Solving Genealogical Problems Using FamilySearch and Its Affiliate Partners

Syllabus for class taught by Gordon Clarke, Affiliates Manager from FamilySearch at the FGS Conference 2010

Learn how FamilySearch and their affiliates can assist with solving your genealogical challenges with new and effective products and services. Software affiliates are developers and providers of desktop, mobile, and Web applications. Publisher affiliates assist record custodians, associations, and societies with capturing, indexing, preserving, and publishing genealogical records. Learn about their available products and services and how FamilySearch affiliates can solve your genealogical challenges.

RECORD PUBLISHERS AND YOU
Find Web sites that make it easier to research and find records and evidence.

Indexing Using “Crowd-Sourcing”
Volunteers are growing by the thousands. Learn how you can participate in making records searchable. Many collections are becoming available that need to be indexed.


 * FamilySearch and its affiliates gather genealogical and historical records from around the world and convert them into digital images that are stored in our online system.
 * You download the images to your computer and transcribe the highlighted information used to create a searchable online index.
 * Everyone gets free access to the indexes at familysearch.org.

Publishers Cooperate on Scanning, Digitizing, and Indexing Collections
FamilySearch has special projects with many publishers to get large and popular collections online. Important collections are available online free and can be accessed right from your home or through a FamilySearch family history center. Some of the FamilySearch partners are:


 * Footnote
 * Find My Past
 * Ellis Island
 * Ancestry

Searchable Online Collections Being Added Every Week

 * Discover your ancestors by browsing record collections
 * Find a family history center near you for free access to many genealogical Web sites:

AFFILIATE SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS
Individual software solutions commonly provide more privacy, features, and analytical processing power than group or public Web sites.

Past, Present, and Future of Genealogy Software

 * Brief history of genealogy software
 * Future of GEDCOM and Personal Ancestor File (PAF)
 * What affiliates provide in addition to FamilySearch
 * Synchronizing with FamilySearch Web services

Mobile, Desktop, and Web Applications That Fit Your Needs
FamilySearch maintains a current software catalog of products made by certified software affiliates.

AFFILIATE SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS FOR GROUPS
Group software makes it possible to share and collaborate with people you feel comfortable with because of common interests and objectives. These groups could be extended family members, historical or genealogical society members, or any group of people wanting to work together on gathering information about persons, places, and events. Learn what’s available and coming soon from affiliates for group collaboration.


 * Community Trees Solutions


 * -http://histfam.familysearch.org
 * -The Next Generation
 * -PHP GedView
 * -Family Pursuit


 * Community Records Solutions


 * Community Cemetery Solutions


 * Community Media Solutions (documents, photos, audio/video)

AFFILIATE SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS FOR PUBLIC COLLABORATION
Public software solutions invite everyone to search, post, and comment on the information and conclusions made by others; any information posted can be seen by anyone who visits the site. Learn what public Web sites are available from FamilySearch and their affiliates and what’s coming soon.


 * FamilySearch’s new collaborative Family Tree
 * FamilyPursuit.com
 * OneGreatFamily.com
 * AppleTree.com
 * GeneTree.com

AFFILIATE PROGRAM BENEFITS
FamilySearch’s family of affiliates are providing more data, more technology, more applications, and more Web sites so that individuals, groups, and the public as a whole can more easily discover, save, organize, and share evidence, conclusions, and media about persons, places, and events.


 * Get more people to join the FamilySearch software developer community:

http://DevNet.FamilySearch.org


 * Communicate what is still needed for the family history and genealogy market:


 * Gordon Clarke
 * FamilySearch Software Affiliate Manager
 * clarkegj@familysearch.org


 * Anticipate and watch for more certified features that fit your needs