http://uvpafug.org/classes/dons/dons-nfsaffiliates-2011-01-19.html

This information was taken from course entitled “Making It Easier: New FamilySearch Affiliate Programs” on Utah Valley PAF Users Group website: http://uvpafug.org/classes/dons/dons-nfsaffiliates-2011-01-19.html.

 

MAKING IT EASIER: NEW FAMILYSEARCH AFFILIATE PROGRAMS

 
NEW FAMILYSEARCH AND AFFILIATE PROGRAMS

• New FamilySearch (nFS) is the software that the LDS Church has released in all temple districts, except the Orient, to help with family history and temple work -- program is updated regularly
• Some things we need to do in nFS -- Combine records, separate records, enter another opinion, upload or download data, set up a discussion of why certain data is correct, learn of changes in nFS data
• LDS FH Dept's KnowledgeBase articles
  • Recommends you keep an updated corrected copy of your own genealogy file at home, even though the data is in nFS --https://help.familysearch.org/publishing/69/105366_f.SAL_Member.html
  • Can use PAF https://help.familysearch.org/publishing/547/102204_f.SAL_Public.html
• Affiliate programs are programs certified by the FH Dept to help you work with new FamilySearch
  • Many certified Affiliate programs -- see list at https://new.familysearch.org/ at lower right-hand side of screen under More Great Products -- or can get to it directly athttp://www.familysearch.org/eng/affiliates/index.html
  • More details on certified programs at https://devnet.familysearch.org/certification/affiliate-program/ and https://devnet.familysearch.org/certification/affiliate-program/AffiliateCertfied/
  • Developer's Awards for certified affiliate software by the FH Dept 2010 -- https://devnet.familysearch.org/news/vote-for-developer-choice-award-winners
• Category 1 of Affiliates -- PAF compatible programs
  • These relate PAF databases to nFS -- PAF is Personal Ancestral File, freeware from LDS Church at https://www.familysearch.org/ )
  • Get My Ancestors -- freeware available from http://www.ohanasoftware.com -- allows downloads of linked pedigrees in PAF format from nFS; video tutorial at http://www.ohanasoftware.com/?sec=getmyancestors&page=getmyancestorshelp
  • Ancestral Quest -- commercial program, but has a free version Ancestral Quest Basic; full version is free to use at FHCs -- available from http://www.ancquest.com/index.htm -- video tutorial at http://www.ancquest.com/tutorial.htm
  • Family Insight -- commercial, but free to use at FHCs -- available from http://www.ohanasoftware.com -- video tutorials (36 minutes total) at http://www.ohanasoftware.com/?sec=lessons > Support > Lessons
• Category 2 of Affiliates -- Other database formats
  • These relate other formats of genealogy databases to nFS -- most other genealogy programs will read a PAF database, but to go back to PAF later you need to make a GEDCOM of the data
  • AllMyCousins -- available online at https://www.allmycousins.com/
  • Ancestral Quest -- commercial, but but has a free version and full version is free to use at FHCs -- available from http://www.ancquest.com/index.htm -- video tutorial athttp://www.ancquest.com/tutorial.htm -- listed both places since it can be run on a PAF database or its own format with more options
  • RootsMagic -- commercial, but has a free version RootsMagic Essentials; full version is free to use at FHCs -- http://www.rootsmagic.com/ -- connects your rootsmagic database with nfs; video tutorials at http://www.rootsmagic.com/rootsmagic/tutorials/ 
  • Legacy -- Standard Version is free, Deluxe Version is commercial, but free to use in FHCs -- available from http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/ -- connects your legacy database with nfs -- video tutorials at http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/videos.asp

EXAMPLES AND DEMO'S

• Will do short demo's of some things we like about the following programs
• From Ohana Software -- http://www.ohanasoftware.com
  • Get My Ancestors -- http://www.ohanasoftware.com/?sec=downloads&page=GetMyAncestors -- freeware for downloading data from nFS
  • Family Insight -- http://www.ohanasoftware.com/?cl=buy&op=buy&catid=2 -- commercial program to sync PAF with nFS
• Ancestral Quest -- http://www.ancquest.com/index.htm -- free and commercial versions, up- and download and syncing with nFS
• RootsMagic Essentials -- http://www.rootsmagic.com/ -- free and commercial versions, up and download and syncing with nFS
• AllMyCousins -- https://www.allmycousins.com/ -- free and commercial versions -- used to download from nFS with goal of finding temple work needed -- Good 5-minute video in the Help menu; doesn't sync with nFS
• Many other good features of these programs and many other good affiliate programs -- see list in nFS

COMPARISONS

• Each program is better in some ways and does some things the others don't do -- hence no one "best program" for everyone
• You need to decide what you want it to do and decide for yourself -- can change later, if you decide you want to
• For simplicity, if you are not already using a genealogy program, use PAF to get started -- always change later, if you want to
• Comparison PowerPoint by Sheri Lynn Lemon 30 Mar 2010 Logan Utah Regional FHC -- http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~utcfhc/NFS_Sync_Programs.pps
• Comparisons by Ileen Johnson, owner of [FHCNET] email list -- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FHCNET/message/26444 -- pdf handout athttp://f1.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/IPQ0TfqhlLHH_DcgFS1Zq36unl_sbJ_AWyq2m4wZVnMyl1-EFFtUvgDjv5cIzdNDHtOGAMMhFx4DRITMgE12pT2bNDt49HM/Affiliate%20Software%20Programs.pdf-- Eleen Johnson posted a comparison spreadsheet on 13 Dec 2009 at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FHCNET/files/, but you have to be a subscriber to [FHCNET] and have a (free) Google Groups account
• Presentation by Janet Hovorka at Utah Valley PAF Users Group -- http://www.uvpafug.org/presentations/Certified_Software_Presentation.pdf
• From readers of [fhcnet] which is an email list of fhc workers -- comparison spreadsheet http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0aiu7vl7hmpe-dhlbazvty2u5qtnou0zkzwnpawxqave&hl=en 
• Comparison chart of Ancestral Quest, Family Insight, and RootsMagic on Ancestral Quest's webpage -- slanted towards Ancestral Quest, but still helpful --http://www.inclinesoftware.net/files/comparefs/mostcomprehensivesynccomparison.pdf