Finding Your Folks

By JUDY FOWLER KILGORE
jkilgore@thecitizennews.

This column is mostly for the newbies out there who are usually the main target of what I’m about to tell you.

I came across a new Fowler cousin last week who is just beginning to get into genealogy. He asked for my advice on getting started and I gave it. After I composed a long letter, explaining some of the pitfalls of the Internet and genealogy programs, I thought it might make a good topic for this column. I figure there are a lot of budding genealogists out there who received computers for Christmas, they have a new family tree program, and are beginning to enter information on their family.

That, in itself, is wonderful. Most of you probably have a PC (Windows) and bought the most popular program, Family TreeMaker (FTM). That, too, is wonderful. FTM is probably the most user-friendly program out there and, aside from a little instability and sensitivity to computer freezes and crashes, is one terrific genealogy program.

However, there are some things everyone needs to be made aware of lest they fall into the trap set by the people who came up with this program. Oh, don’t get me wrong. There is nothing illegal about it, but it certainly borders on being very unethical. I believe they subscribe to P.T. Barnum’s saying, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” And they’re right there ready to take advantage of that unfortunate truth.

Making genealogy programs is a business and businesses are about making money. Nothing wrong with that. But tricking people is another thing entirely and preying on their lack of knowledge is even worse. Many people have complained, “ ... if I had only known ...” Well, I’m going to tell you what you need to know.

What happens is this: You are happily filling in the boxes on the names, birth dates, death dates, etc. of your immediate family members. You have your parents and your siblings, your parents’ siblings, their spouses and their children (your first cousins), your grandparents and, possibly their siblings and spouses ... well, maybe not all of them ... and you may have guessed at a few names, based on the information you received from family members. Your birth and death dates may not be right on the money, but you’re getting there. The people are starting to add up ... when ... pop! Up comes this little window on your screen that says something like, “Congratulations! You have entered 100 people into your family tree. Would you like to share ... ?”

There is a “yes” button and a “no” button. If you don’t click the “no” button, you are about to get into deep trouble.

What happens if you click the “yes” button is this (very simplified version): You are taken online and your information is sent to Family TreeMaker where they save it, burn it onto a CD, and sell it to others. Right or wrong, it is now their property and you can never have it back. It cannot be changed so any mistakes are there for eternity. If you want access to the CD, you have to buy one, just like everybody else. If anyone buys it, they have no idea who submitted the information. But, for a few more bucks, they can sign up for a super-duper membership and FTM will tell them who submitted the information.

Now, think just a minute. You have just started this stuff. Your information may or may not be correct. Do you really think it’s time to share what you have with the world?

I think not. At least, not right now. There is nothing wrong with sharing. But there is a time and a place for everything — and this is not it.

So you click the “no” button and keep on entering your information.

But wait! When you get to 200 people, the same thing happens again. And 300, and 400, and so on. The darned thing about drives you crazy. But don’t give in. Don’t let the little devils capture your information and sell it. At least not until you are darned good and ready and you know what you’re getting into.

A better way to share (when you have a reasonable amount of verified information and are comfortable that it won’t embarrass you), is to go online to Rootsweb or Ancestry, and share it where it will be freely accessible to everyone. It is yours. You can change it, update it, or even delete the whole thing. Your e-mail address is right there with your family tree and no one has to pay to find out who you are.

The other way to share, of course, is to write a family history book, publish it and share it with the world. But that will take a while and is something you might want to consider for the future.

Either way, the information is yours and you never lose control over it.

A much better arrangement, don’t you think?

I still recommend FTM as one of the best genealogy programs on the market, at

least if you have a PC. If you have a Mac, I recommend Reunion, another genealogy program, but made specifically for Mac users. Reunion even has an e-mail list you can subscribe to where people discuss their questions about using the program ... and a lot of other topics. It’s in my mailbox every afternoon at 5 p.m. like clockwork.

By all means, buy FTM and use it to your heart’s content. But forewarned is forearmed. Don’t fall into their newbie trap. Old timers know the tricks and traps of the trade.

Now maybe you won’t be one of those poor souls who lament, “ ... if I had only known ... ”

Because ... now you know.

I welcome your letters about genealogy and info on your Atlanta metro families. Send them to The Citizen, Drawer 1719, Fayetteville, GA 30214; e-mail jkilgore@thecitizennews.com or jodiek444@aol.com.

Until next week, happy hunting!

(Judy regrets that time does not permit her to do personal research for others.)

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