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How Well Does Ancestry.com Handle GEDCOM? (Updated 30 Apr 2016)

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Ancestry.comA few of our readers have asked what problems Ancestry.com has with GEDCOM files. One reader reported, “If you mainly work on your tree online in Ancestry.com and rely on TreeSync to move the data to FTM [Family Tree Maker], a lot of the source and citation descriptions get truncated during the download due to their length. So unless you check every source and citation after running TreeSync, you’ll end up with a lot of incomplete source and citation descriptions.” My personal workflow is the opposite of this, so I haven’t had problems with sources or citations getting truncated. I mainly work in FTM and then sync my tree with Ancestry.com. [Read more…] about How Well Does Ancestry.com Handle GEDCOM? (Updated 30 Apr 2016)

The Perils of Following the GEDCOM Standard (Updated 28 Apr 2016)

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Vicious Circle
Jacek Malczewski, Vicious Circle [Public domain, USA], via Wikimedia Commons
After testing a few desktop genealogy applications for how well they handled GEDCOM files, it occurred to me that I should write an article about my testing philosophy and methodology, as well as some of the problems with complying with the GEDCOM standard. Take a moment to ponder that: this series was motivated by the problem of genealogy software like Family Tree Maker (FTM) not complying with the GEDCOM standard. But there may be unintended consequences, both for users and software publishers, of following the standard. [Read more…] about The Perils of Following the GEDCOM Standard (Updated 28 Apr 2016)

Why You Might Consider Combining Your Family Tree Maker Media Files into One Folder

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While preparing my review of MacFamily Tree 7, I ran across an article on their website, “Switch from Family Tree Maker to MacFamilyTree and import your family tree.” The section headed “Attention: Media file import” caught my attention. I don’t agree with Synium’s statement, “Unfortunately the developers of Family Tree Maker made the very poor choice of not importing media files but just linking them. Just Family Tree Maker knows where these files are and there are just links to those media files.” I disagree on several counts: [Read more…] about Why You Might Consider Combining Your Family Tree Maker Media Files into One Folder

Ancestry.com Retires Family Tree Maker: What Now?

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A Tree Falls
A Tree Falls…. Photo credit: Flickr user DncnH (CC BY 2.0)

We’ve all heard the news by now: Ancestry.com is retiring Family Tree Maker (FTM) after 26 years, at least 6 different owners, and 22 major versions for Windows (plus 4 for Mac). No, the sky isn’t falling. This is a business decision on Ancestry’s part, and in the long run, I think it will be a win-win situation for both Ancestry and genealogists. Let’s face it: FTM has travelled a rocky road since the major update in 2008, and then again in 2012 when they added the TreeSync feature. TreeSync was in fact the only reason I stuck with FTM, despite the bugs and constant crashes until it finally stabilized with version 3 for Mac. I’ve read with envy the glowing reviews for some of the Windows apps like RootsMagic and Family Historian, but using Windows apps on a Mac is just not convenient, ideal, or Mac-like. And besides, while some of them can sync with FamilySearch.org or MyHeritage.com, they can’t sync with Ancestry.com. Up until now.
[Read more…] about Ancestry.com Retires Family Tree Maker: What Now?