The new social networking websites are becoming increasingly important for one-name studies. They provide a new way of communicating and have the power to reach a phenomenal number of people. They are especially useful for making contact with living people, something which is increasingly difficult by conventional means now that so many people opt out of the electoral register and have ex-directory telephone numbers.

This talk will cover the use of Facebook, Google+, Twitter and LinkedIn, the four main social networking sites that can have a practical application for a one-name study. It will also look at the use of a blog, which provides an easy-to-use and interactive alternative or addition to a newsletter or website.

About the Speaker
Debbie Kennett has been a member of the Guild since 2006 and is studying the surname Cruwys (pronounced Cruise), an Anglo- Norman surname which first appeared in North Devon in the twelfth century.

She is the Guild's Social Networking Coordinator and a member of the Marketing Subcommittee; enjoys experimenting with new technology and has been one of the early adopters of the various social media, being an enthusiastic user of Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

She has written two family history books for the History Press - DNA and Social Networking, published in 2011, and The Surnames Handbook which was published in October 2012.

Interested in becoming a Guild Speaker? Contact our Education Liaison Officer to discuss.