FTM2019 - File Naming

File Naming that works for me:

Each of us needs to determine what Filenaming scheme works for us. Mine has certainly changes a bit over time, but as I work through my Media Files I am making sure that I have been consistent.

There are two things to remember about Family Tree Maker and it's sorting of Media Files. Sort by Filename OR Sort by Caption. Keep in mind that when you Sync to an Ancestry Member Tree (AMT) File Names are NOT involved. Ancestry sorts by Caption.

Here is a example of a Record for a Profile:

File Name

Surname-Firstname_Middlename-Suffix-YYYY-Event

Caption (for the same record)

Firstname Middlename Surname Suffix - YYYY - Event

Same information but the order is different

But, what  about same named people. This works, at least in my database. The biggest reason is the Date and Event, in both the Filename and the Caption. My grandfather, father, and I all have the SAME Name. My Dad would be a Jr, and I would be a III. Those are the preferred Names, that are documented that way. So, the Preferred Name is in the Filename and Caption. Yes, they may change over time. So, I just Rename the File (within Family Tree Maker) and redo the Caption.

What about Females ?

I ONLY use Maiden / Birth Surnames.

But, I don't know her birth surname ! -  ALL Unknown names, I use 5 Underscores [ _____ ] for both Firstnames and Lastnames or Surnames. I have blogged about this in the past.

Place Names:

Smallest to Largest in the Place Name field for a Fact.

City / Town, Township, County, State, County

I ADD the word Township and County, as appropriate that meet the Place Name Authority in Family Tree Maker. The exception is Historical Place names, again, I have blogged about that.

Now, I have Pictures, in the "Cemetery" Database. What about them?

Caption:

Cemetery Name, City / Town, Township (if appropriate), County, State (no Country, if it is in the USA)

Filename:

State-County-City-Cemetery

The caption is smallest to largest, the Filename is Largest to smallest.

This works great, for me, using either way of sorting in Family Tree Maker.

There is a Trick, that may or may not be obvious.

My Goal is for the filenames or captions to be Readable. People's name or Place names.

A DASH separates the pieces of the Name, as described here. AN UNDERSCORE keeps the fields together. For example, the Firstname and Middlename are separated with an Underscore. I want those to be a different part of a person name, from the Surname. (I do NOT use ALL Caps anywhere).

The filename for a Cemetery, where I want to spell out the word County, is

New_Jersey-Camden_County-Haddonfield-Grace_Episcopal_Church_Memorial_Garden

State - County - City - Cemetery

No spaces in a Filename, Normal Spaces in the Caption.

Another example: I add the Time that I do a Back Up

Master-2019-2021-09-23-1507

My Master File, in FTM2019, backed up in 2021, September 23 at 1507. 

Filename-Version-YYYY-MM-DD-TIME

ln my Custom Back Up folder my Back Up files are in Filename order date and time order, so I know which is the most recent.

I have a Fan_Club Family Tree Maker file, so it's filename is Fan_Club.

The use of the Underscores replace a Space, the Dash separates the elements of a Filename.

The choice for the Sort by Filename or Caption is in the Tool, Options, General Tab

Again, it is your choice, but this one works for me. Not just in Family Tree Maker, but ALL of my computer Filenames. I don't have to think about 'what to call this file'?

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Copyright © 2021 by Cousin Russ

FTM2019 - Find A Grave Memorials - Review what you have

Focusing on Find A Grave is a real bonus, for me at least.

Spending time just on my Find A Grave and Burial information, I found an additional benefit.

Of the 246 Find A Grave Memorials, I added 6 new headstones to my database 3 new records, and 4 new portraits that I added to my database. I did this by relooking at those 246 Citations, clicking on the Link to the Find A Grave Memorial link, in my Citation screen, and founds those records. 

Besides those Memorials that have been removed or merged, I may have found a clue on how to find out where those memorials went. I do remember when this happened, because of my notes, it was when ownership of the Web Site changed to Ancestry. A number of contributors took the memorials down, that they had created.

After I complete my review of the Find A Grave Fact Notes, I will then use my Citation, where the memorial has been removed, and relocate the memorial. One of my clues, was when a Burial had the word "unknown" when I found them a number of years ago, but because I marked them as in my Memorial Number fact (Find A Grave #), I can filter on that and re-search for them OR to check to see if those profiles have a Find A Grave Index Hint.

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Copyright © 2021 by Cousin Russ

FTM2019 - Find A Grave Memorials --- Moved Memorials

Clean up, focusing on Find A Grave Memorials.

This clean up of my Find A Grave memorials has been really helpful. What I started with, was to Move any Find A Grave entries, in the Person Notes field, to the Find A Grave Memorial # Fact Notes Field. I had notes in both places but wanted them ALL to be in the Fact Notes.

I have only reviewed the start of the alphabet, up to the letter D. I am doing a Surname by Surname letters to keep track of where I am. Using the Filter In Feature, I used the Find A Grave Memorial # Fact as my Filter.

As I finish a letter or series of names, I remove them from the Filter. So, it's easy to keep track of where I am.

To date: I have reduced 35 Pages of Person Notes, and have added 11 Pages of Fact Notes. Going in the right direction, as I had hoped. I have 322 profiles that have the Find A Grave Fact.

As I am doing this review, I look at the Burial Fact, to make sure that the Cemetery in that Fact is in my "Cemetery" database, which is a Citation. I have 81 Cemeteries in that Database. So far, that means that  ALL of the Cemetery Information from the Find A Grave website, is ALL in ONE place. I had a number of Burial Fact Notes with information about the cemetery, which is why I created the Cemetery Database. That database is anything I can find on the Find A Grave website about the cemetery, including physical locate, contact information (some time), former Cemetery Names, most helpful, and other comments. I don't have to remember to put cemetery information in the Burial Fact Notes.

Also, with the focus on Find A Grave, I was reminded that when there was a change in "ownership" of the Website other things changed. For example, some Memorials did NOT have Cemetery Locations. Many of those Memorials were removed. I HAD marked, in the ToDo list, those memorials in two ways. The ToDo list AND in the Find A Grave Memorial # Fact AFTER the number. So, looking at the Find A Grave custom report I created, I could SEE those memorials I used to have, that no longer exist.

At last count, there are 30 such memorials that no longer exist. But, some of them had been replaced. I have been tracking that. I had 79 "missing" memorials, so I have been finding some of them.

I have also made sure that IF I have a Find A Grave Index record, that I also have the information from the Find A Grave website. I have about 65 of those identified.

As I have been doing in the past, but have been really focusing on this Clean Up (Genealogy Do-Over, my style) to make sure that I have my Evernote Notebook Up to date.

Time consuming, yes, but so worth the time an effort when I do more work on my Prep work for the 1950 Census Release.

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Copyright © 2021 by Cousin Russ

FTM2019 - Master File - Clean Up Summary

A Summary of a week long Clean Up project:

A little over a week ago, I started a Clean Up project of my Master Family Tree Maker file (FTM2019). I found notes back to 1997, which reminded me of how long I have been working on this SAME File. More importantly, I was reminded of the Changes that the program has made over the years. Most of the clean up was caused by those changes, which, in fact, is a Good Thing.

The biggest push, for me, to take the TIME to clean up, is the use of the Research Log (Notes) and Person Notes. Most of the work was to take Person Notes out of the Research Notes Tab and move them into the Person Notes Tab.

I started with 742 PAGES of Research Notes and ended with 578 Pages of Research Notes.

About 800 Pages of Person Notes that ended up with 919 Pages of Person Notes.

I now have NO (0 - Zero) Notes that can be seen in the Ancestry Member Tree. Mostly because of the formatting, or lack of formatting in the AMT. It looks very bad in an AMT, so I marked them ALL Private (for now), for the AMT.

When I started this clean up, I realized that in about 2014, I changed the formatting of the DATE in the Research Log and saw where I had played around with several formats in 2014. I took this time to Reform the dates, using the Find and Replace feature in FTM2019 and updated about 1,150 Entries.

I was reminded about the amount of resource material I have in the Person Notes tab. The plan going forward is to work on those Private Person Notes. Mostly for myself, but may re-consider making them public.

The other MAJOR clean up was to Mark ALL FACTS as Private, with the exception of Birth, Marriage, and Death Facts. I now have a record of the FACTS that I use, and have already Deleted 5 or 10 Facts along the way. Mostly, early Facts that I didn't clean up earlier.

I now have an Evernote Notebook with the Facts I have reviewed already, and how I want to use them. For example, my Military Facts are out of control. I had not documented, at the time, how I was going to use them.

Also, I realized that I had some Fact Notes information in the Person Notes Tab. Again, it's one of those things I changed over time, but hadn't made time to clean up those changes.

Of the 919 Person Notes Pages, I expect that number to go down, as the 488 Fact Notes Pages, goes UP. 

My goal is to be Consistent and to document how I do "stuff" in my File.

AND, I have 1,682 Profiles without Documentation, meaning at least ONE Fact without a Citation. I know who they are, but this review have me hints that I really do have the information about where I got that information, just hadn't entered it correctly.

The Filter In, Filter Out feature is my best friend going forward. That is why the FACT Review was and IS so important, as that is what the Filters help with. Knowing who has Undocumented Facts, helps, but along the way, with earlier Do-Over's, I have notes as to where to look for the Citations for those Facts.

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Copyright © 2021 by Cousin Russ

FTM2019 - Clean Up - No Documentation - Check Research Log

Not Documentation, check Research Log

I run an Undocumented Report frequently, to make sure All of my FACTS have citations. I will add a "No Documentation" Fact for those profiles that I need to find or create Citations. As long as I know, and can see that I need Citations, I know what I need to do.

During this Clean Up project, Specifically in the Research Log and Person Notes fields, I found a gold mine. 

Way back in 1997 I had merged a file from a Cousin, from his Family Tree Maker program into my file. I had made note of that, in the person notes (at the time), that simply gave me the Date, the Filename, and who sent it to me.

During this clean up of the Research Log, those notes ended up in the Research Log. So, as I was into a specific Surname list, in the log, I saw these entries. When I looked at the Profiles, and I moved the Notes to the Person Notes I saw that many of those Profiles and the No Documentation Fact.

Now I can Document those Facts.

In those "good old days", when a FTM file was Merged, Citations didn't go along with the merge, but at least I had made a notation what I did and when, so now I can go back and Document those Facts.

The whole Clean Up of my working File, is so worth the time and effort to clean up the file.
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Copyright © 2021 by Cousin Russ

FTM2019 - Notes Clean Up Project

Clean Up Project:

What does a Family Researcher do on a Holiday Weekend ? Clean House (oops, Family File).

This all started with the change in Terms of Service by Ancestry. That wasn't a bad thing, but I gave me cause to look at my database and do some "house cleaning". 

I have made a couple of Blog Posts about this project:

FTM2019 - Remove Person Notes from AMT

FTM2019 - Just the Facts

FTM2019 - Update Privatized Facts

FTM2019 - I've got Photographs & Bookmarks

FTM2019 and WikiTree

FTM2019 Clean Up

FTM2019 - Web Links Tab

During that process I wanted to do more Clean Up of my database. I have a "Notebook" in Evernote where I keep "how I do stuff" in Family Tree Maker. I have a lot of documentation in that Notebook because that is one way for me to Standardize my database. Mainly because I will Forget something. For example, how I use certain Facts.

When I Privatized the Facts, I put ALL of the Facts into an EXCEL Spreadsheet, then, one FACT at a time, entered that Fact Name into Evernote, as another Chapter.

Since all of the FACTS, with 4 exceptions, are Private, I wanted to Address NOTES. I did a blog post on Notes, Notes, Notes. 

I ran a report in FTM2019, from the Person Collection, Notes, and selected Research Notes. (I have blogged about that as well. Although that was back in the stone ages, (FTM2012) they work about the same.

The Report Showed that I had 742 Pages of Research Log. The good thing is that they are ALL Marked Private. That was the good news. The BAD News is that many of the Research Log had Person Notes in them. Remembering that Family Tree Maker has added and / moved features over time, and this file is the one I started with in Version 3.4. I had notes where they didn't belong.

All of the Person Notes have been privatized already. I did not get a count when I started, but when the Research Log page count was at 723 pages, I had 765 Pages of Person Notes. So I have been moving (copy / paste) the Person Notes from the Research Log to where they belong.

Taking a break from that, I looked at the FACT NOTES: There was 208 Pages of Fact Notes that were Public and 488 Pages of Fact Notes that are Private. Working on making ALL of them Private.

This is where Evernote came into plan. Over time, I have changed how I did "stuff". For example, I created a "Cemetery" database, within this SAME file. I had been entering Cemetery Information in the Burial Fact Notes. I realized that I was retyping a bunch of stuff, so that is when I created the Cemetery database (Profiles with the Cemetery Information). So rather than using the Burial Fact Notes, I created a Link from the Burial Fact to the Cemetery Profile. So I now will go back and clean that up. That is one example of Fact Notes that will clean up.

There are also Person Notes, that my "standard" is to Copy / Paste that information into Fact Notes.

One of the reason for this clean up, is because of the way that Ancestry Member Tree's make (or don't make) Notes available or how they are displayed. They certainly do NOT look like how I have them in FTM2019.

I am about 1/4 of the way through my Research Log, but needed a break from that, so I am going after the Fact Notes, to Privatize ALL of them. Then go back to clean them up.

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Copyright © 2021 by Cousin Russ

FTM2019 Clean Up

After I Privatized my Media Files, I thought I would do some File Clean Up.

This is work on my own File, with 12,661 profiles. I have two questions in my mind as I have been doing this clean up.

What do I need / want to see

What do I want YOU to see

Those two questions have been on my mind when I give presentations on Family Tree Maker or when I blog, here, about the program. I have implemented these questions in a couple of smaller files, but not on my own file. I have been cleaning up a lot of information, like Citations in my file, but not really spent some time making this file public. Too messy, and needed to be cleaned up.

Thinking through the Media file issue, those two questions returned to this file and the related, linked Ancestry Member Tree (AMT). In an earlier blog post I figured out a way for someone finding the AMT, to communicate that I had images for the Profile. I can do that with my Master File.

But what about other information, like Facts, Notes, those stories. I know what I want to handle the Person (Profile) Notes. Each Note will have a Citation, keeping in mind that may be many notes in one persons Notes, but each one will have a Citation and that citation is in Bold. I have been doing that. The bolded Citation is a visual for me, that there is the "next" note, in the person note Tab. So, IF I have notes and I have not put the Citation, in bold, I just Privatize that Persons Notes. Looking at what I had left, not made private, I just privatized that note and moved on. I realized that the notes, with citations, were not consistent. So, I went through almost 200 pages of notes and made them Private. I want to see consistent notes, with Citations, but don't want anyone else to see them YET. Also, Ancestry AMTs do not present the Notes with the formatting (like bold Citations) that I have in my version of the Notes. Remember that those notes may appear in a Book that I may create from this file. That Formatting WILL remain in that Book. I can also unprivatize those notes for that book.

All Notes are not marked as Private.

I already have a number of FACTS that I have marked as Private, like Current Place Names for a Historical location (see earlier blog posts on that), but when I was looking at the 200 Facts that I have in my database, again my use of those Facts were not Consistent.

I did two things with the Facts. Marked ALL but Birth, Marriage, and Death Facts as Private, but Default, AND those existing, as Private. I can see that ALL. As I did this, I created an EXCEL spreadsheet with each Fact and the Number of times that Fact was used. As I went along, I made a quick notation that I needed to fix my usage of that Fact, in EXCEL.

What I also have, is an Evernote (another program) Notebook on how I use Family Tree Maker. I have used that for a long time, especially for Citations. So my next task, and I may blog about this, is to put all of those Facts in Evernote, and describe how I use that Fact and Where I get it from.

In EXCEL, I made a couple of Notes. Self, Records, System. Where did that fact come from. Very high level, but I did this to give me a clue as to the Order in which I want to work on those Facts. Some are easy, some, not so much. My Military FACTS are out of control.

Going forward, my workplan is to make those Private Facts public, as appropriate. Keeping in mind those two questions.

What do I need / want to see

What do I want YOU to see

I have not forgotten my prep work for the 1950 U.S. Federal Census project, as I will switch between the two projects from time to time, probably one day with one project the next on the other.

I probably will share some of this work in this blog, if there is any interest. But I want my file to be the way it should be. I have learned a lot of information since I started AND Family Tree Maker has many new features that make it easier to accomplish my goal.

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Copyright © 2021 by Cousin Russ

Genealogy Do-Over - MGP, EE, GPS (what's he talking about ?)

I have blogged about the Genealogy Do-Over a number of times. It is a project started a couple of years ago by Thomas MacEntee. The concept was and IS a great one. For me, starting over, was not something I was willing to do. However, Going OVER what I already have made total sense to me.

Think about it. I didn't know what I was doing when I started. My daughter gave me Family Tree Maker when I started, because she thought I needed something to do. Little did she know. Oh, and little did I know.

In person classes, Genealogy in-person meetings, Hangouts On Air, Podcasts, Webinars are places to learn how to do this stuff. Its amazing how much "stuff" you can learn, listening and learning from and with others. Not to mention new features in Family Tree Maker.

The three terms in the Subject are part of the Do-Over / Go-Over for me.

• Evidence Explained
• Genealogical Proof Standard
• Mastering Genealogical Proof

With FTM2010, the Source Template feature was introduced to the program that was based on Elizabeth Shown Mill's book, Evidence Explained. It is our standard for how to craft citations. The other two items are also standards for our family research.

When the Genealogy Do-Over concept was introduced, I jumped on the bandwagon, but in my own way. I have blogged about that before on this blog, under the Label of GenealogyDoOver.

My goal has been to update my database to meet or attempt to meet the standards of these three items. Over the past couple of weeks, I have been, again, working on getting my 4,500 Citations into Source Templates. It's a slow process, time consuming, but worthwhile.

Remembering that the Genealogy Do-Over / Go-Over was to look at what we have now, and apply what we / I have learned since I started. Focusing on the Citations, makes me do that. I need to re-look at the Information / Claims / Facts that are in the Source of information (like a book or Source) find, where in that book the information is (Citation), Select the appropriate Source Template that best describes What I am looking at, and Where did I get it from. Honestly answering those two questions will get me to the correct Source Template.It define the Container of Information. The Citation Detail (field in Family Tree Maker) helps complete the citation.

Source = Container of Information

Citation = Where in the Container did I find and for who

I am mentioning all of this because I can across information in my database that I had entered a long time ago, but had forgotten about, because I wasn't using a Research Log or To Do List both of which I absolutely use in FTM2017.

I found this problem while cleaning up my Citations and have created a way to track the clean up and have a plan to manage this clean up.

Today, I was working "the plan", found a note that I need to Locate a source. It was from a reference in a Family Group Sheet that I have been working on from a Cousin. That series of Family Group Sheets (FGS) are the basis of my entire database. Been working on them for 20 years. This note, only referred to a database title, Thanks to Google, I found that record in the UK and it was online. (tip of the Iceberg, right?)

The next one was even better. This "locate source" was linked to my maternal Grandmother. This time, I really didn't have a Source Title to Search, so I looked to see if Ancestry had a Hint for her, that I haven't looked at for a while.

There is was, but it was even better then just giving me the ability to cite that source CORRECTLY but it was a page in a 1910 Yearbook, in the town in Pennsylvania where she lived.

West Chester State Normal School, Pathfinder,  (1910), Record for Rachel P Johnston, 1910 Staff; Online Image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 13 January 2019).

Yes, we know that Ancestry has a good Yearbook collection, but she had Graduated from High School in 1906, Her collage was in Massachusetts, where she graduated from, but this Yearbook was from 1910 and in Pennsylvania. Huh? It documented that she was on the Staff at West Chester Normal School, now West Chester University, in 1910. I knew that was the name of the school at the time, but her address was also at the Normal School in the 1910 Census. With this Source, with the information in this entry, I crafted my Citation and linked it to the Facts is that short paragraph.

Which led me to the 1912 Yearbook, where she was a coach. I do not think she it in this picture, but she is listed as Coach.

West Chester State Normal School, Pathfinder,  (1912), Record for Rachel P Johnston, 1912 Basketball Coash; Online Image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 13 January 2019).

I do not believe that she is in this photograph

Lesson Learned: Every once in a while, go back an look at what you have. In this case, I had a Citation that was not using the Template feature and I want my citations in that format, BUT it got me to relook at that record. Nothing new, but I was able to confirm small bits and pieces of data that i already had.

Had I don't learned about EvidenceExplained, the Genealogical Proof Standard, and Mastering Genealogical Proof, AND the Features built into Family Tree Maker, I would not have found these two gems about my Grandmother.

Evidence Explained: History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace 3rd Edition Revised

Apr 3, 2017

by Elizabeth Shown Mills

[Sponsored]

Genealogy, Fiftieth Anniversary Edition

Jan 21, 2014

by Board for Certification of Genealogists

Genealogical Proof Standard

Oct 1, 2014

by Christine Rose

Mastering Genealogical Proof

Dec 4, 2013

by Thomas W. Jones

Some Videos on these topics on DearMYRTLE's You Tube Channel on these topics

• ESM's QuickLessons Study Group
• GPS (Genealogical Proof Standards) Study Group
• MGP1 Mastering Genealogical Proof Study Group ONE
• MGP2 Mastering Genealogical Proof Study Group TWO
• MGP3 - Mastering Genealogical Proof Study Group

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Copyright © 2019 by Cousin Russ

Genealogy Do Over (Go Over) Find A Grave Citations

I have reviewed how I had been doing my Find A Grave Citations, didn't like them, and they were confusing to me. The NEW Format of the Website, gave me a reason to Relook (Go Over) my Citations for the website. 

Here are my findings


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Copyright © 2018 by H R Worthington

Genealogy Do-Over - NEHGS new My List

New features on the American Ancestors website by the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) - My Lists

http://www.americanancestors.org/
Blog Post

http://vita-brevis.org

Specific Blog Post
http://vita-brevis.org/2015/04/new-my-lists-in-the-nehgs-library-catalog/



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Copyright © 2015 by H R Worthington

How to put a Citation on an Image - A Thought

There was a question posted in the +Cousin Russ Genealogy Community today:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/102172168522544965509/posts/7mgdq6D6VtG

There were several suggestions that were offered.

I have, as an example, a World War I Draft Registration Card in FTM2014. As I have shared before, I put the Citation for that image, in the description in the Media Workspace for that image. So I have it covered. But when I thought about it, here is what could be done, for saving and citing that image outside of Family Tree Maker.

I use a screen capture program, where I can capture the image and add a caption or citation on that image. I can add it to the Top of the Bottom of the image. So, I just Copied the Citation from FTM2014 and pasted it to the screen capture.

 I used colors to be sure that someone looking at that image what know that the citation is what was added to the image.

One of the suggestions, in the community, was great, where it was suggested that a Word Document be used for the citation. So, I tried it, again Copy / Pasted the Citation into the Word Document, made the page Landscaped and made the top margin very close to the top.

This could then be printed, folded so just the Citation was seen, as illustrated in the community, and inserted into an Archival Sheet, with the original document. Very cleaver I thought.

I thought about that for a minute and took it one step further. Why not put the Image that I did the screen capture into this Word document on the document with the Citation at the top (of the landscape page) for the front side of the archival sheet and put the original behind it. The Cited Image on front, original image facing out so that when you turned the page, you would see the original document.

[ TOP ===================== > ]

This does two things, for me at least, I have the Filename of the Image, the Citation on the front and the Image when I turn the sheet over.

I would file this in a notebook, using my normal, for me, Filenaming convention, both on the Computer and in the physical form. In this case a notebook.

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Copyright © 2015 by H R Worthington

Genealogy Do-Over - Adding an Index to my Evernote Notebook

Will now add another item to my Index for my Evernote Notebook





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Copyright © 2015 by H R Worthington

Genealogy Do-Over - Shaky Leaf Management

Genealogy Do-Over - Shaky Leaf Hint Management


Adding a Note for handling the Shaky Leaf Hints that include a link to an external EXCEL spreadsheet





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Copyright © 2015 by H R Worthington

Genealogy Do-Over - Best Practices

Genealogy Do-Over suggests that we review our Best Practices in doing our research. I have created my Best Practices in using Family Tree Maker in Evernote.

This video will be a high level view on what I have in the Best Practices notebook (in Evernote)


There will probably be more on how I use Evernote in the not too distant future.
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Copyright © 2015 by H R Worthington

Genealogy Do-Over - Managing my File Folders

How I use EXCEL and a Brothers P-Touch QL-500 Printer to Label and manage my physical files


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Copyright © 2015 by H R Worthington

Genealogy Do-Over - My Library - A Tip from a Reader

A member of the Cousin Russ Genealogy Community made a comment on my last video.

https://plus.google.com/b/104046972028906209620/104046972028906209620/posts/a5ffiLTjsUU

I read it and it made so much sense. It was answering a question that I hadn't thought through or didn't even know I had. Thank you Sherri Hessick 

I am really liking this Genealogy Do-Over. Thank you +Thomas MacEntee 


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Copyright © 2015 by H R Worthington

Genealogy Do-Over - Add a Shelf or Genre

Have been asked to demonstrate How I created a new 'shelf'. The term in Book Collector by Collectorz.com is Genre.





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Copyright © 2015 by H R Worthington

Genealogy Do-Over - My Library

Will demonstrate how I use Collectorz.com and the Book Collector software so that I know what I have in my library and where that book is located.


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Copyright © 2015 by H R Worthington

Genealogy To-Over -- Know Your Facts

January 2, 2015 Genealogy To-Over

As many of you know, GeneaBlogger Thomas MacEntee announced Genealogy Do-Over

http://www.geneabloggers.com/announcing-genealogy-doover/

Genealogy Do-Over Topics

Week 1 – 2-8 January 2015
Setting Previous Research Aside
Preparing to Research
Establishing Base Practices and Guidelines

This video is a part of the program for the week, specifically Establishing Base Practices and Guidelines. What I hope to share in this video is how I use Evernote and FTM2014 for one specific set of records. I have been trying to determine who many people in my file served in the military. I HAD and recorded that records, but I did not know WHAT I wanted to be able to answer some questions:

Who served in what War
What Branch of the Service
Which side were you on in the Civil War
What was your Rank

The records have be the information but not a good way to answer any of the above questions. Now I can. I'll share how I use Evernote to support what I do in Family Tree Maker.




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Copyright © 2015 by H R Worthington

Genealogy Do-Over and my FTM2014

I think this is a great idea. Actually I started early, in reality 2 years ago. Let me try to explain.

When Family Tree Maker first offered the Template Feature, way back with FTM2010, I started over. I have been very unhappy with the "free form" citations where have been in Family Tree Maker for years.

Second point is that I learned, from the beginning, to Cite My Sources. I think that I must have picked that up from +DearMYRTLE and her podcasts, "back in the day"; +Dick Eastman and his Electronic News Letter and many others.

So what I did when FTM2010 came out, I convinced myself to learn how to use this feature. Why would Family Tree Maker create a feature that wasn't going to help me with the format of the EndNotes (Reference Notes) when doing a report.

I also had +Elizabeth Shown Mills books that I tried to understand, but was missing the tool to get them right. BUT, as it turns out, I had a chance to meet her at an Ancestry.com dinner when the Templates were introduced. My copy of Evidence Explained was signed by her. An honored treasure that is always within easy reach.

As I have blogged about here, I started to transfer all of my Citations into the Template Format.

Well, that doesn't look like too much progress, not quite 50%, BUT there is work behind those numbers.

My plan is to follow the Genealogy Do-Over, but I am NOT starting my file over, but will participate in the project.

Here is a link to the Genealogy Do Over website:

http://www.geneabloggers.com/tag/genealogy-do-over/

There is also a Facebook Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/genealogydoover/

Looking at the schedule for this project, I will share my experience HERE focussing on how these steps are impacting my use of FTM2014. Where possible, what I will share will be for both FTM2014 (PC / Windows version) and FTM-3 (Mac version), as I have both. If I see a difference I will post a separate FTM-3 article. But so far, I don't think that there will be any differences.

I have spent too much time on this file, to start my research over, BUT HOW I do my research has changed. I have shared some of that already on this Blog and will continue to do so.

Stay Tuned.

#GenealogyDoOver
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Copyright © 2014 by H R Worthington