NGS UNofficial Notes -- Day 2

In my self-titled role as UNofficial Blogger at NGS, one of my main goals is to find the Ancestry Insider   (love that blog!) ... a goal still not achieved....so far, we have not attended any of the same sessions.  My biggest problem is, though, that I won't recognize him unless he's wearing the paper bag head gear....

One new book (more on this later) and five sessions for me today:

Maximizing Your Use of Evidence by Thomas W. Jones --  Very well presented and good handout in syllabus.  Excellent discussion/examples of the distinction between information and evidence. Extremely well attended, especially considering that it started at 8am....
Life after the IGI by Robert Raymond  --  Fairly brief presentation but then he fielded general FamilySearch questions.  I definitely learned some useful tiny tidbits about the current operation of what "was" the IGI. And, it is still there!
Were Your Ancestors Friends? Finding and Using Their Quaker Records by Kay Haviland Freilich  -- I've only recently seen info that seems to imply that I have Quaker ancestors, so I thought this would be a good way to get background info and it definitely was!  Very well done and quick moving.  She started early and ended early but stayed for individual questions up front--the line quickly got too long for me.  Lots of info and sources to follow up on here.  Probably the main things I learned revolve around the different meanings Quakers used for some words in their records.
Information Overload? Effective Project Planning, Research, Data Management, and Analysis by Elizabeth Shown Mills --  I'll only be hearing 2 of her 4 presentations at NGS, so I'm not a certified groupie ...  yet.  Just as well done as yesterday's!  She emphasized steps and tips in writing research reports.  Individual research summary/reports were also emphasized.  The main idea was you have to do something to organize everything if you are collecting thorough info on 40 census neighbors for a given target individual!  I would love to attend a full session on each of the types of reports discussed this time: the presentation was so full of detail that I need to hear each one with more examples and time for questions along the way.  I know there are sample docs at the APG website that I've read, but now i must go back and look at them again!!
FamilySearch Community Trees: What, Where, How to Use Them, and Why I Want To by David S. Barss  --  Probably one of the least-known features at FamilySearch.  Great concept and I need to go check the ones already on the site for Utah and Ohio.  I'd love to do one for Estill County, Kentucky of 1800, but I know I'd have to give up all other hobbies and chores....

One very nice time at the Archives.com booth with Nici trying their website.  My first impression is that the site seems to work well and I need to do more investigating into the breadth of their collection and just how much of it is unique.  There is a 7-day-free-trial that I will probably do after I get home.

Thanks, again, NGS for a great day!  But, since we're leaving early Saturday, time is running out to find The Ancestry Insider....