How do you keep track of links/records?

Jellybaby1

Between what I stumble across myself, and what appears here and elsewhere, plus new records coming online, I confess that I am finding it harder and harder to keep up and keep tabs on it all. I did try to add stuff to a simple Excel sheet but I'm so far behind now that its all gone to pot. Anyone else got any tips? Saving to favourites helps but even that list has got far too long now.

L1011

Notes field per person on ancestry.com - you can see a list of everyone with notes - and a few google docs files of stuff I need to do (certs to buy, stuff to do in the NLI at some point in the future etc). Only barely works!

Jellybaby1

Good morning MYOB! I also have a few folders called 'To Get' - pages of stuff in them but due to the cost of getting certs there won't be too much deleting of 'to do's' for quite a while yet.

cobham

I am trying to come to gripes with Evernote as a way of stashing miscellaneous items. Things can be sorted into various 'notebooks' via tags assigned. It is supposed to make finding things easy once you get hang of tagging information. So same item can have several tags such as 'church record', 'to do', 'Dublin' etc. It is a cloud based system so you can access from various devices same way gmail works.

Person who recommended it was very enthusiastic about it!

dido2

I use Google Chrome, I have a Family Search Folder, and in that there 5 Folders, 2 folders for the surnames from my own side, 2 from the surnames from my husband, 1 general folder, each of the Surname folders is subdivided down by each surname as I go back through the generations which makes it easier to keep track of what I have for each family, if when I come across something of interest to a family, I copy a link to the relevant folder...
On the actual computer I have the same format for the folders, each surname has 2 new folders added for each generation I go back, it again makes it easy to find it all.... Plus I have the folder on my laptop synched to Dropbox so I can access the info from any computer..

jos28

Dido you are putting us all to shame. I use the notes feature and media upload on Ancestry. I also have a genealogy file on my laptop with folders for certs, photos, spreadsheets of BMDs etc. I'd love to know how to sync that to my Dropbox.

I also have a paper filing system with all the actual certs filed under the various family groups. Then I have a hardback A4 with all my 'to do' items. I also keep a record of the avenues I have tried for one particular individual. That's a very long list with no result yet

pinkypinky

I record everything under each person's notes section on my family tree software. Also on my pc, I have folders for each surname/family group with the digital copies of certs, censuses, etc. On paper, I have 2 large folders with dividers.

davidjcie

Hi
I think you have to have a decent software package on your laptop which records your sources, images etc. It should also be capable of storing questions and research items.
I use TMG and Second Site, which allows the production of a web page.

Jellybaby1

Much of what's being quoted here is completely new to me. Not sure how I'd get on with them. Might try the Ancestry notes first. I haven't put my tree on Ancestry yet because I'm not sure if I can continue with the sub yet. I think if I do put my tree up there then I would definitely like to continue with it but have to wait and see how finances are.

pinkypinky

You can have your tree on Ancestry without the sub - I'm just not sure how much amending you can do without it, a bit like the messaging system.

Jellybaby1

Yes pinky, I think everything stays there even if you aren't subbed but of course you need to get at it so it encourages us to re-sub.

KildareFan

If you put your tree up on Ancestry you may be able to link with other family trees and tidy up your own. It's great to see the little 'leaf' popping up when you enter a name. Sometimes it links to irrelevant information, but sometimes it's opened up a whole new branch of the tree.

Jellybaby1

Ha ha, I've heard tell about those 'wobbling leaves', and as my tree ain't there yet I've yet the see it. Might give it a go so.

dido2

jos28 wrote: »

Dido you are putting us all to shame. I use the notes feature and media upload on Ancestry. I also have a genealogy file on my laptop with folders for certs, photos, spreadsheets of BMDs etc. I'd love to know how to sync that to my Dropbox.

I also have a paper filing system with all the actual certs filed under the various family groups. Then I have a hardback A4 with all my 'to do' items. I also keep a record of the avenues I have tried for one particular individual. That's a very long list with no result yet

Jos

You'd have to place the folder you have everything in, into your dropbox folder on your computer, then sync it....


I have a sub to Ancestry, and I have Family Tree Maker, but I often loose stuff in both of those, I like the folder structure for the surnames, it makes it easy to find birth certs etc, before the GRO started sending the certs via email I scanned all my certs into my laptop but now I download them.. It also means that between Google Chrome and Dropbox i can access my stuff independantly of Ancestry and Family Tree Maker....

jos28

dido2 wrote: »

Jos

You'd have to place the folder you have everything in, into your dropbox folder on your computer, then sync it....


I have a sub to Ancestry, and I have Family Tree Maker, but I often loose stuff in both of those, I like the folder structure for the surnames, it makes it easy to find birth certs etc, before the GRO started sending the certs via email I scanned all my certs into my laptop but now I download them.. It also means that between Google Chrome and Dropbox i can access my stuff independantly of Ancestry and Family Tree Maker....

Thanks Dido, I'll do that now. Save me carrying the laptop everywhere.
Jelly, I've had my tree on Ancestry for years without paying a sub. You can amend it, answer contacts from others but you can't access Ancestry hints without the sub. Go on, go for it !!

L1011

You can actually do hints on a fair whack of stuff of relevance to here as they're free records - 1901/1911 census, etc. Biggest loss by having no subscription is not being able to see tree matches but the main value of that is at the start. Maybe one month a year or so would let you chase that down.

Other record sets become free for certain weekends too, which helps.

Hermy

Although I am slowly compiling an online tree using Ancestry my offline method of recording things is probably quite basic compared to what others use.

Firstly, I use an Excel spreadsheet for family tree charts. One set of five tabbed charts includes a pedigree chart and the four main branches of the family being recorded ie the families of the four grandparents. A second ever-growing set of charts records the various in-laws.

Secondly, I use word documents as index cards. One folder suffices for all and in each case the word document has the usual list of name, date and place of birth, marriage, occupation, burial etc. Where the entry has a corresponding online source the name or date can be hyper-linked to that webpage.

It's always very useful in genealogy to be able to include information that has yet to be confirmed but is highly likely - stuff that doesn't belong in a Misc. folder but isn't yet a certainty. Each index card has a Notes section at the end where all the caveats in the world can be mentioned and similarly Excel documents allow comments to be inserted discreetly which helps keep tabs on those uncertainties without cluttering up the chart.

It might seem crude to those of you using dedicated software but it's simplicity appeals to me.

annieoburns

I have my tree on Ancestry software but never uploaded it to the website. I spent a lot of money there years back with pay per view credits and short subs. There seemed to be more frequent 'free' weekends a few years ago.

I make good use of the notes section for each person within the Ancestry tree. I also have folders for each family group within a 'genealogy' folder that sits on my desktop. This would hold mainly photographs and the odd letter. These are linked to Dropbox. I have also been using gmail to store odd items. I would cut and paste something of interest and post it to myself and then reassign to a folder marked Genealogy within gmail. I am trying to see if Evernote will replace this sytem and be better? These might be items of historical interest so not particular to one person.

I got the app for Ancestry on my smartphone but I think it is only of use for accessing an already online tree. Unless I am prepared to enter my 2000 plus people into it one by one, it is not much use. But a smart phone or any device can access Dropbox and Evernote wherever internet can be found.

Jellybaby pm me if you would like a copy of Ancestry tree.

Anne

Jellybaby1

Thanks but I have a basic copy of Family Treemaker which I haven't started using yet. I'm being somewhat lazy still using Word to plan out my tree, always was the intention of transcribing everything to proper software at some stage, I know, I should have started on the FTMaker by now. Since I bought that of course I've subbed to Ancestry so that's another option.