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In a recent issue of Treasure Maps free genealogy email newsletter, you were asked to think about Jean Suman's question concerning publishing genealogy information on the Internet. Here is what she asked: "Hi Robert, I have all your books. I have been holding off on publishing my genealogy on a Web site. I have about 15 generations on some of my lines.... I am wondering where would the best place be to put my GEDCOM [file]. I don't want to put it on Ancestry as I understand they take genealogy and put it on CD's for sale. I would like to place it somewhere where people doing research may see it, one that I can update, or even remove later if I wish. I understand people can copy it, and do. I just do not want it somewhere that the site believes it is theirs to use as they want. I do have a MyFamily site through Ancestry, where only guests are welcome. I only have family pictures there now, but can add a GEDCOM. I still am not sure that Ancestry would not think they owned it. Years ago, I sent my early efforts to the LDS, but have much more now ....I thought you would know the best site for someone to place their genealogy. I would really appreciate your opinion." (Jean Suman ) There was a lot of feedback, but there were two Web sites that won, hand down. They are:
Treasure Maps reader, Pat Roberts, wrote and reveals some very interesting things to consider. Read what he says and I'd like to point some things out to you... "Hi Robert, I've been an avid reader for quite some time.
And I have your books. Couldn't do it without you and
your absolutely "kewl" system. Now, to the Jean Suman question. Ancestry is connected with Rootsweb's WorldConnect and they DON'T put your info on CDs and there is no charge. My GEDCOM of 14,500 names has been on WorldConnect since close to the beginning, several years ago. I do NOT allow a GEDCOM download (got a couple of nasty notes over that). I do NOT allow the "Living" to be posted. (Note to that: their default is 1930. My mom is 90 and still going strong, so I overrode their default to 1900). I do NOT give them my sources. I do NOT give them my Notes. It's all there for me to change, correct, or remove as I choose. My email address is there and I have a small mistake with that. I should have used "at" rather than "@" [anti-spam maneuver] and I will correct that the next time I updated. Having said all that, I would like to say I am totally
pleased with having the GEDCOM on WorldConnect.
I have total control over the material and I have a fairly
up-to-date place offsite where I can recover my many
years of research in case of disaster. My computer
locked me out once and it was a relief to remember
that my data was recoverable through I receive at least 2 or 3 e-mails a week from researchers who connect with my data and either add to it or ask questions. To me it has been a strictly win-win thing to have done. I have broken down at least 2 brick walls through this." (Pat Roberts) Pat covers a lot of important ground in his message. He is personally happy with WorldConnect. Let's recap why: Ancestry is connected with For the record: MyFamily.com, Inc. owns The MyFamily Network which includes: "My GEDCOM of 14,500 names has been on WorldConnect since close to the beginning." He has a large amount of data stored on the site. They are very liberal in letting you load up your GEDCOM files. BY THE WAY: For those of you who don't know what a GEDCOM file is. Here is how the Help Desk from the WorldConnect project puts it: "GEDCOM is an acronym for GEnealogical Data COMmunications. It is a file format developed by the Family History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). It provides a flexible and uniform format for exchanging computerized genealogical data, and allows you to share files with other researchers who may not use the same genealogy program (Family Tree Maker, PAF, etc.) that you do." "I do NOT allow a GEDCOM download (got a couple of nasty notes over that)." He chose NOT to let people have the option to get (download) his GEDCOM file from the WorldConnect site. Understandably, this frustrates some people. But HE has control over his information. Keep in mind that you CAN download plenty of GEDCOM files from this Web site. (Just not his) "I do NOT allow the "Living" to be posted." An EXTREMELY important point. If you want to have family members never help you with genealogy and possibly never speak to you again--post their personal information on-line while they are alive. "I do NOT give them my sources. I do NOT give them my Notes. It's all there for me to change, correct, or remove as I choose." This is a mixed blessing. In Pat's case, he is using the WorldConnect service, in part, as a personal storage unit. He is not sharing the important sources and notes with the world. However, if you decided that you DID want to share a GEDCOM file with others and make it available to be downloaded, you would want to include all the source materials that you could with the data. " My email address is there and I have a small mistake with that. I should have used "at" rather than "@" [anti-s-pam manuever] and I will correct that the next time I updated." What he means is this: An e-mail address, like robert@example.com But because of bad people who use computer programs to harvest e-mail addresses, my e-mail could instead be written as robertatexample.com to stop my address from being taken. "I am totally pleased with having the GEDCOM on WorldConnect. I have total control over the material." I agree that it is all about having control over your data. This is one of the biggest benefits of WorldConnect. "My computer locked me out once, and it was a relief to remember that my data was recoverable through WorldConnect." Having your GEDCOM files stored on-line is a good back up measure. You can retrieve them from any where in the world and import (or, put them into) a genealogy software program with a few keystrokes and you are back in business. "I receive at least 2 or 3 e-mails a week from researchers who connect with my data and either add to it or ask questions." Pat also said that he has broken through brick walls doing this. Having data stored in a popular public place like this can lead to interesting results. Also note that he mentioned that people ADD to the data. You see, genealogy data (especially in a high traffic on-line environment) will ALWAYS be a work in progress. There will always be corrections to be made, notes to be added, and sources to be cited. It never ends. I've submitted data and seen it merge with other data and then seen THAT grow over the years into one huge monster of a GEDCOM file. It is like a snowball rolling downhill that gets larger and larger. And believe me, I am glad to have the data, but I know there are mistakes in it. There will be mistakes in information that you get as well. Don't let it bother you. Do what you should do. Verify the information, cite your sources. If the information IS correct, it is usually easy to verify because you already have some of the facts that you need right in front of you. Many of you have heard the story, but I learned this lesson when I saw my ancestor's huge and beautiful headstone for the first time. As I marveled at the stone thinking about that Ragan patriarch who fought in the Civil war and was the first to settle in Florida, my distant cousin (who is long gone now) told me how the dates on the headstone were wrong. In front of me, literally carved in stone... were mistakes. They were made in error by people who loved him. I got over it and learned something important. Verify things, make notes, correct the mistake if possible and don't make a big deal over it. We're human, but we (people past and present) usually mean well when it comes to family history. I'm not faulting them for running their business by any means. It's just that they have cleverly set the site up where if you click on a certain icon or text link you break away from the actual WorldConnect experience and wind up looking at one of many advertisements. Don't let this scare you away. In my manual: Robert Ragan's Guide to the Best FREE Internet Genealogy Databases and How to Use Them Step-by-Step, which is now a free bonus on CD with my PAJAMA Genealogy system... I take the reader one step at a time both through WorldConnect and GenCircles. One of the benefits of the WorldConnect section in my guides is that it helps you quickly navigate around those advertising side roads. GenCirclesThis was the number two reader's choice. I also agree that is a winner. It was created by Cliff Shaw. The genealogy world is lucky that he is interested in family history because he has done amazing things. He was the guy who created the GenForum Web site. GenCircles has a unique feature called "Smartmatching" that is very interesting. Here is their explanation: "SmartMatching compares the individuals in your file against all of the individuals in our Global Tree. We run a detailed search on every individual in your file, and see where your individuals match up with other individuals in other people's files. SmartMatching enables you to immediately see where other users have information that you are missing, and vice versa." Take a look at the GenCircles site and see what you think. Again, the GenCircles section in my guide walks you through it if you need help. There is no way to walk you through the complexities of either of these databases in this newsletter, but I'd like for you to consider some things: My free genealogy Treasure Maps email newsletter goes out to thousands of readers. I often wondered how many of you have a genealogy computer program. Do you use one? If not, you might consider Family Tree Maker 2006. If so, you can create a GEDCOM file from that information. You may not know how to do it yet, but you can. You can also include notes and sources, etc. in that GEDCOM file. You can find it by looking around on Maybe you will upload a GEDCOM file on the Internet. You can have control over it, allowing people to download it or not. You should know how to download a GEDCOM file from the Internet and look at it with your genealogy software. Just in Case: So your genealogy work can continueWhat about this: While you are creating GEDCOM files, why not create some and put them on CDs. Make these the most important ones with the valuable data with all of the notes, pictures, and whatever else you can think of. Then send those CDs to your children and grand kids. Mark the package as very important with a letter that explains what is on the CDs. Those CDs will sit around for a long time. As you make changes and updates, get more information, and create more GEDCOM files, send them MORE CDs and more letters of explanation telling what is on those discs. Then what? One day, after you are gone. Maybe all of your genealogy stuff will get thrown out. I can't tell you all of the heartbreaking stories I've heard about how a lifetime's worth of research of genealogy work gets thrown out by accident; unknowingly; knowingly because family didn't care; or by some knucklehead who didn't care, who happened to be in the wrong place at the right time. Some sunny day in the future, your daughter, grandson, or maybe great-granddaughter will open the package with those CDs in them and open those GEDCOM files up with a genealogy program. The computer they use will be really fast and fancy. Then they will watch all of the data you compiled unfold before them on the screen. They will read your notes, and perhaps see photographs you scanned or found on the Internet. They will read your words. They will get to know you... The work will continue. Think about that. Just in case. Also see Family Tree Maker 2006 software, which will create GEDCOM files from your genealogy data.
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