On (free) on-line posting of a tree?

Dear Group,

I had been inactive, re. my family tree, for quite a while when suddenly my Cousins Daughter, in Riga (is that a First degree cousin once remove?) said she was prepared to visit some of the archieves to search for my Paternal line.
Other than a few Post war documents and a few anecdotes, I know nothing about Dad's side of the family. And don't I wish I had asked more questions whilst he was still alive.

She also gave me some resources I could look up, and I found a few more myself. Boy, compared to 5 years ago, there is much more info.

Well, the jist of my question is: To enable us both to work on the 'tree' I thought of putting it on-line. I know 'pinkocat' suggested it a few years ago, but I was then still skeptical. If the security is adequate, I am now more interested. Thus are there any "Free - initially at least" sites YOU would recommend.

I do own Legacy 7.5 and I imagine I would still use it, GEDCOM'ing data to and frough (spl?).

I rejected a few sites which didn't have the level of security (or the resources)
I felt I wanted.

I finally settled on "Tribal Pages". Entered a small amount of data and will use it as an experiment in communication.

What are your thoughts? Any you do/don't recommend.

Thanks,

Guido.

PS. If anyone is interested I can post the "Latvian" links I am currently using, although I haven't really noticed that many members with a Latvian background on LT :-)

PPS. I have also been looking through some old newspaper/magazine. Unfortunately Latvia still used that "Gothic font" till the early 1930's.
Now I can speak Latvian, BUT reading is another matter, and with that Gothic typeface...First work out what that letter is...then work out the word...then try and prononce it to get a hit in my brain...then repeat for the sentence...then
make some sense of it! Having a page load in about a minute, when you want to look through several thousand doesn't help either :-)

*gotta laugh*

The only online tree I've used is the Ancestry.com one. I'm in the process of building one there so that the DNA comparison is simpler. The thing I like is being able to link the records/digital images directly to the source. I keep mine private for the most part, but I do grant access as needed to DNA matches.

My main genealogical database is in RootsMagic (not online), although I do have an older version of Legacy installed.

I chose not to GEDCOM it when building the online tree because it has forced me to take a good look at all my data that hasn't been looked at in a long time. I can spot any gaps in my research or things that need to be argued better. Yes, it's making the process slower, but it's also helping my research in the long run. I have tons of information on people who are not directly related to me in my RootsMagic database, but I've chosen to stick with my ancestors, their direct descendants and spouses (without parents unless they are also related) with the online version. It's mainly because of the online version's purpose that I'm sticking to that focus.

I'm not sure if its changed, but you used to not be able to view trees on Ancestry unless you were a member. It is difficult to share information then with family members.

I also use tribalpages. I need to do alot of stuff to my pages, they are bare bones right now. Maybe this summer I will have some more time!! Another nice feautre about tribal pages is that you can share informational updates and organize family reunions. I've really enjoyed it!

You can invite another family member to view your Ancestry tree, and they don't have to be a member. You do have to give Ancestry the person's email so they can receive the automated invitation. I have several trees and keep them all private, but I have invited a few family members so they can keep up with my research.

Thanks Group,

#2, I think carefull review of each individual is necessary. How do you do it?
I was going to use "index cards" initially but...I used to work in computing...sinful pride, but I still can't find the equivalent of index cards in a program. Any ideas?

And please tell me/us more about DNA on a Genealogy site/program. What does it involve? OK I can get my own DNA 'sequenced', but what then? And what is the cost? etc.etc. I have noticed that some G programs imply some sort of DNA (connectivity?) though you are the first person I have heard of using it.

#3, I noticed in the free copy of 'tribalpages' that I can only post 50 photos. If I pay $24/pa. it goes up to (I think 500) - probably enough. But, do you know, if I discontinue after a year, can I still ( a bit like LT with its annual limits) see all
500, or do I revert to 50. Just something to think about. And if I do like it I will ask management :-)

Oh well, who ever said that genealogy "...is NOT one of your holiday games".
Apologies T.S

Genealogy has become big business and it gets expensive. Ancestry.com helps itself to my annual subscription now.

I used to join for a couple of weeks to get the info i needed and then cancel but eventually I found that it was easier to just go along with a full membership and it is now connected to the computer program I use so it syncs itself whenever I add anything.

There are problems though; my tree is Newland/Martin and there is another Newland/Martin tree but there is no connection between our families and Ancestry.com keeps on giving me updates whenever Gwen, the owner of the other tree, updates her information.

#4-Thanks for the update info! I'm glad that they let family members view now!

#5-I'm not sure. I'm currently going to school and homeschooling five kids. Genealogy has taken a back burner for now. I haven't posted that many pictures because unfortunately, I don't possess them. I've been trying to get copies, but no one wants to seem to share! :(

#6-I've been thinking about canceling mine and just going with Family Search. They are putting so much online for free that I think it will be better for me. Unfortunately, they have so many records, its going to take a long time to get things on there. They do have a program I believe that you can volunteer to help transcribe pages for them. I may look into that after I finish my degree in May.

I have a distant cousin here in Australia who transcribes English Parish Records.

They send her photocopies of the records and she tries to decipher the handwriting to be put on-line. So it is something which can be done from anywhere in the English-speaking world and I am sure that exactly the same process is going on with other countries and languages.

Things which are unavailable may turn up some months later so I keep on looking for new information. Eventually I'll find my last remaining brick wall has been scaled ... should I live so long.

In the meanwhile I am trying to write a factual contemporary family history, debunking the family myths which I grew up with. I am struggling through old wills at the moment and trying to present deceased family members as they were without alienating anyone. it is not easy because my mother's family were a very shady lot.

Find My Past is a great resource for those English parish registers too.

Back to guido's first post. Guido, I wonder whether you could take a minute to share some of your practical discoveries about security issues on genealogy sites. That concern has kept me away from online genealogy so far, though I might take the plunge . . . . Thanks in advance! -- Goddard

Thanks #11, Harry,

Unfortunately, my cousin in Riga, is now studying full time elsewhere in Europe for 4 months, so she hasn't had time, yet, to use "tribalpages'.

Remember, I only set up a few records to see how it might work.
The main reason I rejected some sites was that there were NO Password provisions at all. In TP you can allow a "family member" (ie. one entered on the tree) the ability to 'edit' a record and allow 'others' to 'view' records. Plus there is even a Private Comments option (Family only?, not sure)

The main things I was looking for were:

A) preferably a hierarch of passwords/access
B) NO sharing of MY data, unless I specifically allow it to someone specific.
C) Sufficient resources (eg. names, pictures, richness of abilities) initially.
D) relatively cheap. I doubt I will use any of their "research tools" or ON-line links
E) am I happy with the overall look-feel.

Harry, you really should ask some other members (and I volunteer 'Pinkocat'
'cos, 'cos...) who have had more experience. I am just (or will in 4 months time) starting out. My only useful advice is Experiment . There are a lot of cheap(ie. free initially) sites out there. Try a few, but only enter enough records to form a link with the person you might want to share your data with.

Guido.

I started a family tree with each of my four grandparents, all deceased. There is absolutely not any living people listed at all on my tree. I won't even list their siblings for this reason. I just do the grandparents and then list their parents and work backwards. I totally understand worrying about identity theft.

Oh, Thanks for reminding me #13,

Some of the web-sites will NOT show 'living members"details. Presumably on on-line charts etc. for non allowed/authorized 'browsers". Something else to look for.

For an option that isn't totally free, but minimal cost, look at TNG - http://lythgoes.net/genealogy/software.php - which requires a hosting service (you may already have one). You can create user accounts to restrict viewing and allow editing. I use it to publish my tree - great cousin bait. You can require people to log in for anything to be visible.

Hi rod (#15), fellow 'Melbournian" too. It does look interesting and feature rich &
I do have a 'hosting service', my 'cartoon tribute site' (see my profile) but suspect that that option might be too technical for the average user.

Even though I too "...once was programmer..." I am not sure if I would want to tackle the set up.

You have used it, but how much work was it to set up. Really? The truth now. Now imagine a non techo doing it. And by the way, what do you get for the $35?

But still, if I ever get a rush of "I really should get technical one day..." I'll remember it. :-)

Guido.

ETA. I had another look at the demo, and do rather like it...

If you want long-lost cousins to contact you (and I have received a great deal of information from long lost cousins) your tree must be accessible to google and other search engines so don't set your security too high.

Unless you give a death date most online trees show no details of people, assuming that they are still alive and therefore their details remain hidden. I have resorted to putting a death date about 100 years after the birth date just to enable people to see some of my long-gone forebears.

Security is so tight that even getting things like death certificates can be difficult and I have had to provide pictorial identification and proof that the person whose certificate I want is a relative ... unless the certificate is over 50 years old in the case of a death certificate.

And the certificates don't come free either. Here in Australia they are about $25 to $30 each.

Hi Pinko,

Just some more general 'rummaging' questions/observations.

When does a cousin become too far removed/too many parts different? to be of interest?

Because Latvians seem to have such small families, I think I am still interested in 3rd degree cousins. Well, I/we seem to have so few relatives!

I can't find any, with more than 3 children, in any of my ancestors. And these were always 3 'girls'. (5 lots!) Like my immediate family. Mum and 2 Aunts.

It almost seems as though "they/Pater" was hoping for the 'boy' and when "it" didn't happen...

I do know that my grandfather (Mums side) was quite 'chuffed' when I was born.
I was the first grandchild.

Sorry, not in Latvian, but he said, "a boy at last".

Different times...

But the girls were much loved.

Guido.

LOL - I go back as far as I can verify the relationship (half-fifth cousin :) )

BTW - if you haven't already done so, open a yahoo or google mail account with a name like guido47 and make it available on your tree so that people who find you can email you but your real name will not be out in the public arena.

You might want to go to the Latvian community board of www.genealogy.com
and try your luck. I traced a great uncle who had disappeared into Africa that way.

I posted on all the African boards and two years later I received an email from one of his granddaughters who filled me in on his history, marriage, children and final fate (He went back to Africa and was never heard of again).

I put my data on ROOTSWEB because it is free. Ancestry.com makes you pay to access data. You will notice that when you access www.rootsweb.ancestry.com that there are two seaches - one for rootsweb and one for ancestry.com data. Ancestry.com puts a fair amount of effort into enticing you to the ancestry.com side of house, but there is data on the rootsweb.com side.

I also submitted my data to Ancestral file (FamilySearch, the Mormon genealogy search web site). https://familysearch.org/upload. Another free to search genealogy web site - one with an amazing amount of data. Both sites block data of living members. Of course, you can control what you put out there if you are worried about privacy. I still occasionally get e-mails about data I have put on Rootsweb, but I've never gotten any spam on that e-mail address, so I believe my e-mail address to be protected (I have a separate genealogy e-mail address).

Both these sites remain free and will continue to be free. I do believe that Ancestry.com grabs the Rootsweb data, though and puts it on Ancestry.com as well.

ETC: typo for Ancestry.com