And I said it there, so I'll say it here: not dead is not same as still developed. Cheryl Richard Rands wrote: > For those making comments about the future of PAF may be interested > in the following message that was posted on the Yahoo message board > used by directors at the LDS Church's Family History Centers > (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FHCNET/). > > The message dealt with issues regarding the New FamilySearch system > (nFS) currently being rolled out to LDS members. The source is from > a staff member of the Church's Family History Dept. However, the > poster overheard a discussion after the meeting and wrote the following: > > 4. Concerning the future of PAF. I did not ask this question, he was > answering this issue to another person as I walked up. The following is > part of what I heard. It is not a dead program. It will be around for a > long time. There will be some minor changes to the program so that it will > be able to interface with nFS. No time frame for this. > > Richard Rands > > > > > At 05:24 PM 1/1/2008 -0800, you wrote: > >>Gaylon, >>Thanks for your postings on AQ. I have been using PAF for 5 years and I had >>know idea it was connected with AQ. So now I know if PAF becomes obsolete I >>have somewhere to go. >>John >>----- Original Message ----- >>From: "Gaylon Findlay" <[email protected]> >>To: <[email protected]> >>Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2008 4:13 PM >>Subject: Re: [PAF-5] AQ >> >> >> >>>Mel: >>> >>>Let me intersperse answers in between your questions below. >>> >>>Gaylon >>> >>>Mary Gagne wrote: >>> >>>>Been reading the messages about PAF versus AQ, have a couple of >>>>questions. I haven't worked much with PAF recently and there probably >>>>have been changes made since I started it. But AQ, is this a program >>>>much like PAF? >>> >>>*** >>>PAF is essentially a slightly modified version of an older Ancestral >>>Quest. Incline Software gave the AQ code to the LDS Church 9 years ago, >>>and Church programmers made a few changes and called it PAF 4. Then they >>>made a few more changes and called it PAF 5. But most of the code is >>>written by Incline Software, and is Ancestral Quest code. >>>*** >>> >>>> And is it upgraded from time to time (like I understand >>>>PAF won't be upgraded any more)? >>> >>>*** >>>9 years ago, when the code was given to the Church, AQ was at version 3. >>>Scores of enhancements and improvements have been made to AQ since then, >>>including most of the enhancements made to PAF, plus a bunch more. AQ is >>>currently at version 12. And it is still being upgraded. >>>*** >>> >>>> And is AQ through the church, or is it >>>>a commercial program and must be purchased? >>> >>>*** >>>It is a commercial program. Unfortunately, Incline Software doesn't get >>>funded through Tithing funds of the LDS Church as PAF does, so we do >>>have to charge for AQ. >>>*** >>> >>>> Is it a one time fee or is >>>>it something you have to re-purchase yearly? >>>> >>> >>>*** >>>Like most commercial software, you can purchase it once and use that >>>version for as long as you like. There is no yearly renewal. However, as >>>new versions are released, you would have to pay an upgrade fee to use >>>the newer features. (Some users are still quite happy to continue using >>>version 1.0 from 1994. They have only paid a fee one time.) >>>*** >>> >>>>Mel >>>> >>>> >>>>Gaylon Findlay wrote: >>>> >>>> >>>>>Lila: >>>>> >>>>>Yes, GEDCOMs will go from PAF to AQ seamlessly. But there is even a >>>>>better way. AQ can directly convert databases from PAF into AQ and from >>>>>AQ into PAF (you won't need to use GEDCOM unless you really want to). AQ >>>>>can also work with your PAF file so that you don't need to export it or >>>>>convert it. You can even use AQ to deal with the advanced features, then >>>>>go back to using PAF. Since they both use the same database, you can >>>>>alternate which program you use. >>>>> >>>>>You can use AQ to edit your PAF data, then use PAF to print your German >>>>>reports on the same data. >>>>> >>>>>AQ has the ability for users to translate the program into any language >>>>>in the world. At present, we are not aware of any who have fully taken >>>>>advantage of this capability -- we have heard of some efforts to start >>>>>translating into Danish, German, French, Dutch, Vietnamese, Spanish, >>>>>Polish and I believe Russian. But I don't believe any are complete (the >>>>>Danish is very close). >>>>> >>>>>AQ will work a little differently than PAF when it comes to reports. You >>>>>won't have to use the whole program in German to get a German report. >>>>>You will be able to use the program in English, and choose German as the >>>>>report language. So you won't have to "memorize which buttons to click". >>>>>(Even before a German translation is fully available, you could use your >>>>>PAF Family Group Sheet as a guide, and translate the Family Group Sheet >>>>>of AQ into German so that you could use AQ to do this. -- Or, you can >>>>>just use the German version of PAF to do this while you use AQ in >>>>>English.) >>>>> >>>>>Yes, there is a support mailing list for AQ: >>>>>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AncestralQuest >>>>> >>>>>You can go to www.ancquest.com and download the trial version of AQ. It >>>>>will open your PAF database. After a few minutes of playing with AQ, I >>>>>think you'll realize that it is so similar to PAF, that you won't "get >>>>>into trouble doing a changeover". (To give you peace of mind, you should >>>>>do a backup of your PAF database before you start experimenting like >>>>>this.) >>>>> >>>>>Gaylon >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>> >>>> -- There should be no attachments on this message, unless I specifically mentioned them above.