What are you going to record in the Notes for an ancestor you don't know? Why not transcribe your sources in Notes? By shuffling those paragraphs into chronological order you'll be telling his story as well as possible, and your genealogy becomes self-sourcing. (Add your sources formally anyway, or purists will frown on your efforts.)

Dig for obituaries. Obituaries vary geographically and chronologically, but typically provide clues for further research. Obituaries may tell you the full name, the date, place and cause of death, burial date and site, names of parents and where they live(d), name of spouse and marriage date, names and current addresses of children and other survivors, the death year of those who predeceased, occupation or career history, military service, political offices held, and club memberships. In short, obituaries are mini-biographies, potentially loaded with pointers to other sources.

With a little effort, you can come up with photos or illustrations for each ancestor. Those who died before photography was invented, are buried somewhere,  lived somewhere, had a occupation that might lend itself to illustration, or traveled a distance you could show on a map. Aim for a graphic on everyone. Even if you fall short of that objective, your genealogy will be much more attractive than text by itself.

Consider adding GPS coordinates to each individual's entry. Street names and numbers, even community names, tend to change over time. Providing a street address is only useful until there's a change. GPS coordinates don't change, and as GPS technology evolves are bound to become more mainstream. This is your chance to get in front of the curve.

Digital cameras beat film cameras. They are smaller, lighter, less expensive to buy, and definitely less expensive to use. I always consider "better for less" a compelling argument. 

Digital Video camcorders capture still photos at an amazing clip -- 29 per second to be precise. It takes me 30 seconds to grab a still snapshot of a cemetery stone. Using a DV camcorder I can capture hundreds of near-equivalent images in the same time. Individuals blink in many still photos. Using video tape, I can grab the next frame to avoid the problem, ending up with a better photo. Which would you rather use?

When exchanging data with a cousin you've just met over the Internet, proceed cautiously. Ask an unintentionally embarrassing question up front and you may kiss a reply goodbye. Make it a trade -- give a little (data), get a little (data). Give away the store at the outset and your new found cousin has less reason to bother answering your questions.

Pace yourself. Rome wasn't built in a day, and you are not likely to find all you seek in a short period of time. Peck away at your challenge little by little. When bored, put it down for a while. If you need encouragement, go to lunch with another genealogist.

At the end of any "big" data entry session, take time to backup your data and record that backup to CD-ROM. Periodically exchange backup CDs with a friend, so you are both storing a copy of your records off-site. (Just in case something goes seriously wrong -- like your house burning down.)

Boring. Two things that bore a lot of people are (a) computers, and (b) genealogy. Insist on chattering about either, let alone the two together, and loved ones will start avoiding you or at least tuning you out. Realize that for most people the most interesting thing is whatever they are up to, not your use of modern technology to study the past.

I have never seen a hard cover genealogy book that did not include errors. Don't expect yours to be the first. Errors happen. They prove we're human. Just don't let the fear of errors prevent you from publishing. Your efforts are all for not until your published genealogy is distributed to others.

	Not documenting your sources
	Not providing an every name index
	Using a non-standard format that no one but you can follow
	Not publishing. Publish work-in-progress drafts as you go