OMG I can't believe these wokists! Look I'm Latina my family has been in the U.S. since 1598, the Spanish records not only say illegitimate but the ethnic background of the individual. They had a caste system in place that wokists REALLY would not like their reference terms. But if you do not LEARN those reference terms you are literally erasing history of peoples cultural backgrounds! For instance citing that they called some people Mulattoes, Zambos, Negro, Mestizo, Castizo while it WOULD be offensive in our times and to reference people by those terms would be bigoted NOT to cite them when reading from the document or citing the document or particular individual or groups of individuals would be basically denying the past and how things were. Warts and all should be the approach when using caste system terms and birth status. Now I did see on "Ancestry" in "origins" history panel where they talk about people from Mexico as if they are a "race" of people which is rather ridiculous, I'm not sure who they got to do that write up. lol The Mexican people are only Mexican by CITIZENSHIP very much like Americans/Canadians are from diverse backgrounds. Ancestry referred to people from Mexico as "Mestizos" now that IS offensive term still being used and should be changed in this day and age as they are NOT referring to documents , books or a particular individual/group even referencing the caste system. I am not sure who did that history panel for "Ancestry" but there were still Spanish people there who most definitely would not be considered Mestizo even by the caste system. Just like in today's day in age we would not call people "Zambos" we should not be using the other caste terms like Mestizo. I totally agree with you it is imperative we do not erase history we do not like it is not scholarly it is not professional to erase history. Most people do not even know about the Caste system in Spanish documents we need to know ALL of them if we do not cite these and discuss them we will not understand the history of ALL of them and how they were used and why that was historically important. It seems to me they want to sanitize history that is a HUGE mistake. I hope you guys keep fighting the good fight and keep going please!! 🙏🙏🙏🙏
Wow! Thanks for the diplomatic history lesson for Spanish and Mexican culture. My sister-in-law was born in Mexico. I don't know much about her family history because few records have been online. She loves how diverse her color-coded ethnicity charts showed, but she didn't want to dive too deeply into the areas you suggested. I bet she's be ticked if she discovered the things you mentioned, but I didn't know enough to ask the right questions. Thanks for sharing all of these thoughts so that I (and others) can learn more. Perhaps in the future, I might revisit this comment and why we can't rewrite the history, because we no longer understand our ancestors.
You could absolutely have added to the debate with your comment, but your use of a judgemental label 'wokist' ruined it. We need to stop labelling, judging, polarising people with our thoughts and language.
@@carokat1111 But that is exactly what you are doing. You are seeking to silence speech that doesn't agree with your speech. The term "wokist" was a term to refer to people who called themselves "woke" who did/do use that term "woke". In fact it is that group who censor speech and refer to my people as LatinX without our permission without understanding our language and culture. They have refered to us as by the inane name "People Of Color" in a new branding WITHOUT our permission and understanding or care for my people to erase us. Perhaps they are doing it because that is how they see us as "ALL THE SAME" the same as Asians, Blacks, Middle-Easterners etc. the "Other". They ignore our Spanish ancestry admonish us for wanting to revere them be proud of them or discover more about them and their contributions to the United States. They cite we hate our "race" if we do these things as IF being Latino or Hispanic was indeed a race. lol So in reference to that term which you deems so offensive "wokist" I am just calling it what it is. Without a DOUBT I am judging them for what that group is, who is seeking to erase my people, language, historical contributions and culture even in the historical and genealogical sphere. These people who seek to silence have a name and they have earned it. 👍
Hey Devon, Aimee Cross here. You know I’m terrible with names too! I use the excuse that as a genealogist I’m looking at names all the time so I don’t hold them in my head! 🤣 Thanks for the shout out and for mentoring me! Our conversations have meant a lot. I am so sorry this has been so hard for you. You both have helped so many people discover their ancestors. Selfishly I hope you stay around but I completely understand how hard it is to regularly produce content, let alone deal with the stuff you’re struggling with. I haven’t taken any sponsors because I want to be able to honestly give my thoughts about products and research. You’ve encouraged me to keep it that way. Know you are in my prayers and I wish you the very best!
I feel so bad. I saw your name in my head but I knew it wasn't spelled like the traditional "Amy." So I started doubting that the spelling sounds the same as Amy. I was afraid I was going to say it wrong. And whenever I'm in the hot seat, I can forget my own kid's names! So I hope you know that I appreciate what you're doing even if I doubt myself in the hot seat.
@@FamilyHistoryFanaticslike I said. I’m terrible with names and completely understand. My name is spelled weird!😀 I’m flattered you even thought of me!!
FHF I AM WEIRD and I have anxiety and anger over the mass amounts of toxicity you described. Genealogy is my stress relief and one of my happy places. I'm with you and Andy, let's all connect through our Ancestors and respect each others opinions rather than argue and bully . HUGS Devon !!
I’m only 10 minutes into this video as I write this, but it seems to me that what you are describing in terms of nasty behavior is happening EVERYWHERE, not only in this country, but in any country where there is social media. And in every field of endeavor. Even crafts! By and large, genealogy seems to be the least affected. People generally are very generous with their time and their advice in this field. You need to know that an estimated 70% of social media comments are funded by international bad guys whose sole intent is to stir the pot of antagonism within the US. It’s working. It’s ripping us apart. And there is no end in sight.
I don't dispute your claims. What I'm striving to do is do my part to improve the community I love so much. I don't want to throw my hands up and say, "Oh, well. Like it or leave it." I want to be an agent of positive change and invite others to join with me. What say you?
Commenting so this will get more eyes. Although, I think from what Devon's saying, there's more than just the negative comments she and Andy are dealing with. But yes. There is a ton of negativity in social media comments, not just YT. Also, there are people who are training AI bots to argue. So, they will set their AI's out to make a negative comment just to get the exposure. It's not healthy for the rest of us. There's very little AI I like. I do like it when it can help me find lost documents in a large database... that may be about it.
@@FamilyHistoryFanatics Oh, I totally agree that you can’t give up. I think maybe the first step to fighting back, though, is to dismiss the negative comments as “annoying noise” and try to guard your heart from taking any of it seriously. There’s a difference between a comment made to your face from a real person in your life and a nasty comment made by someone, maybe even just a computer, through the camouflage of an anonymous account. I am not a RUclips content provider, so forgive me if these ideas seem ignorant. I really don’t know how much control someone has over what people post in terms of comments. But I see a lot of channels that are trying to make safe spaces for themselves and their followers. One channel requires people to agree to a code of conduct before they can post. Does that stop the bots? Perhaps. Others simply say that they won’t tolerate any nasty or hurtful comments and warn users that these will simply be removed, and they delete anything they find that meets that criteria. I think I would delegate that job to someone with a thick skin! Is there a club for RUclipsrs in which you can maybe devise means of fighting this ? Get and give emotional support about it at the same time? Could you start one if it doesn’t already exist? Because I can honestly tell you that every content provider is struggling with this problem. One of my favorite content providers just shared a message he got that said “Put gun in your mouth and pull the trigger”. Can you imagine getting a message like that? We are living in dangerous times right now. Nastiness is apparently profitable. It’s an upside down morality, and very few of us were ever trained to handle something like this. I’m rooting for you, though. You and your hubby do good things!
I'm glad to be an old man who doesn't care what others think and thus I don't give my power over to them. I know what is in my heart, and what my intent is. If it's good, then it's good. If people want to be destructive, they can go their own way and find someone who they want to follow. Don't let others tell you down. Be a light to the world who chooses to follow the light. Missionaries don't chase people down who don't want to hear the message, and don't seek their affirmation either. They have the truth. Those who desire it will seek it out and bring it into their lives. This took courage. And welcome back.
Thanks for the honest welcome back. I love "old men who don't care what others think." They have been in my life for so long, the remind me of the Wild Hogs movie of old men who passed through a town not too far from here - Madrid, NM. Great movie if you haven't every watched it.
Sheila here. I’ve been out of the genealogy community for a few months, taking care of family matters. I had no idea how toxic things had become, but I will tell you, you’re not the only one who has pointed this out to me. Your video was very well done, very heartfelt, and actually it was encouraging, as you reminded us all, we should bless not curse. You also reminded me to comment often on our favorite RUclipsrs videos. So here I am 😊
I have not watched this entire presentation, but the content was unexpected. I have never experienced fear and/or bullying in my family history research, and I had never even considered it to be a possible issue. I am not a genealogist. I'm just interested in knowing more about my predecessors, an interest I have pursued for over 40 years. One obvious difference is that I don't have any public exposure with which others of greatly varying views and intents can take issue. Considering current polarization, the presence of "trolls" or those who simply have differing opinions, objectionable responses seem to be inevitable to public presentations -- it comes with the territory. I know that your work is valuable and appreciated, and I regret your recent unpleasant experience. I wish you well.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I only shared my experiences to highlight that the negativity in the community is too high for comfort. I hope that all creators, those whose stories I didn't share because it's not my stories to tell, can feel more blessings than negativity. There are people in this community (of which I'm glad you're unaware) who have large followings that are making the space unfriendly (beyond just trolling). So, I'm trying to call upon everyone in the genealogy space to lift up those who are putting for helpful and encouraging content. I'm honored if you think I'm one of those.
Howdy! TAMU Class of 1974 here. Yes I am old. Tolerance and respect are in short supply now. Giving your opinion does not require others to agree. In 12 step programs, there is a common saying for handling disagreements. It is "Take what you can use and leave the rest." No one denigrates you if you don't like strawberry ice cream the same as they do." If they do, I question their mental state. Take care of yourself and your family, concentrate on your educational and family history pursuits. If stepping away is necessary, I applaud you for recognizing your own needs. Peace and love to you.
Gig'em. Andy and I are in the class of 1998, and we were in the Aggie Alumni Magazine that just recently came out!!! We didn't tell them about our adventure, but it was such an honest story.
I watched the first 40 minutes and I see your point. As someone who studied political science, I know it can be most visible from one side of the political spectrum. However, as someone who was born without the then expected family structure and yet spent a lot of my formative years among religious groups, I know it's not just one side that likes to monitor language and cancel people. I'm new to genealogy as I ordered my DNA kit after Thanksgiving last year because I wanted to find out anything I could about that other-than-expected family structure and because I had a bad feeling about the coming year. It turns out I was prescient and I lost my mom 6 months later. Yet, building a family tree gave me the reason to learn a lot more about our family history than I had in all the preceding years. I discovered that I have DNA from several continents, some of which might put me in certain minority groups within US culture. How, when, and where those links occurred and what they mean is still a mystery to me. I can imagine the words some would use and that others would prefer other language. Personally, I'm not offended by such language, despite being bullied as a child for those who made assumptions based on outward appearance. However, I've heard stories of others who want to strongly celebrate a particular heritage only to discover via DNA testing that they have links to groups to which they would prefer they didn't. As much as we may wish Genealogy was non-political, I suspect it's never been. Maybe the sense is only due to an historical aberration where a lot of data was widely accessible due to good written records and archives plus networked computers, but before social media gave everyone access to everyone else. Modern mores now allow for everyone to give everyone else their opinions, wanted or not, on anything and everything, for any reason. Perhaps we forget that a lot of genealogy has been politically charged in the past. Ancients used to claim descent from heroes and gods as well as royalty for political gain. The Bible is full of _begots_ in the OT and the use of lineages in the NT shows how the writers were attempting to make and support political and religious claims for Jesus and his right to rule. In the US, we have the "Daughters of the American Revolution" explicitly drawing descendance from war, AKA politics by other means. And then there is the One Drop Rule and the history of the institution from which it arose. And now, some people on both sides of the political spectrum want to use lineages and genealogy for political purposes to increase their claims to power. Some want to celebrate ethnic minority groups, perhaps with the hope of receiving their support. Some others want to use these links to heritage to define who should be in the US and who should leave even if they were born here. I have a sinking feeling that perhaps that latter group will use such research to root up entire families and their trees. This may result in records being damaged or destroyed in the process... or to deny their use in such a process. Time will tell if this will resemble what happened in the 1930s and '40s. I suspect there is a good chance that genealogical research may suffer. I agree that cancelling a person over use of a word that is used in an historical or academic sense in wrong. Yet, I think that pales in comparison to what may be coming from the other direction. I'd look both ways before crossing the road.
I very much appreciate the time you gave to your response. I don't think it's one sided either, and if I gave that impressions, I would love to know how to be more clear. Having traveled around the world, my eyes are opening to just how complex the cultures of the world are. Again, I point to my discovery of the hostility between Denmark and Russian and Finland and Russian. But I haven't been to Russia yet to know what their view points are. And yet, I get a sense that it's more complex than what I have experienced in the US. I've also lived in Texas, South Carolina, New York, Iowa, and now New Mexico. I have explored the history museums in California, Washington, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Georgia, and Alaska. No two states have the same perspective and even within large states, view points aren't monolithic. And yet, as a genealogy community, focused on tracing our heritage and understanding our lineage, that can be a unifying and welcoming experience. I don't like when the two major sides in America try to cancel each other out, because I have also identified with many third parties who say, "there is another option available." Yes, politics is a part of the history we uncover. But, I dream of a genealogy community that helps each other access the records to identify their family tree and process the stories they uncover along the way. No one is an entirely good or entirely evil. But, everyone is an opportunity to learn from. Perhaps its my naivety, but by calling out the toxicity that drove Andy and me away, and offering a solution of blessing rather than cursing, I hope when I meet my maker, He'll be appreciative of what I tried to do to bring more unity to this community. If my efforts fall on baren ground, at least I made an attempt to be the change I want to see in the world.
I missed your livestream but watched on RUclips. I’ve missed seeing you here and wondered where you had gone. I assumed it had to do with your parents. I’m sorry you’ve had such a terrible experience but I think you’re incredibly brave to come back and share your experience with us. Stay strong. Every journey begins with a step, this is a new beginning.
There were a few challenges, but the negativity made it difficult to return and be certain about things. Our parents are doing well, and we will be seeing them in a few weeks. The kids are busy with swimming and their studies. We are focusing on our health and serving in our church. With all of that going on, it's disheartening to witness members of the genealogy community tearing each other apart. I thought that by sharing my experiences - saying, "Hey, I understand, and here's what I've gone through" - I might help foster the kind of community I would like to see. It may seem like a naive hope, but isn't that what faith is all about?
Your channel inspired me to make a scrapbook of my family history. Because of this channel I learned “how to.” Please continue. I’m dealing with difficult subjects and wondering how to put to paper the stories. Many people have difficulty finding how to put pen to paper. I think many people who lived through the Great Depression in Chicago had a difficult experience just to survive. This was my family’s past. You have helped me sort out this truth when writing and preserve the truth.
Aww, I'm so grateful that you took the time to share how I've helped you. Have you found my writing channel yet? www.youtube.com/@WriteYourFamilyHistory That's the best place to interact with tips that I've shared and ask questions for your specific challenges.
You’re one of my favorite genealogy channels. I’m also one of the weird ones too. Software and electrical engineer by day. Genealogist by night. You guys are doing a good job. The haters can either shape up or ship out. Some of my good friends and neighbors are LDS even though I’m a Christian. I love them just as much. I don’t read the chats a lot but if I see someone out of line I will be sure to call them out if flag them. I have little tolerance for the less than classy humans. Please know I support you and hope you find a way to continue. Big friendly hugs!
Thanks so much. Just be sure to reach out from time to time and let me know how I'm doing. Did a video generate a question or do you have experience with the research topics i share? That will help do more than taking out the negative folks. (At least it does for me.)
Devon, wow, this was authentic, respectful, and uplifting (and sad to learn of the hurts that you and Andy have experienced)!. May courage, healing, hope, and fulfillment come for both of you!!
I have been blissfully unaware that all this was going on in the RUclips Genealogy community. I have always found your content informative and inspiriting. I watch both FHF and Writing videos. Your writing videos are amazing and all your suggested tools like Grammarly and services like Shutterfly have really helped me. I am so glad you have found the courage to continue. Love and Blessings
Thanks so much Donna. You've been a great help with pointing out when things aren't working but doing so with kindness. (That's you, correct). Be grateful that you haven't been exposed to the negative side of things. I'll try to keep things positive so you don't experience it.
@@FamilyHistoryFanatics@FamilyHistoryFanatics I'm not sure if I am the Donna you are referring to because I don't comment often, only when I have a question. Your content has always been positive and appropriate.
I had a few emails from a Donna recently when a video didn't upload as it should have based on the email I sent. If it wasn't you, no worries. If it was, thanks so much.
When I do my genealogy.. I am firmly in that generation of time. I never think in terms of what is “approved” here in this time. To me that is weird and distracting when trying to do my research. You need to know the language and culture and the writing and what is going on in THAT moment of time to do good research. Isn’t THAT the purpose of genealogy? Why would other peoples religion matter to finding my 5th great grandparent? BUT, often, church records do help me find them. And I do thank the time and research that the LDS does and has done to further records and genealogy. AND I do appreciate the time and effort that video creator’s put in to bring me information and tips! My mother once said that we ALL have freedom of speech.. but more of us need the freedom of Grace. And I find simple conversations with my grandchildren encourage their interest history and genealogy. And I suffer from social anxiety so I am proud of you for stepping out of your comfort zone and confronting your fear. You go Girl!! And FYI.. I am an Arkansas Razorback! 😂
Sounds like many need to grow up, and agree to disagree, everyone has a right to their own beliefs. You’re not weird, you’re not strange, you’re human. You should not be judged by any of those that have made you feel this way, or anyone else, they’ve got no right!! It’s very sad to hear this is going on in the genealogy community. Without you and Andy, I don’t know who I will turn to that I can watch (and it is on a free basis because I’m on SSDI, can’t afford any of the extras) and learn from. I’ve never been made to feel different or unwelcome by you or Andy and I would certainly hope that others would feel the same. I am sincerely, very sorry for all of the pain and anxiety you are experiencing. I do hope this goes away and that you will get through this and come out stronger. Trust in you and your faith. God bless you and Andy, and your family!
Thanks so much. I'm so glad you're finding value in the large volume of free content. The way you can bless us when you can't afford the extras is to watch and comment. We do make a nice little income from ad revenue, but RUclips doesn't like to share videos that don't have engagement in the form of comments. So, if you could spare a comment or two on the videos you watch, that would be payment enough. Will that work?
This is my first time visiting your channel. I don't understand what specific negative comments were thrown your way in the past that caused you and your husband to walk away but all comments left on channels or websites or social media should be constructive, sensitive and polite. I'm so sorry that you faced the contrary! You were very brave to tell your audience just how terribly hurt you were by unkind comments and expressed negativity! Fortunately, people responded to your heartfelt monologue with compassion.
I am so noticing this to be the case. I hope my message can motivate us all to spread kindness and blessings rather than get caught up in hateful rhetoric. When it's 'cool to be kind,' then much of the negativity should lessen. Thanks for watching and I hope you'll find some value in any of the video offerings we have here at FHF and the sister channel Write Your Family History
Devon, I have seen your reaction to an obviously upsetting situation. I don’t need to know what happened. Your reaction shows your grace and that is a rare quality these days. Blessings!
Thanks for not needing details. I want to be the light I want to see in the world and not ruin other's reputations. Tell know who they are and hopefully speaking without too many specifics will help them know I'm striving to be civil. May my example inspire others to do the same.
I agree with you . don't all have to agree but we all can respect the views of others. I was adopted, and I am new to genealogy, but it's important for me to learn who my ancestors were and what they did and were they came from.i don't know why in this country we have lost the ability to respect the opinions of others. My prayers are with you.
I have nothing but respect, love and admiration for you and Andy!! I don’t know what else I can say, besides maybe ignore the haters, they’re not worth the time or energy they cause you or anyone else that doesn’t think like them….not even worth a second thought!! ❤️
Thank you very much. We strive to be a positive influence within the genealogy community. I hope to see growth in the 'vanity metrics' for those who are succeeding in this field. I’m not quite sure how to express my vision, so please bear with me. I picture the positive influences in the genealogy community attracting numerous subscribers, followers, and learners to their in-person presentations, as well as gaining engagement through comments on their videos, social media posts, newsletters, and more. When these positive influencers receive more attention than those who spread negativity, it will send a strong message: be a light, not a source of darkness. Can you see the vision I’m trying to share?
I'm weird, been that way for 45 years. You both are loved. Despite the division we feel in the country we can make a difference. ❤❤❤❤❤ I am glad you said the hard things.
Thanks to you and Andy for all you do. I really appreciate your efforts to educate us on our hobby. I also used the term "illegitimate" in an online forum, and I was also called out for it. Trying to cancel history doesn't change the historical content of birth and death documents.
Amen. Since you like to use historically accurate terms, please support this video. ruclips.net/video/nymcr6ng0F0/видео.html (I still need to make a better thumbnail for it, but I'd really like that video to catch fire).
I have been a silent follower, but I am addicted to genealogy, and a fellow LDS member. If this makes wierd then so be it :-). I deeply appreciate all the videos you have created.
I appreciate all the silent followers, but I very much appreciate the comment you've left. Andy and I need these so much. I won't force you out into an active commentator but do stay in touch as you're inspired.
Bigger than life energy - my husband loves that about me and I strive to bring it always. (By the way... glad you didn't hate me for disparaging the Buckeyes!)
Thank you for your kind words of support. I appreciate the grace as I strive to continue creating for the community, and perhaps Andy will join me again in the future.
FHF Thank you both for your excellent videos. They helped me so much. I finally found my mother's father for her. She is now 84 years old and finally after a long life of unanswered questions , she knows who he was. She cried when I showed her his picture. Again it was video channels like yours that guided me I could have never done it with out people like you.
Awwwwwwww!!!!! I'm so excited that you made that discovery for her during her life time. 84 years is a long time to wait. My Grannie was adopted at birth. After her passing at 92, my family discovered the identity of her bio dad. So, I can sort of related. Well done!!!
Thank you and Andy for your love for the Genealogy community. I love that you’re bringing this to light. I will be especially cognizant to bless and not cancel. Differences don’t need to divide us. My family history represents extreme sides of society. I’m here to use it to be a better person. #BlessNotCancel
Kudos to you Devon, for speaking out on this issue. Blessings to you and Andy and hopefully we will see you here occasionally. You were the first RUclips genealogy creators I watched and I follow your blog, so thank you both for all the help you have given us budding genealogists.
You are not weird! I have learned so much from you both. You are entitled your beliefs. I am sorry this has happened to you. A lot of people need to grow up.
Thank you so much for sharing this message-I’ve felt the same way in the genealogy community. Like your husband, I tend to walk away from conflict because I’d rather not engage. Your idea of focusing on blessing really resonates with me. After 20 years in genealogy, I’ve stepped away from my blog many times, sometimes due to family commitments and other times because of negativity. Once, I found harsh criticism on WikiTree from an APG board member who could have used it as an opportunity to educate me when I was still learning. Instead, the critique was left publicly on an ancestor’s profile I’d worked hard on, and I only discovered it recently, years later after coming back from a break. Experiences like that can be discouraging, but your message is such a wonderful reminder of how we can support one another.
I'm sorry to hear of your negative experience. I hope you found the other amazing @WikiTree members who are incredibly supportive. I'm also glad you like focusing on the blessing. I think of a song from my childhood, "Love is something if you give it away, Give it away, give it away. Love is something if you give it away, You end up having more. It's just like a magic penny, Hold it tight and you won't have any. Lend it, spend it, and you'll have so many They'll roll all over the floor."
Truthful Kindness here. (Full legal name “Truthful Loving Kindness” based on “chesed v’ emet”). Thanks for the input you two have provided in past years. My dementia symptoms have progressed to the point that understanding a spoken word is not that much problem, but understanding sentences and paragraphs are difficult, so i have rarely watched genealogy vids any more. Besides that, i am making too many errors to actually work on my tree. - 2023 i was just trying to repair the errors, but even that became too much. So now i am trying to put 20 years of research into archive form. THANK you for your efforts. - Tru.
Oh my goodness. I feel so sad to hear of the trials you're facing. I know how much you enjoy genealogy research. Thanks for finding away to share your thoughts today. I'm honored.
I have loved your channel. I started genealogy in the 90s. I am not LDS and honestly I think in my heart I was searching for the family I really never had. I have wanted a better and different story for my life. I always loved genealogy and still do. Wish your channel was still going. Sad that this world today tares people down. I am your fan!
Thanks for being a fan of our work. Devon is still making videos, for the time being. Have you seen her latest series about researching a Civil War ancestor? ruclips.net/p/PLcVx-GSCjcdktshZn1vRp-Hm0hVZ42dPv As for Andy, let's see the community support the heck out of her videos and maybe more DNA videos will be in the future offering.
Devon: I am appalled at what you and Andy have been and are still going through! I have watched your and Andy’s videos for years, and applaud you for your fine work. I want to encourage you to ignore the vocal critics and remember the many approving but silent watchers! Colleen from Canada
Thanks so much. I hope that, on occasion, the silent watchers will drop a comment or question. It helps us fight off the negativity. I know others in the genealogy community can benefit from that as well. I guess that was the main motivation behind "Bless, not curse" to change the community.
I'm sorry that you've had to experience that through the genealogy network. I've been active on a wonderful group on Substack that is so encouraging and helpful. I've not felt that way at all. In fact, genealogy is where I can get away from the divisiveness that's all around us. It's what got me through COVID isolation. It's where I am home. I don't ask and don't want to know who my fellow genealogists voted for or what they believe in. We are all on this journey together, looking for our ancestors, telling their stories, and learning from their mistakes and achievements. Again, I'm so sorry you have been subject to such cruelty. Sending you a hug.
What is sad is that the toxic people sometimes do not realize that they are toxic. How can somebody judge when you are providing a wonderful resource to people who want to learn, and it is priceless? The select mindset of hateful people and their behaviors are a negative to the entire world. Thank you for what you have done.
I touched on a few of the situations: 1. Colleagues allow their friends to disparage my character during a conversation, rather than stay on topic. 2. A company canceling their working relationship with me for not using an "approved" word rather than a historically accurate one I know there is a third one, but the general mood is that genealogists are refusing to work with each other because they don't share the same political beliefs. People are also being bullied for disagreeing on genealogical best practices. That's just the tip of the iceberg. If you've been lucky enough to not see this in your sphere, hallelujah. You're very blessed. But cancel culture is affecting many people in the genealogy community and I want to start a trend of #BlessNotCancel.
I'm guessing some person in some company didn't like the use of the words _slave_ or _bastard_ or maybe _illegal_ or _alien_ or _Indian_ , but this is just a guess.
Seconding this! Sometimes complaints of "cancel culture" can refer to a real atmosphere of overcorrection and excessive moral purity. Other times they are made when people can't tolerate others disagreeing with them. "Genealogists are refusing to work together because they don't share the same political beliefs" is a very vague statement. A disagreement about political beliefs could be as minor as having a different opinion about the bus route or as serious as someone being a member of the KKK. Political opinions are not like favourite colours or zodiac signs; they are statements of intent and reflections of our moral and intellectual worldview. It's important to be politically open minded and approach the people we disagree with with compassion and curiosity - and some people, it's true, are particularly in need of that reminder - but everyone draws the line about what they can "agree to disagree" on somewhere. That isn't cancel culture, that is a normal and necessary part of being a moral being. As a student of history I am sympathetic towards the issues around historical terminology. I realise that that the nature of the topic makes it difficult (and perhaps not particularly suitable) to talk about on RUclips, but I would love to know what the disagreement is actually about!
@@FamilyHistoryFanatics Then don't make a video getting flustered and never saying what kinds of "bullying" you've encountered. You aren't a victim for getting vocal disagreement from people over politics.
Just here to say that I love your FHF content, especially the genetic genealogy, and I’ve honestly missed your presence. Can’t say I care at all what your personal beliefs are - they are just that: personal, and I can respect that. Please pass on to Andy that some of us really miss his content. I’ve looked for other genetic genealogy guides, but nothing else matches up. I do more of that than traditional genealogy because there are so many secrets and partial truths in my family and it’s hard to sort out without the genetics. Best to you both!
I will pass along the message. For now, Andy will create some Channel member only webinars. If your unable to watch those, I get it. If he has some Q&A after the main topic, I might slice those up and make them part of the free content. We have to easy back into this, so I hope you'll bear with us.
I have always found your videos to be very informative, educational, and entertaining. I am so sorry that small minded people have harassed and bullied you. You don't have to share religious or political views to learn from them, and there is no reason to hate someone for having a different outlook on life. Your work is appreciated, and I hope you continue making videos, but do what is best for you. My best to you and Andy.
Thanks so much for your support. I won't hide our religion as strongly as I have in the past, but I won't be overt moving forward either. I'm glad I can share the underlying reason for what we do but create a community that welcomes all faiths (or non-faiths).
Ignore the bad and keep up the good. There are always negative toxic voices. Just keep up the good work you do. We love you at the Family History Guide. Thanks for all you have done. Brent
I liked and subscribed. You might find it odd, but this is the first video of yours that I've ever seen. I think this video was for your loyal followers and not for me.
Thank you for watching and subscribing. The main portion of the video was a call to the entire genealogy community. I really would like to see more positivity in the online and offline space so that we're building communities future genealogies want to join. However, if I've earned your subscription and a comment, thanks so much. I hope you'll check out more content and find it helpful.
I wondered where you guys went. Great to have you back. Not sure if this is helpful but it did come to mind instantly in the middle of your explanation and that is something that has really kind of invigorated at least one aspect, or one branch of my own family research and that is the connection overseas. To the point that right now I am waiting for my mother to have the time to sit down and go over the family information in a nutshell that I can then relate back -- in Italian -- to one of our cousins whom SHE met on a recent family trip to Italy. In order for all of this to happen it just takes one person [in our case me] to take the plunge and learn the language. I am not quite to my goal yet [dreaming in Italian] but at one point they were planning on me being able to communicate with a driver to let him know what they needed. It did not come to that -- primarily due to the help from our cousins in Italy. But even then I did have to communicate back and forth with him in Italian and then to them to arrange for them to meet. And maybe you already do this but in my case I would have to say that it has increased my interest in that part of our family history much more than it already was. Then again what's not to like about being Italian or even part Italian ;-) Also whether or not I am active doing genealogy I am also fascinated with history. And personally I would much rather sit up in bed and read an actual book. They're much easier to balance on your lap than a computer ;-)
Now you know what I'm able to say publicly about why we left. The kids schedules have been stressful. Some private things have been heart breaking, but we faced this before - even during my cancer surgery and recovery. But the last year has been very difficult to see the attacks we've personally encountered and those others in the community are facing. So, I'm speaking out. But hey, gotta love your Italian success!!!!
I support you. I let toxicity and negativity roll off and keep doing my best. Hang in there. You are doing a great job and are a great help to family historians. We would be poorer without you & Andy.
Thank you...this needed to be said and I hope you and Andy are able to find a happy place in the genealogy world again. Things in the genealogy world have been bugging me, and I couldn't put my finger on what it was exactly. I have thought genealogy was my refuge from the polarized world out there. It seems to have followed us. We all need to give more grace and less criticsm. Hang in there - we need you.
Aww, thanks so much. I felt obligated to speak up when I saw so much hostility the last few months. With 90,000 subscribers, I wanted to do my part to see if I can nudge the community in a more positive direction. I hope it helps.
Aww, y'all are way to kind. Thanks for blessing us in that fashion. We might need to connect and ask a "What have we missed" video and get your insight if you're up to it.
Didn't get the chance to watch live, but glad to support you, Devon. Have been able to expand my tree, and to finally get a ping back from across the Atlantic this year, connecting with my mother's first cousin. I danced around the room before sending them a post card.
I am a professional educator by trade, putting yourself out there is like that. Because of you and your husband, I was able to get my search to a place that I had a cathartic experience. And yes, it's unfinished but published. Thanks.
Thanks so much for sharing your success. Yes, being in the public eye can be difficult. But I hope that I speak for others in the community who are experiencing difficulties. I really hope the message isn't a 'woe is me' it's more a 'woe is us, and I have these experiences.' Now, lets go be blessings to what we want to see in the world. I hope that message was received.
Your channel is my favorite genealogy channel on RUclips! I like your channel because you create content that is very informative, but at the same time has a very informal, friendly vibe. Please keep doiong what you do :) Lots of love form Poland!
Thanks for joining from Poland. Our goal has always been the 'friend next door who's crazy about genealogy' approach. I'm so glad that you're receiving that intent.
It was sad to listen to what has been happening to Andy and yourself. I agree that we should support those creating great genealogy content. Bless is a great term to use and avoid this cancel culture attitude. Best wishes with your competitive wife-carrying adventure. You two are winners already from my point of view. ❤
Thank you for your kind words. It's really hard to witness this type of behavior but your encouragement means a lot. And if I can be consistent with lifting weights, it would make Andy's job a little easier in carrying me.
It seems wild to me that people in the genealogy community were behaving so poorly! I have only seen nothing but positive things on your channel. I'm so sorry that you have dealt with such negativity. Also as an atheist I have always felt included on your channel and would never be bothered by religious content relating to genealogy. As far as using culturally insensitive words, about 10 years ago I was at the neurologists office with my mother and the doc was describing my mother's issues and referred to her as being demented and living with dementia. When I used those same terms later that day online, people ripped into me about how "we" don't use those terms anymore because they are derogatory. When I explained that mom's neurologist just did a few hours earlier, I was told repeatedly that didn't happen because the medical community doesn't use those terms anymore. {eye roll}
Eye roll indeed!!!! Thanks for whether you find my channel welcoming, even if I have an underlying spiritual motivation for what we do. It means so much that you give use the respect to let us have a spiritual nature while we teach genealogical principles.
Christian. Not LDS. Blessings 🙏 I learnt a great deal from your videos when I was new at genealogy. I am mystified by the way people feel it is okay to be mean just because they disagree with someone. If we get hurt sometimes it feels like criticism is warranted but it doesn't help. Grateful for your sensible call for blessings. Glad you prioritise your living family and your physical and mental health. We can't listen to all the channels all the time. There's not enough hours in the day.
Brave, and whatever you do from here on in you're a great, balanced and smart couple so whatever you do will be the right thing...from a fellow genealogy weirdo. Much love for the future.
All, thanks so much. For now, Devon is making videos and we hope folks will bless her with continued support so that the negative folks will see, positivity is where it's at. If you haven't seen the latest videos, check out this play list. ruclips.net/p/PLcVx-GSCjcdktshZn1vRp-Hm0hVZ42dPv
You do wonderful work. You need to be happy first before anything else. There will always be those that are going to make negative comments about something you do, try to look at those comments but not let it become personal. You are a good person keep up the good work.
Thank you and your family so much for all the wonderful content that you have provided. I have learned so much from your videos. Blessings. I hope you can have peace.
I am weird, I freaking love genealogy. This is why I don't post anything on social media much, too toxic. I love Genealogy but I won't talk much about it because it conflicts with historical narriatives that are fed and people believing what they want. It is like talking to a wall.
I am considering several "Hey, that's not what I was told" videos in the coming months. For instance, "Women couldn't get an education until the 1940s)." Well, it depends on the location because there were schools certifying nurses in Germany and in Boston in the late 1880s. If you have other discoveries that conflict with historical narratives, I'd really love you to privately share your thoughts and perhaps I can work them in to a future video. If you don't have my email from the newsletter, then reach out here and let's discuss www.familyhistoryfanatics.com/contact
Hi Devon, I rarely comment on videos but, I had to this time. I so appreciate what you do. I don't care about other peoples religion, but I am not sure how you can do genealogy without bringing religion into it. Most of our records are based on specific religious documents no matter the faith. Toxicity is rife in other communities I belong to on You Tube and I believe it is because people feel that they do not have to abide be the usual rules of civility. Completely agree with your view on "presentism".
Thanks so much for being a 'first time' commentor and long time watcher. I'm aware of the challenges in other communities. I just have to hope things can change. I'm trying to do my part.
FHF Thank you for all the videos and information. I have learned so much about genealogy from you and Andy. So sorry for your your suffering. Thank you for your courage and being truthful. Many blessings to you.
This is crazy! I have no idea what the context of the toxicity is but Im so sorry! your work is amazing and reaches SO many. I hope you find the joy again
Thanks so much. I am trying to. Right now, I'm trying to find the joy in my latest video series. Have you seen it? ruclips.net/p/PLcVx-GSCjcdktshZn1vRp-Hm0hVZ42dPv When this series is over, I'm hoping to do more beneficial topics. So, I humbly ask for you to share the love on those videos to help me feel the joy again.
I agree there is too much toxicity in many communities. I have learned so much from you. I still believe in community. I support you whatever path you take.
Thanks. We're taking baby steps. Devon is creating videos here and on the second channel. As for Andy, we'll start with a channel member video and see how it goes.
I loved your "I Hate Research Logs" video and watch you regularly. I am horrified by what you experienced. If we cannot describe history as it happened, how can we improve ourselves. I am not LDS, but I love the contributions the Church and educators like you have contributed to the field. I want you to know that you and your husband are making a difference and I very much appreciate you.
Thank you so much for sharing this blessing to brighten my day. I hope to see you participating in more video discussions in the future (if it's not too much to ask).
Genealogy is weird. Those words brought me up short. It seems so normal to me that I'm always surprised to hear other people don't have the same interest in it. Guess that's why it never so much as crossed my mind that people could be harassed because of historical documents. The past is dead and gone and those papers are crumbling to dust. It takes a certain kind of evil to try to rewrite who we are and where we come from; such are the days we are in. You both have helped many people over the years. There's no shame in stepping back a little, a lot, or completely if you need to. Trust me, you share that with a great many others..
I say genealogists are considered weird because few people actually like to listen to me when I talk about what I've discovered of late. But I'm glad you don't feel weird. Keep it up.
PS David and I were also in the LDS church. I've never once felt beat over the head with your beliefs. There has only been one thing that upset me in regards to religion on one of the videos. Andy addressed my question in a way that made sense to me and, as far as I know, we've all been good since then. It was just a misunderstanding on my part. I wish that you would tell us who did this to you, but I understand you not wanting to. I don't want to be a part of any community that would hurt you like this. Go Aggies! I agree in regards to homeschooling! We homeschooled our children and they got into college and the Navy and Marines with no issues. They were able to learn what they wanted to learn as well as what was required. It was an awesome experience. And, they were able to grow up in cemeteries learning about our family history in the process. :)
Suzanne... I remember the video and the following discussion that you're referring to. You were kind enough to express your concerns and allow Andy to share his thoughts. It was a very positive exchange. I'm glad you were able to watch. I know you've been asking and reaching out and I'm glad we could give you the answer you sought.
@@FamilyHistoryFanatics Thank you, Devon. I am glad that it was a positive exchange. I would never want to say or do anything to hurt either one of you. I know it was difficult for you in this video. Bullying is such an emotional topic and I appreciate you sharing your heart with us.
Watching heart-warming stories on things like 'Long Lost Family' or 'Lost and Found' also got me thinking of that quote from Malachi about hearts of children and parents being turned towards each other. You're right, genealogy can play a part in that happening, even if it just encourages dialogue and repsect between the generations and taking an interest in each other's lives and not just going off doing our own thing and forgetting or ignoring the past. I hope I haven't bored my Mum too much talking about family history so much, but if it helps trigger some memories she can help me learn a bit more about it. I have to do the research while I still have her to share it with! Lost my uncle now so only have cousins to share my paternal side research with (including what I found on that unrelated uncle's side), and they occasionally say they appreciate it but are very busy people so I don't want to bother them too much! I just think of the future when one day their children or grandchildren might be interested in it.
I am a child of a grand niece very interested in the stories of those who took the time to help my mother long ago when she started asking questions. Someday, there will be someone interested in the past. I'm working with a gentleman at the local family history center, and he's desperate for details. He just learned that his grandfather served in the Korean war. Troubling family dynamics withheld that information from him. So, those who want to know might be closer than you think. But it may take until they're in their 40s or 50s until they want to know. everything we do is to lay the foundation for the 'one day' to become 'today.'
@@FamilyHistoryFanatics Thanks good one. Actually that's just a joke name I thought up for a band that never was.Three recordings in a local studio and I had plans for more but oh well. But I still have the 'domain name' "Why Chromosomes" for any future music projects.
I'm very sorry to know what you have experienced. Thank you for sharing with us the reasons of your absent, I wass worried about your silence. I'm going to join the membership to watch the DNA videos of Andy. I'm really looking forward to it.
Sounds great. I will get it set up today so everyone will know when it will go live. If you can't make the livestream, the replay will be available when you're ready.
You ARE a blessing. To continue to be a blessing you can't wear your feelings on your sleeve. I am sorry you have been hurt and frustrated. This is a tough world. Put some horse blinders on and dig in. 😚
You go girl! I am sorry that this happened. I agree build people up don't bring thm down. The truth and the light always win in the end. It takes a long time. BTW, I am a weirdo in my family whenever I talk about genealogy.
Oh Devon I don’t know how to start answering you after watching your video on replay. First I am weird! Second I am passionate about my family, genealogy, and family memory keeping. Those hobbies are shared by the LDS community, although I am a Christian of another denomination I always felt welcomed in discussions with LDS genealogists or family memories keepers, I guess we shared the same passion. If their faith transpires into the discussion, it is normal, after all your faith or lack of it is part of you. I was unaware of the tensions in the genealogy community because thanks to you I started writing my family history. One of your video said stop finding excuses and just start writing a draft. I started that day and never looked back! Thank you. So I have very little time to listen to feud and drama. The only statement I disagree with is don’t cancel but bless. In order to bless I cancelled all the negative, the haters, and shamers out of my live. The anxiety the caused me led to physical and health problems. I reached your point about a year ago and now I follow only a small group of fellow genealogists, fortunately it was the same group of wonderful positive people you mentioned and I can bless not cancel. I am older, born in the 50’s grew in the 60’s, an era where you could agree to disagree. Tolerance and no judgment are necessary to study history. If your genealogy research goes behind birth, marriage and death, you will learn that you have ancestors with different religions, on different sites of conflicts, and leaving in different eras and areas. Keep an open mind, don’t judge, just tell their stories. Devon you are the one who taught that skill. Thanks.
I LOVE this statement "One of your video said stop finding excuses and just start writing a draft. I started that day and never looked back! " Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I'm doing a happy dance, but you can't see it. It's epic I promise.)
Let's discuss the idea of "don't cancel but bless." I don't disagree with walking away from the negatives in our lives. Perhaps I could have been clearer about my stance. I don't want to contribute to cancel culture; instead, I want to foster a culture of blessing. So, walking away-a subtle form of cancellation-is something I support. However, I'm not okay with the more extreme forms of cancellation, such as attempting to strip someone of their genealogical credentials, having their educational materials pulled from distribution, losing their jobs, or any other severe consequences. Does this clarify my perspective? I would love to hear your thoughts on how to articulate the idea of avoiding negative cancel culture actions while still choosing not to support those who create a toxic environment. Any guidance you can provide would be appreciated.
@@FamilyHistoryFanatics I understand, the kind of “cancel” that hurt somebody business or wellbeing is simply unacceptable. By cancel I meant “unfollow”. I am retired so they only bring me down not my business. I don’t mind people with different opinions but I unfollow people who call me name or shame me for not adhering to their point of view. Family history is my passion but I don’t have any credentials so it is easier for me to walk away from negativity. I can’t give you any advices, but you come first and know your hard work has helped others like me. 🙏
I go to work every day and hear how we are "united" - and yet we are NOT. Right now I check in by popping my head in the door and then going to my car office with steering wheel lap desk. I got off of the distribution list at work. My news is the electronic kiosk and that's it. If a friend texts me I might hear news that way. I don't go to retirement parties. And if I walk on campus I set my phone to record as I do it. I don't go on breaks during the breaks of 4 others. Anti-bully posters are a lie. So I hear you. It's often a lie.
There is a lot of negativity. However, I'm hoping to call upon those willing to spread goodness to do something specific - leave comments, subscriptions, follows, etc on those who are putting kindess and quality information into the genealogy space. (You shared a few of such comments and that's awesome, thank you.) So, if perhaps I can initiate a change, it will be just enough to have the blessers rather than the cancelers win the day. Does that make sense?
So sorry you've encountered this. I don't read many comments nor go on social media much, so I wasn't aware of how bad it was. I have received a few acts of genealogical kindness and try to do the same for others.
Yeah, I know I'm weird, but I have always liked being outside the norm. having said that, I think it's weird not to want to know your ancestors. I have just retired and as of yet have not watched a lot of your videos, however this is in my plan of the day, as we would say in the Navy. I have enjoyed what I have watched and find much of it informative and interesting. I have even left comments and some of them you have returned a comment. I think you have a fresh approach to writing one's history and it has inspired me to do some writing, even though I feel totally inadequate in doing so. It would be a shame to lose you as a source of inspiration and information. As I watch this video (Not Live) and take in your pain and sadness I am overwhelmed by your sincerity and your desire to continue to spite the issues. While it is difficult we must not let the negativity of others turn us away from that witch we love, for in that moment they win and if I may say so does evil. Thank you for sharing your religious views. You said that you believe that God called you to do this, then may I remind you of Rom 8:31 “...If God is for us [you], who can be against us [you]?” I know this is harder said than done, so my prayers are with you. I am not one given to worrying over what others say about me or to me, however it is part of the human condition to want respect and brotherly love from another. I sometimes get uncomfortable being from the south and having slave ownership in my tree. I often say it is wrong and indeed dangerous to judge those from the past with a 21st century mindset. Thank you for the LP Hartly quote, I will have to remember that one. To change the fact is an injustice to their struggles and their life. How can one get to know them if we don't see them for how they were. I will not bow to Presentism, thank you for your stand. It was said of one of my great grandmothers that she was a controlling woman and that she was often not a nice person. After doing my research (short version) on her I found out that her father and mother died when she was 11 or 12 years old. She and her two younger siblings were sent to an orphanage. I think that not only did she have to deal with the loss of the parents and navigate the riggers of the 1800s orphanage life but she also had to watch over and protect her siblings. Then at the age of 36 in 1901 her husband died leaving her with 3 young children. And if that's not enough her oldest son died 11 years later at the age of 21. Wow, how can one not understand. I spent 24 years in the military to protect everyone's freedom under the Constitution and Bill of Rights. And I will support you as best I can.
I hope you've found the www.youtube.com/@WriteYourFamilyHistory channel. I'm happy that you said, "it has inspired me to do some writing, even though I feel totally inadequate in doing so." My friend, I'm inadequate in writing as well. My grammar skills stink, which is why I'm glad I have Grammarly (a grammar tool) and family to point out those mistakes. But something I've learned from 20 years of writing family stories (and human interest articles), is this... "Start with where you're at and improve as you go." Additionally, EDITING is where the story improves. I have so many tips on the writing channel that can make your story writing skills pretty decent. Start with the drafting videos, then go through the editing videos. Finally you can go through the formatting and publishing videos. You'll get there. I promise!!!
I love the Roman scripture. Thank you so much! It made me think of this one as well: 2 Kings 6:16: "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." That's why I have asked others, like you just did, to leave comments on the work of those in the genealogy community who are doing good. You have shared so much and opened my eyes to the idea that there are more who support us than those who oppose us.
Regarding presentism... check out this video over on the writing channel. I hope you'll add your commitment to avoiding that in writing in the comment section there. ruclips.net/video/nymcr6ng0F0/видео.htmlsi=YjekPW16oXhEkJ2I
Agree with all you have said. It's hard to move forward when this stuff happens but do it. An old hippie saying, that I can't believe I' m saying here, but - keep on keeping you on ! God bless and prayers. - Jan
Being a creator kind of requires some pretty thick skin. History is about what happened in the past in the context in which it happened. If people can't handle that, then they should pursue things that don't involve facing the uncomfortable things. Unfortunately, those people will be the ones who end up repeating the past.
You have shared a number of thoughts worth considering. For the most part, I have developed a thick skin, but things of late have gotten out of hand. I hope my message will do something. I'd love to see a blessing culture rather than a canceling one. As for stepping into the past, we can learn so much if we open our eyes to what it was and not what we wish it would have been. That's how we make the world a better place for those who come after. Thanks for watching and taking time to leave this comment. So very much appreciated.
I'm down to watching only one genealogy program. I also stepped away from working on my tree. You are correct in saying people think we are weird. I have found other things to keep me busy
Walking away from genealogy research is disheartening. When I stepped away, I dove deeply into a Civil War Regimental research project. I didn't want to give up on the projects I love, but I had to step away from the online community of genealogy educators and influencers. I hope you can keep working on genealogy research if you have to step away from the challenging social side of this hobby.
My great grandfather's first wife was Giovanna Fenoglio Gaddò. She went by Johanna in Illinois and she is listed that way in records there. I would say check the census and newspapers to see how they were named there. Or even the church records. Out of those three I can find TONS of ways that my Italian ancestors and their family, friends and neighbors had THEIR names mangled on an official level. ;-)
I am so VERY sorry you and your family have had to endure such hatefulness. Sadly, I do genealogy to escape politics; but I do it alone in the safety of my home. And yes, I'm the weird one in my family; that's ok, my family loves me and I am the "go to" when it comes to anything about our family's history. Keeping you and your family in my prayers that you can find peace. I had no idea that you were LDS, I'm Catholic, neither matters. What I did feel and get from you is a sense of kindness that I only find from people that have faith, no matter their persuasion. In the long run, kindness will win and hopeful that the craziness will be relegated to the dark corners of history where it belongs. Meanwhile, rewriting history to fit today's political correctness will not help or allow anyone to better understand what life was like or what people of the past were dealing with. I believe it's always better to stay as truthful and accurate as possible. Stay strong. Hugs.
Will comment more later when I can pay more attention (and when I'm not at work). (1) When I started genealogy in earnest during Covid (late 2020), I searched around for channels that felt comfortable, especially as a newbie. As a proud Aggie my ownself, that's what caught my eye about FHF. So - Gig 'em! And anyone who says "t.u." is a friend of mine! Anyway, I say all that to end with - I stayed for the content, so keep on keepin' on! (2) I do try to click the like button. Somewhere I heard it helps the algorithm - whatever that means - but I don't always remember to comment. I'll work on that bit! (3) Anytime I've seen a "best genealogy RUclipsrs," y'all are always there. So we appreciate all y'all do. Wishing you joy from Houston!
First, Gig'em. And to longhorn fans - I can love you and dislike your school. The liking does help some. Subscribing helps some. But watching until the end and commenting and watching are the best algorithmic signals. (Plus, I love to hear from our viewers, so that's a personal benefit to me. Sorry if it's selfish) If you're not able to comment, then next best signal is to watch a second video from the same creator.
I am so sorry you and Andy have been so inundated with negativity and criticism. Your videos have been very educational and fun to watch. I hope you can tell the people who have been spreading toxicity that you are not going along with them and their wokism, and you don't appreciate their behavior. I hope you and Andy can carve out a place where you share genealogy with normal people who can get along with others and who appreciate you.
The three things I enjoy in life at my age are genealogy, woodworking and creative writing, and, the extremists have infected all three. I have never been a fan of the cancel culture and I am hopeful it is now on its way out. Let us hope the next 6 months is more uplifting than the last 6 months.
One can only hope. But to 'fight' cancel culture, I hope we can be a Blessing Culture. Thanks for taking the time to comment and for your optimism for the future. May it come to pass.
Thanks for supporting us. I hope we can share this with others who have experience bullying and toxicity as well. I just thought with 90,000 subscribers, I needed to say something to hopefully initiate change. Will it work? I don't know But thank you for taking action and blessing us with your time.
I am sorry that you have been driven away from something you love by current society. It is a toxic environment we are currently living in, and I understand your need to pull away. We will miss you, and I hope as time passes you both find a way to return.
I'm working on returning as we speak. Andy will come back in short spurts. I can't walk away without giving one last valiant effort to infuse positivity into the community. Thanks for taking time to watch and sharing your comment.
I am sorry I cannot agree I am weird because I love genealogy. And I am sticking to my story! I always respected people who do this. My mom raised me to love it. Intelligent people are involved in genealogy. 😁
I have been doing genealogy for over 25 years and im familiar with the Latter day Saints. I do know that history is being rewritten through genealogy. By using race changes. Many ancestors were named and renamed again. Finding out my mom is indian and. Father yet called African American now yet my tree is full of Indians. Also European as well as Joseph Smith was married to several of my cousins and also Mr B Young. Yes im Mormon but haven't been active in years. Im aware if many things. Im grateful for the Mormons for my history. Without them I would know but wonder who i am. Whoever decided to keep the history of ancestry was a godsend. I refuse to see it any other way . Many are grateful for that. You need to stand tall and not allow evil and wickedness to turn you around. Haters will always hate its what they do. Love is what love does. It's only one race and that's the human race. We are all connected and that can't change. I have a humongous tree and thankful. However i broke it down but as you know it will always be there. Social media can be very stressful and taking your peace if you allow it. Dont allow anyone to take your peace. GOD is still on the throne and got your back. Stay strong and victory will prevail. God never said it was easy but it should be in faith. Jealous and envy is your enemy and that's their problem and not yours okay. Don't turn back are look back. You keep your head up. The community is just that but the true community is always positive and uplifting. Remember though all of this is new and different everyone needs time to adjust. To find out what I have was and is an emotional rollercoaster. I had to force myself to embrace what I cannot change and be thankful for the past and ancestors and truth. No matter how painful it was and is. Don't stop the truth is out no secret anymore. Truth is and names are and can be heartbreaking. But understand history in any way is not always pretty. This country is split in half over race. That can not be overlooked. We need to give more forgiveness and spread more love. As long as this nation is split on racism hate will feed and the Church dose not except that. I received and my children welcome and love. Im still a Mormon. I don't spread hate and look at skin color. No one has power over me but the Christ and The Father 💜
Wow. When I said share blessings rather than cancelations, I didn't expect this. Many thank yous are enough to share my gratitude for your taking the time to share these thoughts. Thank you for scattering sunshine my way.
First, I love watching your videos. Especially when the 2 of you are together. Andy's love of the tools and his scientific approach is well balanced by your enthusiasm and your personality. But, Ancestry's Pro tools have clearly made it, in my opinion, the best option and easiest to use. Does he really need the chromosome browser? Thanks, for being you! By the way, I looked up a term in a baptism from Sweden, that translated as "her illegitimate." Should we rewrite historical documents, using more "culturally acceptable" terms? If so, why? That would be denying the cultural attitudes of the time, and would probably make people ignore how thus person may have been treated. Also, I am not fond of pickles, either.
Timothy... We have stepped away before the Pro tools were released, but I'll ask Andy to share his thoughts in his upcoming DNA video for channel members. However, knowing him as well as I do, Andy likes tools - the more the marrier. He cleans out storage units and loves the tools. I will often say, do you need that tool? And he will explain, yep. So, does he need a chromosome browser? Does anyone need a table saw? That's me talking off the top of my head.
By far your channel has always been one of my favourites and I look forward to each new video. I knew some channels, like NYTN, had videos demonitized for reading historical documents or showing footage that had "unacceptable" terminology, but no idea you were being targetting by other creators for being politically incorrect (if I figure out who they are, I'll unsub them, I don't like that nonsense). Never apologize to the woke mob, they will just demand more and they never really forgive or forget.
I am flabbergasted. In my ignorance I didn't even think that genealogy could be toxic, or certain words could offend. I don't think doing genealogy is weird. What I have found is that ancestry, dna and genealogy are switch off topics for a lot of people. It's that showing people family albums type of turn off. I am not really interested in my genealogy but for my sister who asked me to do the family trees of our forebears as she didn't know how to proceed. Now I have a family tree that goes back as far as the records that I can find. I was born in Malta a small island south of Sicily, and the island was always governed by foreign nations for centuries, and the records are restricted to Church records as official records only started late in the 1800s. It is a lot of hard work no one cares about, but at least I know my ancestors. My great great grandmother was illegitimate though it doesn't say that on the marriage record, it says father unknown in Italian. I was hoping to find out who her father was by dna testing, but no such luck. And unfortunately my dna relatives don't have trees, and are not interested in their ancestry other than their grandparents. Anyway chin up, I am not religious at all, but Jesus said the poor will always be with us, and that's the case with malicious people as well. I feel those people are here to teach me life lessons, and be a better person. I am not sure what pickles are in America, but here in Oz they are vegetables that have been treated to preserve them, and have vegetables when vegetables are scarse. I like some of them.
Wow! A viewer from Malta, that's so incredible. I started my channel with 50 US subscribers and now it's global. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and lifting my spirits.
I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and your diplomacy. I enjoy your writing work. I'm really not sure what you're referring to specifically, so I don't feel it necessary to form an opinion. You've expressed some moral equivalency that I don't necessarily agree with. I suppose if something bothered me, given what you expressed here, I'd write to you privately about it. Honestly, though, you have almost 100K subscribers (which says a lot), and you don't have the time to respond to 100K differences of perspective. That takes time away from your purpose.
I didn't want to get into specifics, because the purpose of sharing was to address the toxicity in the genealogy community as a whole, but let people know that I can speak to the negativity on a personal level. I have seen the attacks on others in the community and extremely hurtful statements by others who are 'leaders in the industry.' With nearly 100K Subscribers, I didn't think I could have such a large audience and not invite change. I hope it has a positive effect and we can all get back to learning how to build our family trees.
I don't care what other people think. I can't do anything about who my ancestors are or what they did. I will keep working on my trees. I watch channels once & awhile. I don't watch on a regular basis. If my family or any friends don't like my political choices then that's their problem
That's a great personal stance to take. I just hope you won't mind dropping a line of praise or a question on occasion. That helps me and my colleagues focus on the good in the community.
I'm sorry y'all are going through this. I've received some backlash from the Genealogy community as well. Some for some of the same reasons you mentioned (I won't cave in to the "woke crowd", and some because I took on a couple of endogamy cases (I struggle to say no when someone is asking for help) despite having no previous experience in it, then they also had equally negative opinions because one of the cases, the most challenging out of the two, involved Puerto Rico, and I don't know Spanish. I simply reminded them that they had a starting point also, I further made it sweeter with solving both cases. Seems like endogamy cases find their way to me. 😂😂 Anyway, I don't have to agree with someone else's beliefs or politics to like them and get along with them. I don't cut people out of my life over people who could care less about me (such as politicians). I do familial investigative genetic Genealogy because I enjoy helping people, but God is the basis for everything I stand on. But I have pretty thick skin so when others come at me it doesn't phase me. My ultimate goal is to get into forensic investigative genetic Genealogy to give people back their identities and help get justice for others. Until then I'll continue to help Adoptees and ignore those that come against me. 😊 You are blessed and highly favored. Luke 1:28
Thanks for the blessing of your time and encouragement. I'm not happy we can relate with the negative side of things but I'm happy to know a Sister in Christ is willing to stand by me and lift me up. I hope to hear from you again in future videos. Have a blessed day. You made mine bright with your comment.
OMG I can't believe these wokists! Look I'm Latina my family has been in the U.S. since 1598, the Spanish records not only say illegitimate but the ethnic background of the individual. They had a caste system in place that wokists REALLY would not like their reference terms. But if you do not LEARN those reference terms you are literally erasing history of peoples cultural backgrounds!
For instance citing that they called some people Mulattoes, Zambos, Negro, Mestizo, Castizo while it WOULD be offensive in our times and to reference people by those terms would be bigoted NOT to cite them when reading from the document or citing the document or particular individual or groups of individuals would be basically denying the past and how things were. Warts and all should be the approach when using caste system terms and birth status.
Now I did see on "Ancestry" in "origins" history panel where they talk about people from Mexico as if they are a "race" of people which is rather ridiculous, I'm not sure who they got to do that write up. lol The Mexican people are only Mexican by CITIZENSHIP very much like Americans/Canadians are from diverse backgrounds. Ancestry referred to people from Mexico as "Mestizos" now that IS offensive term still being used and should be changed in this day and age as they are NOT referring to documents , books or a particular individual/group even referencing the caste system. I am not sure who did that history panel for "Ancestry" but there were still Spanish people there who most definitely would not be considered Mestizo even by the caste system. Just like in today's day in age we would not call people "Zambos" we should not be using the other caste terms like Mestizo.
I totally agree with you it is imperative we do not erase history we do not like it is not scholarly it is not professional to erase history. Most people do not even know about the Caste system in Spanish documents we need to know ALL of them if we do not cite these and discuss them we will not understand the history of ALL of them and how they were used and why that was historically important. It seems to me they want to sanitize history that is a HUGE mistake. I hope you guys keep fighting the good fight and keep going please!!
🙏🙏🙏🙏
I agree with everything you said except you started by debasing people by calling them wokist. Let’s bless and not curse please.
I agree with you they this or that based on citizenship not a race. Good point.
Wow! Thanks for the diplomatic history lesson for Spanish and Mexican culture. My sister-in-law was born in Mexico. I don't know much about her family history because few records have been online. She loves how diverse her color-coded ethnicity charts showed, but she didn't want to dive too deeply into the areas you suggested. I bet she's be ticked if she discovered the things you mentioned, but I didn't know enough to ask the right questions. Thanks for sharing all of these thoughts so that I (and others) can learn more. Perhaps in the future, I might revisit this comment and why we can't rewrite the history, because we no longer understand our ancestors.
You could absolutely have added to the debate with your comment, but your use of a judgemental label 'wokist' ruined it. We need to stop labelling, judging, polarising people with our thoughts and language.
@@carokat1111 But that is exactly what you are doing. You are seeking to silence speech that doesn't agree with your speech. The term "wokist" was a term to refer to people who called themselves "woke" who did/do use that term "woke". In fact it is that group who censor speech and refer to my people as LatinX without our permission without understanding our language and culture. They have refered to us as by the inane name "People Of Color" in a new branding WITHOUT our permission and understanding or care for my people to erase us.
Perhaps they are doing it because that is how they see us as "ALL THE SAME" the same as Asians, Blacks, Middle-Easterners etc. the "Other". They ignore our Spanish ancestry admonish us for wanting to revere them be proud of them or discover more about them and their contributions to the United States. They cite we hate our "race" if we do these things as IF being Latino or Hispanic was indeed a race. lol
So in reference to that term which you deems so offensive "wokist" I am just calling it what it is. Without a DOUBT I am judging them for what that group is, who is seeking to erase my people, language, historical contributions and culture even in the historical and genealogical sphere. These people who seek to silence have a name and they have earned it.
👍
Hey Devon, Aimee Cross here. You know I’m terrible with names too! I use the excuse that as a genealogist I’m looking at names all the time so I don’t hold them in my head! 🤣 Thanks for the shout out and for mentoring me! Our conversations have meant a lot. I am so sorry this has been so hard for you. You both have helped so many people discover their ancestors. Selfishly I hope you stay around but I completely understand how hard it is to regularly produce content, let alone deal with the stuff you’re struggling with. I haven’t taken any sponsors because I want to be able to honestly give my thoughts about products and research. You’ve encouraged me to keep it that way. Know you are in my prayers and I wish you the very best!
I feel so bad. I saw your name in my head but I knew it wasn't spelled like the traditional "Amy." So I started doubting that the spelling sounds the same as Amy. I was afraid I was going to say it wrong. And whenever I'm in the hot seat, I can forget my own kid's names! So I hope you know that I appreciate what you're doing even if I doubt myself in the hot seat.
@@FamilyHistoryFanaticslike I said. I’m terrible with names and completely understand. My name is spelled weird!😀 I’m flattered you even thought of me!!
FHF I AM WEIRD and I have anxiety and anger over the mass amounts of toxicity you described. Genealogy is my stress relief and one of my happy places. I'm with you and Andy, let's all connect through our Ancestors and respect each others opinions rather than argue and bully . HUGS Devon !!
Hugs to you too. We are all in this together.
I’m only 10 minutes into this video as I write this, but it seems to me that what you are describing in terms of nasty behavior is happening EVERYWHERE, not only in this country, but in any country where there is social media. And in every field of endeavor. Even crafts! By and large, genealogy seems to be the least affected. People generally are very generous with their time and their advice in this field.
You need to know that an estimated 70% of social media comments are funded by international bad guys whose sole intent is to stir the pot of antagonism within the US. It’s working. It’s ripping us apart. And there is no end in sight.
It's happened in South Africa. Google 'Bell Pottinger'.
I don't dispute your claims. What I'm striving to do is do my part to improve the community I love so much. I don't want to throw my hands up and say, "Oh, well. Like it or leave it." I want to be an agent of positive change and invite others to join with me. What say you?
Commenting so this will get more eyes. Although, I think from what Devon's saying, there's more than just the negative comments she and Andy are dealing with. But yes. There is a ton of negativity in social media comments, not just YT.
Also, there are people who are training AI bots to argue. So, they will set their AI's out to make a negative comment just to get the exposure. It's not healthy for the rest of us. There's very little AI I like. I do like it when it can help me find lost documents in a large database... that may be about it.
@@FamilyHistoryFanatics Oh, I totally agree that you can’t give up. I think maybe the first step to fighting back, though, is to dismiss the negative comments as “annoying noise” and try to guard your heart from taking any of it seriously. There’s a difference between a comment made to your face from a real person in your life and a nasty comment made by someone, maybe even just a computer, through the camouflage of an anonymous account.
I am not a RUclips content provider, so forgive me if these ideas seem ignorant. I really don’t know how much control someone has over what people post in terms of comments. But I see a lot of channels that are trying to make safe spaces for themselves and their followers. One channel requires people to agree to a code of conduct before they can post. Does that stop the bots? Perhaps.
Others simply say that they won’t tolerate any nasty or hurtful comments and warn users that these will simply be removed, and they delete anything they find that meets that criteria. I think I would delegate that job to someone with a thick skin!
Is there a club for RUclipsrs in which you can maybe devise means of fighting this ? Get and give emotional support about it at the same time? Could you start one if it doesn’t already exist? Because I can honestly tell you that every content provider is struggling with this problem.
One of my favorite content providers just shared a message he got that said “Put gun in your mouth and pull the trigger”. Can you imagine getting a message like that? We are living in dangerous times right now. Nastiness is apparently profitable. It’s an upside down morality, and very few of us were ever trained to handle something like this. I’m rooting for you, though. You and your hubby do good things!
I wish more people understood this. It could be the undoing of humanity.
I'm glad to be an old man who doesn't care what others think and thus I don't give my power over to them. I know what is in my heart, and what my intent is. If it's good, then it's good. If people want to be destructive, they can go their own way and find someone who they want to follow. Don't let others tell you down. Be a light to the world who chooses to follow the light. Missionaries don't chase people down who don't want to hear the message, and don't seek their affirmation either. They have the truth. Those who desire it will seek it out and bring it into their lives.
This took courage. And welcome back.
Thanks for the honest welcome back. I love "old men who don't care what others think." They have been in my life for so long, the remind me of the Wild Hogs movie of old men who passed through a town not too far from here - Madrid, NM. Great movie if you haven't every watched it.
Sheila here. I’ve been out of the genealogy community for a few months, taking care of family matters. I had no idea how toxic things had become, but I will tell you, you’re not the only one who has pointed this out to me. Your video was very well done, very heartfelt, and actually it was encouraging, as you reminded us all, we should bless not curse. You also reminded me to comment often on our favorite RUclipsrs videos. So here I am 😊
Wonderful! Thanks for dropping a comment per my request to bless not curse. Thanks so much.
I have not watched this entire presentation, but the content was unexpected. I have never experienced fear and/or bullying in my family history research, and I had never even considered it to be a possible issue. I am not a genealogist. I'm just interested in knowing more about my predecessors, an interest I have pursued for over 40 years. One obvious difference is that I don't have any public exposure with which others of greatly varying views and intents can take issue. Considering current polarization, the presence of "trolls" or those who simply have differing opinions, objectionable responses seem to be inevitable to public presentations -- it comes with the territory. I know that your work is valuable and appreciated, and I regret your recent unpleasant experience. I wish you well.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I only shared my experiences to highlight that the negativity in the community is too high for comfort. I hope that all creators, those whose stories I didn't share because it's not my stories to tell, can feel more blessings than negativity. There are people in this community (of which I'm glad you're unaware) who have large followings that are making the space unfriendly (beyond just trolling). So, I'm trying to call upon everyone in the genealogy space to lift up those who are putting for helpful and encouraging content. I'm honored if you think I'm one of those.
Howdy! TAMU Class of 1974 here. Yes I am old. Tolerance and respect are in short supply now. Giving your opinion does not require others to agree. In 12 step programs, there is a common saying for handling disagreements. It is "Take what you can use and leave the rest." No one denigrates you if you don't like strawberry ice cream the same as they do." If they do, I question their mental state. Take care of yourself and your family, concentrate on your educational and family history pursuits. If stepping away is necessary, I applaud you for recognizing your own needs. Peace and love to you.
Gig'em. Andy and I are in the class of 1998, and we were in the Aggie Alumni Magazine that just recently came out!!! We didn't tell them about our adventure, but it was such an honest story.
@FamilyHistoryFanatics OMG, the Ags are all coming out '87.
I watched the first 40 minutes and I see your point. As someone who studied political science, I know it can be most visible from one side of the political spectrum. However, as someone who was born without the then expected family structure and yet spent a lot of my formative years among religious groups, I know it's not just one side that likes to monitor language and cancel people.
I'm new to genealogy as I ordered my DNA kit after Thanksgiving last year because I wanted to find out anything I could about that other-than-expected family structure and because I had a bad feeling about the coming year. It turns out I was prescient and I lost my mom 6 months later. Yet, building a family tree gave me the reason to learn a lot more about our family history than I had in all the preceding years.
I discovered that I have DNA from several continents, some of which might put me in certain minority groups within US culture. How, when, and where those links occurred and what they mean is still a mystery to me. I can imagine the words some would use and that others would prefer other language. Personally, I'm not offended by such language, despite being bullied as a child for those who made assumptions based on outward appearance. However, I've heard stories of others who want to strongly celebrate a particular heritage only to discover via DNA testing that they have links to groups to which they would prefer they didn't.
As much as we may wish Genealogy was non-political, I suspect it's never been. Maybe the sense is only due to an historical aberration where a lot of data was widely accessible due to good written records and archives plus networked computers, but before social media gave everyone access to everyone else. Modern mores now allow for everyone to give everyone else their opinions, wanted or not, on anything and everything, for any reason.
Perhaps we forget that a lot of genealogy has been politically charged in the past. Ancients used to claim descent from heroes and gods as well as royalty for political gain. The Bible is full of _begots_ in the OT and the use of lineages in the NT shows how the writers were attempting to make and support political and religious claims for Jesus and his right to rule. In the US, we have the "Daughters of the American Revolution" explicitly drawing descendance from war, AKA politics by other means. And then there is the One Drop Rule and the history of the institution from which it arose.
And now, some people on both sides of the political spectrum want to use lineages and genealogy for political purposes to increase their claims to power. Some want to celebrate ethnic minority groups, perhaps with the hope of receiving their support. Some others want to use these links to heritage to define who should be in the US and who should leave even if they were born here. I have a sinking feeling that perhaps that latter group will use such research to root up entire families and their trees. This may result in records being damaged or destroyed in the process... or to deny their use in such a process. Time will tell if this will resemble what happened in the 1930s and '40s. I suspect there is a good chance that genealogical research may suffer.
I agree that cancelling a person over use of a word that is used in an historical or academic sense in wrong. Yet, I think that pales in comparison to what may be coming from the other direction. I'd look both ways before crossing the road.
I very much appreciate the time you gave to your response. I don't think it's one sided either, and if I gave that impressions, I would love to know how to be more clear. Having traveled around the world, my eyes are opening to just how complex the cultures of the world are. Again, I point to my discovery of the hostility between Denmark and Russian and Finland and Russian. But I haven't been to Russia yet to know what their view points are. And yet, I get a sense that it's more complex than what I have experienced in the US. I've also lived in Texas, South Carolina, New York, Iowa, and now New Mexico. I have explored the history museums in California, Washington, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Georgia, and Alaska. No two states have the same perspective and even within large states, view points aren't monolithic.
And yet, as a genealogy community, focused on tracing our heritage and understanding our lineage, that can be a unifying and welcoming experience. I don't like when the two major sides in America try to cancel each other out, because I have also identified with many third parties who say, "there is another option available."
Yes, politics is a part of the history we uncover. But, I dream of a genealogy community that helps each other access the records to identify their family tree and process the stories they uncover along the way. No one is an entirely good or entirely evil. But, everyone is an opportunity to learn from.
Perhaps its my naivety, but by calling out the toxicity that drove Andy and me away, and offering a solution of blessing rather than cursing, I hope when I meet my maker, He'll be appreciative of what I tried to do to bring more unity to this community. If my efforts fall on baren ground, at least I made an attempt to be the change I want to see in the world.
We love you two. Hugs to you both.
Thanks @GenealogyTV. The love is reciprocated.
I missed your livestream but watched on RUclips. I’ve missed seeing you here and wondered where you had gone. I assumed it had to do with your parents.
I’m sorry you’ve had such a terrible experience but I think you’re incredibly brave to come back and share your experience with us. Stay strong. Every journey begins with a step, this is a new beginning.
There were a few challenges, but the negativity made it difficult to return and be certain about things. Our parents are doing well, and we will be seeing them in a few weeks. The kids are busy with swimming and their studies. We are focusing on our health and serving in our church. With all of that going on, it's disheartening to witness members of the genealogy community tearing each other apart. I thought that by sharing my experiences - saying, "Hey, I understand, and here's what I've gone through" - I might help foster the kind of community I would like to see. It may seem like a naive hope, but isn't that what faith is all about?
Your channel inspired me to make a scrapbook of my family history. Because of this channel I learned “how to.” Please continue. I’m dealing with difficult subjects and wondering how to put to paper the stories. Many people have difficulty finding how to put pen to paper. I think many people who lived through the Great Depression in Chicago had a difficult experience just to survive. This was my family’s past. You have helped me sort out this truth when writing and preserve the truth.
Aww, I'm so grateful that you took the time to share how I've helped you. Have you found my writing channel yet? www.youtube.com/@WriteYourFamilyHistory
That's the best place to interact with tips that I've shared and ask questions for your specific challenges.
You’re one of my favorite genealogy channels. I’m also one of the weird ones too. Software and electrical engineer by day. Genealogist by night. You guys are doing a good job. The haters can either shape up or ship out. Some of my good friends and neighbors are LDS even though I’m a Christian. I love them just as much. I don’t read the chats a lot but if I see someone out of line I will be sure to call them out if flag them. I have little tolerance for the less than classy humans. Please know I support you and hope you find a way to continue. Big friendly hugs!
Thanks so much. Just be sure to reach out from time to time and let me know how I'm doing. Did a video generate a question or do you have experience with the research topics i share? That will help do more than taking out the negative folks. (At least it does for me.)
Devon, wow, this was authentic, respectful, and uplifting (and sad to learn of the hurts that you and Andy have experienced)!. May courage, healing, hope, and fulfillment come for both of you!!
Thank you for your kind words. It means a lot to have your support.
I have been blissfully unaware that all this was going on in the RUclips Genealogy community. I have always found your content informative and inspiriting. I watch both FHF and Writing videos. Your writing videos are amazing and all your suggested tools like Grammarly and services like Shutterfly have really helped me. I am so glad you have found the courage to continue. Love and Blessings
Thanks so much Donna. You've been a great help with pointing out when things aren't working but doing so with kindness. (That's you, correct).
Be grateful that you haven't been exposed to the negative side of things. I'll try to keep things positive so you don't experience it.
BTW... Grammarly and Shutterfly --- amazing tools!
@@FamilyHistoryFanatics@FamilyHistoryFanatics I'm not sure if I am the Donna you are referring to because I don't comment often, only when I have a question. Your content has always been positive and appropriate.
I had a few emails from a Donna recently when a video didn't upload as it should have based on the email I sent. If it wasn't you, no worries. If it was, thanks so much.
When I do my genealogy.. I am firmly in that generation of time. I never think in terms of what is “approved” here in this time. To me that is weird and distracting when trying to do my research. You need to know the language and culture and the writing and what is going on in THAT moment of time to do good research. Isn’t THAT the purpose of genealogy?
Why would other peoples religion matter to finding my 5th great grandparent?
BUT, often, church records do help me find them.
And I do thank the time and research that the LDS does and has done to further records and genealogy. AND I do appreciate the time and effort that video creator’s put in to bring me information and tips!
My mother once said that we ALL have freedom of speech.. but more of us need the freedom of Grace.
And I find simple conversations with my grandchildren encourage their interest history and genealogy.
And I suffer from social anxiety so I am proud of you for stepping out of your comfort zone and confronting your fear. You go Girl!!
And FYI.. I am an Arkansas Razorback! 😂
Hey... I love the Razorbacks when they defeat 'Bama. So, "Sooie?"
But seriously, thanks so much for taking the time to watch and leave such an uplifting comment.
Sounds like many need to grow up, and agree to disagree, everyone has a right to their own beliefs.
You’re not weird, you’re not strange, you’re human. You should not be judged by any of those that have made you feel this way, or anyone else, they’ve got no right!! It’s very sad to hear this is going on in the genealogy community.
Without you and Andy, I don’t know who I will turn to that I can watch (and it is on a free basis because I’m on SSDI, can’t afford any of the extras) and learn from.
I’ve never been made to feel different or unwelcome by you or Andy and I would certainly hope that others would feel the same.
I am sincerely, very sorry for all of the pain and anxiety you are experiencing. I do hope this goes away and that you will get through this and come out stronger. Trust in you and your faith. God bless you and Andy, and your family!
Thanks so much. I'm so glad you're finding value in the large volume of free content. The way you can bless us when you can't afford the extras is to watch and comment. We do make a nice little income from ad revenue, but RUclips doesn't like to share videos that don't have engagement in the form of comments. So, if you could spare a comment or two on the videos you watch, that would be payment enough. Will that work?
This is my first time visiting your channel. I don't understand what specific negative comments were thrown your way in the past that caused you and your husband to walk away but all comments left on channels or websites or social media should be constructive, sensitive and polite. I'm so sorry that you faced the contrary! You were very brave to tell your audience just how terribly hurt you were by unkind comments and expressed negativity! Fortunately, people responded to your heartfelt monologue with compassion.
I am so noticing this to be the case. I hope my message can motivate us all to spread kindness and blessings rather than get caught up in hateful rhetoric. When it's 'cool to be kind,' then much of the negativity should lessen. Thanks for watching and I hope you'll find some value in any of the video offerings we have here at FHF and the sister channel Write Your Family History
Devon, I have seen your reaction to an obviously upsetting situation. I don’t need to know what happened. Your reaction shows your grace and that is a rare quality these days. Blessings!
Thanks for not needing details. I want to be the light I want to see in the world and not ruin other's reputations. Tell know who they are and hopefully speaking without too many specifics will help them know I'm striving to be civil. May my example inspire others to do the same.
I agree with you . don't all have to agree but we all can respect the views of others. I was adopted, and I am new to genealogy, but it's important for me to learn who my ancestors were and what they did and were they came from.i don't know why in this country we have lost the ability to respect the opinions of others. My prayers are with you.
Thank you so much for your prayers. I hope you'll find helpful information on this channel and will drop in the comments a time or two as you're able.
I have nothing but respect, love and admiration for you and Andy!! I don’t know what else I can say, besides maybe ignore the haters, they’re not worth the time or energy they cause you or anyone else that doesn’t think like them….not even worth a second thought!! ❤️
Thank you very much. We strive to be a positive influence within the genealogy community. I hope to see growth in the 'vanity metrics' for those who are succeeding in this field. I’m not quite sure how to express my vision, so please bear with me.
I picture the positive influences in the genealogy community attracting numerous subscribers, followers, and learners to their in-person presentations, as well as gaining engagement through comments on their videos, social media posts, newsletters, and more. When these positive influencers receive more attention than those who spread negativity, it will send a strong message: be a light, not a source of darkness. Can you see the vision I’m trying to share?
I'm weird, been that way for 45 years.
You both are loved.
Despite the division we feel in the country we can make a difference. ❤❤❤❤❤
I am glad you said the hard things.
Thanks so much for the support.
Thanks to you and Andy for all you do. I really appreciate your efforts to educate us on our hobby. I also used the term "illegitimate" in an online forum, and I was also called out for it. Trying to cancel history doesn't change the historical content of birth and death documents.
Amen. Since you like to use historically accurate terms, please support this video. ruclips.net/video/nymcr6ng0F0/видео.html
(I still need to make a better thumbnail for it, but I'd really like that video to catch fire).
I have been a silent follower, but I am addicted to genealogy, and a fellow LDS member. If this makes wierd then so be it :-). I deeply appreciate all the videos you have created.
I appreciate all the silent followers, but I very much appreciate the comment you've left. Andy and I need these so much. I won't force you out into an active commentator but do stay in touch as you're inspired.
You’re so beautifully positive and it’s fun to learn with you. Please continue with your bigger than life energy forward.
Bigger than life energy - my husband loves that about me and I strive to bring it always. (By the way... glad you didn't hate me for disparaging the Buckeyes!)
So sorry you've been going through this turmoil. Good luck in all your future endeavors.
Thank you for your kind words of support. I appreciate the grace as I strive to continue creating for the community, and perhaps Andy will join me again in the future.
FHF Thank you both for your excellent videos. They helped me so much. I finally found my mother's father for her. She is now 84 years old and finally after a long life of unanswered questions , she knows who he was. She cried when I showed her his picture. Again it was video channels like yours that guided me I could have never done it with out people like you.
Awwwwwwww!!!!! I'm so excited that you made that discovery for her during her life time. 84 years is a long time to wait. My Grannie was adopted at birth. After her passing at 92, my family discovered the identity of her bio dad. So, I can sort of related. Well done!!!
Thank you and Andy for your love for the Genealogy community. I love that you’re bringing this to light. I will be especially cognizant to bless and not cancel. Differences don’t need to divide us. My family history represents extreme sides of society. I’m here to use it to be a better person. #BlessNotCancel
Our pleasure! #BlessNotCancel
Kudos to you Devon, for speaking out on this issue. Blessings to you and Andy and hopefully we will see you here occasionally. You were the first RUclips genealogy creators I watched and I follow your blog, so thank you both for all the help you have given us budding genealogists.
Thanks so much for your continued support.
You are not weird! I have learned so much from you both. You are entitled your beliefs. I am sorry this has happened to you. A lot of people need to grow up.
Thank you for your kind words. It's nice to know I'm not alone.
Thank you so much for sharing this message-I’ve felt the same way in the genealogy community. Like your husband, I tend to walk away from conflict because I’d rather not engage. Your idea of focusing on blessing really resonates with me. After 20 years in genealogy, I’ve stepped away from my blog many times, sometimes due to family commitments and other times because of negativity. Once, I found harsh criticism on WikiTree from an APG board member who could have used it as an opportunity to educate me when I was still learning. Instead, the critique was left publicly on an ancestor’s profile I’d worked hard on, and I only discovered it recently, years later after coming back from a break. Experiences like that can be discouraging, but your message is such a wonderful reminder of how we can support one another.
I'm sorry to hear of your negative experience. I hope you found the other amazing @WikiTree members who are incredibly supportive.
I'm also glad you like focusing on the blessing. I think of a song from my childhood, "Love is something if you give it away,
Give it away, give it away.
Love is something if you give it away,
You end up having more.
It's just like a magic penny,
Hold it tight and you won't have any.
Lend it, spend it, and you'll have so many
They'll roll all over the floor."
Truthful Kindness here. (Full legal name “Truthful Loving Kindness” based on “chesed v’ emet”).
Thanks for the input you two have provided in past years. My dementia symptoms have progressed to the point that understanding a spoken word is not that much problem, but understanding sentences and paragraphs are difficult, so i have rarely watched genealogy vids any more. Besides that, i am making too many errors to actually work on my tree. - 2023 i was just trying to repair the errors, but even that became too much. So now i am trying to put 20 years of research into archive form. THANK you for your efforts.
- Tru.
Oh my goodness. I feel so sad to hear of the trials you're facing. I know how much you enjoy genealogy research. Thanks for finding away to share your thoughts today. I'm honored.
I have loved your channel. I started genealogy in the 90s. I am not LDS and honestly I think in my heart I was searching for the family I really never had. I have wanted a better and different story for my life. I always loved genealogy and still do. Wish your channel was still going. Sad that this world today tares people down. I am your fan!
Thanks for being a fan of our work. Devon is still making videos, for the time being. Have you seen her latest series about researching a Civil War ancestor? ruclips.net/p/PLcVx-GSCjcdktshZn1vRp-Hm0hVZ42dPv
As for Andy, let's see the community support the heck out of her videos and maybe more DNA videos will be in the future offering.
Devon: I am appalled at what you and Andy have been and are still going through!
I have watched your and Andy’s videos for years, and applaud you for your fine work.
I want to encourage you to ignore the vocal critics and remember the many approving but silent watchers!
Colleen from Canada
Thanks so much. I hope that, on occasion, the silent watchers will drop a comment or question. It helps us fight off the negativity. I know others in the genealogy community can benefit from that as well. I guess that was the main motivation behind "Bless, not curse" to change the community.
I'm sorry that you've had to experience that through the genealogy network. I've been active on a wonderful group on Substack that is so encouraging and helpful. I've not felt that way at all. In fact, genealogy is where I can get away from the divisiveness that's all around us. It's what got me through COVID isolation. It's where I am home. I don't ask and don't want to know who my fellow genealogists voted for or what they believe in. We are all on this journey together, looking for our ancestors, telling their stories, and learning from their mistakes and achievements. Again, I'm so sorry you have been subject to such cruelty. Sending you a hug.
Thanks so much. So glad you found a supportive genealogy community. Send the word that they're part of the Blessing and Connecting Campaign.
What is sad is that the toxic people sometimes do not realize that they are toxic. How can somebody judge when you are providing a wonderful resource to people who want to learn, and it is priceless? The select mindset of hateful people and their behaviors are a negative to the entire world. Thank you for what you have done.
Thank you for your support. Andy and I do the very best we can.
Well, I'm through about 1/3 of this discussion and have no idea what is going on. Can anyone give me any background?
I touched on a few of the situations:
1. Colleagues allow their friends to disparage my character during a conversation, rather than stay on topic.
2. A company canceling their working relationship with me for not using an "approved" word rather than a historically accurate one
I know there is a third one, but the general mood is that genealogists are refusing to work with each other because they don't share the same political beliefs. People are also being bullied for disagreeing on genealogical best practices. That's just the tip of the iceberg.
If you've been lucky enough to not see this in your sphere, hallelujah. You're very blessed.
But cancel culture is affecting many people in the genealogy community and I want to start a trend of #BlessNotCancel.
I'm guessing some person in some company didn't like the use of the words _slave_ or _bastard_ or maybe _illegal_ or _alien_ or _Indian_ , but this is just a guess.
I said illegitimate in the video, so that's not it. As for your guess on the other words, I'm not saying publicly.
Seconding this! Sometimes complaints of "cancel culture" can refer to a real atmosphere of overcorrection and excessive moral purity. Other times they are made when people can't tolerate others disagreeing with them.
"Genealogists are refusing to work together because they don't share the same political beliefs" is a very vague statement. A disagreement about political beliefs could be as minor as having a different opinion about the bus route or as serious as someone being a member of the KKK. Political opinions are not like favourite colours or zodiac signs; they are statements of intent and reflections of our moral and intellectual worldview. It's important to be politically open minded and approach the people we disagree with with compassion and curiosity - and some people, it's true, are particularly in need of that reminder - but everyone draws the line about what they can "agree to disagree" on somewhere. That isn't cancel culture, that is a normal and necessary part of being a moral being.
As a student of history I am sympathetic towards the issues around historical terminology. I realise that that the nature of the topic makes it difficult (and perhaps not particularly suitable) to talk about on RUclips, but I would love to know what the disagreement is actually about!
@@FamilyHistoryFanatics Then don't make a video getting flustered and never saying what kinds of "bullying" you've encountered. You aren't a victim for getting vocal disagreement from people over politics.
Illegitimate is kind compared to the record I found that stated “conceived in fornication”!!!
😀😂😄😜🙃 Um, I like the more legalistic term much better. Thanks.
Just here to say that I love your FHF content, especially the genetic genealogy, and I’ve honestly missed your presence. Can’t say I care at all what your personal beliefs are - they are just that: personal, and I can respect that. Please pass on to Andy that some of us really miss his content. I’ve looked for other genetic genealogy guides, but nothing else matches up. I do more of that than traditional genealogy because there are so many secrets and partial truths in my family and it’s hard to sort out without the genetics. Best to you both!
I will pass along the message. For now, Andy will create some Channel member only webinars. If your unable to watch those, I get it. If he has some Q&A after the main topic, I might slice those up and make them part of the free content. We have to easy back into this, so I hope you'll bear with us.
I have always found your videos to be very informative, educational, and entertaining. I am so sorry that small minded people have harassed and bullied you. You don't have to share religious or political views to learn from them, and there is no reason to hate someone for having a different outlook on life. Your work is appreciated, and I hope you continue making videos, but do what is best for you. My best to you and Andy.
Thanks so much for your support. I won't hide our religion as strongly as I have in the past, but I won't be overt moving forward either. I'm glad I can share the underlying reason for what we do but create a community that welcomes all faiths (or non-faiths).
Ignore the bad and keep up the good. There are always negative toxic voices. Just keep up the good work you do. We love you at the Family History Guide. Thanks for all you have done. Brent
I liked and subscribed. You might find it odd, but this is the first video of yours that I've ever seen. I think this video was for your loyal followers and not for me.
Thank you for watching and subscribing. The main portion of the video was a call to the entire genealogy community. I really would like to see more positivity in the online and offline space so that we're building communities future genealogies want to join. However, if I've earned your subscription and a comment, thanks so much. I hope you'll check out more content and find it helpful.
I wondered where you guys went. Great to have you back. Not sure if this is helpful but it did come to mind instantly in the middle of your explanation and that is something that has really kind of invigorated at least one aspect, or one branch of my own family research and that is the connection overseas.
To the point that right now I am waiting for my mother to have the time to sit down and go over the family information in a nutshell that I can then relate back -- in Italian -- to one of our cousins whom SHE met on a recent family trip to Italy.
In order for all of this to happen it just takes one person [in our case me] to take the plunge and learn the language. I am not quite to my goal yet [dreaming in Italian] but at one point they were planning on me being able to communicate with a driver to let him know what they needed. It did not come to that -- primarily due to the help from our cousins in Italy. But even then I did have to communicate back and forth with him in Italian and then to them to arrange for them to meet.
And maybe you already do this but in my case I would have to say that it has increased my interest in that part of our family history much more than it already was. Then again what's not to like about being Italian or even part Italian ;-)
Also whether or not I am active doing genealogy I am also fascinated with history. And personally I would much rather sit up in bed and read an actual book. They're much easier to balance on your lap than a computer ;-)
Now you know what I'm able to say publicly about why we left. The kids schedules have been stressful. Some private things have been heart breaking, but we faced this before - even during my cancer surgery and recovery. But the last year has been very difficult to see the attacks we've personally encountered and those others in the community are facing. So, I'm speaking out.
But hey, gotta love your Italian success!!!!
I support you. I let toxicity and negativity roll off and keep doing my best. Hang in there. You are doing a great job and are a great help to family historians. We would be poorer without you & Andy.
Aww, you're so very kind. Thank you for this blessing.
Thank you...this needed to be said and I hope you and Andy are able to find a happy place in the genealogy world again. Things in the genealogy world have been bugging me, and I couldn't put my finger on what it was exactly. I have thought genealogy was my refuge from the polarized world out there. It seems to have followed us. We all need to give more grace and less criticsm. Hang in there - we need you.
Aww, thanks so much. I felt obligated to speak up when I saw so much hostility the last few months. With 90,000 subscribers, I wanted to do my part to see if I can nudge the community in a more positive direction. I hope it helps.
You and Andy are great examples to us all. The Family History Guide points to many of your videos as essential resources in learning genealogy.
Aww, y'all are way to kind. Thanks for blessing us in that fashion. We might need to connect and ask a "What have we missed" video and get your insight if you're up to it.
Didn't get the chance to watch live, but glad to support you, Devon. Have been able to expand my tree, and to finally get a ping back from across the Atlantic this year, connecting with my mother's first cousin. I danced around the room before sending them a post card.
I'd love to have seen that dance. But then, I'm doing a happy dance for you and I don't want you to see mine. Congrats!
I am a professional educator by trade, putting yourself out there is like that. Because of you and your husband, I was able to get my search to a place that I had a cathartic experience. And yes, it's unfinished but published. Thanks.
Thanks so much for sharing your success. Yes, being in the public eye can be difficult. But I hope that I speak for others in the community who are experiencing difficulties. I really hope the message isn't a 'woe is me' it's more a 'woe is us, and I have these experiences.' Now, lets go be blessings to what we want to see in the world. I hope that message was received.
Your channel is my favorite genealogy channel on RUclips! I like your channel because you create content that is very informative, but at the same time has a very informal, friendly vibe. Please keep doiong what you do :)
Lots of love form Poland!
Thanks for joining from Poland. Our goal has always been the 'friend next door who's crazy about genealogy' approach. I'm so glad that you're receiving that intent.
It was sad to listen to what has been happening to Andy and yourself. I agree that we should support those creating great genealogy content. Bless is a great term to use and avoid this cancel culture attitude. Best wishes with your competitive wife-carrying adventure. You two are winners already from my point of view. ❤
Thank you for your kind words. It's really hard to witness this type of behavior but your encouragement means a lot. And if I can be consistent with lifting weights, it would make Andy's job a little easier in carrying me.
I rejoined now that you’re back. We missed you.
I completely understand. I need to post when Andy's going live and then get a schedule out for the future. One step at a time.
It seems wild to me that people in the genealogy community were behaving so poorly! I have only seen nothing but positive things on your channel. I'm so sorry that you have dealt with such negativity. Also as an atheist I have always felt included on your channel and would never be bothered by religious content relating to genealogy.
As far as using culturally insensitive words, about 10 years ago I was at the neurologists office with my mother and the doc was describing my mother's issues and referred to her as being demented and living with dementia. When I used those same terms later that day online, people ripped into me about how "we" don't use those terms anymore because they are derogatory. When I explained that mom's neurologist just did a few hours earlier, I was told repeatedly that didn't happen because the medical community doesn't use those terms anymore. {eye roll}
Eye roll indeed!!!!
Thanks for whether you find my channel welcoming, even if I have an underlying spiritual motivation for what we do. It means so much that you give use the respect to let us have a spiritual nature while we teach genealogical principles.
Christian. Not LDS.
Blessings 🙏
I learnt a great deal from your videos when I was new at genealogy. I am mystified by the way people feel it is okay to be mean just because they disagree with someone. If we get hurt sometimes it feels like criticism is warranted but it doesn't help. Grateful for your sensible call for blessings.
Glad you prioritise your living family and your physical and mental health.
We can't listen to all the channels all the time. There's not enough hours in the day.
Thanks for the blessings. Let's keep them spreading.
I'm striving for balance. It's not always easy, but it's my goal.
Brave, and whatever you do from here on in you're a great, balanced and smart couple so whatever you do will be the right thing...from a fellow genealogy weirdo. Much love for the future.
All, thanks so much. For now, Devon is making videos and we hope folks will bless her with continued support so that the negative folks will see, positivity is where it's at. If you haven't seen the latest videos, check out this play list. ruclips.net/p/PLcVx-GSCjcdktshZn1vRp-Hm0hVZ42dPv
You do wonderful work. You need to be happy first before anything else. There will always be those that are going to make negative comments about something you do, try to look at those comments but not let it become personal. You are a good person keep up the good work.
I've missed you both. So, glad to see a video. I'm also glad you took time for yourselves.
Thank you and your family so much for all the wonderful content that you have provided. I have learned so much from your videos.
Blessings. I hope you can have peace.
Thanks so much for taking tip to lift up my spirits.
I am weird, I freaking love genealogy. This is why I don't post anything on social media much, too toxic. I love Genealogy but I won't talk much about it because it conflicts with historical narriatives that are fed and people believing what they want. It is like talking to a wall.
I am considering several "Hey, that's not what I was told" videos in the coming months. For instance, "Women couldn't get an education until the 1940s)." Well, it depends on the location because there were schools certifying nurses in Germany and in Boston in the late 1880s. If you have other discoveries that conflict with historical narratives, I'd really love you to privately share your thoughts and perhaps I can work them in to a future video. If you don't have my email from the newsletter, then reach out here and let's discuss www.familyhistoryfanatics.com/contact
Hi Devon, I rarely comment on videos but, I had to this time. I so appreciate what you do. I don't care about other peoples religion, but I am not sure how you can do genealogy without bringing religion into it. Most of our records are based on specific religious documents no matter the faith. Toxicity is rife in other communities I belong to on You Tube and I believe it is because people feel that they do not have to abide be the usual rules of civility. Completely agree with your view on "presentism".
Thanks so much for being a 'first time' commentor and long time watcher. I'm aware of the challenges in other communities. I just have to hope things can change. I'm trying to do my part.
FHF
Thank you for all the videos and information. I have learned so much about genealogy from you and Andy. So sorry for your your suffering. Thank you for your courage and being truthful. Many blessings to you.
Thanks for blessing me with this comment. It made me smiel.
This is crazy! I have no idea what the context of the toxicity is but Im so sorry! your work is amazing and reaches SO many. I hope you find the joy again
Thanks so much. I am trying to. Right now, I'm trying to find the joy in my latest video series. Have you seen it? ruclips.net/p/PLcVx-GSCjcdktshZn1vRp-Hm0hVZ42dPv
When this series is over, I'm hoping to do more beneficial topics. So, I humbly ask for you to share the love on those videos to help me feel the joy again.
@ will do!
I agree there is too much toxicity in many communities. I have learned so much from you. I still believe in community. I support you whatever path you take.
Thanks. We're taking baby steps. Devon is creating videos here and on the second channel. As for Andy, we'll start with a channel member video and see how it goes.
I loved your "I Hate Research Logs" video and watch you regularly. I am horrified by what you experienced. If we cannot describe history as it happened, how can we improve ourselves. I am not LDS, but I love the contributions the Church and educators like you have contributed to the field. I want you to know that you and your husband are making a difference and I very much appreciate you.
Thank you so much for sharing this blessing to brighten my day. I hope to see you participating in more video discussions in the future (if it's not too much to ask).
Genealogy is weird. Those words brought me up short. It seems so normal to me that I'm always surprised to hear other people don't have the same interest in it.
Guess that's why it never so much as crossed my mind that people could be harassed because of historical documents. The past is dead and gone and those papers are crumbling to dust. It takes a certain kind of evil to try to rewrite who we are and where we come from; such are the days we are in.
You both have helped many people over the years. There's no shame in stepping back a little, a lot, or completely if you need to. Trust me, you share that with a great many others..
I say genealogists are considered weird because few people actually like to listen to me when I talk about what I've discovered of late. But I'm glad you don't feel weird. Keep it up.
PS David and I were also in the LDS church. I've never once felt beat over the head with your beliefs.
There has only been one thing that upset me in regards to religion on one of the videos. Andy addressed my question in a way that made sense to me and, as far as I know, we've all been good since then. It was just a misunderstanding on my part.
I wish that you would tell us who did this to you, but I understand you not wanting to. I don't want to be a part of any community that would hurt you like this.
Go Aggies!
I agree in regards to homeschooling! We homeschooled our children and they got into college and the Navy and Marines with no issues. They were able to learn what they wanted to learn as well as what was required. It was an awesome experience. And, they were able to grow up in cemeteries learning about our family history in the process. :)
Suzanne... I remember the video and the following discussion that you're referring to. You were kind enough to express your concerns and allow Andy to share his thoughts. It was a very positive exchange. I'm glad you were able to watch. I know you've been asking and reaching out and I'm glad we could give you the answer you sought.
@@FamilyHistoryFanatics Thank you, Devon. I am glad that it was a positive exchange. I would never want to say or do anything to hurt either one of you.
I know it was difficult for you in this video. Bullying is such an emotional topic and I appreciate you sharing your heart with us.
Watching heart-warming stories on things like 'Long Lost Family' or 'Lost and Found' also got me thinking of that quote from Malachi about hearts of children and parents being turned towards each other. You're right, genealogy can play a part in that happening, even if it just encourages dialogue and repsect between the generations and taking an interest in each other's lives and not just going off doing our own thing and forgetting or ignoring the past.
I hope I haven't bored my Mum too much talking about family history so much, but if it helps trigger some memories she can help me learn a bit more about it. I have to do the research while I still have her to share it with!
Lost my uncle now so only have cousins to share my paternal side research with (including what I found on that unrelated uncle's side), and they occasionally say they appreciate it but are very busy people so I don't want to bother them too much! I just think of the future when one day their children or grandchildren might be interested in it.
I am a child of a grand niece very interested in the stories of those who took the time to help my mother long ago when she started asking questions. Someday, there will be someone interested in the past. I'm working with a gentleman at the local family history center, and he's desperate for details. He just learned that his grandfather served in the Korean war. Troubling family dynamics withheld that information from him. So, those who want to know might be closer than you think. But it may take until they're in their 40s or 50s until they want to know. everything we do is to lay the foundation for the 'one day' to become 'today.'
Genealogy AND the UFO and Sasquatch thing too -- I'll bet I get the 'weirdest' trophy ;-)
You forgot chromosomal music as well.
@@FamilyHistoryFanatics Thanks good one. Actually that's just a joke name I thought up for a band that never was.Three recordings in a local studio and I had plans for more but oh well. But I still have the 'domain name' "Why Chromosomes" for any future music projects.
I'm very sorry to know what you have experienced. Thank you for sharing with us the reasons of your absent, I wass worried about your silence. I'm going to join the membership to watch the DNA videos of Andy. I'm really looking forward to it.
Sounds great. I will get it set up today so everyone will know when it will go live. If you can't make the livestream, the replay will be available when you're ready.
You ARE a blessing. To continue to be a blessing you can't wear your feelings on your sleeve. I am sorry you have been hurt and frustrated. This is a tough world. Put some horse blinders on and dig in. 😚
You go girl! I am sorry that this happened. I agree build people up don't bring thm down. The truth and the light always win in the end. It takes a long time. BTW, I am a weirdo in my family whenever I talk about genealogy.
Weirdos of the World Unite!
❤️ to both of you.
Thanks so much. It was much needed.
Oh Devon I don’t know how to start answering you after watching your video on replay. First I am weird! Second I am passionate about my family, genealogy, and family memory keeping. Those hobbies are shared by the LDS community, although I am a Christian of another denomination I always felt welcomed in discussions with LDS genealogists or family memories keepers, I guess we shared the same passion. If their faith transpires into the discussion, it is normal, after all your faith or lack of it is part of you. I was unaware of the tensions in the genealogy community because thanks to you I started writing my family history. One of your video said stop finding excuses and just start writing a draft. I started that day and never looked back! Thank you. So I have very little time to listen to feud and drama. The only statement I disagree with is don’t cancel but bless. In order to bless I cancelled all the negative, the haters, and shamers out of my live. The anxiety the caused me led to physical and health problems. I reached your point about a year ago and now I follow only a small group of fellow genealogists, fortunately it was the same group of wonderful positive people you mentioned and I can bless not cancel. I am older, born in the 50’s grew in the 60’s, an era where you could agree to disagree. Tolerance and no judgment are necessary to study history. If your genealogy research goes behind birth, marriage and death, you will learn that you have ancestors with different religions, on different sites of conflicts, and leaving in different eras and areas. Keep an open mind, don’t judge, just tell their stories. Devon you are the one who taught that skill. Thanks.
I LOVE this statement "One of your video said stop finding excuses and just start writing a draft. I started that day and never looked back! " Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I'm doing a happy dance, but you can't see it. It's epic I promise.)
Let's discuss the idea of "don't cancel but bless." I don't disagree with walking away from the negatives in our lives. Perhaps I could have been clearer about my stance. I don't want to contribute to cancel culture; instead, I want to foster a culture of blessing. So, walking away-a subtle form of cancellation-is something I support.
However, I'm not okay with the more extreme forms of cancellation, such as attempting to strip someone of their genealogical credentials, having their educational materials pulled from distribution, losing their jobs, or any other severe consequences. Does this clarify my perspective?
I would love to hear your thoughts on how to articulate the idea of avoiding negative cancel culture actions while still choosing not to support those who create a toxic environment. Any guidance you can provide would be appreciated.
@@FamilyHistoryFanatics I understand, the kind of “cancel” that hurt somebody business or wellbeing is simply unacceptable. By cancel I meant “unfollow”. I am retired so they only bring me down not my business. I don’t mind people with different opinions but I unfollow people who call me name or shame me for not adhering to their point of view. Family history is my passion but I don’t have any credentials so it is easier for me to walk away from negativity. I can’t give you any advices, but you come first and know your hard work has helped others like me. 🙏
I go to work every day and hear how we are "united" - and yet we are NOT. Right now I check in by popping my head in the door and then going to my car office with steering wheel lap desk. I got off of the distribution list at work. My news is the electronic kiosk and that's it. If a friend texts me I might hear news that way. I don't go to retirement parties. And if I walk on campus I set my phone to record as I do it. I don't go on breaks during the breaks of 4 others. Anti-bully posters are a lie. So I hear you. It's often a lie.
There is a lot of negativity. However, I'm hoping to call upon those willing to spread goodness to do something specific - leave comments, subscriptions, follows, etc on those who are putting kindess and quality information into the genealogy space. (You shared a few of such comments and that's awesome, thank you.) So, if perhaps I can initiate a change, it will be just enough to have the blessers rather than the cancelers win the day. Does that make sense?
You don't have to feel guilty about your faith.
Always enjoyed your podcast.
Good luck -
Thank you so much!
So sorry you've encountered this. I don't read many comments nor go on social media much, so I wasn't aware of how bad it was. I have received a few acts of genealogical kindness and try to do the same for others.
Genealogy kindness is the movement I want to reinvigorate. So, thanks for the time you gave to me to bless me with this comment.
I agree. I'm not in the community for the drama; I just want to do genealogy. Hugs, my friend.
Thanks so much. Drama is for the theater.
Yeah, I know I'm weird, but I have always liked being outside the norm. having said that, I think it's weird not to want to know your ancestors. I have just retired and as of yet have not watched a lot of your videos, however this is in my plan of the day, as we would say in the Navy. I have enjoyed what I have watched and find much of it informative and interesting. I have even left comments and some of them you have returned a comment. I think you have a fresh approach to writing one's history and it has inspired me to do some writing, even though I feel totally inadequate in doing so. It would be a shame to lose you as a source of inspiration and information.
As I watch this video (Not Live) and take in your pain and sadness I am overwhelmed by your sincerity and your desire to continue to spite the issues. While it is difficult we must not let the negativity of others turn us away from that witch we love, for in that moment they win and if I may say so does evil.
Thank you for sharing your religious views.
You said that you believe that God called you to do this, then may I remind you of Rom 8:31 “...If God is for us [you], who can be against us [you]?” I know this is harder said than done, so my prayers are with you.
I am not one given to worrying over what others say about me or to me, however it is part of the human condition to want respect and brotherly love from another. I sometimes get uncomfortable being from the south and having slave ownership in my tree. I often say it is wrong and indeed dangerous to judge those from the past with a 21st century mindset. Thank you for the LP Hartly quote, I will have to remember that one. To change the fact is an injustice to their struggles and their life. How can one get to know them if we don't see them for how they were. I will not bow to Presentism, thank you for your stand.
It was said of one of my great grandmothers that she was a controlling woman and that she was often not a nice person. After doing my research (short version) on her I found out that her father and mother died when she was 11 or 12 years old. She and her two younger siblings were sent to an orphanage. I think that not only did she have to deal with the loss of the parents and navigate the riggers of the 1800s orphanage life but she also had to watch over and protect her siblings. Then at the age of 36 in 1901 her husband died leaving her with 3 young children. And if that's not enough her oldest son died 11 years later at the age of 21. Wow, how can one not understand.
I spent 24 years in the military to protect everyone's freedom under the Constitution and Bill of Rights. And I will support you as best I can.
I hope you've found the www.youtube.com/@WriteYourFamilyHistory channel.
I'm happy that you said, "it has inspired me to do some writing, even though I feel totally inadequate in doing so."
My friend, I'm inadequate in writing as well. My grammar skills stink, which is why I'm glad I have Grammarly (a grammar tool) and family to point out those mistakes.
But something I've learned from 20 years of writing family stories (and human interest articles), is this... "Start with where you're at and improve as you go."
Additionally, EDITING is where the story improves. I have so many tips on the writing channel that can make your story writing skills pretty decent. Start with the drafting videos, then go through the editing videos. Finally you can go through the formatting and publishing videos. You'll get there. I promise!!!
I love the Roman scripture. Thank you so much! It made me think of this one as well: 2 Kings 6:16: "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them."
That's why I have asked others, like you just did, to leave comments on the work of those in the genealogy community who are doing good. You have shared so much and opened my eyes to the idea that there are more who support us than those who oppose us.
Regarding presentism... check out this video over on the writing channel. I hope you'll add your commitment to avoiding that in writing in the comment section there. ruclips.net/video/nymcr6ng0F0/видео.htmlsi=YjekPW16oXhEkJ2I
Agree with all you have said. It's hard to move forward when this stuff happens but do it. An old hippie saying, that I can't believe I' m saying here, but - keep on keeping you on ! God bless and prayers. - Jan
Hey... we love truth wherever we find it.
Thank you so much for sharing. You did a great job!
Thanks so much. That means a lot.
Being a creator kind of requires some pretty thick skin. History is about what happened in the past in the context in which it happened. If people can't handle that, then they should pursue things that don't involve facing the uncomfortable things. Unfortunately, those people will be the ones who end up repeating the past.
You have shared a number of thoughts worth considering. For the most part, I have developed a thick skin, but things of late have gotten out of hand. I hope my message will do something. I'd love to see a blessing culture rather than a canceling one.
As for stepping into the past, we can learn so much if we open our eyes to what it was and not what we wish it would have been. That's how we make the world a better place for those who come after.
Thanks for watching and taking time to leave this comment. So very much appreciated.
I'm down to watching only one genealogy program. I also stepped away from working on my tree. You are correct in saying people think we are weird. I have found other things to keep me busy
Walking away from genealogy research is disheartening. When I stepped away, I dove deeply into a Civil War Regimental research project. I didn't want to give up on the projects I love, but I had to step away from the online community of genealogy educators and influencers. I hope you can keep working on genealogy research if you have to step away from the challenging social side of this hobby.
My great grandfather's first wife was Giovanna Fenoglio Gaddò. She went by Johanna in Illinois and she is listed that way in records there. I would say check the census and newspapers to see how they were named there. Or even the church records. Out of those three I can find TONS of ways that my Italian ancestors and their family, friends and neighbors had THEIR names mangled on an official level. ;-)
Thanks so much. This is for Tara in Finland, correct?
@@FamilyHistoryFanatics Yes it is for her question about the names.
That took courage. Brava! There's no room for negativity. I so enjoy your videos and appreciate your method of delivery. Yes, I'm a weirdo too!
Thanks for honoring the courage I felt I was shakily hanging on to. It means so much.
I am so VERY sorry you and your family have had to endure such hatefulness.
Sadly, I do genealogy to escape politics; but I do it alone in the safety of my home.
And yes, I'm the weird one in my family; that's ok, my family loves me and I am the "go to" when it comes to anything about our family's history.
Keeping you and your family in my prayers that you can find peace.
I had no idea that you were LDS, I'm Catholic, neither matters. What I did feel and get from you is a sense of kindness that I only find from people that have faith, no matter their persuasion.
In the long run, kindness will win and hopeful that the craziness will be relegated to the dark corners of history where it belongs.
Meanwhile, rewriting history to fit today's political correctness will not help or allow anyone to better understand what life was like or what people of the past were dealing with. I believe it's always better to stay as truthful and accurate as possible.
Stay strong. Hugs.
Wow. Thanks so much for sharing all of these thoughts. You've touched me deeply.
Will comment more later when I can pay more attention (and when I'm not at work). (1) When I started genealogy in earnest during Covid (late 2020), I searched around for channels that felt comfortable, especially as a newbie. As a proud Aggie my ownself, that's what caught my eye about FHF. So - Gig 'em! And anyone who says "t.u." is a friend of mine! Anyway, I say all that to end with - I stayed for the content, so keep on keepin' on! (2) I do try to click the like button. Somewhere I heard it helps the algorithm - whatever that means - but I don't always remember to comment. I'll work on that bit! (3) Anytime I've seen a "best genealogy RUclipsrs," y'all are always there. So we appreciate all y'all do. Wishing you joy from Houston!
First, Gig'em. And to longhorn fans - I can love you and dislike your school.
The liking does help some. Subscribing helps some.
But watching until the end and commenting and watching are the best algorithmic signals. (Plus, I love to hear from our viewers, so that's a personal benefit to me. Sorry if it's selfish)
If you're not able to comment, then next best signal is to watch a second video from the same creator.
I am so sorry you and Andy have been so inundated with negativity and criticism. Your videos have been very educational and fun to watch. I hope you can tell the people who have been spreading toxicity that you are not going along with them and their wokism, and you don't appreciate their behavior. I hope you and Andy can carve out a place where you share genealogy with normal people who can get along with others and who appreciate you.
Thank you, it's good to hear that you have enjoyed our videos. We have to keep moving forward.
The three things I enjoy in life at my age are genealogy, woodworking and creative writing, and, the extremists have infected all three. I have never been a fan of the cancel culture and I am hopeful it is now on its way out. Let us hope the next 6 months is more uplifting than the last 6 months.
One can only hope. But to 'fight' cancel culture, I hope we can be a Blessing Culture. Thanks for taking the time to comment and for your optimism for the future. May it come to pass.
We appreciate you and Andy very much!
And we appreciate you right back.
Don't let them get to you. They are unimportant in the long run. Do what you know is right.
Thanks for supporting us. I hope we can share this with others who have experience bullying and toxicity as well. I just thought with 90,000 subscribers, I needed to say something to hopefully initiate change. Will it work? I don't know But thank you for taking action and blessing us with your time.
Of course Catholics say "Amen!". Amen means "so be it!"
Ahh. Gotcha. That's typically how I try to use it. (Although, sometimes it's more - Ain't that the truth!)
I am sorry that you have been driven away from something you love by current society. It is a toxic environment we are currently living in, and I understand your need to pull away. We will miss you, and I hope as time passes you both find a way to return.
I'm working on returning as we speak. Andy will come back in short spurts. I can't walk away without giving one last valiant effort to infuse positivity into the community. Thanks for taking time to watch and sharing your comment.
I am sorry I cannot agree I am weird because I love genealogy. And I am sticking to my story! I always respected people who do this. My mom raised me to love it. Intelligent people are involved in genealogy. 😁
Thanks for taking time to drop a line. Much appreciated.
So sad people can be awful.
Yep, it is sad. But, let's #BlessNotCurse
I have been doing genealogy for over 25 years and im familiar with the Latter day Saints. I do know that history is being rewritten through genealogy. By using race changes. Many ancestors were named and renamed again. Finding out my mom is indian and. Father yet called African American now yet my tree is full of Indians. Also European as well as Joseph Smith was married to several of my cousins and also Mr B Young. Yes im Mormon but haven't been active in years. Im aware if many things. Im grateful for the Mormons for my history. Without them I would know but wonder who i am. Whoever decided to keep the history of ancestry was a godsend. I refuse to see it any other way . Many are grateful for that. You need to stand tall and not allow evil and wickedness to turn you around. Haters will always hate its what they do. Love is what love does. It's only one race and that's the human race. We are all connected and that can't change. I have a humongous tree and thankful. However i broke it down but as you know it will always be there. Social media can be very stressful and taking your peace if you allow it. Dont allow anyone to take your peace. GOD is still on the throne and got your back. Stay strong and victory will prevail. God never said it was easy but it should be in faith. Jealous and envy is your enemy and that's their problem and not yours okay. Don't turn back are look back. You keep your head up. The community is just that but the true community is always positive and uplifting. Remember though all of this is new and different everyone needs time to adjust. To find out what I have was and is an emotional rollercoaster. I had to force myself to embrace what I cannot change and be thankful for the past and ancestors and truth. No matter how painful it was and is. Don't stop the truth is out no secret anymore. Truth is and names are and can be heartbreaking. But understand history in any way is not always pretty. This country is split in half over race. That can not be overlooked. We need to give more forgiveness and spread more love. As long as this nation is split on racism hate will feed and the Church dose not except that. I received and my children welcome and love. Im still a Mormon. I don't spread hate and look at skin color. No one has power over me but the Christ and The Father 💜
Wow. When I said share blessings rather than cancelations, I didn't expect this. Many thank yous are enough to share my gratitude for your taking the time to share these thoughts. Thank you for scattering sunshine my way.
First, I love watching your videos. Especially when the 2 of you are together. Andy's love of the tools and his scientific approach is well balanced by your enthusiasm and your personality. But, Ancestry's Pro tools have clearly made it, in my opinion, the best option and easiest to use. Does he really need the chromosome browser? Thanks, for being you!
By the way, I looked up a term in a baptism from Sweden, that translated as "her illegitimate." Should we rewrite historical documents, using more "culturally acceptable" terms? If so, why? That would be denying the cultural attitudes of the time, and would probably make people ignore how thus person may have been treated.
Also, I am not fond of pickles, either.
Timothy... We have stepped away before the Pro tools were released, but I'll ask Andy to share his thoughts in his upcoming DNA video for channel members. However, knowing him as well as I do, Andy likes tools - the more the marrier. He cleans out storage units and loves the tools. I will often say, do you need that tool? And he will explain, yep. So, does he need a chromosome browser? Does anyone need a table saw? That's me talking off the top of my head.
By far your channel has always been one of my favourites and I look forward to each new video. I knew some channels, like NYTN, had videos demonitized for reading historical documents or showing footage that had "unacceptable" terminology, but no idea you were being targetting by other creators for being politically incorrect (if I figure out who they are, I'll unsub them, I don't like that nonsense). Never apologize to the woke mob, they will just demand more and they never really forgive or forget.
I won't name the companies specifically, I'll just promote the heck out of their competitors. They're loss.
I am flabbergasted. In my ignorance I didn't even think that genealogy could be toxic, or certain words could offend. I don't think doing genealogy is weird. What I have found is that ancestry, dna and genealogy are switch off topics for a lot of people. It's that showing people family albums type of turn off. I am not really interested in my genealogy but for my sister who asked me to do the family trees of our forebears as she didn't know how to proceed. Now I have a family tree that goes back as far as the records that I can find. I was born in Malta a small island south of Sicily, and the island was always governed by foreign nations for centuries, and the records are restricted to Church records as official records only started late in the 1800s. It is a lot of hard work no one cares about, but at least I know my ancestors. My great great grandmother was illegitimate though it doesn't say that on the marriage record, it says father unknown in Italian. I was hoping to find out who her father was by dna testing, but no such luck. And unfortunately my dna relatives don't have trees, and are not interested in their ancestry other than their grandparents.
Anyway chin up, I am not religious at all, but Jesus said the poor will always be with us, and that's the case with malicious people as well. I feel those people are here to teach me life lessons, and be a better person. I am not sure what pickles are in America, but here in Oz they are vegetables that have been treated to preserve them, and have vegetables when vegetables are scarse. I like some of them.
Wow! A viewer from Malta, that's so incredible. I started my channel with 50 US subscribers and now it's global. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and lifting my spirits.
I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and your diplomacy. I enjoy your writing work. I'm really not sure what you're referring to specifically, so I don't feel it necessary to form an opinion. You've expressed some moral equivalency that I don't necessarily agree with. I suppose if something bothered me, given what you expressed here, I'd write to you privately about it. Honestly, though, you have almost 100K subscribers (which says a lot), and you don't have the time to respond to 100K differences of perspective. That takes time away from your purpose.
I didn't want to get into specifics, because the purpose of sharing was to address the toxicity in the genealogy community as a whole, but let people know that I can speak to the negativity on a personal level. I have seen the attacks on others in the community and extremely hurtful statements by others who are 'leaders in the industry.' With nearly 100K Subscribers, I didn't think I could have such a large audience and not invite change. I hope it has a positive effect and we can all get back to learning how to build our family trees.
I don't care what other people think. I can't do anything about who my ancestors are or what they did. I will keep working on my trees. I watch channels once & awhile. I don't watch on a regular basis. If my family or any friends don't like my political choices then that's their problem
That's a great personal stance to take. I just hope you won't mind dropping a line of praise or a question on occasion. That helps me and my colleagues focus on the good in the community.
I'm sorry y'all are going through this. I've received some backlash from the Genealogy community as well. Some for some of the same reasons you mentioned (I won't cave in to the "woke crowd", and some because I took on a couple of endogamy cases (I struggle to say no when someone is asking for help) despite having no previous experience in it, then they also had equally negative opinions because one of the cases, the most challenging out of the two, involved Puerto Rico, and I don't know Spanish. I simply reminded them that they had a starting point also, I further made it sweeter with solving both cases. Seems like endogamy cases find their way to me. 😂😂
Anyway, I don't have to agree with someone else's beliefs or politics to like them and get along with them. I don't cut people out of my life over people who could care less about me (such as politicians). I do familial investigative genetic Genealogy because I enjoy helping people, but God is the basis for everything I stand on.
But I have pretty thick skin so when others come at me it doesn't phase me. My ultimate goal is to get into forensic investigative genetic Genealogy to give people back their identities and help get justice for others. Until then I'll continue to help Adoptees and ignore those that come against me. 😊
You are blessed and highly favored. Luke 1:28
Thanks for the blessing of your time and encouragement. I'm not happy we can relate with the negative side of things but I'm happy to know a Sister in Christ is willing to stand by me and lift me up. I hope to hear from you again in future videos. Have a blessed day. You made mine bright with your comment.