"Sir Creep" <sircreep@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:1190293142.771487.142630@19g2000hsx.googlegroups.com... >I bought FTM11 back 4 yrs or so ago (6? LOL)...have used it, but > honestly it seems cumbersome for having to click and open this and > that and try to remember where each intricate detail you want to > include is embeded. And then citations are a joke, unless I've no > idea how to use it properly (dar I say the company sent NO > instructions or manual with the software!). > > So....I am about to re-embark on the journey with my own family and > want a once-and-for-all software that is more user-friendly (if you > think I am wrong and FTM IS user-friendly, I am happy to hear it and > maybe just need guidance). I see people talk about FREE stuff you can > get from LDS or whatever. Isn't there a reason the free stuff is > free? Anyway, this question is for the (I"m trying to be nice) non- > novice....what do you suggest and WHY. I do not necessarily want to > publish, but I do not find it impossible in the future. I DO want to > post my findings on the web....eventually. (BTW, what's the best > website to post on? and why LOL). > > I know.......we've answered it a hundered times. But if Legacy (free) > is best, why? If LDS download is best, why....etc etc. I am happy to > spend a couple $$$ if need be. > > Of course I could just plop the info in FTM 11 and transfer it to the > new program, couldn't I? I've no idea how the hell that works, but > hey....you guys must do that from time to time when you upgrade. > > Thanks in advance. > > SC > I bought two softwares, Family Tree Maker and one other, and both were cumbersome and a pain. I am still using PAF, the free Mormon program, nearly 2 years later. It's not perfect but it's nearly perfect. It's easy. It's not a scam or a burden or full of ads or begging you to buy add ons. It just works and it's important that it be easy, fast, and not cumbersome. I didn't care if I spent a lot, I wanted the best. I got the best, so called, and I just didn't like them. But PAF works, and doesn't have gimmicks or annoying features, and that is the main reason I have for recommending it. As ancestry.com has a monopoly, I had no choice but to pay their fee and rejoin. I need the powerful database and search engine. Using this and their online family tree feature, along with my PAF file to create a GED, I have everything necessary. If and when I want to print a super duper report again I'll take out the Family Tree or Legacy or whatever else, and fool around with it. But as no one but me cares in the family, I think the plain family tree format is just fine. I do this for future generations. The current batch just live in the present and are bored of history.

"aspidistra" <aspidistra@x82md.com> wrote in message news:r9kTi.126313$1y4.119627@pd7urf2no... > > "Sir Creep" <sircreep@hotmail.com> wrote in message > news:1190293142.771487.142630@19g2000hsx.googlegroups.com... >>I bought FTM11 back 4 yrs or so ago (6? LOL)...have used it, but >> honestly it seems cumbersome for having to click and open this and >> that and try to remember where each intricate detail you want to >> include is embeded. And then citations are a joke, unless I've no >> idea how to use it properly (dar I say the company sent NO >> instructions or manual with the software!). >> >> So....I am about to re-embark on the journey with my own family and >> want a once-and-for-all software that is more user-friendly (if you >> think I am wrong and FTM IS user-friendly, I am happy to hear it and >> maybe just need guidance). I see people talk about FREE stuff you can >> get from LDS or whatever. Isn't there a reason the free stuff is >> free? Anyway, this question is for the (I"m trying to be nice) non- >> novice....what do you suggest and WHY. I do not necessarily want to >> publish, but I do not find it impossible in the future. I DO want to >> post my findings on the web....eventually. (BTW, what's the best >> website to post on? and why LOL). >> >> I know.......we've answered it a hundered times. But if Legacy (free) >> is best, why? If LDS download is best, why....etc etc. I am happy to >> spend a couple $$$ if need be. >> >> Of course I could just plop the info in FTM 11 and transfer it to the >> new program, couldn't I? I've no idea how the hell that works, but >> hey....you guys must do that from time to time when you upgrade. >> >> Thanks in advance. >> >> SC >> > I bought two softwares, Family Tree Maker and one other, and both were > cumbersome and a pain. I am still using PAF, the free Mormon program, > nearly 2 years later. It's not perfect but it's nearly perfect. It's easy. > It's not a scam or a burden or full of ads or begging you to buy add ons. > > It just works and it's important that it be easy, fast, and not > cumbersome. I didn't care if I spent a lot, I wanted the best. I got the > best, so called, and I just didn't like them. But PAF works, and doesn't > have gimmicks or annoying features, and that is the main reason I have for > recommending it. > > As ancestry.com has a monopoly, I had no choice but to pay their fee and > rejoin. I need the powerful database and search engine. Using this and > their online family tree feature, along with my PAF file to create a GED, > I have everything necessary. > > If and when I want to print a super duper report again I'll take out the > Family Tree or Legacy or whatever else, and fool around with it. But as no > one but me cares in the family, I think the plain family tree format is > just fine. I do this for future generations. The current batch just live > in the present and are bored of history. Don't dispair. I used to live in the present for my first forty years or so, and then became very interested in my family's history. Sadly, by then the family elders had passed on and I found that no one had cared to document even their own immediate past. Now that you're doing it, I suspect some of your descendants will thank you for it later. Bruce

aspidistra wrote: > "Sir Creep" <sircreep@hotmail.com> wrote in message > news:1190293142.771487.142630@19g2000hsx.googlegroups.com... > >>I bought FTM11 back 4 yrs or so ago (6? LOL)...have used it, but >>honestly it seems cumbersome for having to click and open this and >>that and try to remember where each intricate detail you want to >>include is embeded. And then citations are a joke, unless I've no >>idea how to use it properly (dar I say the company sent NO >>instructions or manual with the software!). >> >>So....I am about to re-embark on the journey with my own family and >>want a once-and-for-all software that is more user-friendly (if you >>think I am wrong and FTM IS user-friendly, I am happy to hear it and >>maybe just need guidance). I see people talk about FREE stuff you can >>get from LDS or whatever. Isn't there a reason the free stuff is >>free? Anyway, this question is for the (I"m trying to be nice) non- >>novice....what do you suggest and WHY. I do not necessarily want to >>publish, but I do not find it impossible in the future. I DO want to >>post my findings on the web....eventually. (BTW, what's the best >>website to post on? and why LOL). >> >>I know.......we've answered it a hundered times. But if Legacy (free) >>is best, why? If LDS download is best, why....etc etc. I am happy to >>spend a couple $$$ if need be. >> >>Of course I could just plop the info in FTM 11 and transfer it to the >>new program, couldn't I? I've no idea how the hell that works, but >>hey....you guys must do that from time to time when you upgrade. >> >>Thanks in advance. >> >>SC >> > > I bought two softwares, Family Tree Maker and one other, and both were > cumbersome and a pain. I am still using PAF, the free Mormon program, nearly > 2 years later. It's not perfect but it's nearly perfect. It's easy. It's not > a scam or a burden or full of ads or begging you to buy add ons. > > It just works and it's important that it be easy, fast, and not cumbersome. > I didn't care if I spent a lot, I wanted the best. I got the best, so > called, and I just didn't like them. But PAF works, and doesn't have > gimmicks or annoying features, and that is the main reason I have for > recommending it. > > As ancestry.com has a monopoly, depends on the country and the year > I had no choice but to pay their fee and > rejoin. still many freebies it is also allowed to go to archives :-) > I need the powerful database and search engine. Using this and their > online family tree feature, along with my PAF file to create a GED, I have > everything necessary. > > If and when I want to print a super duper report again I'll take out the > Family Tree or Legacy or whatever else, and fool around with it. But as no > one but me cares in the family, I think the plain family tree format is just > fine. I do this for future generations. The current batch just live in the > present and are bored of history. there is a separate tree program for PAF Companion?? Hugh W -- For genealogy and help with family and local history in Bristol and district http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Brycgstow/ http://snaps4.blogspot.com/ photographs and walks GENEALOGE http://hughw36.blogspot.com/ MAIN BLOG

"aspidistra" <aspidistra@x82md.com> wrote in news:r9kTi.126313$1y4.119627@pd7urf2no: > > "Sir Creep" <sircreep@hotmail.com> wrote in message > news:1190293142.771487.142630@19g2000hsx.googlegroups.com... >>I bought FTM11 back 4 yrs or so ago (6? LOL)...have used it, but >> honestly it seems cumbersome for having to click and open this and >> that and try to remember where each intricate detail you want to >> include is embeded. And then citations are a joke, unless I've no >> idea how to use it properly (dar I say the company sent NO >> instructions or manual with the software!). >> >> So....I am about to re-embark on the journey with my own family and >> want a once-and-for-all software that is more user-friendly (if you <snipped a bunch> > I bought two softwares, Family Tree Maker and one other, and both were > cumbersome and a pain. I am still using PAF, the free Mormon program, > nearly 2 years later. It's not perfect but it's nearly perfect. It's > easy. It's not a scam or a burden or full of ads or begging you to buy > add ons. > > It just works and it's important that it be easy, fast, and not > cumbersome. I didn't care if I spent a lot, I wanted the best. I got > the best, so called, and I just didn't like them. But PAF works, and > doesn't have gimmicks or annoying features, and that is the main > reason I have for recommending it. > > As ancestry.com has a monopoly, I had no choice but to pay their fee > and rejoin. I need the powerful database and search engine. Using this > and their online family tree feature, along with my PAF file to create > a GED, I have everything necessary. > > If and when I want to print a super duper report again I'll take out > the Family Tree or Legacy or whatever else, and fool around with it. > But as no one but me cares in the family, I think the plain family > tree format is just fine. I do this for future generations. The > current batch just live in the present and are bored of history. > > As many bad things that Ancestry.com can & have been said about it I agree with this method, especially for beginners and people like me that only just now want to REALLY start digging past the Ancestry databases. As long as the user is aware (or cares) that some of the resources are poorly documented or plain wrong (like most all of the trees) and trys to avoid using them, you can't beat the speed of getting citations into your file and the user interface is reasonably logical and speedy, I think. And the evaluation of the citations (sources) is really what the decisions to link or not link are or should be based on, yes? The most citeable and electronically automated-entry data in one place seems to be Ancestry.com. I try to only add to my online tree work if the entry includes a decent citation, and export-import into something on my PC that meets my basic display and what-if needs. I'm only just now (after 5 or so years and am happy with my "rough" tree) thinking about something better for the PC that will help me as I hunt down the not-available-on-the-net data. Completeness , ease of entry, & evaluation of citations is only just now what I want to "work" for me.