The Power of Social Networks In Modern Genealogy

Believe it or not social networks have been around forever, it’s just that in this day and age they are able to bridge time and space. While Ancestry and other research platforms can instantly connect you to billions of records, the information that YOU are specifically looking for represents only a fraction of a percent of that total. Compound this with the multiplier effect of “bright shiny objects” (or false positives) and the reality of working in isolation on a research project can quickly become overwhelming to any modern genealogist, seasoned or not.

Enter the social network. Being connected to others via some ‘mode of connectivity’ is to be necessarily a part of a network, and therefore no longer working in abstraction. What networks provide that isolation doesn’t is the chance to actually be human, but only if you know HOW to understand networks. For example, consider this: both Ancestry and Facebook are networks, but not of the same type. Their operating assumptions are different and they provide markedly different user experiences in terms of genealogical research. I’m sure you can attest to this.

So how do we know how to understand the differences between networks? Well, let’s start with the question: what is a “network?” As it turns out, this concept is constantly being defined, challenged, and redefined. But not all hope is lost. In his 2018 publication The Square and the Tower, award-winning author Niall Ferguson offers us a uniquely modern interpretation of networks based on his years of historical and economic research with the outcome that all we really need are a few simple terms: hierarchical, social, weak, and strong.

Niall Ferguson gives us a neat synopsis of his view of networks:

“Yet most of us belong to more networks than hierarchies, and by that I do not just mean that we are on Facebook, Twitter or one of the other computer-based networks … We have networks of relatives [sic], of friends, of neighbours, of fellow enthusiasts. We are alumni of educational institutions. We are fans of football teams. We are members of clubs and societies, or supporters of charities. Even our participation in the activities of hierarchically structured institutions such as churches or political parties is more akin to networking than to working, because we are involved on a voluntary basis and not in the expectation of cash compensation.” (Ferguson 2018: xxiii)

However, not all networks are the same. While Ancestry and others do carry a social component (forums, messaging, etc.), they are necessarily hierarchical. That is to say, those companies go mining for information from brick and mortar repositories then aggregates that information for us to consume in isolation. This is not a social network and therefore loses much of the power inherent in the crowd sourcing model of intelligence and productivity.

The power of social networks in modern genealogy comes from being able to ASK and RESPOND. As a genealogist (enthusiast or professional), you have the ability to create social inquiries to which you have the potential to receive multiple social responses – the amount of responses being a function of the strength of the network. More people = more potential responses.

The POWER lies in being a part of a genealogical COMMUNITY, which is in essence a social network. If it seems like my rundown of social networks is just repainting the wall the same color, it is not. Differentiating between Ancestry and Facebook is not the end but the beginning, remember our terms: hierarchical, social, weak, and strong. This is where we unleash the power of the social network in modern genealogy, where we understand how to hold that power in the palm of our hands.

The weak bonds are often the strongest. This is the crazy, upside-down nature of social networks and what is so revolutionary about The Square and the Tower in its conclusions. Our strong social bonds are the ones we EXPECT to provide us with the best information when in reality it is often those uncanny and untimely weak bonds that do.

If we equate “strong” social bonds to our close friends and family and “weak” social bonds to acquaintances and randomly met people, then our expectation is that the closer a person is to us, the more USEFUL a bit of information would be. While our closest friends and family will always have our best interest at heart, they don’t know everything there is to know! They only know everything THEY know.

I love live music and one weekend I remember trying to think of something to do. All of my close friends (strong social network) all had other plans or were only focused on what they had to do, but as I was walking my dog on a Friday afternoon I happened upon my neighbor who struck up a conversation with me by saying: “Hey, did you know so-and-so is playing tonight at such-and-such waterfront bar?” I thought, “Eureka!”

The same analogy holds true for genealogical research in the modern age. The fact is that the more weak social bonds we form through social networking the higher the chance of actually acquiring the information we are seeking.

I’ve taken this concept and distilled it down into a neat matrix. There are 2 types of networks: hierarchical and social. HIERARCHICAL networks are top-down; that is, a company like Ancestry tells you what they offer and it is up to you to choose to participate. There’s no negotiating in the process.

SOCIAL networks are like a level playing field where all of its users set the ground rules and level of interaction. Think of a Facebook genealogical group where you can feel free to post and respond and consequently build, modify, and even end relationships on your own. Of course there are rules of engagement for each group, social networks are never entirely anarchical.

	HIERARCHICAL	SOCIAL
WEAK
STRONG

For each type, HIERARCHICAL and SOCIAL, there are also 2 corresponding categories: WEAK and STRONG. Strong relationships are more formal, weaker relationships more informal. Although it seems almost counter-intuitive, weak relationships statistically produce the most results in research – not per individual, but as an aggregate total. The wider you cast your net, the more you will catch.

I’ve pieced together a whole family tree based on weak social networks that a strong hierarchical network like Ancestry could never have!

My great-grandmother had an interesting Lithuanian maiden name and I was trying to figure out what it meant. I searched and searched until I finally wised up and posted an inquiry on a FB genealogical group that I belong to and within a day a fellow, who also had the same surname, responded and told me what it meant. I’ve never seen that user post since then but, wow, did that unlock a whole other level of research for me!

I remember a different story where I was trying to find a pair of 2x great grandparents who had moved from Tennessee out west and I had no idea where they ended up until one day a distant relative by marriage contacted me out of the blue off of a social network with a newspaper clipping of their obituary! Shazaam!

To the uninitiated this might seem like chance or happenstance, but to those ‘in the know’ it is the power of the social network in modern genealogy. You can’t discount these examples or consider them in isolation, they represent a unified superstructural dynamic of networked power. Over time all of the genealogical leads I’ve gained through “weak” social networking has far outweighed what I’ve been able to do through strict, hierarchical research.

Also consider that I have merrily passed on bits of genealogical information to others that I have come across through “weak” social networks. The recipients of my information may in turn pass it on to someone else and it can spider out from there. This used to be called “paying it forward.”

I was contacted by a genetic match on Ancestry who shared the same unusual Lithuanian name of my great grandmother who knew next to nothing about her family. I did a little digging and shared with her results which connected our families, and now she knows more than she did before she contacted me and was excited to share that with her parents.

HOW TO CONNECT WITH THE POWER OF SOCIAL NETWORKS

In reality, you have to get involved. You can’t stand on the deck watching everyone swim, you have to at least wade in the water. You can’t sit outside the door while the party is going on, you have to at least grab a cocktail weenie! That is to say, you must join a social network; you don’t have to become one of its keystone members, but at least join and see what’s going on.

Finding and joining genealogical social networks can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand the more you participate, the more information will be coming your way; on the other hand the more you participate, the more information will be coming your way!!!

I call this ‘analysis paralysis’ and the way to avoid this is to simply take it slow and search out genealogical groups on social media that are productive and that have an active, quality user base. The best place to interact with other like-minded individuals is on Facebook.

You have 2 options: (1) search and join a preexisting FB group; or (2), start one of your own. While the 2nd option will definitely take more of your time and does require some experience, it might be worth it if you have a niche that is not currently being filled in a specific genealogical research area.

The next best place to interact with other others is on sites that you can build a family tree. Sites like Ancestry, Geni, and MyHeritage are great examples. Because your family information is out there, so to speak, networking queries from other researchers are usually very specific and you don’t have to waste too much time with random chatter like you might on a FB page.

Family Search has a list of suggested “networks” for genealogists, but most of those are rubbish. They are either antiquated or not really social networks by modern standards, most actually fall within the hierarchical type.

I’ve found that the best Facebook genealogy pages are usually the private ones, the ones you must join in order to participate. If you see one you’re interested in, then simply request to join. Most I’ve seen usually have a stated list of requirements to join such as proof of a certain heritage but all have underscored my biggest success stories.

Warranties for social networks. Always be aware that anything you post on a social network that you do not own may no longer be solely your information. Also, be vigilant about scammers and people that may want to use your information, and by that I mean plagiarize your research or manipulate facts that you painstakingly constructed for their own purposes. The only way to really vet those possibilities out is with time.

With all of the social networks I’ve joined, I spent time just trolling through as many posts as I can to get a feel for how people interact and the type of information that is being bandied about. A top suggestion is to just spend time on a new social network looking for success stories! Before you even post a single “hello,” really search deep down into the most far-flung range of posts to determine if your admission ticket just bought you a 50 yard line seat to the Super Bowl or a tour of the Avanos Hair Museum in Turkey – yes, that’s actually a place, btw.

The power of social networks in modern genealogy comes in connecting people, en masse, in more or less real time and achieving a level of social connectivity that allows for the timely exchange of information. The reason hierarchical structures fail socially is that they are authoritarian in nature while pure social networks are more akin to people sharing with one another with no ego at stake. It’s egalitarian, it’s democratic, it’s the tensile strength of a spider web over hardened steel.

All that being said and all that philosophizing aside, make sure you actually conduct some Genealogical Research of your own so that you have something to bring to the table, even if that information is minuscule or a small starting place. My comprehensive guide “The Ultimate Beginners Guide to Mastermind Genealogy Research Online” should help you toward that end.

The Ultimate Beginners Guide to Responsible Genealogy Research Online

SOURCE CITED:

Ferguson, Niall. 2017. The Square and the Tower: Networks and Power, from the Freemasons to Facebook. New York: Penguin Press.