On Saturday November 14 we held a combined meeting of the Family Tree Maker and the Computer Genealogy Groups. The topic was Using a Genealogy Program – If you Were Starting Over, What Would You Do Different. Although it was presented from the standpoint of a long time user of a genealogy program, whether you are just starting out or have been using a genealogy program for a long time, this is a must read.
The specific topics discussed were:
1. With the experience you have now, what would you consider important from at start?
2. What recommendations would you make on handling sources?
3. What recommendations would you make on handling images?
4. What would you do differently if you knew your data would be published (online / paper)?
5. If you had to switch to another program, what tasks would you do?
6. Things to consider on how data is structured (so it could be exported to another program).
These topics are relevant to all genealogy programs. The subject was handled as an open discussion where we started with suggested topics and responses that another society had prepared.
You can view a copy of the PowerPoint that was updated with added additional input gathered during our meeting.