21st century syncing of PAF / FamilySearch / IGI
Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 7:36 am
With the upgrading of FamilySearch.org in progress, I could understand there being a hold back on PAF - although you'd think it would be better to work on them simultaniously - although I hope that's the only reason. PAF 5.2 has been around for a LONG time now, and as the creators of GEDCOM who have influenced the entire genealogical software industry, we should be leading the way. PAF's multimedia capabilities are limited and the websites it creates are reminisent of DOS days. To look at the capabilities and syncing of Family Tree Maker and Ancestry.com puts us to shame, so I'd like to know if the new, long-awaited features of the new FamilySearch site will have all that's been anticipated - and whether PAF will be upgraded in order to become more synced, not only with the site, but with multimedia, the web, and the 21st century generally.
With TempleReady about to be on FamilySearch.org, I'm expecting to be able to process a submission either by accessing a previously created GEDCOM (from any package that accomodates ordinance data/fields), or by accessing the PAF database directly (as with the TempleReady software), and preferably other packages, placing the contents of the database on view on FamilySearch, ready for selection, editing etc., and then going through the normal submission process of checking against the IGI and updating the database or creating a GEDCOM as appropriate. Another option would be to have the option to select and submit directly from PAF (without the use of a GEDCOM), and again check against the IGI online. With any option, the user would finally need to be viewing the site in order to actually make the submission over the Internet to whichever temple they choose.
As for PAF's capabilities - especially multimedia, web, syncing, searching, indexing - I'd like to know if there are going to be any drastic improvements in the near future. To look at things in perspective: at the moment, it's still not possible to identify one parent as biological and the other as adoptive; there's an option to add an image to a marriage record but no way to view it; and without the use of an add-in, it's not possible to view images of anyone other than the person in the primary position in Family View. We still can't open more than 1 database and transfer from one to another without the use of a GEDCOM. These are just a few examples of the limitations, which are so frustrating when I know that the Church could and should be leading the way. I think it was when PAF 4.x was released that it was said that it was no longer just a genealogical program, but a Book of Remembrance. Such now frequently include video and URLs, and with the age of multimedia and the Internet that we are now in, and the growth and improvement of Church sites (and expansion of genealogy online), surely the time is long overdue for PAF to be brought up to date. A simple example would be the ability to view FamilySearch.org from within PAF, check against the IGI (or other indexes) and update your database(s) etc.
As part of the upgrading of FamilySearch.org, I'd like to know how the structure of the IGI will be affected. As far as I know, on the existing site recent submissions have been dealt with differently in order to try to reduce duplication and to keep families together in the original family unit structure in which they were submitted (just as if viewing the Pedigree Resource File), rather than viewing each child individually with the parents. It's my understanding that there is an aim to 'reunite' siblings on the IGI, and if so, I'd like to know how this will be undertaken. And will any kind of record, link, or even some form of merge be performed for any duplications?
If anyone can shed any light on any of these points then that'd be great! :rolleyes:
With TempleReady about to be on FamilySearch.org, I'm expecting to be able to process a submission either by accessing a previously created GEDCOM (from any package that accomodates ordinance data/fields), or by accessing the PAF database directly (as with the TempleReady software), and preferably other packages, placing the contents of the database on view on FamilySearch, ready for selection, editing etc., and then going through the normal submission process of checking against the IGI and updating the database or creating a GEDCOM as appropriate. Another option would be to have the option to select and submit directly from PAF (without the use of a GEDCOM), and again check against the IGI online. With any option, the user would finally need to be viewing the site in order to actually make the submission over the Internet to whichever temple they choose.
As for PAF's capabilities - especially multimedia, web, syncing, searching, indexing - I'd like to know if there are going to be any drastic improvements in the near future. To look at things in perspective: at the moment, it's still not possible to identify one parent as biological and the other as adoptive; there's an option to add an image to a marriage record but no way to view it; and without the use of an add-in, it's not possible to view images of anyone other than the person in the primary position in Family View. We still can't open more than 1 database and transfer from one to another without the use of a GEDCOM. These are just a few examples of the limitations, which are so frustrating when I know that the Church could and should be leading the way. I think it was when PAF 4.x was released that it was said that it was no longer just a genealogical program, but a Book of Remembrance. Such now frequently include video and URLs, and with the age of multimedia and the Internet that we are now in, and the growth and improvement of Church sites (and expansion of genealogy online), surely the time is long overdue for PAF to be brought up to date. A simple example would be the ability to view FamilySearch.org from within PAF, check against the IGI (or other indexes) and update your database(s) etc.
As part of the upgrading of FamilySearch.org, I'd like to know how the structure of the IGI will be affected. As far as I know, on the existing site recent submissions have been dealt with differently in order to try to reduce duplication and to keep families together in the original family unit structure in which they were submitted (just as if viewing the Pedigree Resource File), rather than viewing each child individually with the parents. It's my understanding that there is an aim to 'reunite' siblings on the IGI, and if so, I'd like to know how this will be undertaken. And will any kind of record, link, or even some form of merge be performed for any duplications?
If anyone can shed any light on any of these points then that'd be great! :rolleyes: