I have a new love - Rootsweb (my database) and my PAF software, two windows on my screen. Oh, a whole new world for cleaning the database.
I am not a big fan of Family Tree Maker. I have it, of course. And it's connection to my Ancestry.com membership is handy. Sometimes. Still, I really prefer my Personal Ancestral File from LDS. It's FREE. It's Easy. And it works just the same as Ancestry Family Tree, which I'm still depressed that they discontinued. Btw, is that for real? Does anyone know if it's Really, Truly gone? Cause I can't find it on the web any longer.
Enyhoo... Ancestry has it's place. It does. While I'd rather not pay for genealogical information, it's not a soap-box I'm willing to rant about tonight.
So... My new favorite thing....
I upload my database to Rootsweb. Instead of having 10,000 pages on my personal website, it just makes more sense to have a link to a free family tree... Rootsweb is by far my favorite.
Rootsweb is also tied in with Ancestry, so each individual listing - if Ancestry can find it - gives you search results to Ancestry throughout the Rootsweb database.
This is the best help for cleaning up the database!
I open one window with MY database on Rootsweb. Which has the links to Ancestry.
And then another window of my PAF database.
I can look right at my notes and sources on my rootsweb pages, find oddities, old information, and of course, Ancestry links... and update in my PAF at the same time. It's So much easier than having to click on the Sources and Notes for each individual person - not sure what I'm going to find - cause Rootsweb has it all listed right there.
Of course this means that I've been uploading new databases to Rootsweb every day this week.
But... I don't have a job. And the baby is still taking two naps a day. I have time :-)
If you have an ancestry membership and upload to Rootsweb, this is, so far, the easiest way that I've found to start with cleaning the database. It's at least showing me the weak links, and immediate connections to cleaning up Notes and Sources. Ooh... I've got a long list to build on. But you've gotta start somewhere.
