Alan E.
Mann, A.G.
alan@alanmann.com Accredited
Genealogist
Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy January
2004
Cutting
Edge Internet Research
Lineage-Linked Data on the Internet
This session looks at the various databases on the Internet
that allow you to submit, search, and review lineage-linked data.
Lineage-linked data is information about individuals which are linked into
family relationships. This class will look at sites that attempt to aggregate
data rather than just one individual or family group posting their own family
genealogy. One might call the results of these aggregators
online megadatabases. What may not be as obvious, is that I want to at least briefly discuss the
topic from two different uses or viewpoints, namely submission (getting your
data into their database) and use (using what others have placed there).
For more information about lineage linked data and links to
others not mentioned here, see Cindy’s List at www.cyndislist.com/lin-linked.htm.
Submission
There are a number of issues to consider when deciding
whether to submit and to which such services to submit.
Is
the integrity of my data preserved?
Do
they use any sort of matching process? If so, is my data mixed up with someone
else’s?
Are
sources listed (assuming they’re in my database)
Can
I have my information removed in the future if I so choose?
Can
I change the data (some ask you to resubmit, putting it in twice)
Do
they ask for any copyrights (can I still publish my own data?)
Do
they charge a fee for the data (how do I feel about that?)
Are
there any limitations on others viewing and/or changing data?
What
personal contact information is included on me (do I want people to contact
me?)
How
do they handle living individuals—do they remove it or do I?
Is
their site searchable?
How
difficult is their site to use & to navigate?
Is
the data downloadable from their site (how do I feel about that)?
You may want to consider submitting to more than one such
service. The advantage is that the more places your data is located, the more
likely it is that others who might have information you need will find it and
contact you. The disadvantage is that you might lose track of where your
information is, and it will be more difficult to update, change, or remove.
My advice is to think about why you want to share, what you
want to share, and whether you are concerned about others getting a copy of
your data (what will they do with it?).
Using what’s there
As you look at the various online megadatabases,
keep the issues that matter to you in your mind. You may find other issues of
consequence to you that I didn’t mention. Not all of the sites listed below are
actually databases. A few of them are “megasearch”
tools to numerous independent databases.
The major “online megadatabases”
are:
Ancestral
Archive at Kindred Konnections (mytrees.com)
This is a fee-based service. You add
your data by submitting a GEDCOM. The search results presentation is probably
the best of the lot due to a system of rating source documentation and
completeness. When you submit a GEDCOM, you get a trail period at no charge.
www.kindredkonnections.com/cgi-bin/genealogy/new/surname?-1+0+0+000000+English+0-0
Ancestral File from the LDS Church
This is a free service that is no
longer accepting submissions. It is unique in that a computer matching process was
used to “merge” supposed duplicates together. This is both the good news and
the bad news. Merging correctly may be good. Merging incorrectly is very bad.
The online version omits all living data. A CD version is available at Family
History Centers.
www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=af/search_AF.asp
Ancestry World Tree at Ancestry/MyFamily .com
This is a free service. It now contains
data from the old RootsWeb service as well. You can
submit via GEDCOM. It is extensive. Many people love the “sticky notes”
capabilities. It is the largest of the online lineage-linked databases.
ancestry.com/search/rectype/usersub/worldtree/main.htm
Everton's On-Line Search at Everton
This is a fee-based service with
limited names. Many of the names are from
Gendex by Gene Stark
This is a free service that is
actually an index rather than a database. People who use Ged2html to create
their web pages get a free index file that can be sent to Gene Stark, who then
adds the names to his index. That’s how you can submit to this data index. The
data actually resides wherever you put your web pages, but the index is at Gendex.
GenServ by Cliff Manis
This is donation-based service. Users
are encourage to make a donation of $12 per year to
access the data. People submit by sending a GEDCOM. The interesting part of
this service is a report of potential matches that get emailed to you after you
submit your GEDCOM.
Global Tree at GenCircles.com
This is a fee-based service. You
submit by using the FamilyTreeLegends program and
enabling the automatic submission feature. It is by far the easiest to submit to,
but requires that you use their genealogy program.
Internet Family Finder
This is a free index. It indexes over
300,000 personal lineage-linked family histories on the web. Over 100,000 are
at the familytreemaker.com web site, but even more are at other web sites
around the world.
One Great Family
This is a fee-based service. Those who
hate it complain about the complex, sometimes slow drawing of trees and the
screen cluttered with a profusion of icons. Those who love rave about the
graphics and how many different things are communicated to you by the various
icons. There is an attempt to match up duplicate data while preserving the
integrity of each submitter’s data. You submit via GEDCOM.
Pedigree Resource File from the LDS Church
This is a free service. It is online,
but there is a CD version. The CD version is inexpensive, but you must use the
CDs to see the notes and sources submitted (they are not online—only the data).
You submit online only using a GEDCOM.
www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=prf/search_PRF.asp
World Connect Project at RootsWeb
This is a free service. It is now
included in Ancestry’s World Tree.
World
Family Tree by Genealogy.com (Family Tree Maker/Broderbund)
This is a fee-based service. It is
available online only upon payment of a substantial fee. It is also published
on CD-ROM, many of which are available at the Family History Library. An index
to this data is included in the Internet Family Finder (see above), but you
cannot see the data itself without paying the fee.
www.familytreemaker.com/wfttop.html
Other
These last two do not belong in the above
list, but may be of similar application and use.
· SuperSearch (12-15 databases at once--note
limits), located at www.familytreemagazine.com/search/
· MultiGen (multiple searches in separate
windows…) located at http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/CACulman/MultiGen.htm
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©Copyright 1997-2004 by Alan E. Mann. All rights reserved. Written permission to reproduce all or part
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