Bryan:
Good subject. I'm willing to enter my proverbial 2 cents.
1. I use Family Origins 5.0a by Parsons. I have tried FTM but came back to
FO cause I like it's simplicity and user friendliness. Parsons also
incorporates a Web Uploader and a FREE web presence for your files.
2. I use two (2) other storage mechanisms. First, I have compiled all my
data into a rather simplistic, but huge WordPerfect table file. Columns in
the table include Name, Reference, Date, Location, Family members mentioned
and Notes. I can sort this table by either of the columns and can perform so
rudimentary searches for names, etc. The table is well over 500 pages in
length - even at 7.0 point font.
Secondly, I use a program called Documagix to keep electronic records of
anything that I have accumulated in hard copy format. The program is a
document management system that I use with my scanner to scan in
correspondences, photocopies, signatures, photographs, etc. I'm still updating
this but so far I have about 2,300 individual pages scanned in. This takes
about 250MB of storage. The program also does OCR and allows for notations to
be made. This, coupled with its excellent search engine allows me to find
items rather easily.
3. I use MS Internet Explorer. I also have AOL, Compuserve and Prodigy,
though I may drop Prodigy and Compuserve soon.
4. See Item 2. Also, I try to keep backups using my ZIP drive and 100MB ZIP
disks. I had to have this due to the size and no. of the image files I
generate. No particular numbering system - just alphabetically by name. The
search engines simplify the finding process.
5. I have an Envisions 6600S flatbed scanner. It scans at 600 X 1200 dpi
optical and up to 4800 dpi interpolated.
6. I use MSN as my E-Mail - no problem with large files so far. E-Mail:
mike_hitch(a)msn.com
Hope this covers everything. I'm a stickler for organization and find it
quite easy to get unorganized with all the genealogy stiuff I have gathered
over the years. The above is just my little strategy for trying to keep ahaed
of the tide of information.
Mike Hitch
Bowie, MD
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From: Bryan W. Lane
Sent: Friday, June 13, 1997 7:46 AM
To: LOWER-DELMARVA-ROOTS-L(a)rootsweb.com; CARSON-L(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: Survey - Record Keeping
Researchers,
How are all of you doing?! I would like to take this opportunity to ask
some survey questions; partly in hopes of generating activity on the
subject; but mostly to satisfy curiousity about certian methodology:
Naturally, all of us use our computers for a myriad of tasks and more
than likely we all have some form of computer program that we use to
store our family information in and to document certain information and
communicate with others. Ah, but then there is the hard copy
documentation ... we must do something with this ...
So on to the Survey ... I will write the questions and even give my own
response just to start the discussion:
1. What computer program(s) do you use to store your information?
I use Family Tree Maker. (I even have another relative that uses
Ancestral file but uses Family Tree Maker to print trees and certain
other reports)
2. Do you use any other program(s) to store or record information?
I have used Dbase III and Excel
3. What program(s) do you use to Communicate with others?
I use Netscape but to a lesser degree I have Compuserve.
4. Describe your Record Keeping System. (Include, if any, number
assignment procedures and types of categories used along with special
"piles", if any.)
I use what I started with in the very beginning when my information was
still small ... When a source comes to me I assign it a numerical
sequenced number and record a brief explanation of it and who/where it
is from on an index paper. Then when I refer to it in my computer
program I used its assigned number and who/where it is from. Then I
file it away in the numbered order. At this time I do not use any
categories, however I do have several "get to" piles!
5. Do you own a scanner or photcopier? If so, what make and model?
No. But I plan on it in the future. I am looking at an HP Scanner
6. Do you have a special E-mail address to be used for attachments?
(Some
attachments are so large that they cannot be sent via regular E-mail,
however, certain E-mail providers will accept large files such
as jpg, gif, bmp)(I suppose one could think of it as UPS vs US Mail ;0))
I do not have this?
I would like to thank you all in advance for participating in this
survey and I hope that you all do participate. I must admit that my goal
is somewhat personal ... I am looking to redo my record keeping system
and
I am looking for different ideas that you all will generate, in
addition,
I am making the assumption that this information can and will be usefull
to
others, especially beginners, as well, thus through the idea of sharing,
we
can all benefit from this topic in some way. If not from a new idea on
doing
something, then from satisfying curiousity.
When I have gathered enough information I will provide a summary of the
survey.
If you do not wish to respond back to the "LIST", then you may
respond directly to me at mailto:bwl@gate.net
Again, Thank you very much. I look forward to hearing from all of you.
Sincerely,
Bryan
--
Bryan
Visit my Web Page:
http://www.gate.net/~bwl/
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Web Page Created: March 15, 1997
Web Page Last Updated: June 1, 1997