Genealogy Chat

Am i right in thinking that if i put all 1,000 people of my family onto a disc and then at a later date buy a new upgraded one, i'll have to start all over again? And also does it only work on the one computer, because sometimes i sit at the desk top and other times i sit with my laptop. x

Do you mean if you put all your family into a software programme like FamilyTreeMaker?

If so you can buy a newer version and transfer all your data in a gedcom to the new programme without having to type everything in again.

You should also be able to put the software onto both of your machines (I think)

Kath. x

Are just talking about a gedcom, or one you work with on an off line programme?

As long as you have the same programme on any computer, you ought to be able to be open it. Mine gets saved on a memory stick, and gets carted from one to the other. The links to photos and docs get lost if I'm not on my main one, but I can update dates/names/events etc easily.

If you purchase an updated FH programme to your original, there is usually a step-by-guide to help you convert from the old one. I have a suspicion that if you purchase a different brand, the photo/doc links may not be recognised, but it will recognise the tree. That is saved as a gedcom file which will be readable by any FH programme.

No - you`re not right if later means within a year or two.
Obviously, your new upgraded computer will have to be able to read the sort of disc you wrote on, but even if you wrote on a CD and the new one only read DVDs, there will be computers around in a year or two that can read/write both, so you could get on one of those and copy your data to the new medium.

However, this won`t apply forever - the early PCs (say 25y ago) used 5 inch floppy discs - good luck dealing with that - you might find one that could read those in a museum.

Just a note, if you work between two computers be sure that if you add new information to a file on one computer, copy that to the other.

I choose to make sure only to add new stuff to my lap top, then make a GEDCOM to update the desk computer, to view only.

Find your own way of not loosing hard won data, without having too many versions of your family file.

mgnv's point about read-ability of electronic storage devices in the future, only goes to confirm that paper still has its place. It would be a real shame if all the effort we've put into our research gets 'locked in' to an obsolete device which no one can access with ease.
Time to stock up on paper and ink while we are capable of printing off? ;-)

Paper`s not perfect either. In the 1960s, I had to analyze some data that was stored on paper, specifically on 70 rolls of 8-hole punched paper tape. It was generated in the 1950s and, by the time I got at it, the only place I could find that could still read it was 5 obsolete government computers in Washington DC that were due for replacement within a few months.

I recently saw on TV a program abt the Bibliothèque nationale de France. They`ve got many 19th century first editions by Dumas, Zola etc. None were printed on acid-free paper and they`re now disintegrating, and they now have to go thru an expensive restoration process to preserve them.

I`ve heard the story (possibly apocryphal) that the novelist Umberto Eco keeps so much paper and books in his house that he`s had two houses collapse under the weight.

Going back to the original question, in what format are you intending to store the data on disc?

This will have a bearing on how easy it can be retrieved at a later date.

Oh gosh, i feel all confused! :-( My intention was to purchase a new family tree programme and put what i have from Genes on there as well

And there are so many of them as well!
Thank you everyone for your import, much appreciated, ill go and practice with gedcom now! :-D

Export Genes Reunited to GEDCOM format. This can then be loaded into to all genealogy software.

To add to a comment above...
"mgnv's point about read-ability of electronic storage devices in the future ... shame if all the effort we've put into our research gets 'locked in' to an obsolete device which no one can access with ease"

You mean like micro-fiche? The amount of genealogy / history societies that only sell their wares on micro-fiche staggers belief! No one, I really mean no one, has a fiche reader except libraries. Even top end home scanners struggle with fiche.