I am just back from Burbank for the annual celebration of genealogy, Jamboree.  The folks at Southern California Genealogical Society put on a great event that I have to recommend.  I’ve yet to go to one of the national conferences, but this regional event packs a punch.  Don’t let anyone say you have to travel to the midwest or east coast for good genealogy because the west coast is where it’s at.

One thing that struck me was the quality of tech related talks.  I was disappointed with the classes designed for users during the last Rootstech in Salt Lake City.  It’s a new conference, but I felt that they offered little for the intermediate to advanced computer user, which is why I ended up leaving classes and landing in the beginner developer classes.

At Jamboree, on the other hand, many classes spoke to tech issues for researchers, like how to effectively use a certain website, or mobile options for genealogists. These classes bridged the divide between researchers and the tools available to them.  After all, technology is a means to an end, not the goal itself.

That doesn’t mean I won’t go to the next Rootstech.  But I do hope that organizers will offer more options for advanced users.  Equally, I hope that some of Jamboree’s speakers will consider submitting papers to have the opportunity to share their knowledge with a wider group.

For Jamboree, they need to keep doing what they’re doing.  I’m already blocking off the dates for next year and will do everything I can to attend this energizing and educational event.