Another Idea is what I do to my Genealogy Data that I do not want to loose is I send it through Familysearch.org by way of Gedcom to the Sharing to "Pedigree Resource File" They in turn put it on CDs and store it in the Granite Mountain and also share it by putting it on CDs. Donna See Below: What will be done with my genealogy (the GEDCOM file) that I submitted? First, your GEDCOM file will be checked for file format errors. If errors are found, you will be notified by e-mail that your file could not be used. It will then be your responsibility to fix any errors and then re-submit your GEDCOM file. Second, a copy of your GEDCOM file will be placed in the Granite Mountain Records Vault, located near Salt Lake City, Utah, for preservation. Third, a copy of your GEDCOM file may be published. Currently, the submitted files are being compiled and published in a CD-ROM product called Pedigree Resource File. Pedigree Resource File is now available for purchase at near cost. It may also be available for use at a Family History Center near you at no charge. An index of the current Pedigree Resource File discs may be purchased through FamilySearch Internet. Submitted GEDCOM files may also be included in other FamilySearch products, such as Ancestral File and even made available on the Internet. Fourth, an index of the current Pedigree Resource File may be made available for searching on FamilySearch Internet. The full content of the GEDCOM files (pedigrees, sources, notes, and so on) is not available on FamilySearch Internet at the current time.

The main problem with sending a GEDCOM to a web location is the risk (very strong) that you are posting living data. If you restrict the living, then you have not backed up some of your important data. It is best to use the backups. In 2 lines, John Vilburn just summarized at least 2 reasons for making backups: archive and for potential errors. The backups are the most efficient method due to the compression in the file. The GEDCOM lacks the completeness of the backup that is an exact copy (just compressed) of your data file. It is easy to recover and store in other locations. A zip drive was also mentioned as a possible source. I am comfortable with a zip drive, but there are a lot of folks that have sworn off of them because of problems. I am not sure what there problems were. In any case, all media have pros and cons. As long as you cycle through media copies, you should be OK - floopy, zip drive, memory stick, CD, or even external hard drives. In fact the last is good for backing up your whole system in case it crashes. Bill > Another Idea is what I do to my Genealogy Data that I do not want to loose > is I send it through Familysearch.org by way of Gedcom to the Sharing to > "Pedigree Resource File" They in turn put it on CDs and store it in the > Granite Mountain and also share it by putting it on CDs. > Donna >