Another Blog, Another Website

The last little while, I have been busy with the creation of a new website and blog. I didn't do the design of the website but I was involved with a committee that worked on the content and concepts for the site. Dr. Steve Briggs donated his time and his expertise in website creation to bring our ideas together. The website is the Grey County Historical Society site. I will be the webmaster. The blog is Grey County Historical Society Blog.

Since, I started this blog, Janet the Researcher, I have been posting notices of meetings, etc. here but in future these announcements will be on the Society's blog. I will be the main contributor to the Society's blog.

So now I have four traditional websites that I manage --
Stiver/Stober family
Knox United Church, Owen Sound
Markham Berczy Settlers Association
Grey County Historical Society

I now have three blogs where I am the author --
Janet the Researcher
Graveyard Rabbit of Grey County, Ontario
Grey County Historical Society

I will need to use my time management skills to keep everything up to date and to remember to schedule breaks, to step away from the computer to do other things on my to do lists. You can get very absorbed with what you are doing on the computer whether it is writing an article or doing research. The time passes so quickly.

Now, it is time to step away from the computer for awhile. Oh, but first, I must check my email.

Destination: Austin Family: Website, Weblog, Blog, Blogsite

Destination: Austin Family: Website, Weblog, Blog, Blogsite

Recently, I posted an article on Web site vs blogs. Thomas MacEntee posted a reply in a posting on his blog. Thanks Thomas. Part Two of his comments provide more information.

My interest as posted in my original article is two-fold -- my own business and for the local historical society.

Our historical society is looking at how we can increase our presence on the Internet. I have been doing some postings on my blog as one way of advertising our interesting programs, but it would be good to have a site where people interested in the activities of the society would visit for information. We may have an offer to develop a web site for the group, but we are waiting for more information.

For my business, I will be working on ideas this year on what I would have in a web site. I will continue writing this blog.

I need to update my information on my listings in the members directory of the Association of Professional Genealogists. This is something I can do right away.

Blog, Website or Both?

Blog, Website or Both?

This is a question that I have been asking myself lately concerning my genealogical and historical research business. I already have a blog and I have a personal website for one of my family lines. One of my goals this year will be to develop a website for my business. I will let you know of progress on this.

My focus today is for our local historical society. It is time, I and others believe to increase our online presence beyond postings on community calendars. A quick Google search shows some historical societies have blogs but not all have kept them up. Some have websites and of course, some have both.

Since starting to blog last summer, I have grown to enjoy this format. One of the key benefits is RSS feeds. You can be alerted when there is new material on a site. The person or organization does not have to do anything to let you know that the site is updated, if you have added the blog to your newsreader.

So I am asking you, what do you suggest? If you are involved with a historical society or a genealogical society or another one of a related nature, I'd appreciate your feedback so that I could share your experiences at a Board of Directors' meeting.

Should we have - a blog, a website or both?

If we were to start with only one, should it be a blog or web site?

Has membership increased because of having either? What other benefits are there?

What type of information is included on the blog or website?

Any tips would be appreciated. I look forward to your comments.