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Copyright© 2002 by Richard W. Eastman. All rights reserved.

This is the last newsletter of the year, an appropriate time to look back at the events of the past twelve months. Every year seems to be an interesting one in genealogy technology, and this year was no exception. The major events of the year included these highlights:

• The U.S. 1930 Census records were released to the public.
• The 1881 Canadian Census was released on CD-ROM.
• The 1901 Canadian Census appeared online.
• The partnership of Genealogy.com and ProQuest created online access to thousands of compiled family and local history books for the first time. These genealogy and history books are available today for a fee.
• Numerous other genealogy databases were added to Web sites, and existing databases were expanded. There were far too many to list here individually.

One of the things that fascinate me is the emergence of new software. The genealogy software marketplace has always been highly competitive, and one or two stronger companies have been purchasing their smaller competitors. As a result, at the beginning of 2002 the number of available genealogy programs was smaller than in previous years. In the past twelve months, however, the trend has been in the opposite direction:

• Family Tree Legends is a major new Windows program that combines power and ease of use.

• Family Historian for Windows is a major new release from Calico Pie Limited in London.

• RootsMagic is a new Windows program from FormalSoft. Technically, it wasn’t released in 2002. However, it did make news in 2002. Last week I wrote a review of the late beta version, and it looks good to me. FormalSoft plans to release RootsMagic within the first few weeks of 2003.

While not new programs, several software producers released major updates during the year, including the following:

• The Master Genealogist version 5
• Family Tree Maker version 10
• Personal Ancestral File 5.2 (which is rumored to be the last version as the Family History Department reportedly is not planning any more updates)
• Reunion 8 for Macintosh
• GenDesigner 3.0
• MyRoots for Palm handheld computers
• The Pocket Genealogist for PocketPC handheld computers

Not all of the genealogy events of the year were good news:

The International Roots Conference was billed early in the year as a new, major genealogy conference that would attract thousands of attendees. The organizers lined up top-notch speakers and a first-class convention facility. They encountered only one problem: very few people signed up to attend. Only days before the conference start date, a lawyer representing the International Roots Conference organizers sent a letter to each person who had paid in advance for admission and seminars. The lawyer announced that the organizers were going out of business, but he did not use the word "bankruptcy." To quote Gilda Radner, the organizers simply said, "Never mind." The lawyer also stated that no money would be returned to the hapless individuals who had paid in advance. The estimated loss to each person who registered in advance ranged from $200 to more than $500, depending upon which seminars and dinners had been prepaid.

In the following days a number of people found irregularities with the organizers’ statements about expenses. Claims of fraud were common in online newsgroups and discussion boards.

Legal action was initiated against the organizers, and the Michigan State Attorney-General, the U.S. Postal Service Inspector-General, and others are investigating. The final outcome probably won’t be determined for some time yet. Would-be attendees who paid by credit card did receive full refunds from their credit card companies. However, those who paid by check, money order, or cash were not so lucky. There is a moral here: always pay by credit card, if possible. A credit card gives you much better insurance against non-delivery of goods and services than a check, money order, or cash.

On January 2, the Public Record Office in England released the 1901 UK census on a Web site. The site immediately was flooded with users and crashed repeatedly. Those who were able to access the data for more than a few minutes found that the information transcribed by untrained personnel was so full of errors as to be almost unusable. The site went offline and remained down for many months. Some of the technical issues have been solved since January 2, and the census records are now online again. However, the transcription problems remain.

The U.S. National Genealogical Society absorbed GENTECH, the leading "genealogy technology" organization. The merger went smoothly with one major exception: the planned GENTECH Conference for January 2003 ran into major organizational problems and was canceled. NGS is committed to a major GENTECH Conference in January of 2004, however.

Some other "bad news" stories had happy endings:

The Clayton Genealogy Library in Houston announced a major cut back in hours following a budget crunch. The cutback was part of Houston Mayor Lee Brown’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year. However, Houston City Council Member Annise Parker successfully passed a budget amendment that allowed the Library to remain open as usual.

Mic Barnette’s genealogy column in the Houston Chronicle was reduced in its exposure. However, an e-mail campaign by readers of this newsletter plus many others caused newspaper executives to change their minds.

And finally, there was one good piece of news concerning the newsletter you are reading now: the corporate sponsor of the past five years decided to stop sponsoring the newsletters. For a while it looked as if this newsletter would fold and cease publication. However, many newsletter readers stepped forward and signed up for a "Plus Edition" for $10 a year, and now the future of this newsletter looks much better. In turn, Plus Edition subscribers receive more articles than those contained in the free Standard Edition.

What will next year bring? I’ll write about that in next week’s newsletter.

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This week I had a chance to use a new CD-ROM that should interest anyone researching Gloucestershire, England, ancestry. The Gloucestershire Family History Society 1851 Census transcription has been available on microfiche for some time. However, the Society now has released the same information in electronic format on CD-ROM. The information has been extracted and entered into a database. The CD-ROM contains that extracted database, but not images of the original records. The disk will work with Windows, Macintosh, or Linux operating systems, although with some major differences.

The data on this CD-ROM is stored in five different formats: Adobe Acrobat PDF files, Microsoft Access, a proprietary database format used by a custom Windows program, ASCII text files, and Rich Text Format files. (Rich Text Format, or RTF, can be read by most modern word processors.) When used on Windows, inserting the disk for the first time into the PC launches a software installation dialogue. If you agree with the dialogue, a number of files will be installed on your hard drive. Once done, the required software will load automatically every time you insert the CD-ROM disk into your computer. From this point on, you will be using the custom database version of the data. Additionally, Windows users may use the other versions if they wish. Macintosh and Linux users can use the Adobe Acrobat version as well as the ASCII text and RTF versions. I installed the Windows software and used it most of the time while writing this review.

Unlike many other U.K. census CD-ROM disks, the 1851 Gloucestershire Census is fully indexed. You can use the power of your Windows computer to search for any combination of given name, last name, birth year (or birth year range), county of birth, place of birth, census address, or occupation. You can search by exact spelling of a name or you can search by Soundex Code. You can also combine searches; for instance, you can search for all people born in a certain location within a timeframe of plus and minus five years.

Here is a "copy and paste" of a few records I found while conducting a simple search for the common surname of Williams:

The above listing shows three members of one family, all residing at Parkwall. Aaron Williams is Head of Household (abbreviated as HD), married, 28 years old, with an occupation of "hatter." He was born in Bitton, Gloucestershire (abbreviated GLS). Since his age is listed as 28 in the 1851 census, he was born circa (about) 1822. Hannah Williams is listed as Aaron’s wife. She is 29 years old, a dressmaker, born circa 1822 in St. George, Gloucestershire. Their 6-year-old son (abbreviated SO) Joseph was also born in Bitton, Gloucestershire.

The database version has another useful feature: when displaying the data of an individual, you can click on a button labeled "View Neighbours" to see a long list of nearby households. This can be valuable since related families often lived in the same neighborhood.

While the above search methods are simple, the 1851 Gloucestershire Census CD has other methods of displaying the information that are useful in many genealogy searches:

• View Census As Enumerated shows the same information, only in the same order as found in the original records.

• View Census In Name Order displays the same information alphabetically by each person’s name.

The CD-ROM disk also contains additional reference information, including a list of all abbreviations used and a list of enumeration districts, including the names of Enumerators, Registrars, and Superintendent Registrars.

Unlike some other census CD-ROM disks, I found it easy to copy data from the 1851 Gloucestershire Census records and then paste it into a word processor while writing this article. You can also paste it into most Windows applications, including your favorite genealogy program. I was also able to print records on my local printer. Each printout was self-documenting: direct printouts from the program include the name of the CD-ROM disk as well as a reference to where the information was found in the original handwritten census records.

The Gloucestershire Family History Society says that the Windows software requires Windows 95, 98 or NT. However, I used it on Windows XP and did not experience any problems. The software also requires a screen resolution of 800-by-600 pixels or more, 16 megabytes of RAM memory (and undoubtedly more than that on later versions of Windows), and 5 megabytes of available hard drive space.

Everything I have described so far uses the Windows software included with the CD-ROM. However, I also tried the Adobe Acrobat PDF files, the ASCII text files, and the RTF files on Windows XP and on Red Hat Linux.

The same information is displayed in the other formats as in the Windows application; you view transcribed records, not images of the original handwritten records. The information appears to be recorded in the same order as the original census records. You can search by any word in the text, such as a name or date. However, the advanced searches of the database version are not available, nor are the alphabetical lists. I wasn’t able to copy and paste data from the Acrobat files. However, I could print a page or multiple pages easily. When I switched to the text files and RTF files, however, I could copy and paste easily.

The Acrobat version of the data should operate on any computer that has Acrobat Reader installed; no additional software is copied to the hard drive. The files should work on Macintosh, Linux, UNIX, and even the Windows CE operating system for handheld computers.

The 1851 Gloucestershire Census CD-ROM is an example of excellent genealogy data being made available at low cost. Unlike some other recent census products, the 1851 Gloucestershire Census records were transcribed by transcribers who speak English as their primary language and who have experience in searching primary records of interest to genealogists. I was not able to check the records against the originals for accuracy, but I suspect the error rate is quite low. (No transcribed records are ever error-free, however.)

The 1851 Gloucestershire Census CD-ROM sells for ₤21.50, roughly $34.00 in U.S. funds. The CD-ROM is available on the Gloucestershire Family History Society Web site although there is no secure online order system there. You can either mail a check or place a credit card order by telephone.

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Darrin Lythgoe has created new genealogy software that you can upload and install on a Web server. You then upload your genealogy information in GEDCOM format to the same Web server along with any pictures you might wish to use. You can also enter data manually, if you prefer. Unlike most genealogy Web pages, the information is not stored as normal HTML files. Instead, it is stored in a database on the Web server, and pages are dynamically generated "on the fly" when a viewer visits your Web site. Darrin immodestly calls his software "The Next Generation."

I have to interject that this new software is not for everyone. First of all, to install and use The Next Generation, you need to have access to several of the advanced features available in Web sites, namely PHP and MySQL. PHP is a Hypertext Preprocessor, which is a server-side, HTML-embedded scripting language used to create dynamic Web pages. MySQL is the world's most popular open source database and is typically found on Linux servers. These features typically are available to webmasters and system administrators. If you do not understand the phrase "embedded scripting language used to create dynamic Web pages," I would suggest that you not attempt to use this software.

Using a true database for storage and dynamically generating Web pages as needed has numerous advantages over static Web pages, including the following:

• It saves a lot of disk space on your web site. There are no HTML pages to generate, and you don't even need to store the GEDCOM file on your site. Most Web hosting services charge for the amount of disk space used; so, this can be important to anyone with a lot of genealogy information to share.

• Using a database instead of the GEDCOM file makes the information more easily searchable. Visitors to your Web site may search by last name, first name, Soundex, metaphones (an enhanced Soundex), birth year, and several other options without wading through enormous lists of surnames or individuals. Visitors to your site are using true database searches instead of the more limited searches available with search engines.

• Pedigree and descendancy charts are capable of showing an indefinite number of generations.

• Multi-language support. When multiple languages are present, visitors have the ability to change the language for all core pages. The Web pages are automatically generated when the visitor asks for information; you do not need to upload separate HTML pages in advance for each language.

Darrin Lythgoe’s Web site contains his own genealogy information and his wife’s, all generated by "The Next Generation." He also has links to a number of other genealogy Web sites that use The Next Generation to store and display genealogy data. If you have an interest in this technology, you will want to spend some time looking at those example sites.

Darrin says that you do not need to be a PHP and MySQL expert, but I would suggest that you should at least be familiar with these terms before diving into The Next Generation. If you have never heard of these terms before, you probably need to do some reading before installing this software.

The Next Generation costs $25. Once purchased, you download the software, unzip it on your own PC, customize the installation parameters to match your Web server’s requirements, and then upload the result to your Web server. Once the PHP software and MySQL database are functional on your Web server, you upload the GEDCOM file and import the data into the MySQL database. You can also manually enter your data although I suspect that GEDCOM import will be the preferred method for most people.

My thanks to Paul Featherstone for telling me about The Next Generation.

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An LDS Church-related publishing company is now selling a set of more than six dozen DVD-ROM disks packed with 400,000 scanned images of valuable and rare documents on the LDS church — the oldest of which is 170 years old.

In this case, the letters "DVD-ROM" do not refer to video. Instead, these are the same as standard CD-ROM disks except for storage capacity: a DVD-ROM disk can hold up 4.7 gigabytes of data on a single-sided disk, roughly eight times the storage capacity of a normal CD-ROM disk.

The new collection is called the "Selected Collections from the Archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." The set of 74 discs, published by Brigham Young University Press, sells for $1,299.

This is not a genealogy collection. However, it is interesting to note that the Brigham Young University Press is closely affiliated with the LDS Church. This new product may become a predecessor to the future release of genealogy products on DVD-ROM disks by the Family History Department.

My thanks to Chad Milliner for telling me about these new DVD disks.

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Utah's largest religious group and employer and the owners of the largest genealogy library in the world, has cut hundreds of jobs from its Utah workforce. Faced with falling investment income, and perhaps feeling the effects of lower tithing, the church recently offered voluntary early retirements, effective for nearly 1,000 employees this week. About 600 employees opted to take advantage of the voluntary exit, and 40 percent of the vacated positions will not be filled.

The church refused to provide employment specifics. There is no word on any possible personnel cutbacks at the Family History Library. I suspect the impact on genealogy researchers will be minimal as the Library normally is staffed by both paid employees and volunteers.

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Writing in the NorthJersey.com News, Elizabeth Llorente cited officials at Ellis Island who are concerned about a major drop in attendance at their facility. Both Ellis and Liberty islands have seen visitation drop by 40 percent since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the sharpest decline since the museum opened in 1990. Normally, more than 4 million people visit the landmark each year. Since 9/11, that number has plummeted to 2.5 million.

New York City and major area attractions also saw tourism drop after the attacks. However, while tourism has begun rebounding in the city - and in the case of the Empire State Building, even surpassing last year - it has remained far below the norm at Ellis and Liberty islands.

Do you write a newsletter for your local genealogy society, historical society, or some other organization? Perhaps you maintain a Web site for the organization? If so, you already know how difficult it is to obtain appropriate articles for your publication.

I thought I would remind you that you may place information from my newsletter into your non-profit genealogy newsletter or Web site. The following words apply to every issue of Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter:

1. You do so strictly for non-commercial purposes
2. Articles marked with a Plus Sign (+) are not to be redistributed. These articles are solely for the use of Plus Edition subscribers.
3. You may not republish any articles containing words attributed to another person or organization until you obtain permission from that person or organization. While you do have permission to republish words written by Richard W. Eastman, you do not have automatic authority to republish words written by others, even if their words appear in this newsletter.

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It is with pleasure that I introduce a new guest author to this newsletter. Nina Chabot wrote the following remembrance of her visits to her grandparents:

My thanks to Nina for allowing me to republish her article in this newsletter. By the way, "guest author" Nina Eastman Chabot is my sister, so the grandparents she described were my grandparents as well.

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The PR Budget for this newsletter is $0.00. I rely upon "word of mouse" advertising in which you recommend this newsletter to your friends. This newsletter is a private project of mine, and I have a zero budget for a publicity campaign to get more readers.

Thanks.

COPYRIGHTS:

The contents of this newsletter are copyright by Richard W. Eastman with the following exception:

Many of the articles published in these newsletters contain quotes or references from others, especially from other Web sites, software user’s manuals, press releases and other public announcements. Any words in this newsletter attributed to another person or organization remain the copyrighted materials of the original author(s).

You are hereby granted rights, unless otherwise specified, to re-distribute articles from this newsletter to other parties provided:

1. You do so strictly for non-commercial purposes
2. Articles marked with a Plus Sign (+) are not to be redistributed. These articles are solely for the use of Plus Edition subscribers.
3. You may not republish any articles containing words attributed to another person or organization until you obtain permission from that person or organization. While you do have permission to republish words written by Richard W. Eastman, you do not have automatic authority to republish words written by others, even if their words appear in this newsletter.

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This newsletter is available in both ASCII text and HTML versions. To change your preference, go to the address shown at the very end of this newsletter.