Free Conference Call Service ...

The next time you need to get your family or other large group together to discuss an upcoming event or issue, take a look at a new free conference call service call Rondee. It looks attractive, since you can schedule the call via the Internet and even record the call. Signing up for an account is a breeze.

Genealogy Without Sources is Mythology ...

How can you tell if the information posted by individuals on Internet genealogy sites is valid? Some sites have sources, others don't. How do you know what, and when, to believe something you find online?

A good rule of thumb is ... Don't trust anything you find on the 'net (or elsewhere) if it doesn't have sources.

Without sources you can't verify it, and you don't know whether the information came from a reliable source or whether it came from Great Aunt Martha who may have some of it right, but may have mixed up a lot too. Or, maybe the info came from a book written by someone 100 years ago who didn't have access to sources we have now, or who just plain got it wrong.

Perhaps the information was transcribed for a web page from a book source. That book source was transcribed from a microfilm record which was itself transcribed from the original. The chance of human error is greatly increased with each succeeding transcription. Even if the information has a source, you should double-check it personally, either from the original source or from an independent source. VERIFY, VERIFY, VERIFY!

When in doubt, remember ... Genealogy Without Sources is Mythology.

Email Subject Lines ...

Have you ever sent someone an email that you needed them to reply to? Or, do you frequently send emails that are "information only" and don't expect or need a reply? Do you ever get messages that have vague or non-descript subject lines? Here are several tips to make email life a little easier.

If you really need someone to reply to your email, try indicating that fact in the subject line. For example, suppose you send a message asking for some input for an upcoming meeting about a new restaurant idea called the Dog House. Try a subject line like this:

Subject: Menu Ideas for the Dog House ... Reply Requested

When the recipient receives the email, there should be no question that the you are expecting a reply. If you send a message that is for "information only", indicate that in the subject line like this:

Subject: Menu Ideas for the Dog House ... Information Only

How many times do you get an email with a subject line so vague, that you have no idea what the message is about? Or, how about the person that sends a two or three paragraph message just to tell you they will be out of the office next Friday? Here is a way to make the subject line be the message ... use EOM (End of Message) like this:

Subject: I will be Out-of-the-Office Next Friday, August 1, 2008 ... EOM

That's it! You don't need to put anything in the body of your message. Here are some benefits of using EOM:

1. EOM saves your recipient's time. Don't you value your time? Isn't it nice when others value your time too? By keeping your subject line short and using EOM you are showing the people you send to you value their time. They'll thank you for it (when they know what it means).
2. It saves you time. Why write the body of a message if you don't have to?
3. You craft better subject lines. One of the reasons people might glaze over when they receive your email is a subject line that doesn't grab them or give enough information. With EOM, you have no choice but to create a powerful subject line. The space for subjects is limited. You create better subject lines because you can't write a whole paragraph.
4. EOM encourages others to EOM. Once people see the resulting effectiveness of EOM, they will begin crafting EOMs of their own. It's win-win. You get concise, non-time wasting emails and they get the same.
5. EOM forces you to keep email messages focused on a single topic. Good email etiquette says you should keep the number of topics in an individual email to only one. If you have only one subject line to work with, you cannot cover more than one topic.
6. EOM guarantees 100% readership. We've all had the frustrating experience of waiting on someone to read our important email and respond. Sometimes we wait a long time and follow up to find out they haven't even read the message at all. Perhaps the most powerful advantage of EOM is 100% readership. Why? Because your entire message is in the subject line. Your message becomes impossible to ignore because it comes in front and center—no need to double click.

Give these ideas a try. Email is an essential part of our lives - both business and personal. Because most of us send and receive many emails every day, why not be as efficient as possible with our time and the time of those who receive our messages.

Gmail Archive - The Least Understood Button ...

Gmail's archive feature is likely the least understood button found on Gmail's navigation. What exactly does archive mean? Archive does not mean "backup" or some other form of off-site storage. It also doesn't mean that it files things away in hard to reach areas. It simply moves email out of your inbox. That's it.

Archived email is still immediately available using Gmail's search function or by clicking the All Mail button. The beauty of Archive is that it hides emails that you have processed. Once you're read an email, or read and responded to an email, clicking the archive button will save the email OUTSIDE of your inbox.

Once you're done with emails, stop looking at them. Turn your inbox into a place for pending issues ONLY.

Have Fun with Photos ...

There a number of simple tools available to make quick fixes and/or changes to photos. Here is a site that is just fun ... give it a try: http://kyolo.com.

Ink and Toner at Office Depot ...

Several days ago I ran out of ink and didn't have a spare. A new Office Depot opened a few months ago not far away, so I decided to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised! Not only do they guarantee they will have the cartridge you need, but you get an instant $3.00 credit for an empty cartridge (limit of 3 per visit), plus they have a free rewards program that gives you 10% back for ink, toner, and paper. I checked prices online at OfficeMax, Staples, and HP, and found all were the same as Office Depot, but without the credit and rewards. Any comments?

The Man Who Sold Hot Dogs ...

There was a man who lived by the side of the road and sold hotdogs.
He was hard of hearing so he had no radio.
He had trouble with his eyes so he had no newspapers.
But he sold good hot dogs.
He put up signs on the highway telling how good they were.
He stood by the side of the road and cried: "Buy a hotdog, Mister?"
And people bought.
He increased his meat and bun order.
He bought a bigger stove to take care of his trade.
He finally got his son home from college to help him out.
But then something happened.
His son said: "Father haven't you been listening to the radio? Haven't you been reading the newspapers? There's a big recession. The Middle East situation is terrible. The budget deficit situation is worse."
Where upon the father thought, "Well, my son's been to college, he reads the papers and he listens to the radio, and he ought to know."
So the father cut down on his meat and bun orders, took down his advertising signs, and no longer bothered to stand out on the highway to sell his dogs.
And his hotdog sales fell almost over night.
"You're right, son," the father said to the boy.
We certainly are in the middle of a great recession.

Think It Over!

Be Kind ...

Entry in a diary: "Today I bent the truth to be kind, and I have no regret, for I am far surer of what is kind than I am of what is true."

Quoted by Robert Brault in National Enquirer

SensibleUnits ...

There are a lot of ways you can use the internet to convert one unit of measure to another, including Google. Here is a site with a unique approach. For example, in addition to telling you that 1 gigabit is equal to 1000 megabits, it tells you that 1 gigabit is equivalent to the contents of 25 Bibles. That is a lot easier for me to comprehend. Or, do you have trouble visualizing the size of an acre? SensibleUnits gives you the usually conversion in units like square feet or square yards, but how about thinking of an acre as 11 IMAX screens. This could be a good site for parents and teachers to help young children better understand units of measure. Take a few minutes and give it a try.