Genealogy Chat

Maureen

Heather has answered your question. However if you purchase a Family History Programme and want to transfer your tree to Findmypast, I would think you could transfer easily by a GEDCOM file but I have not done this so I cannot answer that part of your question totally.

You are right to have hard copy back ups as those of us who have done FH for a long time find that these hard copies are the best way to date, as nobody really knows where the technology is going, and even in five years many of us have had to back up on to CD/DVD/Memory Sticks and nobody knows what else will make all our technology suddenly redundant. However, my own family history programme allows me to create my own personal record sheets, create a tree and put all photos, BMD, census records and copious notes and send a GEDCOM to other people and instead of now thumbing through about 30 files of Family History to look for a missing link I can now see at a glance what I am missing on any ancestor, so I do go with the technology as well as the hard copies, even though I may in 5 years time have to change it all once more because a new computer will not access the old data.

Janet

Your family tree maker program would be on your computer - if you want a homepage to be visible to people you can create one very easily using the ftm 2006 program, just clicking next a few times. You can choose to let google searches pick it up or just keep it private for the people you send invites to.

If you have all your information on GR, you can import all that information into your blank family tree program by asking GR to send you a gedcom. You arent taking the information away from GR you are duplicating it and then transferring it to another program. It would still be on GR as well.

You can import or export gedcoms (that is the word used for a file containing family tree info) to any compatible program.

Janet
Thanks for your reply.
I wouldnt exactly loose everything if GR went down because as i said before, i have actually written everything out by hand as well.
If i were to buy FTM and instal it onto computer can i then transfer it from GR or would it entail typing it all out again?
And would it still be visable on GR?
I have also got a full membership on Findmypast, can i transfer it onto that?
Maureen

Maureen

Family Tee Maker (FTM) is a software programme that you can purchase for about £20, sometimes less, which you then download on to your computer and input all your data on to that. This sort of programme gives you full control of what you have, which will then be independent of any online problems that may occurr with a website like Genes. You can still decide who sees or does not see your tree. There have been glitches on Genes and other websites which can make your tree vulnerable, and others have been able to see your tree even though you have not wanted this. Once you have a programme like FTM,and there are other Family History software programmes,, you can back that up on to a memory stick or CD/DVD so you have always got some back up on all your hard work. If Genes website went down at any time then all you hard work would go with it and no website is invincible!

Janet

I was just about to put a query on here regarding how i let others see my tree who are not GR members when i found this page.

I know i am probably sounding very thick but i do not understand the advice re FMT etc.
I have got over 1000 people on my tree on GR, i have also got a back-up, all written out on Family Group Forms printed off of GR .

I entered a 'trying to find' message on Ancestry and am now getting e-mails via that, concerning my tree.
I have just spent an age and fortune printing off my tree (from the forms) and posting them to 3 different people.

I tried printing direct from Gr but that was a laugh!!

Is there any way someone like me -( thats doesnt really know what they are doing on computers) transfer all this info onto something else that i can just refer people to look at?
I dont want to remove it from Gr, i am more than happy with all the contacts i have made via this but i cant seem to persuade people to join to make life easier.

Maureen

A very small tree on GR is all that is necessary to catch the possible ones that you are missing. The rest is far better backed up on your own Family History software programme on your computer which parts you can then share with interested parties.

Do not mistake a small tree as being for those who have done little research. I have been researching Family History for 30+ years and my tree on here is small. You never need to share a full tree, only the parts in which a person may have a particular interest.

There is a tendency these days to put your tree in an online formula, but you have to ask yourself "How Safe" will this be? I understand the only real safe site at present is "FindMyPast".
.
Janet

Hi
I just put some names on here,so as to still recieve hot matches.
In my eyes you only need a few names, as it saves you having hundreds of hot matches which are not relevant.
Julie

HI definately put your tree on here as a copy using Gedcom, you can hide living relatives or not put them on at all, I don't.

But I have had so many good matches and met so many nice people by having my tree on here. It has been worth every penny of the subscription. How else would I have found out about relatives in Canada or that a great uncle was a pioneer in USA in the 1830's

Jennifer

Not sure what you mean there libra. If you have the ftm2006 you can make a gedcom and export that to GR - it wont take away from FTM2006 info - you will just have it on two trees.

Familytreemaker isnt a website its a program that you install on your own computer and you can back up to cd and to the internet and you can, if you want make your own homepage with it on the net for your rellies/friends to view.

So would you not advice me, to export
my family tree maker 2006, to Gr?

I was thinking of the hot matches on gr.
Which you dont get on other web sites.


Br greatful fore any advice.


libra.

Defanitely use some other software as well, especially when you see how many people are having problems with their GR tree.

I use family tree maker and then upload an updated file everynow and then to this site and tribal pages.

Sam x

Do you put all your Family tree on GR or use other
web site's fore your family tree?ie. family tree maker.



libra.