Get Back On Track

Since it’s been some time since the last article, I have decided to get back on track with family history – and to do so means getting back to basics.  I have hardly stopped my research – in fact, I’ve been  more prolific – locating photos, articles and more details into my personal database.

How To Take Action

With that in mind, my game plan is (at this moment) to work toward a goal of an article every week to two weeks – with a focus on one branch at a time, and to build a gallery with each article.

What will you do?  You are under no pressure to post, but it’s always nice to have your input and ideas.  My idea of this website is for us to be able to work independently, focusing on our respective branches and adding substantiating data to prove all our connections.  The connections will build the strength of the basic ahnentafel (family tree or, more properly, “ancestor table”).

What Can You Do?

To get back on track, for those of you who are working your lines, please feel free to enhance the information here.  Write your own articles.

This website is for Dexters AND their related families.  We have plenty of room for everyone to do articles, upload photos and work your lines.  Just be aware that this is predicated on the original database upload and is not current.

In other words, when I reference a family member who is on an updated gedcom file on Ancestry.com but who does not show up here, I will link back to my Ancestor’s page there (pending some better way of doing this!) or at least to the family tree.

When you link back, you will have to refer to your own gedcom.  Your article should go back from the person you are working on back to the individual it connects to here on this gedcom. (*Note-if you do not have an Ancestry.com account, you may not have access to all the data in my public tree.)

Why Do We Have To Do All This?

The reason for this linking back is that It’s a large undertaking to reload the gedcom here (and maintain the current links, data and other info.  Data tends to drop out, lose the attachments and have to be rebuilt. Articles remain unaltered.

There are over 2 thousand individuals in this database currently.  I am not a programmer, so I can’t attest to the long-term ability of the installed gedcom format and that is why I have to stick with the original gedcom upload here.

If or when the time comes that I have to upload a new gedcom due to obsolescence of the old one, we may have to experiment.  The individual file numbers should remain the same – but does that remain if certain files have been merged?  I just don’t know what happens in that case.

Q and A’s

Q: Can photos be harvested on the website? 

A: I hope not.  I have tried to set up the site so that our images and documents are protected.  Feel free to try (right-click, save image as or use a clip tool) and let me know how your experiment goes.  I know there are ways around anything, but I want to prevent issues, not cause them

Q: If I upload data, is it still “mine”? 

A: YES… BUT…  If you fail to mark your images/documents with your information, that could be lost; so be sure to fill in all the meta information required when you upload.  (It’s easier if you only do one or two at a time, rather than uploading dozens of photos at once.

Your articles posted under your name will ALWAYS have your by-line.  Please be sure to fill in your bio when you go to your dashboard/user profile page.  If you have trouble with this, please tell me!

Let me know if you have any questions, comments or concerns or you need any information on posting your articles.  As always, I’m here to help, encourage and keep things running.  Let’s get back on track!

Love from Connie