Building Your Family Digital Archive in Two Steps
Growing up, I remember my father entering our family data into Family Tree Maker on our Dell computer. The software had come on a CD, in a box much too big for the CD itself. Fast forward 20 years, and he can’t tell you where that family tree went. It probably went into the recycling bin when the Dell finally died.
Even though we had AOL at the time, the Family Tree Maker (at least ours) was not connected to or saved anywhere online. The file just sat on the desktop. We create plans for our physical belongings and financial assets after we’re gone, yet we often leave the preservation of our digital possessions, like photographs and family trees, to chance.
Family Tree Maker was eventually bought out by Ancestry.com, and users were given the option to create a GEDCOM file (more on this later) to move their trees over to the new platform. I recently created my own Ancestry.com account and found a family tree that my aunt had started, but hadn’t logged into since 2018.
Ancestry can be a wonderful tool for connecting users across the globe through DNA findings and public member trees. At the same time, everything is behind a paywall. Ancestry is pricey, and the cost of the membership adds up over the years. In addition, Ancestry is a private venture, and it is hard to share your tree and findings with friends and family unless they’re members as well.
I prefer to utilize Ancestry and FamilySearch as a kind of genealogy social media. They are both fantastic tools for research and sharing, but not viable options for long-term storage. I may post photographs to Facebook or Instagram, for example, but I also make sure they are saved on my phone and in my Google Photos account. This may sound like a big, time-consuming undertaking, when you *could* just keep all of your family data on Ancestry. But after performing hundreds of hours of research, I am personally willing to go the extra mile to save and display my findings for the long run.
I suggest a two-pronged approach to saving your precious family tree data:
1: Generate a GEDCOM File
First, generate a GEDCOM file. A Genealogical Data Communication (GEDCOM) file is a universal standard that codifies a family tree. By creating a GEDCOM file, the family tree can be transferred to family members and imported to various genealogy software programs. The file is compatible with Ancestry, FamilySearch, and RootsMagic, among others. The standard dates back to 1984, giving users a chance to transfer data from discontinued genealogy software programs including Family Tree Maker, Personal Ancestral File, and The Master Genealogist. Save the GEDCOM file on an external hard drive, along with digital copies of records documenting each generation.
2: Display and Share Your Family Tree
Second, display your family tree and share it with family members in a place that’s built to last. New sites like Permanent.org and Collectionaire allow you to show off your findings and family photos.
Permanent.org - Preserve your tree and family data
Built with the future in mind, Permanent.org is a non-profit provider of cloud storage with an endowment to secure funding for its software development and upkeep for future generations. A one-time payment secures a perpetual, secure space on their servers. By uploading all of your data to Permanent.org, the files and records will be safe if physical records (including the external hard drive) are lost or damaged.
View my Permanent.org demo at: https://www.permanent.org/p/archive/05ag-0000/05ag-0052/734995
Collectionaire - Display your tree securely and publicly
Collectionaire was developed by a former Disney executive to exhibit photographs and genealogy information after he hit a dead end on where to store the stories associated with his family tree. Ancestry can compile family trees and store photographs, but this software allows users to store family stories and multiple photographs. The software displays these items as a family tree, sorted by generation. Collectionaire allows for the account owner to name two successors on the account, and albums can be viewed by whomever you share them with.
View a Collectionaire demo at: https://youtu.be/gmu6QUhJlgI
—
Backlog specializes in creating lasting Family Digital Archives using the software outlined above, or of your choice. We can coordinate with your entire family to bring digital copies of family heirlooms together in one place, and capture valuable information about each item. We specialize in collecting and connecting data about each digital object (its metadata) and making sure it’s not lost to time.
