Marie, Legacy is a Windows system. To use it with the Mac OS you have to run it using a Windows emulator. Fiona — 5538 - Duignan & variants On 7 Dec 2014, at 21:12, Marie Byatt via <goons@rootsweb.com> wrote: > Sounds like you are off to a good start - spreadsheets are great for gathering data and sorting it. Its especially nice now that Family Search actually provides a button that allows one to do this and their spreadsheet includes the transcribing batch number. > I urge you not to overlook the benefits of Family connecting at the same time. I think you need to incorporate both types of data storage. The Family context acts as a checker for the spreadsheets. Too many times for my happiness, I have discovered that what looked to be a new group of Peplers for me has actually been individuals listed under a completely wrong name in one census or other type data base. Having the family connection has enabled me to verify this - where the single name of John or Mary or William wouldn't. There are many packages out there, I use Roots Magic, but many members also use Legacy ( which I believe has both MAC and windows version), Family Historian and several others. All have different strengths. > My normal practice When I get new data (say the 1870 census for the US) - I make my spreadsheet, sort for location and them go and add it as a new fact for each of the individuals on the list. If I can't find the person , I mark the entry and go on to the next. At the end, I come back to the marked people and decide if they are Peplers or not and do I have them already under a different name. I use the family structure ( spouse, parents, kids to help me determine this. Hate to say it but my Peplers weren't all well behaved when it comes to names and spellings, so knowing the parents and siblings has really helped identify some people. > One other benefit I have found in using genealogy software comes when I answer queries. I have found that if I send a correspondent a report or chart of their family (even if only 2 generations) and ask them to check it for mistakes or missing information - I usually get a very good response. Seems they love the personal attention, a chance to correct someone with their superior knowledge and just in general feel important. I have gotten some incredible help this way, including a 300 page published book. Producing the report I send, in most cases takes about 5 minutes, so that's a pretty good return. > You may already have a genealogy program. If you do - great. But if not, consider getting one. I realy believe crosschecking between tree based and spreadsheet based data collections helps find the discrepancies in each. > > BTW - since you are spreadsheet based - a contribution to the World Wide Marriage Index would be greatly appreciated. If you have questions - just email me. > > > Marie (GOONS 5318) > > > Bringing the world together one surname at a time. > 'A Pepler Name' http://pepler.tribalpages.com > 'Hedgerow - the Ancestors' http://cranberry.tribalpages.com > Pepler DNA Study http://www.familytreedna.com/public/pepler-ow/ > 'Scroops, Scropes and Scroopes' http://dentonlk.tribalpages.com >