?

If so, would you drop a comment at the end of this article describing your satisfaction (or dissatisfaction) with Joplin? I certainly would like to know and I suspect quite a few other readers of this newsletter would like to know of your experiences as well.

Joplin may be found at: https://joplinapp.org/.

Got an old PC knocking about and but you don't want to throw it away? Here are some amazing ways to repurpose and reuse an old computer: https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/creative-projects-reuse-old-pc/.

Comment: I have long ago built a home server, set up an external router, converted an old PC into a NAS (Network Attached Storage device), and donated some of my old PCs to charities. Don't let an old PC gather dust in a closet! And whatever you do, never throw out an old PC in the trash! There's numerous things you can do with "vintage" computers to make them very worthwhile for new purposes.

Thanks to a generous grant from the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation, 100 years’ worth of the York Weekly and other town newspapers have been completely digitized.

York Public Library, in partnership with Old York Historical Society, Advantage Preservation, and York Weekly, recently announced the long-awaited unveiling of the York History Digital Archive.

For decades, the Old York Historical Society has preserved the town newspaper collection by microfilming it. The film is not indexed, however, and the only way to view it was to go page by page.

“York Public Library, with their expertise in digital technology, is opening a door to unprecedented discovery of York’s history," said Joel Lefever, executive director & chief curator at Old York Historical Society. "There's nothing like a local newspaper, at all, for giving you a real good picture of what was important in a community, what was going on, who the personalities were."

You can read more in an article published in the seacoastonline.com web site at: https://tinyurl.com/2xhs9p8r.