The Drop in on Thursday 2nd November saw Robyn finally having time to work with mentor Judy on researching further into the history of the property she had farmed with her husband in the Greta area for over 25 years. Margaret arrived determined to find more time for family research, with today's attendance a victory in doing so! Her maternal family tree, in particular her maternal grandmother's siblings, is her current focus, with a trip to Goorambat cemetery for a memorial stone photography session planned for the near future.
During the session we spent some time loading and then reading through Judy's beautiful collection of postcards featuring her great aunts who lived in Fish Creek, miraculously found a few months ago when browsing through an antiques and bric-a-brac store in, of all places, Warracknabeal, on the other side of the state. You can view these postcards at u3abenalla.weebly.com/family-stories/category/judy-barry.
The possible use of ChatGPT/AI (https://chat.openai.com) in family research drew upon Bev's report that Jane Rushworth, inspired by Dawn, has been exploring the ChatGPT app to discover how artificial intelligence can assist family researchers. Jane was pleased to find that ChatGTP takes a very ethical stance if it is asked questions about particular people. It can generate lists of pertinent historical information, however will flag if it can't and more focused research is required by the person asking the question.
Example:
What do you know about the Devitt family in Ireland during the Potato Famine?
ChatGPT
"I'm sorry, but I don't have specific information about the Devitt family in Ireland during the Potato Famine as there were many families affected by the famine, and individual family records from that time can be challenging to access. The Great Irish Famine, also known as the Potato Famine, occurred between 1845 and 1852 and was a period of severe food shortage and mass starvation in Ireland, resulting from the failure of the potato crop due to a potato blight.
During this time, many families in Ireland faced extreme hardship, poverty, and death. The Devitt family, like countless others, would have likely struggled to find food and resources to survive. Some may have emigrated to other countries, such as the United States, Canada, and Australia, in search of a better life.
If you have specific information about the Devitt family or are looking for genealogical records, you might consider researching historical records, local archives, or genealogical resources to learn more about their experiences during the Potato Famine. Additionally, family stories and oral history can be valuable sources of information about ancestors who lived during this challenging period in Irish history.'"
We need to keep in mind that we may get more specific information by starting with Google Search or Wikipedia than Chat GPT. Also that ChatGPT doesn't list its sources. It was interesting that our test using a local question 'When was the Black Swan Hotel built in Benalla?' was more productive using a Google search than ChatGPT.
Planning for 2024 was previewed, with the 4th Thursday 'Advanced' course reverting to a more general course and moving away from the sharing of stories on monthly topics introduced during the pandemic. Deb is teaching the beginner's course - which has a new title, 'Family Research - Getting Started on Your Family Tree'. With a few people still keen to write stories, the likelihood is that we will continue to have a Drop In on the first Monday for 'Intermediate' students, and that this will provide a venue for people who would like to write and share stories with others.
Bev Lee
During the session we spent some time loading and then reading through Judy's beautiful collection of postcards featuring her great aunts who lived in Fish Creek, miraculously found a few months ago when browsing through an antiques and bric-a-brac store in, of all places, Warracknabeal, on the other side of the state. You can view these postcards at u3abenalla.weebly.com/family-stories/category/judy-barry.
The possible use of ChatGPT/AI (https://chat.openai.com) in family research drew upon Bev's report that Jane Rushworth, inspired by Dawn, has been exploring the ChatGPT app to discover how artificial intelligence can assist family researchers. Jane was pleased to find that ChatGTP takes a very ethical stance if it is asked questions about particular people. It can generate lists of pertinent historical information, however will flag if it can't and more focused research is required by the person asking the question.
Example:
What do you know about the Devitt family in Ireland during the Potato Famine?
ChatGPT
"I'm sorry, but I don't have specific information about the Devitt family in Ireland during the Potato Famine as there were many families affected by the famine, and individual family records from that time can be challenging to access. The Great Irish Famine, also known as the Potato Famine, occurred between 1845 and 1852 and was a period of severe food shortage and mass starvation in Ireland, resulting from the failure of the potato crop due to a potato blight.
During this time, many families in Ireland faced extreme hardship, poverty, and death. The Devitt family, like countless others, would have likely struggled to find food and resources to survive. Some may have emigrated to other countries, such as the United States, Canada, and Australia, in search of a better life.
If you have specific information about the Devitt family or are looking for genealogical records, you might consider researching historical records, local archives, or genealogical resources to learn more about their experiences during the Potato Famine. Additionally, family stories and oral history can be valuable sources of information about ancestors who lived during this challenging period in Irish history.'"
We need to keep in mind that we may get more specific information by starting with Google Search or Wikipedia than Chat GPT. Also that ChatGPT doesn't list its sources. It was interesting that our test using a local question 'When was the Black Swan Hotel built in Benalla?' was more productive using a Google search than ChatGPT.
Planning for 2024 was previewed, with the 4th Thursday 'Advanced' course reverting to a more general course and moving away from the sharing of stories on monthly topics introduced during the pandemic. Deb is teaching the beginner's course - which has a new title, 'Family Research - Getting Started on Your Family Tree'. With a few people still keen to write stories, the likelihood is that we will continue to have a Drop In on the first Monday for 'Intermediate' students, and that this will provide a venue for people who would like to write and share stories with others.
Bev Lee