New Blog + Billion Graves + Spring Handout

This week’s article has 3 parts!

1. We want to announce a new blog!  pfhn.wordpress.com or http://pfhn.wordpress.com/ Why?  To provide a place to post the latest versions of handouts for Family History – I just don’t like the idea of people going home from a presentation and typing in urls from a paper handout , and focus on FH articles for the public.  So peterfh.wordpress.com remains for FH Consultants and lds topics, and pfhn.wordpress.com is for public articles and particularly handouts. You are welcome to sign up for the new blog!  Your comments and articles are welcome!
2. Did you get the FH Consultant Newsletter from FamilySearch on 27 April?  Hope so – or it means that either you haven’t registered at familysearch.org/serve aka https://www.familysearch.org/consultant/  yet or that your email program moved the message into the spam or trash file!  Did you notice the interesting news that Billion Graves data will be part of FamilySearch as of 1 May 2012?  Not familiar with Billion Graves?  Their website is http://billiongraves.com/ .  They are trying to add 1 million records in the month of May.  There is also an article in the blog at FamilySearch.org https://www.familysearch.org/blog/billiongraves/   Billion Graves is a FamilySearch affiliate product (go to the link to Products at the bottom of the page at Familysearch.org and select Web)
3. Here is the latest version of the handout we have been using at our training sessions this Spring.

Stake Family HIstory Meetings April/May 2012

1. Our purpose: To follow the Spirit and empower members to identify their ancestors, link them into families, and ensure that temple ordinances are performed for them.

Process:  Ask, Find, Teach

Clarifying questions are very important. There are 5 main places to Find answers – (1). Learn at familysearch.org, (2). Help Centre at nFS and Help at familysearch, (3).  FHCentre Director, your fellow consultants, (4).  Telephone 1-866-406-1830 or email support@familysearch.org,  (5). Weekly articles at peterfh.wordpress.com .

1. Teach Temple policy – who we do work for – 110 year rule  – help everyone understand and follow Temple Policies – refer to page 30 in Member’s Guide – First Presidency letter 29 Feb – use the Tutorials and Guides from the Help panel or Learn How to use FamilySearch from the new FamilySearch home page – quote policy don’t interpret
2. Indexing on mobile devices – IOS and Android – in beta – app seems very stable – but work done is not being rolled up into Stake statistics yet – uses “snippets” – look for icon at top of screen to see page view (so can compare lettering)
3. Helping with LDS Account problems
   1. When registering – User name – keep short – minimum 4 characters
   2. Passwords – think of a word plus a number – minimum 8 characters including at least one number
   3. Contact name – use something meaningful e.g. first initial last name
   4. Forgot username and/or password – follow Forgot? on sign in page
   5. Forgot username but no or wrong email or not available to use email – click in box and use membership number and birthdate.
   6. How to sign in to help someone else – helper access numbers – where to find them – limitations on being a helper (e.g. no discussions available) – see kd 100546 – when do you use Sign in to Help Someone Else?
   7. Update email, change username, password and access # in Update My Profile and Preferences on welcome page of nFS
4. Update on FamilySearch.org – end of Previous site coming soon?
   1. Blog link – check periodically – includes news on changes
   2. Records – search wide – then narrow with filters
   3. Trees – new options – search PRF or AF or both
   4. Books – now moved to Familysearch servers so collection can grow – and it is already larger – full text access to family histories
   5. Learn – for Research Wiki, Research Courses, and Discussion Forums
   6. Catalog – still not final version
   7. Help – be aware of options
   8. Signing in makes a difference – e.g. more images available
   9. Future of the IGI – told it will be made available again in 2013 (??)
5. Building your tree on nFS
   1. Sign in – build your tree – combine duplicates – update Summary View – find relatives needing Temple work – move to temple list – print Family Ordinance Request (FOR)
   2. Are we making any progress with “mytreeitus”?
   3. FORs – how to email – beware of old FORs
6. Family Tree (FT) -  Demo of some of the features
   1. Dilemma – not complete product yet – so must still use nFS – will this be confusing?   will names be delayed going to the temple?  Should we be learning to use it or just be aware of it?
   2. For Help Learning FT – go to FamilySearch.org click on Help and scroll down to Family Tree Help – currently there are 5 resources there: Navigating the FamilySearch Family Tree (video), Navigating the FamilySearch Family Tree (pdf), Using the FamilySearch Family Tree (pdf), Gaining Access to the FamilySearch Family Tree (pdf), Release Notes (pdf)
   3. If you want to use FT you can have it – FamilySearch need people to give feedback during development – but be cautious about who tries it.  Providing feedback with good easy-to-follow examples can help the engineers to fix problems.  Go to FamilySearch.org, click on Help and scroll down to the section on Family Tree, click on Gaining Access to the FamilySearch Family Tree (pdf) to submit a request.   …If you have questions or comments, please go to http://getsatisfaction.com/familysearch/products/familysearch_family_tree_beta .   Note: This site is described as a “beta site” but uses live data, so please be careful. It is partly “read-only”, so changes sometimes need to be made in nFS to appear in FT.
7. Keeping your own file – feel stronger than ever that this is important to do if we can – what software to use? make sure you can move data to and from nFS without re-typing it.  See list through Products link at FamilySearch.org or link on right to software on sign in page for nFS
8.   Please read our weekly article – and submit suggestions for articles and even articles themselves.  We welcome your contributions. You can subscribe to automatically receive articles.  http://peterfh.wordpress.com/  Also public notes at http://pfhn.wordpress.com

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Making a Fan Chart from nFS for Someone Else and one other important item

Many of us have been enjoying our 9 generation fan charts based on data from nFS (using createfan.com).   We sometimes get asked, can we make a fan chart for someone in our ward or family?  Thanks to Charles Schmalz, the Director of the Ogden FH Center here are the instructions to make a fan chart for someone else (from his March 2012 Newsletter):

“To print a chart stating with yourself:

1. Go to https://createfan.com

2. Click Login

3. Type in nFS Username and Password

4. Click Sign In

5. Click Create

6.  Open or Save the resultant Fan Chart (PDF format) Starting with You (9 generations)

To view other Fan Charts starting with other PID Numbers

1. Click on TreeSeek.com hyperlink – you MUST complete steps 1-6 above before going to TreeSeek.com

2. Click on Start Now!

3. Click on Login underneath the tree

4. Type in nFS Username and Password

5. Click on Create Tree if you wish to enter another Person ID (PID) as shown below. Your results are stored to the website server.

6. Enter Person PID number in the box you desire to be the start of Ancestor Fan Chart

7. Click Create data set button and wait patiently for process to complete

8. Click the Starting Person For the fan chart you desire as directed from

the following menu given below: Just click the pull-down above, make your

selection, and then do the next step below.

9. Click Create Chart button

10. Open or Save the resultant Fan Chart (PDF format) Starting with input PID (9

generations)

NOTE: When you complete the above process once, you only need to return to the TreeSeek.com website for additional charts.”

Wouldn’t it be nice to print a large colour fan chart?  Bill reminds us that if you have Adobe Reader v 10 you can print as tiles – and then put the tiles together.

Our American colleagues always tell us about being able to get large charts printed at places like Kinkos (didn’t they get bought out by FedEx?) or services like genealogycharts.org and generationmaps.com/familychartist .  Shipping of the charts to Canada might be prohibitive (? has any tried it?).  Where in Canada can we get large charts printed? Staples will print a 24″ by 36″ colour chart for $29.99 from a pdf file.  You can upload the file to their website and pick the print up at the store.  I tried Costco but they only print jpg and tiff files and not pdf. Does anyone know where you can get a large colour chart printed in Canada?

How to become a FamilySearch Missionary 

Have you noticed that there are some delays in getting your telephone calls to FamilySearch Support answered?  There is a shortage of missionaries!  Please consider helping or look for people you know and gently persuade them to help.  You can serve from home!  15 or more hours a week.  This knowledge document gives the details:

Document ID: 100134

Part-Time Church-Service Missionaries Needed

FamilySearch Patron Services Division

Interested in FamilySearch?

Church-service missionaries help provide e-mail and phone support for users of FamilySearch websites and FamilySearch computer programs by answering questions about family history products, programs, and services. Missionaries will receive training and can then offer e-mail and phone support from their own homes.

Availability: Missionaries are expected to serve a minimum of 15 hours per week for at least a year. Days and times for actual service are scheduled with a Mission Leader once the first eight weeks of training have been completed.

Requirements:

• Contact Elder Whiting before talking to your local priesthood leaders–there are some technical requirements that must be met before you can serve.
• Minimum requirements for a home computer: 1.0 GB RAM, Pentium 4 processor, Windows XP, and a high-speed (broadband, DSL, or cable) Internet connection. When you contact us we can help you determine if your computer will be suitable for the services you will be providing. Click here to see a more detailed list of computer system requirements.
• Church-service missionaries are called by their stake president and set apart by their bishop.

Skills: Missionaries should have a good understanding of computers, along with good troubleshooting and communication skills. It is helpful if they have experience in one or more FamilySearch areas including Historical Records, Indexing, FamilySearch Centers, Research and new FamilySearch. Previous experience as a ward family history consultant, as a family history center director or staff member, or as an indexing program director or worker is also very helpful.

For more information, contact:

Elder Whiting, Coordinator
FamilySearch Field Missionaries
Toll Free: 1-800-453-3860 ext. 20850
E-mail: WhitingJ@familysearch.org

To obtain additional information about becoming FamilySearch Missionary:

1. Go to http://www.lds.org/.
2. Click Menu.
3. Click Missionary Service.
4. Under Church-Service Mission Opportunities click Current Opportunities in the middle column.
5. Click View “At Home” Service Opportunities.
6. Click FamilySearch Missionary (#1321)
7. Click Request Information
8. Enter your name and email address and then click Submit Information

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Christmas – and the last article for 2011

It is time to wish each of you a wonderful Christmas.  May you and your families feel the true spirit of Christmas as you celebrate the birth of the Saviour.

Thank you for all that you do to help others with their temple and family history work.  We have enjoyed our visits with you in 2011 and look forward to seeing you in 2012.

This is our last article for 2011.  We will resume on 8 January 2012.

We hope that 2012 will be a wonderful and special year.

1. To Turn the Hearts Leader’s Guide and DVD are on their way or already at Stakes and Wards!  There are some wording changes as well as formatting changes.  Please destroy any copies of the draft copy including any copies of the pdf file you downloaded previously.  While only 5 copies of the Guide were sent to each unit, they will be available shortly through Distribution.  Please download a copy of the pdf file from either Serving in the Church at lds.org or familysearch.org/serve/.  An example of a change can be found by comparing the old page 11 from the draft version which is now page 12.  The draft version wording “position the High Priest Group Leader as the coordinator of the ward council’s temple and family history work . . .” has been changed to say “the bishopric ensures that the high priests group leader acts as the coordinator of the ward council’s temple and family history work.”  Please study the final document. .
2. Please continue to review familysearch.org/serve to see new training resources.

For Christmas we would like to give each of you a colored 9 generation fan chart of your family history.  Go to createfan.com, and log in with your lds account. Then click on Create.  You get a coloured fan chart which you can save and zoom.  We hope you enjoy your chart!  Instructions are in a video available on the FH for Youth website at lds.org/fhy in the section entitled See My Family Tree.  Createfan.com is a 3rd party affiliate service that prints a chart from your file at nFS.

Every best wish for Christmas and the New Year!

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Family History Software for the Mac computer

Perhaps you own a Mac?  Probably you know someone who owns one?  Perhaps you have been asked what Family History (FH) software is available for the Mac?

There is good family history software for the Mac.  Unfortunately for the LDS family historian there are fewer choices than for the Windows computer user.

As we have written before (see article 5 June 2011 at http://peterfh.wordpress.com/) we encourage everyone to keep their own family history records on their own computer.  These are then my records.  What is on the Internet at sites such as new.familysearch.org are “our” records – where we collaborate with others and share with the world.

It is unnecessary for any Windows computer user to double enter data on their own computer and on new.familysearch.org (nFS).  There are several excellent software choices available that allow data to be moved to and from new familysearch without re-entering the information as well as allowing other interaction with nFS. Even PAF – old as it is – can do this with the help of either Family Insight or Ancestral Quest.  Several good alternatives to PAF can synchronize data with new familysearch such as Rootsmagic, Legacy Family Tree, Family Tree Maker with Family Insight, and Ancestral Quest to name but four.  Family Insight works as an intermediary between just about all the most popular programs and nFS!

What is available for the Mac and what works with the FamilySearch website?

To answer this question go to Familysearch.org, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click on Products (you can get to the same information from the sign in page for nFS  – look for the heading More Great Products).  Here you can see the lists of products certified by FamilySearch – we often call them affiliates.  Many of them are utilities to help with printing or contacting people and some are personal family history record keeping products.  For each of these products there is a list of access features.  There is a long list of web products (18 as of 24 Sep 2011), a long list of Windows products (14) and a very short list for the Mac (5), and an even shorter list for mobile devices (1).  There are only 5 items on the Mac list!  Family Insight is there with a good list of features certified for working with nFS, and Mac FamilyTree with a short list of features for working with nFS.

What is the Mac user to do?

The situation is not quite as bad as it looks.

1. The FamilySearch list does not include Family Tree Maker (FTM) for the Mac which does work with the current Mac version of Family Insight.  But what if you don’t like FTM, or its price? – although remember that the price of FTM often includes several months access to an Ancestry web site.
2. Family Insight are beta testing a version of their product that will work with Mac FamilyTree and deliver a good list of features that work with nFS.  This is important news for many Mac users.
3. Rootsmagic have said that they intend to have a Mac version of their product available – perhaps by the summer of 2012.

Is that all?

One of the most popular Family History products on the Mac is Reunion.  You could export your data as a gedcom and then use Family Insight – but this is cumbersome and  I think unnecessarily complicated.

Are you willing to run a Windows FH program on your Mac?

There are 3 ways to do this and you can very successfully use any Windows FH program on your Mac.

1. Turn your Mac into a Macindow (????) or a Winmac (just joking!) by buying either Parallels and Fusion and then installing a full copy of a Windows operating system – if you don’t own a full copy of Windows you will have to buy one.  I have done this and with a click can move between the Mac and Windows operating systems.  I have PAF, Ancestral Quest, Family Insight for Windows, Rootsmagic, and Legacy Family Tree all working in Windows on my Mac. Files are shared between the 2 operating systems. Besides cost what is the downside of doing this?  You need to learn 2 operating systems, and you need to update 2 operating systems.
2. Every Mac comes with a free copy of a product called Boot Camp.  This will allow you to install a version of Windows – which you would have to own.  Then you can install any Windows FH program.  The downside is that you have to re-boot your computer to move between Windows and Mac operating system, as well as having to know and update 2 operating systems.
3. Install a Windows emulator program on your Mac and then install the Windows FH program of your choice. You do not have to install a copy of Windows and therefore don’t have to own a copy of Windows.  There are several Windows emulator programs available, such as Wine and Crossover Mac.  Some are free and some cost as much as $40.

One of the nicest articles on the ways to run Windows programs on a Mac can be found at Rootsmagic.com under the link to Support then Knowledge Base.  Search for “Mac” and then select Will Rootsmagic Run on a Mac? – go to the bottom of the article where there is a link to more information which gives you access to a table of choices and other information.

Well, that’s how I see things.  I hope this helps.

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What’s available at the FH Centre for free!

By Bill Buchanan (who has also kindly shared his opinions on some of these sites and software).

Why go to the Family History Centre?  Accessing the following for free is a good reason!

Here is a list of the subscription websites that are available for free at FHCs and my current impressions … always subject to change.

19th Century British Library Newspapers site, maybe I needed to look for
more prominent people.

FamilyHistoryLink seems similar to free online forums such as RootsWeb or GenForum or sites that allow you to upload gedcoms.

FindMyPast.com I especially love the 1841-1911 census for England and Wales. I usually save the digital images of the pages that have my people. Their passenger information is wonderful too!

Footnote.com had few census records (1860 & 1930). Their historic newspapers show a lot of promise. Ordinary people may be mentioned in Canada and US newspapers.

TheGenealogist.co.uk has a BMD (births-marriages-deaths) index for England and Wales that is inferior to the FreeBMD index for 1837 – 1983, at least up to the 1920s. But its strength is that it covers years that FreeBMD does not cover, and for 1984-2005 it is excellent! It also has an incomplete version of the census.

Genline.com allows you to search digitized images of church books in Sweden. Knowing Swedish would be a big help!

Godfrey Memorial Library – not always a lot of depth, but the breadth is almost overwhelming.

HeritageQuest – The US census index and images is the big thing here! Books and periodicals (PERSI) has some potential. Also Revolutionary War and Freedman’s Bank, and U.S. Serial Set.

Historic Map Works – Coverage seems to be hit-or-miss, but can be excellent.

World Vital Records has potential, but I haven’t found anything specific yet.

Alexander Street Press – American Civil War records – seems to have potential.

Ancestry Institution version for the 1916 Canada Census

The list of software that can be used for free in a FHC includes:
Ancestral Quest 12.1 – which can replace PAF or be used as a PAF utility.  This is full-blown software that can synchronize your data with new FamilySearch. There is very little learning curve for PAF users. Some little things are missing but more has been added.

RootsMagic 4 impresses me as very nice genealogy software that can synch your database with nFS. You can import PAF files directly.

MagiKey is genealogy software that can synch with nFS. It uses GEDCOM as its native file format. The census tracker and the timeline looked interesting, but AQ and RM impressed me more.

Charting Companion for nFS. Very similar to PAF Companion and the other Charting Companion software, from the same company.

FamilyInsight can be thought of as the nFS version of PAF Insight, but with the ability to synch your PAF data with nFS. It includes these programs which can also be useed as stand-alone programs:

Get My Ancestors – allows you to download family trees from nFS (less the ordinances, notes and sources).

Ordinance Tracker – a more visual way of managing your temple submissions.

Genline can be accessed via the software or via the website.

Map My Family Tree puts pins on an outline map in every location referenced in your database.

NOTE: The software that can synch with nFS can also reserve and manage ordinances.  See the link in the bottom right hand corner of the sign in page for nFS for more information.

(pd comments – please let us know if you see any of your favourites that are available for free and are missing from this list – use the comments.  If you are not sure how to access any of the above then ask your FH Centre Director or their staff or call 1-866-406-1830 and ask for FH Centre support.  Thank you, Bill)

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Summer Catch up

1. We hope that you are having a wonderful summer. One of the nice things about the blog is that I can pre-arrange to have articles posted automatically when I am not here! After family reunions, and a trip to Utah for the Annual Area Adviser Training session and BYU FH Conference I am back home for a while. We have lots to share after the sessions in Utah and we will offer these to you over the next few weeks.
2. The training site will be down until about August 15 for upgrading. We have told you (we hope!) about training.familysearch.org which is a training system for the new FamilySearch web site. This system contains fictitious names, dates and localities. Here you can learn how to add, edit, combine and submit names for temple ordinances without the fear of making mistakes with real data. Sometimes this is called the “sandbox.” It is a great place to learn! Just don’t try to use it until after August 15! They are updating the website to include the new features in nFS.
3. New software certified to work with nFS is available. We noticed some interesting new products in the link on the sign in page to nFS (lower right link under More Great Products) – we know there is a lot there so just let us suggest three:
a. MacFamilyTree version 6. This is the first full data management package for the mac we have seen certified. We have no idea what integration with nFS is available. Perhaps some mac user can let us know? Mobile Family Tree (not to be confused with MobileTree) for the ipod/iphone/ipad is a companion product to MacFamilyTree. We hope mac users will also remember the pending release of Family Tree Maker for the mac!
b. Family Photoloom. This is free web site that links nFS data to your photos. We haven’t tried it yet and would appreciate your comments.
c. Gaia Family Tree. This software, which helps you build your family tree, has a 14 day free trial and then costs CAD$9.95 for the full version. The maker is Lulu Software which is a Quebec based company! Again we would appreciate you sharing your comments!
It is impossible for each of us to try all of these products but if each of us tried one and shared a comment it would help all of us.
4. The beta testing for the next update to nFS (version 0.992) ended on August 5, so watch for the update which should be happening shortly (remember to check the News and Updates link on the sign in page for the latest What’s new document). The list of changes in this update is not long. Much of it deals with adding the remaining 5 Asian Temples.
5. Among the highlights of the BYU Family History Conferences were the morning devotionals on each of the first 3 days. The first devotional was given by Elder Dennis B. Neuenschwander – “It Is More than About Names”. There is information on all 3 devotionals at http://ce.byu.edu/cw/cwgen/keynote.cfm . There is also a link on that page to the full text of Elder Dennis B. Neuenschwander’s talk (it says it is 13 pages but the last page is blank). I hope you will enjoy reading this! I was particularly moved by the section starting in the middle of page 10 (I suppose that this might be a logical place to stop, . . . ) to the end of 12. The other 2 devotionals were excellent, but you will have to depend on my notes in a future blog to learn about those!

Next week’s blog article will answer the question ”What does the division number in Prairie place names mean?” (a follow-up to the article posted on July 25). The following week we have a guest author, Lianne Kruger, who has kindly written a two part article for us on Google for Genealogists.

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Software News

Please don’t interpret the following comments to be our endorsement of a particular software package! As far as we are concerned there are many good ones and each of us should select the one(s) that we like the best and that we find easiest to use.
This is being shared because: 1. We often hear from Macintosh users wanting to know about FH software for the Mac that will work with nFS, and 2. This is important information for users of several FamilySearch Affiliate products.
1. Around the time of the the SLC Conferences, Ancestry.com announced that a version of their Family Tree Maker software would be made for the Macintosh. When? The Family Tree Maker web site says “later in 2010.”
2. The following is condensed from the April 2010 newsletter from Ohana Software the makers of FamilyInsight regarding Adding New File Formats. Ohana are:
- Beta testing a version that will work with Family Tree Maker 2010 and Ancestral Quest file formats.
- Developing versions that will work directly with RootsMagic and Legacy files.
- What does this mean? Do I need to stop using PAF? This means that you can use the program that works best for your needs and still have access to FamilyInsight. If PAF is your favorite program then by all means keep using PAF 5. If you like one of the other programs then you can choose the program that is best for you.
- Family Tree Maker has announced that they will be releasing a Mac Version and we will work with that program when it is released. We are also pursuing other Mac options to work with.
- Now that Get My Ancestors is in the Tools menu of FamilyInsight, you will be able to save your Get My Ancestors file in any of the formats that FamilyInsight saves to. This is only applicable to the version that is in the tools menu of FamilyInsight.
- The Get My Ancestors stand alone program will only save to a PAF file.
( Follow this link for the full newsletter article: http://www.ohanasoftware.com/files_documents/newsletter/Apr2010.pdf )

What does this mean?
1. Good news for Mac users – they will have another choice for FH software – and will be able to work more easily with nFS data once Family Tree Maker for Mac becomes available.
2. Those using PAF and other FH programs will also be able to use Family Insight if they wish.
3. The free Get My Ancestors program allows you to download information from nFS to help someone create or add to their FH file – but only in PAF format. The Get My Ancestors link from within Family Insight allows you to use Get My Ancestors to create files in the other formats supported by Family Insight.
Always remember to periodically check in the link to the lower right of the sign in page for nFS to see the growing list of Affiliate Products. Click on some of the links – try some of the products at least the ones that are free!

Footnote:
What is affiliate software? “FamilySearch Certified Affiliates are third-party companies and organizations that provide products and services with features that are compatible with FamilySearch programs. Certification indicates the affiliate’s declaration of compliance with FamilySearch requirements. Note that these products and services are independently developed and supported by their respective organizations, not by FamilySearch.” (from nFS website).
What does this mean? Among the features of affiliate software are the ability to move data in and out of nFS without re-typing anything, and being able to see the nFS data in different formats.

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Which FamilySearch Certified Affiliate Software is Best for Me?

by Ileen Johnson

FamilySearch Certified Affiliates are third-party companies that provide products and services with features that are compatible with FamilySearch programs.  Certification indicates the affiliate’s declaration of compliance with FamilySearch requirements. Note that these products and services are independently developed and supported by their respective organizations, not by FamilySearch.  To see a list of certified software programs and Internet links to their Web sites, click this link:  http://www.familysearch.org/eng/affiliates/index.html.

New FamilySearch features that can be certified are Access, Helper (assist others), Multi-Language, Ordinance Reservation, Ordinance Request, Ordinance Status, PAF Add-In, Print, Research Wiki, Print Service (poster-size reports), Synchronization (between new FamilySearch and personal database), and Update (publish new data to FamilySearch).  New FamilySearch and all affiliate programs access the same database, but the affiliates add features to help users perform new FamilySearch functions.  The affiliates also perform some functions not yet available in new FamilySearch, such as print charts and reports, and download data from new FamilySearch.

Do I have to use one of these affiliate programs?  No.  If you wish, you can work directly from within new FamilySearch, but the affiliate programs may help simplify and speed up your work, especially that of  synchronizing your personal database with new FamilySearch and vice versa.

So, which FamilySearch Certified Affiliate Software is best for me?  Well, that depends a lot on you.  Does your computer use a Windows operating system or is it a Mac?  Are you willing to change to another genealogy software program, or are you happy with the one you already have?    Answers to these questions will help lead you towards the right affiliate program for you.  This document will comment on five programs:  Ancestral Quest 12.1, FamilyInsight, RootsMagic 4, MagiKey Family Tree and Legacy Family Tree, all of which have established telephone support lines and online tutorials or videos to help you get started.

Other affiliate programs not discussed here include several utilities that access new FamilySearch and provide one or more certified features.  Some are Web-based, some associated with popular genealogy Web sites, and some are stand-alone programs to be used from home computers.  New affiliate programs are being certified on a regular basis, so be sure to check http://www.familysearch.org/eng/affiliates/index.html frequently.  Links to affiliate Web sites can be found by following the above link.

Personal Ancestral File (Win) has been available for many years as a free download and was last updated in 2002.  The  LDS Church will continue to support this product, but no further upgrades will be provided.  PAF remains a good, solid program, but lacks some of the features newer programs have.  Some fields added by affiliate programs are saved, but cannot be viewed in PAF.  If you are using Personal Ancestral File for your personal  database and want to continue to do so, consider Ancestral Quest or FamilyInsight.  Both these programs work with PAF and can be accessed from the PAF Tools menu after installation.

Ancestral Quest (Win) is the program the LDS Church selected as the base for Personal Ancestral File 4 and 5, so there are a lot of similarities between the two programs. If you are a PAF user, AQ will look and feel like a major upgrade to PAF 5. You’ll enjoy using the familiar charts and reports, advanced filtering, and other screens. You’ll find new capabilities and reports, including the ability to synchronize your PAF data with new FamilySearch, spell-check notes, record research tasks, direct lookups on Ancestry.com and the ability to work on a single master file with relatives. If you are new to family tree software, you will find AQ to be a complete, easy-to-use program that will handle your needs and give you lots of extras. AQ can use the same .paf data file that is used by PAF 5, so you can use AQ by itself as a replacement for PAF, or if you prefer to continue to use PAF 5, AQ can be used along side of PAF to synchronize your PAF database with new FamilySearch. Ancestral Quest is ranked as having the best listing tool and the most comprehensive synchronizing, which means there are more ways to sync, and you’ll see more of the NFS data while syncing. It includes a built in utility for downloading ancestral lines from new FamilySearch, and an Ordinance Reservation and Tracking System that helps you reserve ordinances and maintain your ordinance card inventory. Ancestral Quest offers a 60-day free trial – not a limited “basic” version, but the full program. The purchase price is US$29.95.

FamilyInsight (Win/Mac) opens your PAF database, PAF backup or a GEDCOM from any family history database manager and uses it to search new FamilySearch. During the time FamilyInsight is in use, the PAF program cannot be used with that same file. This is to prevent loss of data if you were to edit the file in both programs simultaneously.  FamilyInsight can be accessed through the tools menu in PAF 5 or by opening  a file directly into FamilyInsight.  When FamilyInsight closes, data is saved back to your PAF database, a new file, or as a new file type or name.  GEDCOMs can be saved to various GEDCOM formats without loss of data.  You can add new data fields, notes, sources, information or new individuals in FamilyInsight either manually or by updating from new FamilySearch or from other files.  LDS Confirmation and Initiatory fields cannot be viewed in PAF but are saved and will show when the file is opened in FamilyInsight the next time. FamilyInsight is multi-lingual and is noted for its thorough duplicate record match capabilities. It has been ranked as best standardizer (of place names) and best separator.  It is the only program that will let you separate incorrectly-combined records on FamilySearch easily and remain working in the program at the same time.  When you synchronize a record with new FamilySearch, FamilyInsight will combine on new FamilySearch those records you marked as matches,  add new individuals and information to your file,  and copy data from your file to new FamilySearch.   You can reserve names for ordinances or assign them to the temple to do.  Ordinance Tracker, on the FamilyInsight tools menu, uses simple drag and drop to assign names to the temple, print Family Ordinance Requests, or unreserve names.

RootsMagic 4 (Win) is a full-featured genealogy software that won the 2009 FamilySearch awards for “Easiest to Synchronize with FamilySearch” and “Best FamilySearch Dashboard”.  RootsMagic can directly import from Personal Ancestral File, FamilySearch, and other programs to quickly get you up-and-running. Most RootsMagic users use it as their main personal database, but data may be brought back into PAF using a GEDCOM file.  In July 2009, Family Tree Magazine wrote, “Probably the best all-around genealogy program, RootsMagic offers a winning combination of features for both casual and serious genealogists.”  With screens that are clean and easy to navigate, RootsMagic includes tools to find and fix problems, print charts and reports, and find and reserve missing temple ordinances.  Other features include running RootsMagic directly from a USB drive, a SourceWizard which writes source citations for you, integrated web search, book publishing, creating Shareable CDs, and more.  While the full version of RootsMagic sells for US$29.95, a completely free version named “RootsMagic Essentials” is also available which includes all of the FamilySearch features of the full version.

MagiKey Family Tree (Win) is a new application that uses a GEDCOM file, so there is no need to convert your database when exporting or backing up your file. It is a;; great option for performing temple reservations, reviewing ordinance status, opening helper mode, and pushing up or pulling down information from FamilySearch without leaving the program. To help their users, they have online tutorials, an extensive help system, and release new updates at least once a month to stay current as FamilySearch changes. Although the interface has been designed for a beginner genealogist, it has many research features for enthusiasts. Cost is US$29.95 30 Day Free Full Version Trial.

Legacy Family Tree (Win) has recently published version 7.4.06 containing some new FamilySearch features with a promise of more to come soon.  Legacy users can expect frequent updates until the official release of Version 7.5.  Legacy will directly import a PAF file, and keeps PAF’s RIN and MRIN numbers.  The program is multi-lingual.  Legacy comes in the Deluxe Edition (US$29.95) and also in a free Standard Edition.  The same new FamilySearch features that are in the Deluxe edition are also in the free Standard Edition.

If you are still undecided about which software you should use with new FamilySearch, download the free or trial   versions and try them out using a copy of your personal database.  Be sure to keep a good backup of your current database before you begin experimenting.  Lest you long for features your chosen software does not have, keep in mind that developers are working hard to keep up with the competition and your software may soon have the features you desire.  And remember, you can always call your friendly family history consultant or stop in at the local family history center to try out the affiliate programs and possibly get help evaluating them.

Biographical note:  Ileen and her family lived for many years in Minnesota.  She started working in the Family History Center in Fargo in 1980 and has had FHC callings ever since–Zaragoza, Spain, Utah Valley Regional FHC at BYU, Geneva Heights FHC in Orem, and at the Family History Training Center in Provo.  She was a FamilySearch Support missionary in 2008 and 2009 and has been the list owner of FHCNET since 1998.  She currently serves as a Family history Consultant

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nFS available for the iphone and ipod touch

The list of FamilySearch Affiliates continues to grow! On Nov 14 an application for the iphone and ipod touch was released that allows you to download your family tree and even view local ipod photos in the tree! It also allows you to search nFS if you are where there is an internet connection and see a map of events. Think of this as a nFS reader!  Cost is $4.99 and available in the itunes store. Be careful as there is another app with a similar name! Go to Mobiletree and not MobileFamilyTree – not that the latter is not a good app – it works with MacFamilyTree5!
For more information go to http://mobileme.me – isn’t that a nice url! – and I see Dick Eastman wrote about this app in his online newsletter today http://www.eogn.com.

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