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Genealogy collaboration by email

 There are two ways I can think of to collaborate by email. Please scroll to bottom where I write about my inspiration.

Evernote provides each user with a unique email address that allows you to forward messages or attachments directly into your default notebook. You will find yours in "Account info..."

Tell your collaborators to CC ALL emails to the Evernote email address. If you don't want it to go to your default notebook designate another notebook in the subject line. If you want the email to go to the notebook "Mary" write @Mary in the subject line.

Using gmail (or any extra email address) What I would do is get an email address that you use for NOTHING else but your collaboration with one person. Then have your collaborator send emails directly to that address.

WAIT! Get Permission to share!

If you are going to share email correspondance in a folder online for anyone to see you need permission! Here is an example email asking for permission:

Subject: Permission to Share Family History Emails in Public Dropbox

Dear [Name],

Thank you again for the helpful information you've shared about our family history. I’m organizing all the correspondence I’ve received into a Dropbox folder that will be public, so that other relatives and researchers can access it — both now and in the future.

I'd like to ask your explicit permission to include your emails in that public folder. This would mean:

• Anyone with the link can read your messages.

• The folder will remain available long-term, and may be downloaded or cited by others.

• I would include your name as the author of your emails, unless you ask me to remove or anonymize it.

If you're comfortable with this, could you please reply with a line like:

“You have my permission to include my emails in a publicly viewable Dropbox folder for family history purposes.”

If you'd prefer I limit access or only share certain messages, I’ll gladly honor that. Just let me know.

Thanks again for your generosity and for being part of preserving our family’s story.

Warmly,
[Your Name]
[Your contact info, if needed]

Here is a second email if you would like to include the emails in a book you are writing:

Subject: Request for Permission to Share Family History Emails (Dropbox, Book, or Website)

Dear [Name],

Thank you again for the valuable information you’ve shared about our family history. I’m working on organizing and preserving this material so that it can benefit others — both now and in the future.

I’d like to request your permission to do two things with the emails you’ve sent me:

---

1. Include your messages in a public Dropbox folder

This folder would be:

• Publicly viewable (anyone with the link can read it)

• Shared with family members and genealogy researchers

• Archived long-term as a resource for others

2. Quote or reference your messages in future publications

This may include:

• A family history website

• A printed or digital book or article, including works that may be offered for sale

---

If you’re comfortable with this, you can simply reply with something like:

“You have my permission to include my emails in a public Dropbox folder and to quote them in any future family history projects, including publications that may be sold.”

If you’d prefer to limit how or where your words are used, or if you’d like to stay anonymous, I’ll absolutely respect that — just let me know.

Thank you again for your kindness and generosity in helping preserve our shared history.

Warmly,
[Your Full Name]
[Optional: your email, phone, or project website]

What inspired me to start an email collaboration is the work of Agnus Pearlman.

ALL of her MASSIVE amount of genealogical notes has been archived at OCCGS. I know this because she has written about my ancestor, Thomas Bailey Christian of Indian Creek, Virginia. What is beautiful is there are several collections of correspondence she had with friends about different family lines. It is so vast that is very hard to describe. I have thought about the many email conversations I have had but I didn't save them! I think they would be so interesting for people in the future to read. Well, what I am doing is starting now! And what I want to ask you is just go check out the "Agnus Pearlman Project" and see if your family is in there. I'm posting here because a lot of the work is about Virginia. But ... you just have to see for yourself! Hopefully find your family or get inspired to archive your genealogy conversations!

Compiled Research Agnus Pearlman Project

Surnames & Mononyms

 When beginning your genealogy journey, it’s wise to decide early on which version of a surname you’ll use consistently. This is especially important if you rely on tagging systems—such as Evernote—for organizing your research.

For example, in my own family I have relatives with the surname appearing as Skaggs, Scaggs, and Skegs. Early on, I chose to tag every related note simply as “Skaggs” to keep things uniform. Otherwise, I’d have to remember to search three different tags every time I wanted to find information on that family line—a needless complication.

I was going to write here on what the consensus is on which box to add a mononym, first name or surname? But it seems there is no consensus.  So I will do more research and come back to this.

Wikipedia: Mononyms

Wikipedia: List of legally mononymous people

One last thing about surnames - it has been a recent trend in my family that if we only have a mononym or a firstname for someone we will add their tribe to the surname OR their father's mononym as the surname (for example "Rachel Cornstalk") at first I didn't like this, it seemed inaccurate, but now I see the use for it - just trying to keep track of fathers! So now I like it.

Navigating Shared Ancestry.com Access After the Loss of a Family Account Holder

 

What is Ancestry's "Family Plan"? A paid subscriber (the plan manager) shares premium access with up to four others, each with their own account enjoying full benefits like record viewing on Ancestry, Fold3, and Newspapers.com.

What happens if the Plan Manager passes away or otherwise their account is closed?

Trees created or edited by added members are not deleted. They stay accessible for viewing and building, even on a free account.

Uploaded photos, documents, or saved items aren't deleted—they remain tied to the user's account.

If added members searched for and saved a document to their account, they will no longer be able to see their document but they will see the record information. It is recommended that added members save any documents onto their own computer because of this.

To regain full access, added users can subscribe individually.

Here is a good run down of the Family Plan at Family History Daily

Evernote explicitly states that none of your data will be lost when you cancel your subscription or downgrade. You’ll retain access to all your notes, notebooks, and content.

Although they don't really explicitly state what they will do so I would recommend that you backup your Evernote periodically. see Collaborating in Genealogy back up your Evernote