Issue 37.09
Working with the New FamilySearch [NFS] program, users may find it easier to use a certified program to update or synchronize their genealogy data with the data already in NFS. For the next few articles, I will explore these other programs.
If you are a PAF user, you are likely familiar with the program PAF Insight by Ohana Software. It has been upgraded and named Family Insight as it does everything PAF Insight used to do plus works with the New FamilySearch program.
You can accelerate your work with the features of FamilyInsight which include a place name editor with automatic suggestions from the FamilySearch data. It will help you clean up your place names so that they will be exactly what FamilySearch wants. You can instantly change St. George, Washington, Utah, USA to what FamilySearch likes: Saint George, Washington, Utah, United States. You can collaborate in minutes with the synchronizing feature. It has speed and accuracy and is designed to bring up easily found matches right away and then return again for a more powerful and comprehensive search. Somehow it finds matches that would be lost with any other search.
FamilyInsight will help you keep your PAF files clean by finding hidden floaters in your file, dangling pedigrees, misspelled or incomplete places and missing ordinance information.
FamilyInsight features a handy “Guide Me” Button that will tell you the next step in using the program. FamilyInsight is one of the FamilySearch Certified products and an award winner for its desktop feature and syncing and tree cleaning category.
Ohana Software is the producer of FamilyInsight. Ohana is the Hawaiian word for family. They can be found at www.ohanasoftware.com. It is available for Windows and Mac and includes a year of free downloadable updates for $25.00. It is meant to be used with Personal Ancestral File as an add-on program.
Synchronizing with the new FamilySearch program is easily done and it keeps track of which names you have synchronized with a chain icon. If you make changes to your PAF file, it will change the left chain color to pink. If changes are made in NFS since you synchronized last, it will change the right chain color to pink. So it keeps track of what changes, not only in your PAF file but, in NFS as well. It makes it easy to work with both programs and stay current with where you left off.
FamilyInsight Tutorials are available at http://www.ohanasoftware.com/?sec=lessons&page=FamilyInsightTutorial
Shanna Sullivan Jones is a professional genealogist now accepting new clients. For additional information, Shanna can be reached at (435) 628-4900 or shannasjones@msn.com.