This involves “data migration” - Moving family history data from one platform (memory, paper, website, app, database, operating system) to another.
OPERATING SYSTEMS vs. BROWSERS
Where different operating systems are concerned, note that the same personal database software may be available for both Windows and MacOS. To transfer data between these OS, just install the appropriate version of the software. e.g. Ancestral Quest for Mac will use data from Ancestral Quest for Windows. Or use GEDCOM to export the data from one program and import into the other. [This paragraph has good general information but may be slightly off topic.]
Web-based products have the advantage of working with almost any operating system, whether you have heard of it before or not.
The browser is crucial, the OS, not so much!
You want to use Firefox in Linux Mint or Ubuntu? No problem!
Or you prefer Chrome in Android or iOS? Great!
But you want to use some unknown browser on Windows 10? Hmmm… maybe try Chrome, Firefox, or Edge instead!
We will look at some options available to our patrons …
1. Data Entry
This is not the first option we like to suggest to our patrons but it is a viable option, especially if a small number of records is involved. If you are adding data from a book it is the only option.
This will take between 2 and 10 minutes per name, depending on the user’s keyboard skills and the amount of information on each person, and any duplicates found.
2 minutes assumes a high level of familiarity with the site, and entering just a name, birth and death, with no possible duplicates. 4 minutes per name is probably a fair average, if the patron is also adding christening, marriage and burial information, and resolving duplicates.
At 4 minutes per name, this works out to 6 or 7 hours for 100 names.
[Note that the times given are based on my own experience and your times may vary considerably.]
56435 Adding a parent, spouse, sibling, or child to Family Tree
Unstandardized Place Names - An Obstacle to temple work?
Ordinances require a major life event with a standardized date (e.g. “About 1655”) and a standardized place name. Patrons want to add the most exact place whether it is in our Standard list or not. And they can usually do that.
For example, if the actual place name is Olavskilden, Akershus, Norway. This place name is not accepted as standard, but the larger jurisdiction of Akershus, Norway is accepted. By inputting the full place name and clicking the gray area of the form, the system accepts the top standard place from the list. By saving at this point, the unstandardized complete place name is saved, and so is the standardized version (each in its own special storage).
71996 Entering standardized dates and places
2. Import a GEDCOM - GEnealogical Data COMmunication (GEDCOM)
GEDCOM is a file format for transferring data between different software and websites that support its use. But some “GEDCOM” files include extended features that do not conform to our GEDCOM standard.
When exporting a GEDCOM for use with FamilySearch, it is best to specify that the GEDCOM file is “for use with PAF (Personal Ancestral File)” so that incompatible features are automatically filtered out.
For example, a patron phoned to say that after 2 days her GEDCOM file from Family Tree Maker had still not finished uploading to FamilySearch. Using Teamviewer, the patron was helped to create a new GEDCOM file “for PAF” which uploaded in 5 minutes.
Import a GEDCOM file into Pedigree Resource File, and match with Family Tree, one record at a time. In my personal experiment (your time may vary):
Creating GEDCOM of 115 names: 4 minutes;
Uploading GEDCOM : 4 minutes;
Categorizing GEDCOM : 5 minutes;
Manually Compare: about 3 minutes per record, so a little faster than data entry.
Maybe 5 hours for 100 names.
NOTE: This option cannot add living people.
61144 Uploading GEDCOM files and copying the information to Family Tree
3. Synchronize with Family Tree
Use any one of the software packages that can synchronize with Family Tree. (Legacy Family Tree, Ancestral Quest, RootsMagic). If the data is already in the software’s own database format, there is no need to use a GEDCOM, just synchronize with Family Tree.
Note that each software company supports its own products. FS does not provide support for them.
418381 Importing or uploading information into Family Tree
This option can also export data from FT.
53455 Exporting or downloading information from Family Tree
In my example, I selected 381 records, and it took 5 minutes for the software to categorize the records:
114 Positive Matches (almost certain, but check if you wish);
25 Possible matches (requiring maybe 2 minutes each allowing for possible duplicates);
96 Not Matched – Deceased (they can be added as a group);
72 Not Matched – Living (they can be added if there is a reason to do so);
74 Already Linked (already linked to records in FT).
100 records might take 1-2 hours of time, depending whether you choose to accept all of the Positive Matches and Not Matched without reviewing them.
4. Using RootsMagic 7 to Link Ancestry.com and FamilySearch Family Tree
A recent option for RootsMagic users is to synchronize their tree at ancestry.com and FamilySearch Family Tree with their local RootsMagic database. No GEDCOM is involved.
This is not a FamilySearch product and or process, but is an option available to users of this particular product.
It may be of special interest to Public users, who are not currently able to link their ancestry.com tree with FamilySearch.
Any requests for information should be referred to RootsMagic.com
56291 Support for third party products
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I apologize that some of the knowledge articles cited are vague.
