Issue 28.13
Part 2
I get this question a lot: Do I still need a genealogy program on my computer or is Family Tree enough? My answer is “It depends!” If you are just beginning and you don’t already have a genealogy program with any data in it, then you could use Family Tree at FamilySearch.org to keep your family information safe. However, there are many reasons to have your own database on your own computer.
Programs that will synchronize with Family Tree can save time if you have a lot of data on your computer that you need to add to the Family Tree and don’t want to type it in again. These synchronizing programs can also bring you information from the Family Tree. They are automated but you still need to pay attention because the programs don’t always know that there were three John Jones born the same year in the same place in Wales! It might get mixed up and think all three were the same guy and combine them, causing a mess.
You can have a theory on a family that you may not want to add to the Family Tree, but it would be nice to have it computerized as your work on it, this is another reason to have your desktop program. You can keep doing research and prove your conclusions and then add the correct information to the Family Tree. A word of caution: Don’t wait until your tree is perfect to add it. We never will have a perfect tree and the Family Tree was designed to stop the duplication of research, so if you are reasonably sure you have a family put together, add it to the Family Tree, add the sources you have, and you may be surprised by the family members who contact you and are willing to collaborate and help with the research process.
People get new computer, or computers crash and some forget to back up their genealogy software. It can be a very sad day for that person, so an online Family Tree will solve the heartache. Hit and miss people who want to check grandpa’s death date one year and two years later check on an aunt will do just fine only using the Family Tree. As a genealogist I need a desktop genealogy program, or four or five.
There are many programs to choose from https://familysearch.org/products will give you a list. I’ve tried Ancestral Quest, Charting Companion, FamilyInsight, Legacy Family Tree, Personal Ancestral File, Record Seek, RootsMagic , TreeSeek, and they all gave great attributes and some are even free. It is a personal decision and the above link will give you product descriptions. I like a program that isn’t so complicated that it takes brain function that I would rather use to concentrate on research instead of thinking about how to run software.
The best advice would be to keep your research in several places, back it up, paper copies are fine if you prefer that, maintain your own database for reference but share what you have and you will get further faster. Be careful synchronizing and changing other people’s data unless you are sure what you are doing is correct.
For more information, contact Shanna Jones 435-628-4900 shannasjones@msn.com