iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 05/10/2026

Your car is collecting more data about you than you think: researchers from Northeastern University identified that the companies are sending personal information, including VIN numbers, email addresses and even location data. #security #privacy news.northeastern.edu/2026/09/29/c...

news.northeastern.edu

Your car is collecting more data about you than you think

Car companies are sharing driver location, email addresses, and VIN numbers with advertisers, new Northeastern research shows.

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 04/10/2026

Not that I'm a purist, but my preference is the focus be on the burial and cemetery, while some use it as a full family tree. One of my pet peeves is photo limitations, where the description field is so short that you can't enter details or provenance, so I choose to only upload headstone photos.

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 27/09/2026

Yes, to all individuals shown on the chart. I created a floating branch for the other family to help demonstrate the families are different, and added to them as well.

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 27/09/2026

Interesting, as I'm the complete opposite. I'll create residence facts for any BMD records of children that occur while parents are alive & names them. If parents are in record and there's no index for them, I'll manually add the source. I look from perspective of demonstrating family structure.

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 27/09/2026

I gleefully have my tree also on Geneanet, as that site publicly displays person notes (of the deceased). It's a way for me to share my detailed chronological research notes, and wish that Ancestry would have such capability, at least via choice.

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 27/09/2026

I may be atypical, but I never go into the full hints list. I go person by person systematically, and don't bother to ignore hints. It's why my tally is over 35,000. 🙃

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 26/09/2026

Here is possible one idea for your consideration. You could create a diagram similar to this? This was something that I did in Microsoft PowerPoint. You could attach it to the respective correct and incorrect people, etc.

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 23/09/2026

Paper trail research would need to be done generation by generation. DNA would only be of secondary assistance, with potentially matching other descendants of the individual if they have their pedigree already researched. Research would be needed to determine any descent and relationship.

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 10/09/2026

Duh Tim! At face value of your original question, there's zero way to prevent them showing up on Ancestry (or other sites or software) as they are treated as a couple in a relationship. Generally speaking, I do not add people that I'm not related to unless there was marriage or offspring.

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 10/09/2026

While some are purists about photos, I don't mind AI enhancement and colorization if presented with the original. Here's an example of a "chocolate" era tin type in extremely poor shape of my 3rd great uncle, and the result of Google Flow and a number of manual edits via Adobe Photoshop. #genealogy

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 10/09/2026

As a second thought, there is an engagement fact that you could try applying, and see if it will suffice for what you are seeking? Where my brain was going is that when there is offspring for a couple that never marries, most sites and software still prefer to treat that as a married couple, etc.

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 10/09/2026

It can be frustrating, but none of the sites or software adapt well to non-marriage relationships were offspring is involved.

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 10/09/2026

One more for your consideration. The Last Kingdom is on Netflix. It has a very well written story, and is not all action. It's one of my favorites and my wife's too. There are five seasons, and skip the epilogue movie though! www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxPA...

youtube.com

The Last Kingdom | Series 1 Full Trailer

YouTube video by The Last Kingdom

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 10/09/2026

The closing credits do/did contain an error about one of the individuals. I'm not sure if they edited it or not. I know the error exists in the digital version that I purchased. Again, no spoilers from me. The series stands on a pedestal, and I feel grossly indequeate each time I view it!

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 10/09/2026

Yeah, so my approach was in a completely different realm. I had read the historical book already, and read it again before seeing the movie. So my viewing perspective was totally different, but I get what you are saying. The real thing was such an onslaught of a cluster of errors.

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 10/09/2026

Band of Brothers. The original series has a one hour documentary, and there was a 25th anniversary documentary released today. No spoilers as you are not done! www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjLg...

youtube.com

Band of Brothers: Legacy Trailer | HBO Max

YouTube video by HBO Max

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 10/09/2026

Black Hawk Down. The movie is remarkably accurate from the perspective of it being a movie. They had to simplify what actually happened, and the situational details were an X factor worse than shown. The book by Mark Bowden is an interesting read. So many little details in the movie were true!

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 07/09/2026

Search > Catalog Search on Ireland and online It shows me there are 1,182 record collections

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 07/09/2026

Here is what always seems odd to me, or at least awkward, if that makes sense? As opposed to simply saying (i.e.) "4th great grandfather" they will frequently say "great great great great grandfather." And they frequently lose track and have to count it out on fingers! 🙃

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 07/09/2026

There is a somewhat similar series from the UK called My Family Secrets Revealed. 😎

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 07/09/2026

My assumption is that it is about embarrassment prevention. The number of people that ask for transcription assistance in Facebook groups supports the premise. I do recall a couple of individuals on past Finding Your Roots who surprisingly did read from the original.

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 05/09/2026

I deleted and re-uploaded, but still have the old static tree experience, so it must be in a limited phased rollout or beta.

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 05/09/2026

It must still be in a phased rollout or beta, as when I deleted and re-uploaded, I still have the old static tree experience.

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 04/09/2026

Ashley Judd was previously on Who Do You Think You Are? so I wonder what new or additional findings they will have. Each recent season seems to have a couple of "repeats," but will not prevent me from watching! 😎

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 04/09/2026

The trailer for the forthcoming documentary Band of Brothers: Legacy for the 25th anniversary of the series. I will need to prepare myself for yet another re-watch of the series, and the resulting feeling of completely inadequacy as a human being once again. 🇺🇸 www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjLg...

youtube.com

Band of Brothers: Legacy Trailer | HBO Max

YouTube video by HBO Max

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 04/09/2026

At least on Bluesky, you can add mute words to control your feed. 😎

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 30/08/2026

As some have so much praise for #WikiTree, I caved and registered for an account recently. I don't get the praise. I see no difference from any other crowd sourced tree, such as #FamilySearch Tree. There are some with no sources, weak sources (such as other trees), unproven lineages, etc. 🙄

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 27/08/2026

Yet another example of what fuels my hard core skepticism. Someone posted photos of a painting said to have been acquired at an estate sale & they were told it was Mercy Hunt. The problem? It is some type of a reproduction of a Rembrandt! Hundreds have it in their tree! #genealogy #familytree

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 13/08/2026

Also give Google Gemini a try, as I've been using that to transcribe and/or translate documents. Obviously, I spot check things and make corrections, as no human or AI are perfect. It seems to do a lot better than Transkribus. 😎

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 12/08/2026

Another #genealogy milestone can finally be crossed off the list. I have now identified pedigree collapse on my maternal side, and already had found it on my paternal side. What is interesting is that it enters at the 7th great grandparent level on each side. 😎

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 12/08/2026

Another angle or way to paraphrase it is to be aware of confirmation bias: "A common mistake in DNA analysis occurs when we rule in a conclusion instead of ruling out competing hypotheses. Such cherry-picking creates the dreaded confirmation bias." 😎 bcgcertification.org/skillbuildin...

bcgcertification.org

Skillbuilding: The Truth About Pedigree Evaluation - Board for Certification of Genealogists

Fostering public confidence in genealogy as a respected branch of history by promoting competence and ethics among genealogists, and by publicly recognizing those who demonstrate ability to meet the G...

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 12/08/2026

There is also the "so many books say this, it must be true!" trap. Here's just one example which I uncovered. It originated from a NEGHS publication, and appears in multiple books. I put this diagram together to help explain it to others. I have found others, and working on active one now. 😎

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 10/08/2026

I have photos for 3 out of the 4 couples. I need to reach out to a few more of their descendants.

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 10/08/2026

There have been court rulings in Ancestry's favor that yearbooks are "widely shared, public items with a low expectation of privacy" and consent is not required. The Ancestry source is usually via a former classmate that donates the yearbook, and there is another site called that posts them too.

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 01/08/2026

You may find some details available freely on FamilySearch, and some are available on Findmypast and/or Ancestry. Depending on the era and timeframe, you may have to order images from the UK General Register Office (GRO).

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 01/08/2026

Welcome to the genealogy club, and next up, a DNA test! 😎

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 01/08/2026

Yet another embarrassing example of the risk of relying on #AI without any type of basic and fundamental fact checking and validation. 😎

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 25/07/2026

Some small and delicate Crown Vetch at a nature preserve. 😎 ☀️ 📷 iPhone (edited with Adobe Photoshop Elements on macOS) #crownvetch #wildflower #prairie #nature #naturepreserve

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 24/07/2026

This screen recording shows a forensic-like method of analyzing an AI enhanced photo for accuracy and changes. Simply layer the images on top of each other, and adjust the opacity of the top image. In this case, nothing structurally was changed. Obviously, AI guesses to some details not present.

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 24/07/2026

If you know of someone who is #autistic with an interest in #genealogy and researching their #ancestry, there is a new private Facebook group called "Pattern Seekers: A Genealogy User Group for the Autistic" specifically intended for those on the #autism spectrum. 😎 www.facebook.com/groups/pater...

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 24/07/2026

The reason for her appearance in multiple 1897 newspaper articles reads like a British TV period drama. She was the assistant mistress at a girls school and was ousted by the head mistress out of some form of rivalry, and there was an outcry and "revolt" in her defense by the student and parents. 😎

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 24/07/2026

My third great aunt Blanche Mary Minden Butterfield (1861-1925). Image on left is from 1897 newspaper and right is a respectful and fairly accurate AI enhanced version. I'm fine with an alternative AI version if the original is provided, and if the accuracy level is reasonably high. 😎 #genealogy

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 24/07/2026

If no alternative in the respective software, I use a custom fact "Related to Spouse." 😎

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Timothy J. Barron @timbarron.net · 23/07/2026

There is a dissenting group of analysts who speculate and contend that the AI bubble will burst, similar to the .com crash years ago. The reason being is that the spending is outpacing the return on investment (ROI) by X factors. Some of them speculate it will lead to a global recession.

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