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Bye bye Family Tree Maker

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  • 09-12-2015 2:29am
    #1
    cat_r
    Registered Users Posts: 37 ✭


    Ancestry announced the news on their blog. A quick glance of the comments shows plenty of unimpressed people: (can't post links, remove space before "blogs")
    http:// blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2015/12/08/ancestry-to-retire-family-tree-maker-software/

    Was wondering why I couldn't buy it from my usual sources. So... what to use? Is Roots Magic still any good? What other packages are out there?


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    #2
    VicWynne
    Registered Users Posts: 71 ✭✭VicWynne


    This comes at a useful time for me - I use a Mac and Reunion so it's not going to affect me, however a friend was asking me about good Windows software for genealogy....
    What are the best solutions around nowadays?
    When I was on a PC years ago I used Generations (discontinued on PC & Reunion on Mac) and FamilyTreeMaker.
    I know that there's RootsMagic, Gramps, Brothers Keeper, Ancestral Quest and many more. Does anyone use them though and what's the user experience?
    TIA


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    #3
    Thomas from Presence
    Registered Users Posts: 1,151 ✭✭✭Thomas from Presence


    I use Mac Family Tree. I always feel like a sly super spy in the GRO using it's complimentary iPhone app to stick cert scans straight into the cloud like a boss.

    I was looking at the Ancestry one from the point of view of it communicating with Ancestry's own DB. How cool would it be if you could bring scans and references from these sources straight into your local tree?

    Mac Family Tree also lets you export trees as websites (great) and books (hard work) which is important if our works are to have an afterlife.


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    #4
    pinkypinky
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,622 Mod ✭✭✭✭pinkypinky


    Well, that's a lot of unhappy people right there. I've never used so it has no impact for me.

    Genopro are developing a whole new platform and in a similar move, no longer adding to the previous version of their software (currently from 2011). I had what was called gold-account and was supposed to include life-time updates but it will not include moving to this new version which works on mobile, etc. Their customers are also very grumpy about it but Genopro is at least going to permanently support the older software.

    Genealogy Forum Mod



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    #5
    campingcarist
    Registered Users Posts: 337 ✭✭campingcarist


    I've used Brothers Keeper for the last 25 years or so and tried many others but only kept BK. Tried FTM many years ago but gave up after some time - threw out all the CDs that came with it about 5 years ago.


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    #6
    pedroeibar1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,108 ✭✭✭pedroeibar1


    I’ve been catching up on some reading and see that Claire Santry is another unhappy FTM user and has commented negatively on the changes underway.

    Why is it that so many genealogy companies are so useless at business? The FTM press release/email to customers was arrogant and unclear, and their subsequent actions are a study on how not to manage business change.
    FTM………we’ve taken a hard look at the declining desktop software market and the impact this has on being able to continue to provide new content, product enhancements and support that our users need. With that, we’ve made the tough decision to stop selling Family Tree Maker as of December 31, 2015.
    Who says that desk-top usage is declining? Most users upload (e.g. data, photos) on a desktop/laptop because it is more convenient than using a tablet. Who needs online for that job? Most are happier to have it there, with a back-up, that placing it in the ‘cloud’.
    FTM....... We will continue to support existing Family Tree Maker owners at least through January 1, 2017. ………..You can find additional details about the retirement of Family Tree Maker on our blog.
    Their blog was a restatement of the above and void of coherent info. Then, following about 8 thousand comments (almost all negative) by users and nearly 20 thousand “shares” FTM realized that they actually had customers and provided more information that provided no clarity. Working on the usual average that a disgruntled customer tells 22 people, it means Ancestry has just annoyed almost 200k people unnecessarily and most of them customers.
    FTM...... Here are three key things I’d like to re-assure you of after reading through your comments – support will be provided until…at least the end of 2016” ……We are exploring possible relationships with….We are exploring options …..Most Family Tree Maker features are designed to work offline, and should continue to function unless a change on your computer, such as an operating system update, causes the functionality to break.
    Did nobody at FTM think of “exploring options or solutions” before the announcement to prevent the debacle? Furthermore, FTM won’t continue to function! Most operating systems are updated at least weekly; change your computer and the old FTM data will become inaccessible. I discovered this last year when I moved to a new laptop and had to buy an updated version of FTM, a solution that will not be available after end 2016.

    I’m a Family Tree Maker user since the days of Broderbund (more than 20 years ago). I have no intention of paying Ancestry for a service I do not want that is being forced on me. I cannot migrate the data easily so I will have to cut/past from PDF and then Gedcom to a new system.
    I need to do more research before I decide on which route to take. Hopefully Claire Santry will realise that her FTM will die very soon after the first upgrade in 2017 and will write more on the different geno program options.


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    #7
    pinkypinky
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,622 Mod ✭✭✭✭pinkypinky


    Pedro, if you do a search in forum for "software", you see some previous threads, which might have some useful suggestions of other programs to use.

    Genealogy Forum Mod



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    #8
    pedroeibar1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,108 ✭✭✭pedroeibar1


    Thanks Pinky. I will look at them but I think I will start afresh over the Christmas period and do some proper comparisons. I remember a few earlier threads in which I recommended FTM :o:o:mad:


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    #9
    campingcarist
    Registered Users Posts: 337 ✭✭campingcarist


    Don't forgt that any decent genealogy software allows import/export of gedcom files, so anything you have in FTM can be save and exported so that you can then import it into your new software.

    Again, the better software programs will allow less used gedcom codes to be used in the process/


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    #10
    pedroeibar1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,108 ✭✭✭pedroeibar1


    Thanks; I’m aware of GEDCOM but stuff does not always transfer correctly/easily when there are layers of 'facts', etc.. Also, GEDCOM is data only AFAIK, whereas I have used long used FTM for all my scanned old photos, filing them with each individual, such as my great great grandfather (attached).

    I suspect that FTM will rethink and get their act together and come out with a better proposal when they realise how seriously the geno community is taking the unilateral decision.


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    #11
    P_1
    Registered Users Posts: 14,681 ✭✭✭✭P_1


    It's a pig of a program to support. It costs more than it takes in. What will happen in 2017 is that the program will still work. Your ftm file will still be there. Syncing will probably be dropped and you'll have to look at the manual if something goes wrong. The end of the world it isn't


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    #12
    Hermy
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 11,313 Mod ✭✭✭✭Hermy


    pedroeibar1 wrote: »
    ...such as my great great grandfather (attached)...

    Great photo!

    Genealogy Forum Mod



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    #13
    pedroeibar1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,108 ✭✭✭pedroeibar1


    P_1 wrote: »
    It's a pig of a program to support. It costs more than it takes in. What will happen in 2017 is that the program will still work. Your ftm file will still be there. Syncing will probably be dropped and you'll have to look at the manual if something goes wrong. The end of the world it isn't

    A very ill-informed post from someone who has not read/understood what FTM has planned. Sources for those cost and support claims? Microsoft Windows needs to re-boot on a regular basis, at least once a month (‘Patch Tuesday’) to install updates. Just one of those updates could/would be enough to prevent access to FTM. Looking at the manual will do nothing. Yes those MS updates can be blocked, but their benefit usually far outweighs doing so.


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    #14
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,816 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    pedroeibar1 wrote: »
    A very ill-informed post from someone who has not read/understood what FTM has planned. Sources for those cost and support claims? Microsoft Windows needs to re-boot on a regular basis, at least once a month (‘Patch Tuesday’) to install updates. Just one of those updates could/would be enough to prevent access to FTM. Looking at the manual will do nothing. Yes those MS updates can be blocked, but their benefit usually far outweighs doing so.

    Unless software has already had a propensity for being broken by Windows updates (e.g. is written using ActiveX controls, Jet databases, etc) it is highly unlikely to be broken by future ones.

    I use software that hasn't been updated in 15 years professionally - due to the vendor going bust or similar, on updated machines.

    If you are particularly concerned, you can always install software in a virtual machine; particularly something that does not require full (or any, if syncing is disabled) internet access can be run in a VM that is then not updated further.


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