Family Tree Updates For The Past Two Months

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Here is Family Search's Steve Anderson's recap of Family Tree changes  in the past two months.  Steve does such a great job of the recapping of changes for all of us.  This would takes hours and hours for individual bloggers to gather together for training.  I L.O.V.E. Family Search.

December 1, 2014 By Steve Anderson

In the past two months FamilySearch has releases several new features. Some of them are important features for all who use FamilySearch. Some of the changes are more subtle and will hardly be noticed. Below we will recap some of the important changes that have taken place in the past few months.

Audio Capabilities in Memories and Family Tree

The Memories feature in FamilySearch.org and Family Tree now supports uploading and playing audio files.

Under the Memories tab in FamilySearch.org, you can see all the audio files you have uploaded, including those uploaded through the FamilySearch Tree or FamilySearch Memories mobile apps.

To listen to a file, click the file. You will see the playback controls and the other familiar Memories options.

In Family Tree, you will see a new Audio link under the Memories tab.

All users can see the audio files that have been attached to an ancestor. All users may upload new audio files. Currently, you can record new audio files only with the mobile apps. Later, this functionality will be added to FamilySearch.org.

Text Messaging Can Now Be Used for FamilySearch Registration and Recovery

You can provide your cell phone number as part of your FamilySearch registration or add the number to your profile if you already have an account. This means FamilySearch.org can send you a text message if you need to do the following:

• Reset your password.
• Recover your username.
• Verify your FamilySearch account.

This feature is also very helpful for users who do not have an email account. Currently, 56 countries are supported by text messaging for registration and recovery.

This diagram shows the process of resetting a password using text messaging.

Location-Specific Research Pages

When you click Search at the top of a FamilySearch.org screen, a world map appears. Now when you select a location on the map, you see a research page for that location. The page lists resources in FamilySearch.org for that location. The initial release includes links to five types of data: indexed historical record collections, image-only historical collections (collections that have not been indexed), courses in the Learning Center, the FamilySearch catalog, and the FamilySearch Wiki. Additional research resources will be added in the future.

Why Is It Important?

FamilySearch offers many valuable tools that help people find information about their ancestors. However, some tools are difficult to find on the website, and when you do find them, you have to do an additional search to find the resources for the location you need. The location-specific page makes it easier to find the resources for the location.

People’s Roles More Clearly Identified in the Record Details

Users were often confused when they searched for an ancestor and FamilySearch.org showed them a record that mentioned the ancestor but was not directly about the ancestor (for example, when a search result showed a daughter’s birth certificate).

The record details page has been changed to help you see more clearly how the person you searched for is connected to the record.

Feature for Administrators: Switching Between Administrative Roles Using the FamilySearch.org Header

If you have one or more administrative roles, you can easily switch between those roles. Click your name in the FamilySearch.org header, and select the desired role.

 Coming Soon

New Indexing Program

A new version of the indexing program is coming that will be integrated in FamilySearch.org. Volunteers will be able to check out and complete indexing batches directly through the FamilySearch.org website, which removes the need to download and install a desktop application. Because the new program is browser-based, volunteers will be able to index on tablet devices in addition to traditional laptop and desktop computers. The new indexing program will be more convenient and accessible. It will also include many improvements for volunteers and administrators that will make the indexing experience more enjoyable and productive.

 

Why Is It Important?

The new indexing program will help encourage more volunteers, make better use of their time, and improve the overall quantity and quality of records added to the searchable database.

Where to Find the New Indexing Program after It Is Released

Not everyone will have access to the new indexing program at once. When you are invited to try the new program, here is how you get to it:

1. Sign in to FamilySearch.org.
2. Click Indexing at the top of the page. The indexing pages include the following menu options: Overview, Find a Project, Help Resources, and My Indexing (where you can check out batches, join groups, read messages, and so on).

Improvements to the Feature That Transfers Information to Family Tree from Your My Family: Stories That Bring Us Together Booklet

During November, updates will be made to the feature that allows users to transfer information to Family Tree from their My Family: Stories That Bring Us Together booklets. A number of improvements will be delivered in several releases during the month.

Speed and Flow

The speed of the tool will improve. Loading information and adding it to Family Tree will be faster.

Usability

• More explanations for users have been added about creating a digital record, finding matches in Family Tree, and adding new information to the tree.

• In response to user feedback, the children and sibling pages have been rewritten.

Mobile Devices

The feature to transfer the information will be available for mobile devices (both tablets and smart phones). This extends the ability to transfer the information to many users who access the Internet through mobile devices. We will ensure that all of the pages in the feature will display and function properly.

Mass Copy

If ancestors in your booklet are already in Family Tree, you can now copy their information in one action into the online version of the booklet. This feature saves you time and lets you focus on adding photos, stories, and new people.

Additional Languages

The feature to transfer the information will be available in additional languages: Armenian, Dutch, Fijian, Hungarian, Khmer, Mongolian, Swedish, Samoan, Thai, Tongan, and Ukrainian. These additional languages will help patrons who speak these languages to have a better experience transferring their information from printed booklets to Family Tree.

PDF Output

You will be able to put your online booklet into a PDF so that it can be printed or shared with others.

Grandma Campaign Sponsored by Family Search-Do it!

Grandma Campaign Aims to Gather Your Fondest Grandma Stories

September 19, 2014 By Paul G. Nauta

If you could share ONE story about your grandma, what would it be? That’s the question nonprofit FamilySearch International (FamilySearch.org) is nudging people worldwide to respond to as part of its worldwide #meetmygrandma social media campaign, September 20-30. FamilySearch is seeking 10,000 stories in 10 days to kick off the global initiative where descendants are invited to share and preserve online or through a mobile app the fond memories or stories about their grandmothers’ charms or idiosyncrasies. Find out more atFamilySearch.org/MeetMyGrandma.

“Heart-warming experiences with a beloved grandmother are at the heart of many fond memories from our formative years, or even adulthood,” said Brad Lowder, International Marketing Director for #MeetMyGrandma campaign. “All you have to do is ask a person to share a special memory about their grandmother, and they immediately wax sentimental as they recount a heartfelt story or wise saying they cherish from a grandmother. We want to encourage people to capture for future generations those stories that make their grandmothers so special.”

FamilySearch.org offers a free international service for families to share their family histories, memories, photos, and historic documents online and preserve them for future generations. If you are fortunate to have a grandma still living, the free FamilySearch Memories mobile app (IOS only for now) allows individuals to audio record their grandmother and save those recordings online. And there are 20 fun questions to ask your grandma to help write and preserve her personal history in her own words online.

“The #meetmygrandma campaign encourages families to have fun as each member of the family shares their personal perspectives of what makes their grandmothers so special to them,” added Lowder. Their stories, and those contributed by other family members and relatives, are saved to a dynamic online profile dedicated specifically to their grandma, along with any photos and digital artifacts submitted.

One youth contributor wrote, “Grandma Ella likes to fly. Age 80 isn’t too old to fly. She discovered she loves jumping out of airplanes. Now I know where I get my adventurous personality.” He included a picture of her skydiving with her coach. Another woman tells how her grandmother suffered for 20 long painful years from cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and other illnesses, but still managed to run a successful business from her bed.

The launch of the initiative runs from September 20–30, but the campaign will run indefinitely. Go toFamilySearch.org/meetmygrandma for more information.

Keeping Current With Family Search Blog

Before I get started with this post, here's the link to last week's
 case study on searching effectively.  
If you didn't see it last week the entire post is here now.
  Includes Parts: 1 The Problem and Part 2, The Solution
In one post..

http://alegacythatmatters.blogspot.com/2013/11/searching-records-with-successful.html

More Trees

One thing that I think will help us all keep up with the torrent of changes and additions on Family Search is daily reading of the FS Blog.  It only takes a few minutes and can really increase your knowledge and awareness of what is current.  The sooner we get on the information trail with Family Search and Family Tree the easier it is to keep up.  I don't often copy an article verbatim but I am this time for two reasons.  One is I know they want this information to get to as many people as possible and because they do an excellent job and I am hoping by reading this you can see the value in what I said about reading it daily and keeping up.  Remember the link is right at the bottom of the home page on familysearch.org.  Lynne has done a great job here and she deserves full credit and attribution for the content of this for post.  The link is tiny but the information is not. Check it out.

"November 12, 2013 By Lynne C. VanWagenen

Recent updates to FamilySearch include:

• Deleting relationships from Family Tree
• Showing Photos for living people

Deleting Relationships

Deleting relationships from Family Tree is simple, but it is so easy that people sometimes delete a relationship when they should do something else instead.

When you delete a relationship, you now see a screen with more information to help you make better decisions about whether to delete the relationship or not. For example, you now see how many sources and events are attached to that relationship. The Delete button remains unavailable until you:

• Enter a reason for why you are deleting the record.
• Click both check boxes, certifying that you have reviewed other relationships.
• Entered a reason statement.

 Changes to Photos and Stories

When you are on a person’s details page in Family Tree, you can click tabs to switch between the details, photos, and stories. The Photos tab has been renamed Photos and Documents.

This change currently shows up in English. This change will show up in other language versions as translations are complete.

This is where you would see any documents that have been uploaded to the site and linked to this person.

Show Photos for Living People

You can now see photos of living people in Family Tree if you have permission to see their records.

Attach FamilySearch Historical Records without Adding to Source Box

When you are on a historical record and you click Attach to Family Tree, the source, until now, has been automatically added to your Source Box. You now have the option to attach the source without adding it to you Source Box.

The option is available during the last step of the process, which is:

1. Find an historical record that is about one of your ancestors who is in Family Tree, and click Link to Family Tree.

2. Find the person by using Possible Matches tab, History List tab, or the ID number. In this case, I’m using the ID number:

3.  The right person comes up:

• Enter a reason that you are attaching the source.
• Click the Add to Source Box checkbox if you want this source to be added to your source box.
• Click Attach.

Attach Browse-only Images as Sources and Edit the Title

When you are viewing an image from an unindexed (“browse only”) collection on FamilySearch, you can now attach that image to a person in Family Tree as a source. You can also edit the title of that source, since the title that is automatically generated may not have much meaning. During the attaching process, you have the option to include this item in your source box or to leave it out.

An important thing to note: The option to attach an image (rather than an index page) is available for browse-only images. For indexed images, you must still begin the attaching process from the page containing the indexed information.

1. Find the image that you want to use as a source.
2. Click the Sources option. (This option shows up on browse-only collections.)

3.  Click one of the following:

• Click Attach to Family Tree if you know the person in Family Tree you want to attach it to. From here, you can edit the title, select the person, and enter a reason.

If you click Person, you see your Family Tree history list. You can select a person from there or enter the ID number of a person who isn’t on the list.

• Click Add to My Source Box if you want to do the attaching later on. From here, you can edit the title to something more meaningful."