Don Taylor Genealogy – 2022 Year in Review

By Don Taylor

The primary purpose of my blog is to help me understand my genealogical findings. It is like a diary or journal that I use to focus on what I know. It helps me to stay focused and not to become distracted. As time has passed, it has become more and more of a vehicle for me to share what I’ve learned and worked on. I think both are important.

My big project is my “Photo Friday” series using negative images from the Ethel Wight Collection. I was given access to and was able to photograph the negatives. I edit them to make positives, and then, using my genealogical skills, I identify the individuals in the photos and share them with likely family members.

Only one of my genealogy groups has begun meeting in person again. I look forward to eliminating Covid-19 protocols and returning to regular meetings. I miss my genealogy friends; Zoom meetings are not the same.

2020 Website Statistics.

I wrote 167 posts during the year, up from 21 in 2021.  My goal was to post, at a minimum, once every three days, so I made my goal.

I rose from 506 subscribers in 2021 to 589 in 2022. If you do not subscribe to dontaylorgenealogy.com, please do so. You can do so by email on the website, via WordPress, or via Social Media (Facebook & Twitter).

Referrals to my site are, as I would expect, from various search engines. Google is, by far, the most significant referrer. Bing is a distant second, and the third was DuckDuckGo. Facebook is the biggest non-search engine referrer, followed by Ancestry.Com and WordPress Dashboard.  My old Blogspot site still referred individuals 19 times, so I guess I still can’t delete it.

My Top Five Postings for 2022

My number one most-read post during 2022 has been #1 for seven years in a row. “Why I’ll never do business with MyHeritage Again.” I guess people love reading rants.

Numbers two through five were:

1. Schools I’ve Attended – Jordan Jr. High
2. Memories – Kid Shows and Poker with Grandma.
3. Blackhurst a rare name in my family tree.
4. OMG – Another Half-Sibling

Next Year – 2023

I’m not sure where I want my genealogical activities will take me in 2023. Indeed, my Ethel Wight Photo Identification Project will be a constant source of work. I have done 113 installments of it. I expect to have about 40 more installments, so I should complete them this year. I’m also doing several projects that include Maine ancestors, keeping me busy.