Current Thoughts On-Line Family Tree Programs
Jan 21, 2009 19:46:32 GMT -5
Post by Doug 周 on Jan 21, 2009 19:46:32 GMT -5
There are many on line web based genealogy family tree sites. Below is a list of sites on a URL’s sponsored by Geni.com. This GENI sponsored site is not complete because it is a WIKI template. Geni wants other users to fill in the data on their competitors. However, it has the URL’s of many of its competitors. It provides some overview.
wiki.geni.com/index.php/Comparison_of_Internet_Genealogy_Sites
Again, as in previous posts, there are two important things to judge a program. First, the the ability to display Unicode (Chinese characters)
siyigenealogy.proboards28.com/index.cgi?board=software&action=display&thread=849
Second is the ability to save as much as your work as a GEDCOM file.
siyigenealogy.proboards28.com/index.cgi?board=software&action=display&thread=850.
However there are concerns and advantages with using these web-based programs. Member Kerry on a previous post mused on some of what will be mentioned below.
siyigenealogy.proboards28.com/index.cgi?board=genelinks&action=display&thread=381&page=2 Reply#15
1. Security. People have written articles that the genealogy data of living people should not have be on the Internet. These sites do have a dual level security: Full access requires an invitation. Internet searches for relatives. If there is a match in the background, the program invites you to contact the system administrator or the individual matched.
2. Social Network. These sites are really social networking programs such as a Face Book or My Space. In fact FACE Book has a genealogy program but last time I checked the GEDCOM upload was not working and I was not able to try any of the features. These programs emphasize a broad database and involve many sets of in-laws. Generally relatives will maintain their own section of these distant branches. This requires allowing others the freedom of displaying the information in a format they are most comfortable. It allows a great degree of collaboration with minimal time restraints. A criticism of these sites is that they are not serious genealogy research
3. Cost. These sites are started by venture capital and some form of revenue, as a return on investment, is part of their business plan. They allow you to join free of charge and eventually try to make their revenue after you expand your site. Ancestry.com charges U$D20/month, MyHeritage.com U$5/month and Geni.com U$D5/month. Just recently Geni started charging for information that was promised to be free.
4. Photos. Media management is one of the stronger points of web based genealogy sites. As the Chinese proverb says, a picture is worth a thousand words. Media increases the appeal of genealogy by adding faces to names, and making the photos available to relatives world wide. MyHeritage has a facial recognition feature. Most sites have the ability to tag or identify individuals in group-family photos. Having group photos of 20 or 30 people with each person identified is very valuable. Sites are now starting to add video files.
5. Backing up your data. This aspect is very weak. MyHeritage is the most advance. However, it does not back up the Chinese Unicode. One of Geni’s user just wrote a 3rd party program to back up the Geni files (an advantage of having a large user base), linking the media to the GEDCOM. Most will export only the text and relationships to GEDCOM, without multimedia back up.
I have used Verdante.de (www.dynastree.com), Myheritage, and Ancestry.com, and GENI. Myheritage does not have a good GEDCOM export of Chinese characters and until that is improved, you should steer away from that site. It does have a robust Chinese interface, however for relatives based in China. Geni has a large and active user group and there is a review by Phillip about Geni.com.
siyigenealogy.proboards28.com/index.cgi?board=software&action=display&thread=853 Reply#2 Six months ago they used to send a lot of SPAM and this bothered my relatives. They may have changed. Ancestry.com seems expensive.
Here is another site reviewing various genealogy programs, including on line programs:
www.gensoftreviews.com/?p=528&sel=1&new=&lic=free&pla=all&type=all&sort=mrev Choose for what criteria you are looking on the drop down menu at the top.
My current recommendation (subject to change as these sites evolve over the next year) is to develop your GEDCOM using www.dynastree.com. I believe this German site makes a very complete GEDCOM. Once you own a stable GEDCOM, it is very easy to upload your GEDCOM and experiment with the different features in other programs. This gives you full control of your family tree.
Doug
wiki.geni.com/index.php/Comparison_of_Internet_Genealogy_Sites
Again, as in previous posts, there are two important things to judge a program. First, the the ability to display Unicode (Chinese characters)
siyigenealogy.proboards28.com/index.cgi?board=software&action=display&thread=849
Second is the ability to save as much as your work as a GEDCOM file.
siyigenealogy.proboards28.com/index.cgi?board=software&action=display&thread=850.
However there are concerns and advantages with using these web-based programs. Member Kerry on a previous post mused on some of what will be mentioned below.
siyigenealogy.proboards28.com/index.cgi?board=genelinks&action=display&thread=381&page=2 Reply#15
1. Security. People have written articles that the genealogy data of living people should not have be on the Internet. These sites do have a dual level security: Full access requires an invitation. Internet searches for relatives. If there is a match in the background, the program invites you to contact the system administrator or the individual matched.
2. Social Network. These sites are really social networking programs such as a Face Book or My Space. In fact FACE Book has a genealogy program but last time I checked the GEDCOM upload was not working and I was not able to try any of the features. These programs emphasize a broad database and involve many sets of in-laws. Generally relatives will maintain their own section of these distant branches. This requires allowing others the freedom of displaying the information in a format they are most comfortable. It allows a great degree of collaboration with minimal time restraints. A criticism of these sites is that they are not serious genealogy research
3. Cost. These sites are started by venture capital and some form of revenue, as a return on investment, is part of their business plan. They allow you to join free of charge and eventually try to make their revenue after you expand your site. Ancestry.com charges U$D20/month, MyHeritage.com U$5/month and Geni.com U$D5/month. Just recently Geni started charging for information that was promised to be free.
4. Photos. Media management is one of the stronger points of web based genealogy sites. As the Chinese proverb says, a picture is worth a thousand words. Media increases the appeal of genealogy by adding faces to names, and making the photos available to relatives world wide. MyHeritage has a facial recognition feature. Most sites have the ability to tag or identify individuals in group-family photos. Having group photos of 20 or 30 people with each person identified is very valuable. Sites are now starting to add video files.
5. Backing up your data. This aspect is very weak. MyHeritage is the most advance. However, it does not back up the Chinese Unicode. One of Geni’s user just wrote a 3rd party program to back up the Geni files (an advantage of having a large user base), linking the media to the GEDCOM. Most will export only the text and relationships to GEDCOM, without multimedia back up.
I have used Verdante.de (www.dynastree.com), Myheritage, and Ancestry.com, and GENI. Myheritage does not have a good GEDCOM export of Chinese characters and until that is improved, you should steer away from that site. It does have a robust Chinese interface, however for relatives based in China. Geni has a large and active user group and there is a review by Phillip about Geni.com.
siyigenealogy.proboards28.com/index.cgi?board=software&action=display&thread=853 Reply#2 Six months ago they used to send a lot of SPAM and this bothered my relatives. They may have changed. Ancestry.com seems expensive.
Here is another site reviewing various genealogy programs, including on line programs:
www.gensoftreviews.com/?p=528&sel=1&new=&lic=free&pla=all&type=all&sort=mrev Choose for what criteria you are looking on the drop down menu at the top.
My current recommendation (subject to change as these sites evolve over the next year) is to develop your GEDCOM using www.dynastree.com. I believe this German site makes a very complete GEDCOM. Once you own a stable GEDCOM, it is very easy to upload your GEDCOM and experiment with the different features in other programs. This gives you full control of your family tree.
Doug