Family Tree Options

As far as software I lean toward the program offered through MyHeritage.com; although I also have a version of PAF once offered through FamilySearch.org.

My preference for the MyHeritage family tree software is two-fold: it creates an online backup version of your work and it allows you to create reports, in PDF format. Right now, if I just create a report of all the names, the report has over 3,000 pages - so not something I will be printing out anytime soon - but I can create smaller reports as well. Another plus is that the program is free so works for my billfold as well. I do have two prominant dislikes about this particular program, however:

• It allows you to create "custom facts" but, unfortunately, if you want to create a fact of - let's say - "Land Deeds" then, when you go back later to select that custom fact you have to scroll past "L" "La" "Lan" "Land" "Land D" ... well, you get the drift. I have not figured out how to remove the custom facts automatically generated, while typing, by the program.
• Some of the facts come with a pre-selected set of choices. Most frustrating to me is the Religion one ... if your ancestor didn't follow one of the (limited) choices offered then you have three options:
  • Take the easy way out and select the generic option of "Christian" if you have a relative who was Pentacostal, Presbyterian, Old German Baptist, or whatever else is not deemed "popular choices". Easier way out is just skipping sharing that fact at all.
  • Create a custom fact title where you aren't so limited (however, read above frustration about the custom fact creation deal).
  • Not share that information as a Fact but as a Note instead.

And, yes, I do feel the pre-set list of religion choices is very limiting. It would been much better, in my opinion, to let the user fill in the religious denomination/path versus MyHeritage staff thinking "these selections will do!" Or the staff could have allowed the Religion fact to work similar to Cause of Death -where you can select an option off a list or type in the cause.

PAF, through FamilySearch.org, did allow one to create reports also. The pages of information would be generated in HTML format, or web page, which may be handy to some people if wanting to create a web site to share their work through. On the downside, in my opinion, was that it was straight line of people in that generated report: You, your parents, your grandparents, their parents, and so on. Your siblings, and their spouses or children, would not be listed in the report. Ok, so that may be all right on one hand ... but on the other, if using that report to have within reach (in print format or online) to assist in researching or untangling some branches of the family tree, I found it of very little use.

I have a tree posted on Ancestry.com (free account) that I update about once a year. Which is a pain as I have to delete the old tree, upload the more recent GED file from my offline program, then re-invite people that were interested in the old tree. I just don't trust online things that much as sites seem to change policies/handling of user content or disappear. A good example is Genealogy.com that is going to "read only", with the archives - forums - family sites, at the end of September 2014 or discontinuing some of their features altogether. This is not the only genealogy based site going that route either - I came across another, in the past week, that shared a similar announcement but already closed off the information, submitted to the site, from the public.

I once had to scramble in cutting & pasting web content from a site announcing closure, several years ago,and vowed I would not do that again. Therefore I try to make sure to have an offline copy of my work and that my offline content, or work, is not only backed up, on a thumb drive, but also the most current copy of that project. Online trees may not be as current as the copy I have on my hard drive or thumb drive.

This blog site was created more for my personal use in sifting through information shared via multiple outlets by various individuals. Forum posts, web shared trees, family surname databases, etc. I've learned the "take the information with a grain of salt" when it comes to genealogy and while sorting through the various Elizabeths, Anns, Johns, and other common, or popular, first names ... let alone in deciphering if a woman was actually named Sarah or if that was her nickname (as it could go the latter very easily in past generations) or which Elizabeth birthed what children as you had a male ancestor who married more than once and both wives had the same first name and their last name is unknown or not yet uncovered.

In short, I lean toward free resources. Not that I am cheap, which I am in some ways, but I don't feel my research has progressed to the point of legitimizing my paying a $150 or more annual subscription fee and start sifting through more information, or misinformation, yet. Right now I am still working on lining up the names with the right spouses or children. Eventually I will reach the point where I can feel it is justified to pay out money to access more archives of information and be able to navigate more easily through those offerings.