Popular Genealogy So/ware Offerings and How to Switch ... · Popular Genealogy So/ware Offerings...

PopularGenealogySo/wareOfferingsandHowtoSwitch

BetweenThemPresentedbyJimBush

January12,2017JimBushWhack@yahoo.com

Introduc6on

GenealogyresearchisaverypopularendeavorthroughouttheUSAandtheworld.Withtheadventofpersonalcomputersandtheworldwideweb,genealogyresearchhasbecomethesecondmostpopularhobbyintheUnitedStates(gardeningbeingthemostpopular).Duetothispopularity,manydifferentcomputerprograms(andnowwebpages)havebeenwriHentoenablethepresenta6onofgenealogicaldatainalogicalandconciseformataswellastoaidingenealogicalresearch.Intheslidesahead,IwillshowsomeofthemorepopularGenealogicalprogramsandwebsites.

MostPopularGenealogySoKware

TherearemanychoicesforGenealogySoKware.Googling“GenealogySoKware”willgetyouanextensivelist.Ihavelistedsomeofthemorepopularprogramsbelow:•  LegacyFamilyTree–Themostpopularprogram;RunsonWindowsPCs

only;Hasafreestarterversion;Deluxeversioncosts$30viadownload.•  FamilyHistorian–RunsonWindowsPCsonly;Free30daytrial;$46.50to

downloadfromsite.•  FamilyTreeMaker–VersionsavailableforbothMacsandWindows;

$69.95foreitherversion,$30toupgradefromolderversion;Apparentlynolongercomeswithlimitedsubscrip6ontoancestry.com.

•  Reunion–RunsonMacsonly;Hasrestricted“demo”mode;$99fordownloadorCDversion;$49toupgradefromolderversion.iPhoneversionavailablefor$9.99,butinteractswithMacdatabaseondropbox.

MostPopularGenealogicalWebsites •  ancestry.com–ProbablythemostpopularGenealogicalwebsite.Itsfeaturesinclude:

–  Subscrip6onbased:$99,6monthaccess,USbased;$149,6monthaccessInterna6onal.DiscountsavailabletoAARPmembers.

–  AccesstoBirth,Marriage,DeathandCensusrecords.–  Organize,preserveandshareyourfamilytreewithothers.–  Uploadphotosandfamilystoriestoyourfamilytree.–  DoesnotworkwellwiththeMacSafaribrowser.

•  familysearch.org–SponsoredandsupportedbytheLDSchurch.Itsfeaturesinclude:–  Freesiteforeveryone,notjustLDSchurchmembers.–  AccesstoBirth,Marriage,DeathandCensusrecords.–  Organize,preserveandshareyourfamilytreewithothers.–  Uploadphotosandfamilystoriestoyourfamilytree.

•  findagrave.com–Featuresinclude:–  Freesite,ownedandsupportedbyancestry.com.–  Findburialinforma6onoffamilymemberandancestors,includingpicturesofgravemarkers.–  Findburialdetailsoffamouspersonages.–  Yourinforma6onandphotoscanbeaddedtothefindagrave.comrecords.

SwitchingBetweenGenealogicalSoKware

Ingeneral,theinternaldataformatofthesediverseGenealogicalprogramsifessen6allyincompa6blewitheachother.Howthencouldwegofromoneprogramtoanotherandperhapsonecomputertypetoanotherandbeabletoretainthecollectedknowledgeofourgenealogicaldata?Theanswerisforallofthesedifferentprogramstosupportaninterchangeformatinwhichgenealogicaldatacanbeexportedfromoneprogramandthenimportedintoanother.ThisgenealogicalinterchangeformatisknownasGEDCOMformat.MostallGenealogicalprogramsandwebsitessupportimportandexportofGEDCOMfiles.Iwillshowhowthisworksinthefollowingslides.

WhatisGEDCOMFormat?

FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia:GEDCOM(anacronymstandingforGenealogicalDataCommunica6on)isanopendefactospecifica6onforexchanginggenealogicaldatabetweendifferentgenealogysoKware.GEDCOMwasdevelopedbyTheChurchofJesusChristofLaHer-daySaints(LDSChurch)asanaidtogenealogicalresearch.AGEDCOMfileisplaintextcontaininggenealogicalinforma6onaboutindividualsandmetadatalinkingtheserecordstogether.MostgenealogysoKwaresupportsimpor6ngfromandexpor6ngtoGEDCOMformat.However,somegenealogysoKwareincorporatetheuseofproprietaryextensionstotheformat,whicharenotalwaysrecognizedbyothergenealogyprograms.WhileGEDCOMXandseveralotherversionshavebeensuggestedasreplacements,thecurrent1996version(5.5)remainstheindustrystandard.

FamilyViewFromReunionGenealogySoKware

GEDCOMExportFromReunion

TypicalGEDCOMFileEntry

ImportofMacReunionGEDCOMtoPCLegacyFamilyTreeSoKware

ImportofMacReunionGEDCOMtoPCLegacyFamilyTreeSoKware(Cont.)

ImportofMacReunionGEDCOMtoPCLegacyFamilyTreeSoKware(Cont.)

ImportofMacReunionGEDCOMtoPCLegacyFamilyTreeSoKware(Cont.)

ImportofMacReunionGEDCOMtoPCLegacyFamilyTreeSoKware(Cont.)

ImportofMacReunionGEDCOMtoPCLegacyFamilyTreeSoKware(Cont.)

LegacyFamilyTreeGEDCOMImportComplete

GenealogyClubInforma6on

ForthosethatmaybeinterestedinfurtherpursuingahobbyinGenealogy,aGenealogyclubexistsinSummersetIV.ItmeetsonthefirstThursdayofthemonthat1PMinthepokerroomoftheSummersetIVPavilion.ItisopentoallSummersetresidents.Formoreinforma6on,pleasecontacttheclubcoordinator,RosemaryTonjes,r-tonjes@sbcglobal.net.