A hack-free image of trees in Oregon
Reviewing the traffic stats for this site is like taking a trip around the world. From Iran to Russia, and all over Asia, visitors flow in from around the globe. What are they looking for? A review of security logs indicates roughly 99% are looking for holes to hack and take control of my humble little site.
And lately they’ve succeeded. Much to my irritation, a clever hack recently took control, took down the site, and replaced it with a shopping site for Japanese sportswear and industrial goods. Actually, it was more a vehicle for some black hat SEO to try and build link juice for Rakuten. Having regained control and restored the old pages, I’ve been sensitized to the modern reality that every site is worth hacking, and every site will be hacked, or at least be attacked. Basic security tools have given way to more elaborate protections, which only seem to increase the frequency and aggressiveness of attacks.
The world of online genealogy has changed quite a bit in the 11 years this site has been live. Ancestry has led the way in bringing personal histories and family trees online for others to see and reference, but I find their approach to content ownership and privacy problematic. More so even than Facebook or LinkedIn, Ancestry takes the work and content created by others, claims it as their own, and aggressively monetizes it. This may be a good business model, but I choose not to support that beyond a basic level of participation.
What’s next on the technology horizon? The deeper integration of DNA data and research is accelerating the disruption of traditional research tools, and it’s only a matter of time before a platform emerges that effectively merges modern and classic genealogical data.
I’m keeping my eyes open for a new vehicle for cataloging and displaying genealogical data and biographical content. But until then, I’ll continue to welcome traffic from around the globe, particularly the 1% comprised distant relations and family researchers.
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Hello Hugh
It seems we are related through the Fernald family. I have recently (1 or 2 years ago) begun my genealogical research to compile my family story for my two young grandsons. This has already been an exciting journey. I still keep my family tree private because I want to be sure that I am not perpetuating false information.
My family name was Tripp and I have been able to go back to 1660 to Sylvanus Tripp who married Margaret Diamond, my 7th great-grandparents. They had a son, Robert, who married Mary Fernald of Kittery, Maine. Going back in the Fernald line, I have come upon two stories about the origin of Jean Fernald, so am now trying to sort that out prior to the arrival in America of Renald Reginald Fernald from Bristol, Gloucestershire, England.
Having just discovered your website, I am hoping you might steer me in the right direction. Is it a possibility?
I live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, thanks to my great-grandparents, Henry Edward Tripp and Abbie Edgerley Tripp who moved from Maine to Ontario around 1900.
Thanks for being available on-line.
Hi Brenda,
Quick thanks for your comment/note, and great to make the connection. My Fernald research efforts pretty much stopped at Renald. The documents I researched on earlier lines and connections were more speculation than fact, and I haven't yet pursued any of the threads further. Am also interested in exploring some of the DNA projects that might overlay with Fernald lines, and hope to get on that soon. If you have further info, would be interested in anything you uncover.
Cheers,
Hugh