RootsPoint is a global community centered around the 1940 US census. It aims to make genealogy accessible to enthusiasts of all ages. Data spans the 110 years before the census (1830-1940) and includes social sharing tools.
RootsPoint is for living people to interact with each others via dead people — essentially a Facebook for the dead.
RootsPoint just launched at RootsTech 2014, on February 6, 2014. The company is a Bronze sponsor for RootsTech and is the sponsor of the RootsTech Unforum.
They are new on the scene, and made their launch of the site here at RootsTech, right now. Always a scary proposition!
The consensus at RootsTech 2013 was that there were four main shared outcomes of the keynote speeches and the various classes offered (some points below thanks to the late Carolyn L. Barkley):
- COLLECTING STORIES IS VITAL
- GENEALOGY AND FAMILY HIsTORY SHOULD BE AFFORDABLE, ACCESSIBLE, AND GLOBAL
- WILL ATTRACT YOUNGER GENERATIOsN THROUGH TECHNOLOGY
- POWER OF THE CROWD IS VITAL
In other words:
- The process of collecting, preserving and sharing stories is vital to breathing life into our ancestors.
- We need to attract a wider community, particularly the younger generations, to genealogy by insuring that genealogy and family history is an adventure that is affordable, accessible and global.
- As the profession seeks to broaden its appeal and attract a younger generation, it recognizes that technology is the mechanism by which that growth will be successful.
- The power of the crowd is what is required to accomplish the above processes. We can’t accomplish all there is to do by ourselves.
Click on over to RootsPoint
