Genealogy Chat

Major means that they kindly allowed someone to look at it and without permission that person took every detail and added it to their own tree. Thats one reason a lot of us dont keep everything on here and dont allow anyone to see the tree unless they have a definite worthwhile connection.

Thanks Major, How did your tree get hijacked?

Another reason for a family history program is that a private tree can be used to carry information not put onto a tree on GR. My tree on GR has been hijacked, so it has nearly 700 fewer entries than the tree on my home computer.

Mary Jane makes a very good point about "odd" relationships. My tree has a number of marriages between cousins. At least I hope they were just cousins!!

Another good reason for using a tree program is the auto complete for names and places - saves a lot of time and energy!

Also GenesReU tree cant cope with "odd" relationships - like cousins marrying, or a husband marrying dead wife's sister, etc.

I use Legacy and think it is great but each to their own.

Thanks Sue I found your info very helpful and have followed your advice

Sandra download the free programme from family search site I have been using it and it is vry easy to use.
The reason why you need a programme is that it is easy to send people info from your tree another reason is if Genes ever goes down or Ancestry then you have nothing after all your hasrd work.the other think is to back tour info up on a disc .
Sue

Thanks Heather I will have another search through the options.

Family tree software such as family tree maker is a lot more flexible with a lot more features than that available on GRs basic tree.

You can use it to record sources, photos, even video clips, make books, print trees, add a timeline, maps etc. It can trace errors you have made, bring up relationships even sort out your way forward if you want it to. The 2006 ftm I like because it has the facility for producing your own homepage on the internet which you can leave open to the world in case anyone is tracking your people or you can secure it with a password and only invite those you want to see it from their own computers anywhere.

You can also back it up to internet storage and cd so that you have several copies safe.

Read Tips for Newbies :)

As a beginner (3 weeks) to all this can somebody please tell me why I need to buy family tree software. What are the problems with GR? I seem to be doing ok at the moment with GR and Ancestry and kind people on this site. You will have to explain simply as I think im a bit dim