21st century syncing of PAF / FamilySearch / IGI

[garysturn]

If someone wants to do everything online, I think new FamilySearch will be all they will need to use. For others, PAF will be updated to do some type of sync routine. I am sure 3rd party Family History Software companies will want to have the ability for their software to sync with new FamilySearch as well.

[thedqs]

Ok that is the best way since I know some people only have internet access which they use at internet cafes while some don't have internet at all but they can take their GEDCOM to the FHL and sync it usings the "syncing" PAF. Anyway I am wondering what is going to happen to the FHL once you can do everything at home? (TempleReady, Microfilm Research, etc)

[russellhltn]

Anyway I am wondering what is going to happen to the FHL once you can do everything at home? (TempleReady, Microfilm Research, etc)

FHL or FHC? In a word: training.

[thedqs]

Back in my stake in Washington we had the Family History Library. But up here in Utah we have Family History Centers.

I wonder if the church will release some self-teach training videos/materials onto the FamilySearch site...

[dlongmore]

Yes, your right on track. I know that currently the at the Ward level there should be Family History Consultants in each ward that has access to online training resources that they can then go out and share as they work together with others in a one on one setting helping teach and train them on the various tools and resources (PAF, familysearch, etc.) of the Church.

[garysturn]

The Church already offers online training in Family History. When Family History Consultants and Priesthood leaders register with the Church they receive a User account and Password to the training sites. I have gone through most of the online lessons myself. Family History Consultants also receive E-Mails on a regular basis with other training and links to BYU training sites which are also available free online. I have created a Web page with links to many of these sites and to listings of past Family History Consultants E-Mails for our Consultants to use to keep up with training. It is at http://newfamilyhistory.googlepages.com if anyone is interested in online training.

new FamilySearch will also include Research Forums which will contain a Knowledge base where people can find training and answers to many research questions. There will also be people online available to help in the Forums. I am signed up as a Beta Tester for the Forums and get E-Mail updates about the coming forums testing. The beta testing for the Forums has not started yet. They have requested that we submit reviews of online research sources to be included in the Knowlege base.

[blackrg]

We will always need an option to have genealogy stored and accessed locally on our personal computers. The simple example for me would be when I'm out in the middle of nowhere, checking out a graveyard and need to pull something up in PAF to see where the information I'm gathering does or doesn't fit in. Not all research can be done on the Internet unfortunately, and Internet is not always readily or cheaply available everywhere that research may take you.

The flip side though is that there absolutely has to be an "Internet version" available in some manner (web being the preferred choice of course) to truly get the degree of collaboration that is needed.

With those two needs stated, then a need to sync between the two is also obvious. So a complete solution has to include a web solution, and offline solution, and a way to sync between the two.

On a different note, is there any particular reason why the Church hasn't opened up the source of PAF to the public? Obviously having the church continue to do work on PAF would be a good thing (in my eyes anyway), perhaps they're worried about the code forking if they open it up? A guess what I would like as a minimum would be a way to view the code and submit changes that if approved by the Church, would be included in the "main" version.

[russellhltn]

We will always need an option to have genealogy stored and accessed locally on our personal computers. The simple example for me would be when I'm out in the middle of nowhere, checking out a graveyard and need to pull something up in PAF to see where the information I'm gathering does or doesn't fit in.

I'll agree with that. However, I see your example as an argument for a version that runs on PDAs or maybe even on cell phones (WAP?). Cell phone access is available in some very remote areas.

[blackrg]

I'll agree with that. However, I see your example as an argument for a version that runs on PDAs or maybe even on cell phones (WAP?). Cell phone access is available in some very remote areas.

The computer is a more common denominator though, and me personally, I wouldn't drag one of those, I'd take a laptop so I've got plenty of storage space both for all the files I need to drag with me (I've got my own miniature vault over here I need to digitize...) and also for all the photos I take (sometimes because there isn't a good copier available, other times because I'm photographing cemeteries)

[bhofmann]

The computer is a more common denominator though, and me personally, I wouldn't drag one of those, I'd take a laptop so I've got plenty of storage space both for all the files I need to drag with me (I've got my own miniature vault over here I need to digitize...) and also for all the photos I take (sometimes because there isn't a good copier available, other times because I'm photographing cemeteries)

I agree. I think there are many people who take their laptops around while they are visiting various genealogical sites. I think there will be plenty of reasons and plenty of people that still like to do their work offline.