BillionGraves is one of the world’s leading online cemetery websites. No doubt most of you would have heard of it, and I’m sure a number of you have even used it to look for headstones.
The arrival of May signals the beginning of BillionGraves’ 6th Annual “Million More in May” Competition! And they have AMAZING prizes for those who participate!
Their goal is simple, they are aiming to get 1 million new headstones photographed, transcribed and added to the BillionGraves database during May 2017. And they can do it with help from you and others all around the world.
While the northern hemisphere is currently in Spring (although I know many places are still getting snow), in theory it’s a great time to get out an about to the cemetery, And down in the southern hemisphere we’re in autumn, and the weather is getting cooler, but not TOO cold just yet. So still time to get out and about to a cemetery to two (or more) before winter hits.
How can I participate?
It’s easy and free to participate! You can take photos of headstones in cemeteries near you with your mobile device, or you can transcribe photos that others have taken and make them searchable on the site. The Million More in May competition is open to ANY registered BillionGraves user, anywhere in the world.
Getting started …
First up, if you don’t have a BillionGraves account, you’ll need to register. You can do that here. It’s free and you need to do this to participate in their competition. And be sure to that once registered, you verify your email from them too!
If you want to take pictures, you can start by getting the app on your mobile device (phone or tablet).
– Download the app for your iSO device
– Download the app for your Android device
Then check out their site map to see what cemeteries have already been done.
Or if you want to transcribe photos? Learn more about how to transcribe by following the link here
– Start transcribing headstones now
The competition …
It really couldn’t be easier. Each photo uploaded and transcription completed earns you 1 point. BillionGraves offers many great prizes and prizes are awarded to users who reach certain point levels throughout the month of May. At the end of the month, the total number of points you earned by taking photos or transcribing records is used to calculate which prize you earned for your efforts! The more points you earn, the better the prize! There is no limit to the number of photos taken or transcriptions completed. All entries must be submitted before June 1, 2017 (00:00 UTC time). Terms and conditions do apply.
More information …
You can find more information about the competition here.
Keeping it social …
You can follow BillionGraves on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Do so to keep you up to date will all the new amazing things BillionGraves is doing! And if you’re sharing your pics online, be sure to hashtag it #millionmoreinmay
So dear fellow Taphophiles (otherwise known as a “tombstone tourist”, “cemetery enthusiast”, “cemetery tourist”, “cemetery traipser”, “cemetery walker”comp”grave hunter” or simply “graver”) here’s another excuse for you to go traipsing through a cemetery – not that you need an excuse, I know, but May is definitely a good time for you to whip out your iPhone, iPod, or Android and go snap happy in a cemetery.
Let’s all do our bit to get to that magic 1,000,000 mark!
