| "Darling! Where is my grandfather's certificate of | | | | the most appropriate tool for all but the very |
| birth?" | | | | beginners.. It doesn't present you with credible |
| "You think it was on my writing table? It isn't | | | | tracking tools or reports and your data is |
| there anymore!" | | | | potentially unsafe if the company is sold. |
| "Well, if it was there the other week, love, where | | | | Ancestry is the next website we will review. In |
| it is now? I'm looking there, and it's not there." | | | | actuality, it is pretty similar to in conception; you |
| "Belinda! Where did that sheet of paper go with | | | | enter your details online, store and retrieve your |
| my Mom's information, you know the one with | | | | saved information from a single location. in |
| my great, great Granny's name scrawled across | | | | essence, serves as a hub for all of your family |
| the top?" | | | | genealogy info There are, however, some very |
| When I began my family tree research, | | | | significant differences between them. has been |
| conversation between me and my wife went | | | | around for a while and their attention to security |
| something like the above. It was wild. I had a pile | | | | is top-notch. When you put your personal, family |
| of indispensable facts that sat on my desk in no | | | | details out there on the Internet, security is a real |
| particular order. It consisted of every document | | | | issue. You want to know who is reading your |
| and photocopy I could find or buy about our | | | | material. |
| family's history, cocktail napkins with bits of the | | | | has some definite variations: |
| past on them, and assorted tablets filled with | | | | - Ease of retrieval: Retrieve your information |
| data. In next to no time, I was losing track of | | | | directly from Ancestry. - Cross family trees: Make |
| vital pieces of information, some of which I | | | | crossovers to other people's family trees. - Add |
| couldn't remember I'd lost until weeks later. It was | | | | extra information to genealogy: Add extra |
| an expensive lesson and hopefully one you can | | | | information like occupations, addresses, |
| avoid. Information and birth certificates needed to | | | | christenings, and the like. |
| be reordered and once again attempts were | | | | You are, of course, relying on the company to |
| made to organize it. I began to wonder if I'd | | | | secure and store details about you and your |
| taken on too much. It was then that I discovered | | | | family, so you may want to be careful what you |
| the wonders of family tree software to help a | | | | publish; however, has a strong encryption |
| build a tree but organize all my thoughts, bits and | | | | algorithm which can give you some piece of mind. |
| random errata into a coherent, usable form | | | | On the upside, it is directly linked to Ancestry, so |
| With that said, I would like to share with you my | | | | when you add a new family member it will check |
| experience with family tree software and the | | | | its database for details and offer you what it |
| different websites out there on the Net to help | | | | thinks might be relevant information about other |
| you produce your family tree. First, there is a | | | | portions of your family. You can check it and |
| difference between websites that have research | | | | directly add any information you find useful from |
| tools and information, and websites that offer | | | | Ancestry to your family tree. There are many |
| ways to document your findings.. Initially I want to | | | | advantages to this including speed and ease of |
| talk about those software and websites which | | | | use. Ancestry will match you to other people in |
| keep track of the information you will collect and | | | | your family who might be building family trees of |
| organize it into a usable form. I will also attempt | | | | their own, because as they build, the database is |
| to clarify what is, at times, a blurring of the two | | | | updated. |
| types of sites and software available. | | | | The ancestry online tool allows you to add multiple |
| What I won't do is bore you with a lengthy list of | | | | entries for addresses, occupations, and the like |
| software and websites. I will only list the sites I | | | | which, once you start to use the census |
| know, the ones that are most well-liked. | | | | information, will become increasingly significant. |
| - - - - PAF from LDS - Family Tree Maker - | | | | On the downside, it still has limited print functions |
| Roots Magic | | | | and exports and imports aren't possible, so should |
| Why bother? It seems bizarre I know, but why | | | | you ever want to move your material to another |
| would you want software for making family | | | | area, you will need to retype everything you've |
| trees? Well, first for most folks, you want a single | | | | collected. |
| place where you can store the mass of data you | | | | See the video here: |
| are going to detect. Let's be honest. That's not | | | | While Tribal is very similar to the other two online |
| exactly what the software is about! When most | | | | based systems, it does take steps in the import |
| folks start learning how to make a family tree, | | | | export area by introducing GEDCOM and it also |
| they are pretty much interested in seeing one of | | | | sports some really fine reports. The interface, |
| those big diagrams with all their names listed. You | | | | unfortunately, isn't very user friendly and at points |
| want a framed version on your wall with your | | | | is downright hard to understand. It also seems to |
| whole history in front of you, right? | | | | continually mix up family trees making it an |
| Okay, so what we have figured out is that you | | | | altogether frustrating journey. |
| will need somewhere to put all your info. Unless | | | | Personal Ancestral File (PAF) |
| you are thinking to keep thousands of napkins | | | | This free piece of software is provided by the |
| strewn about or if you are super-organized and | | | | Latter Day Saints as from their familysearch.org |
| keep paper records in a neat system, you will | | | | website. While the software has an easy to |
| want to be able to keep everything in one place. | | | | understand interface and you can add details as |
| When you start doing your family tree, you will | | | | you like, it isn't linked to any of the online |
| want to record all the facts you come to, like | | | | databases and there are some entries for the |
| birthdates, addresses where your family lived, | | | | LDS that can't be disabled. There is a reporting |
| occupations, etc. | | | | tool from the same site that enables you to print |
| As you get more into looking into your family | | | | your family tree viewing up to 3 generations and |
| tree, I propose that you keep all the source | | | | there is an extra addon for $6.75 which will allow |
| numbers you use for research. I will explain this in | | | | you to produce 10 generation printouts with |
| another article, but keeping links on how you got | | | | posters. While the free software is good, there |
| the facts, means that if you need to check it, | | | | are some reasons one would want a full fledged |
| you can get to it easy. | | | | piece of software that has complete reporting |
| You will want to be able to develop full charts | | | | capabilities and a better user interface. It does, |
| with your software . It is great if you can | | | | however, do GEDCOM imports and exports. |
| develop other reports, such as story boards, | | | | Family Tree Maker and Roots Magic |
| which give a semi-automated story for your | | | | In base functionality Family Tree Maker and Roots |
| family depending on what details you fill in. | | | | Magic are very comparable and both are similar to |
| Software and websites to consider include: | | | | PAF. The major difference comes in user input of |
| Let's take a closer look one of the new sites on | | | | the free version and in their reporting capabilities. |
| the Internet. It has built its reputation on a very | | | | The reports from the paid for software are very |
| simple marketing model - appeal to young people | | | | customizable, and as a result produce some great |
| and non-techie types. The basic premise of this | | | | storyboard type reports. |
| site is different than other genealogy software | | | | Roots Magic and FTM2008 allow you to produce |
| offerings. You fill in your details, fill in your family's | | | | standalone versions of your family tree on a CD |
| details and invite your family via email to expand | | | | (or share via email), so that you can give it to |
| on what you know. | | | | family members. You can also make a website |
| has one of the simpler interfaces of any of | | | | that you can show relatives and friends. |
| applications I've seen so far. You can add whole | | | | Roots Magic comes in two variations for the UK |
| family members in an instant! A great working | | | | and one for the United States. The US version is |
| plan, too, why do all the filling in of forms | | | | comparable to the basic UK version, and it might |
| manually? | | | | be all you will ever need. At a price of only $30 or |
| On the downside, this site does have a few | | | | £15, and you can buy and immediately |
| serious design and processing flaws which would | | | | download it online. You can also download a demo |
| give one pause for thought when filling in personal | | | | version (15 days) from the Roots Magic website. |
| info. After all, you are putting in very personal | | | | In my video tutorials, I will use the Roots Magic |
| stuff like mother's maiden name, family names, | | | | software, but will show also you how to do the |
| dates of birth and the like. Another flaw, although | | | | same things in PAF. |
| not confirmed is that when you add your | | | | Family Tree Maker 2008 will cost you $10 more |
| relatives' email addresses Geni will send emails | | | | at $40, but it does have the advantage that you |
| directly to family members. As a result, they've | | | | can link directly into Ancestry. While you will have |
| gotten a reputation of being a bit spammy for | | | | to wait for the CDs to arrive, it is a very nice |
| their tactics. To date, they have denied this, but it | | | | piece of software. I have never personally been |
| is a well known rumor. | | | | all that thrilled with its link to Ancestry, but that |
| Another area that needs improvement is in the | | | | and the wait is its only downside. The link is |
| reports and graphs produced by They are limited | | | | indiscriminate at best and at times returns all sorts |
| as it only allows you to input a limited data set. | | | | of nonsense. |
| That is sufficient for some users; however, if you | | | | Family Tree Maker 2008, as a result, has been |
| want to do an in-depth tracking of your relatives | | | | less than well received by most people because |
| over their lives or from census to census, it is | | | | of some of the aforementioned issues.. The 2006 |
| less feasible. You will wind up having to log one | | | | version seems to work much better and is on |
| data set for each person while a viable | | | | the whole considered a much more stable |
| workaround, it is time consuming and extra work. | | | | product. Go figure.. |
| Other things that make this website less than | | | | Roots Magic video here: |
| ideal: | | | | I would initially look into PAF: it is cheap, easy to |
| - There is the inability to share information across | | | | use and has everything you would need for a |
| trees, even if you have the exact same names | | | | simple setup. Meanwhile, I would download a trial |
| and email addresses. | | | | version of Roots Magic to consider. At $30 dollars, |
| - With the addition of many software packages | | | | it isn't a huge outlay and will give you a lot for |
| for family tree building, it was decided that there | | | | your money. Although FTM2008 links direct into |
| needed to be a standard file format. This | | | | Ancestry and has some more fancy bells and |
| standard is called GEDCOM, and utilizes the | | | | whistles, it's not all that useful and can be |
| extension *.ged. It is also a way to allow you to | | | | downright frustrating according to many users. |
| import data from other programs or family trees. | | | | PAF will give you the ability to export GEDCOM |
| doesn't support this format. | | | | files which you can then import into something like |
| is, however, free! And while some may say that | | | | Roots Magic later anyway. It is excellent |
| you get what you pay for, I find some things | | | | preliminary step if you don't want to spend |
| about this site that is worth considering. I can tell | | | | anything or not that much. |
| you that I am not entirely convinced that this is | | | | |