Personal (Genealogy) Newspaper Ads

Have you noticed the increased number of genealogy-type personal ads in the newspaper? And not just our Spokesman either. I spotted this in the Kitsap Sun, 30 April 2012:  "Looking for lost family members of Naomi & Walter S. who were married and living in Port Orchard or Bremerton in the 1950s. Please call or email 509.681.8166 or snead.s.r@gmail.com"     Or "Seeking to find family members of J.M. Geller or anyone knowing of him or any family members living in Manette/Bremerton in 1942 and later, or Aberdeen, WA in 1926-1929, or their whereabouts currently for genealogy research. Please contact Leah Moe, 1410 Nebraska Ave, N.E., Salem OR 97301, or leahjmoe@hotmail.com."

And from our own Spokesman for 19 May 2012:  "If you or anyone you know worked with Maurice O'Brien at Kaiser Aluminum Trentwood from 1953 to 1970 please call Rich Harrison at Simmons Firm. 800-479-9533, x 6206."

Listening to a report on public radio the other day, the author/speaker was explaining that in years past, being literate mean one was well-read in the classics. More recently, we came to expect search literacy, or the ability to find what information you wanted or needed to know. Nowadays, it's social literacy that is being touted. This means that you use all the past definitions of the word and you know how to network....use the social networking websites.. to find people and information.

Keeping that definition in mind, I hope the ones placing these ads in the newspaper also place their ads on the many and various social networking websites. Doing that will surely increase their chances of finding those folks they seek. Would you agree or disagree?