Here are some of the videos from RootTech 2015. You can find more on the FamilySearch Channel on YouTube.com.
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Tuesday, February 17, 2015
How are the large genealogy company partnerships evolving?
Very large online genealogical databases are the most prominent evidence of the rapid and dramatic changes to the greater genealogical community. We cannot underestimate the effect of providing literally billions of records that would otherwise be difficult to obtain. But even more importantly than the mere size of the databases is the fact that there are interrelationships between the various companies.
From the standpoint of the genealogical researcher, the number and availability of so many records can pose an overwhelming challenge. There still remains an extreme disparity between the availability of records in some of the more developed countries and those countries with limited assets, or with political systems that prevent records from being made available. For example, in the United States, most of the basic records going back at least 200 years, are readily available online from various subscription and free websites. However, in contrast some countries have virtually no records available online, in fact access to the existing paper records is extremely limited. In a sense, this creates a genealogical lottery where some researchers are able to trace their ancestry back to the 1500s and others cannot find their own grandparents.
Overlaid on top of the mammoth growth in digitized records, is the recent development of partnerships between the various online record providers. The connections between these very large companies is focused on their family tree programs. For example, if I have a family tree on Ancestry.com, and I want to utilize the genealogical resources of MyHeritage.com, I must have a family tree on both programs. I could use the old and imperfect method of GEDCOM transfer to move some of the data from my Ancestry.com family tree to MyHeritage.com, but under the present system, I would lose some of the data in the transfer process. One of the most important features of the growth of these giant companies is that they are in the process of establishing strategic relationships or partnerships with other data content suppliers. The promise of these rapidly changing and evolving partnership relationships is that there will be an increased ability to move genealogically significant data and the supporting media from one program to another.
In a recent class I attempted to outline on a whiteboard the then current interrelationships and data paths between the various large online programs. The results of my outline looked like a bowl of spaghetti. Even though I taught that class only a couple of weeks ago, the number of interrelationships has increased dramatically because of the announcements made at the RootsTech conference in Salt Lake City, Utah and the diagram today would be even more confusing.
I see the following challenges confronting genealogical researchers as the connections and makeup of the online community changes so rapidly:
From the standpoint of the genealogical researcher, the number and availability of so many records can pose an overwhelming challenge. There still remains an extreme disparity between the availability of records in some of the more developed countries and those countries with limited assets, or with political systems that prevent records from being made available. For example, in the United States, most of the basic records going back at least 200 years, are readily available online from various subscription and free websites. However, in contrast some countries have virtually no records available online, in fact access to the existing paper records is extremely limited. In a sense, this creates a genealogical lottery where some researchers are able to trace their ancestry back to the 1500s and others cannot find their own grandparents.
Overlaid on top of the mammoth growth in digitized records, is the recent development of partnerships between the various online record providers. The connections between these very large companies is focused on their family tree programs. For example, if I have a family tree on Ancestry.com, and I want to utilize the genealogical resources of MyHeritage.com, I must have a family tree on both programs. I could use the old and imperfect method of GEDCOM transfer to move some of the data from my Ancestry.com family tree to MyHeritage.com, but under the present system, I would lose some of the data in the transfer process. One of the most important features of the growth of these giant companies is that they are in the process of establishing strategic relationships or partnerships with other data content suppliers. The promise of these rapidly changing and evolving partnership relationships is that there will be an increased ability to move genealogically significant data and the supporting media from one program to another.
In a recent class I attempted to outline on a whiteboard the then current interrelationships and data paths between the various large online programs. The results of my outline looked like a bowl of spaghetti. Even though I taught that class only a couple of weeks ago, the number of interrelationships has increased dramatically because of the announcements made at the RootsTech conference in Salt Lake City, Utah and the diagram today would be even more confusing.
I see the following challenges confronting genealogical researchers as the connections and makeup of the online community changes so rapidly:
- Grasping the magnitude of the number of records going online almost daily.
- Understanding the complex interrelationships between the various programs.
- Maintaining access through remembering passwords, logins and the details of using additional programs.
- Becoming aware of and evaluating the new connections and the new programs.
These are just a few of the challenges involved in understanding the changes. Let me give an example. Suppose, I have a family tree on Ancestry.com. Do I need to put the same information on the FamilySearch.org Family Tree? What about putting the same information on MyHeritage.com? What about putting the same information on Findmypast.com? What about having the same information on WikiTree.com or Geni.com? What about Mocavo.com? Do I need another copy of my family tree and all my sources, media items and comments on a desktop based program also? How do I keep all of these, and possibly many more, copies of all of my data synchronized and current?
I am certain that during the next year we will see many more partnerships formed between various companies, thereby making the decisions as to how to maintain our genealogical data even more complicated.
Monday, February 16, 2015
New.FamilySearch.org finally taken down
In speaking with one of the FamilySearch team at the RootsTech Conference, I heard that FamilySearch had finally taken down the New.FamilySearch.org website two years after the introduction of the FamilySearch Family Tree program. Here is a confirming screenshot of the notice:
The text of the notice says as follows:
The text of the notice says as follows:
After a two-year transition process, access to new.FamilySearch.org has been terminated. This includes user sign in as well as access through all public APIs (application programming interfaces).
What's Next?
This step allows FamilySearch to begin the final phase of the transition, which includes the transfer and synchronization all of the remaining data from new.FamilySearch.org to its replacement, FamilySearch Family Tree. This ending phase of data testing, transfer, and retesting will take approximately one year to complete. Once this phase is completed in early 2016, FamilySearch Family Tree will be the sole repository for this information, and new.FamilySearch.org will be completely shut down.
Benefits
Development on many highly desired features of FamilySearch Family Tree cannot begin until new.FamilySearch.org has reached its final milestone and is completely shut-off. At that point, work can begin on new features, such as:This is an important step in liberating the FamilySearch Family Tree from the limitations of its predecessor. Now all we have to do is wait another year or so.
Please continue to use FamilySearch Family Tree to discover, preserve, and share information about your ancestors.
- Merging of gateway ancestors and other people with large numbers of associated records.
- Highlighting and fixing data eccentricities, such as when a person appears to have been married before birth, a child is older than a parent, a child who is listed as the spouse of parent or grandparent, and so on.
- The ability for users to change the selected gender of an ancestor.
- The ability to see a spouse’s ancestral line by default.
An Additional note on FamilyTreeDNA and FamilySearch
Judy Russell in a blog post entitled "DNA in SLC" reports that there is an agreement between FamilyTreeDNA.com and FamilySearch.org to "provide direct links from Family Tree DNA to the FamilySearch Family Tree — and from that tree back to Family Tree DNA." I suggest you read her blog post for the information. So far, I see no official announcements from either FamilyTreeDNA or FamilySearch online.
Findmypast.com adds 12,000 new images to PERSI
PERSI, or the Periodical Source Index, is the largest subject index to genealogy and local history periodical articles in the world. Created by the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana, it indexes articles in 11,000 periodical titles (including 3,000 defunct titles) published by thousands of local, state, national and international societies and organizations, arranging 2.25 million entries by surname or location and 22 basic subject headings. See FamilySearch.org Research Wiki: Periodical Source Index.
In July of 2013, Findmypast.com announced that it would be partnering with the Allen County Public Library to digitize images from their collection and link them to the index. See Can Findmypast.com Take PERSI From Most-Overlooked to Most-Used Genealogy Resource? from the Genealogy Insider.
I am sure that PERSI on Findmypast.com has yet to become the most-used genealogy resource, but with the addition of the images added by Findmypast.com, it is certainly a lot more useful and accessible. Here is an excerpt from July 2013 press release from Findmypast.com, entitled"PERSI Finds New Home at findmypast:"
In July of 2013, Findmypast.com announced that it would be partnering with the Allen County Public Library to digitize images from their collection and link them to the index. See Can Findmypast.com Take PERSI From Most-Overlooked to Most-Used Genealogy Resource? from the Genealogy Insider.
I am sure that PERSI on Findmypast.com has yet to become the most-used genealogy resource, but with the addition of the images added by Findmypast.com, it is certainly a lot more useful and accessible. Here is an excerpt from July 2013 press release from Findmypast.com, entitled"PERSI Finds New Home at findmypast:"
LOS ANGELES – Findmypast.com, an international leader in online family history, today announced a partnership with the Allen County Public Library (ACPL) Genealogy Center to revolutionize the PERiodical Source Index (PERSI), the world’s largest and most widely used subject index for genealogy and local history literature. As part of the partnership, findmypast.com is enhancing PERSI, most notably by linking thousands of individual genealogical periodicals and resources to the index, allowing the original content to be accessed and connected digitally for the first time in the history of PERSI.
Over the past thirty years, the ACPL Genealogy Center has created more than 2.5 million searchable records in PERSI, indexing every article from more than 8,000 different periodicals, including magazines, newsletters and journals, according to location, topic, surname, ethnicity and methodology. In the coming months, findmypast.comwill launch the most complete version of PERSI online. Once launched, findmypast.com will work in tandem with the Genealogy Center to provide frequent updates to the collection as new entries are added.Then again on February 13, 2015 Findmypast made the following statement:
The PERiodical Source Index (PERSI) has once again been updated with the addition of over 12,000 images. Adding images to the indexes of this rich collection allows you to delve further into it and uncover the stories behind your ancestors’ names and dates.
This update includes images from publications around the United States and beyond. You’ll find historical society yearbooks, genealogy magazines, State-specific collections and county registers to name but a few.
Use Findmypast’s powerful search tools to find exactly what you’re looking for quickly and easily. You can filter your PERSI searches by name, location, subject, periodical title, publisher, year of publication and keywords.
DNA Testing and the big online genealogy companies
The large online genealogical database programs are definitely moving towards promoting DNA as an adjunct to research. Announcements of partnerships or agreements between the various genealogy companies and DNA testing programs are proliferating and have been for several years. At the recent RootsTech.org conference, DNA related exhibitors seemed especially busy. Some of these companies may end up being "in house" while others will remain separate entities. Here is the line up so far as I can determine:
Ancestry.com
For some time now, Ancestry.com has had its own DNA testing and reporting company at DNA.Ancestry.com. Interestingly, when I tried to access the website for the DNA testing, it was down today. The website may have been overloaded after the Conference. The Ancestry.com DNA company also known as AncestryDNA is described as follows:
The huge online database and family tree program, MyHeritage.com, had already announced a partnership with 23AndMe.com long before the RootsTech conference. The MyHeritage.com Media Kit was updated during the Conference on February 12, 2015. The pertinent part of the Media Kit about DNA testing is as follows:
At the RootsTech Conference, Findmypast.com, U.K. based genealogy company announced a partnership with FamilyTreeDNA, quoting from the announcement:
Ancestry.com
For some time now, Ancestry.com has had its own DNA testing and reporting company at DNA.Ancestry.com. Interestingly, when I tried to access the website for the DNA testing, it was down today. The website may have been overloaded after the Conference. The Ancestry.com DNA company also known as AncestryDNA is described as follows:
AncestryDNA is a new DNA testing service that utilizes some of the latest autosomal testing technology to revolutionize the way you discover your family history. This service combines advanced DNA science with the world’s largest online family history resource to predict your genetic ethnicity and help you find new family connections. It maps ethnicity going back multiple generations and provides insight into such possibilities as: what region of Europe are my ancestors from, or am I likely to have East Asian heritage? AncestryDNA can also help identify relationships with unknown relatives through a dynamic list of possible DNA member matches.On February 11, 2015, Ancestry.com issued a press release entitled, "Ancestry Announces 2015 Product and Content Lineup." The key DNA features as outlined in the press release were as follows:
MyHeritage.com
- With a database of over 700,000 genotyped members, AncestryDNA has generated over one billion cousin connections to date. In 2015, we project this database to grow to exceed well over one million genotyped members, resulting in even more and higher quality cousin matches.
- Following the successful launch of AncestryDNA in the UK, we will soon be bringing the service to our members in Australia and Canada, and in doing so, will connect the major English-speaking migrations and globally connect families like never before.
- Building on DNA Circles, in 2015 we will launch a new experience that will use the latest genetic technology to discover new ancestors without the customer having to search records or build a family tree. This new feature will transform how family history research is done by providing valuable hints to help experienced genealogist looking to break through brick walls, as well as open family history to a whole new segment of the population. Through this new experience, AncestryDNA customers will be able to discover new ancestors as far back as the 1700’s by connecting into existing DNA Circles.
The huge online database and family tree program, MyHeritage.com, had already announced a partnership with 23AndMe.com long before the RootsTech conference. The MyHeritage.com Media Kit was updated during the Conference on February 12, 2015. The pertinent part of the Media Kit about DNA testing is as follows:
DNA test for genealogy:Findmypast.com
- DNA tests are useful for identifying the deep ancestral origins of your direct paternal line (Y-DNA), your direct maternal line (mtDNA), finding relatives across all lines via autosomal DNA (Family Finder) and producing a percentage breakdown of your ethnic roots.
- For analysis of users’ DNA samples and DNA matching, MyHeritage has partnered with Family Tree DNA and 23andMe.
- Five different groups: Paternal Line, Maternal Line, Family Finder, Comprehensive Ancestral Tests and Combined tests for Paternal and Maternal lines. 13 types of tests. See the complete list here.
- DNA projects provide opportunities for people to collaborate with others to explore a common genetic heritage, especially for exploring whether people with the same surname are related. Project membership is free and voluntary. If there is a DNA Surname Project for a last name, it appears in the profile page of the user.
At the RootsTech Conference, Findmypast.com, U.K. based genealogy company announced a partnership with FamilyTreeDNA, quoting from the announcement:
An important frontier in family history, DNA testing complements Findmypast’s historical records and family trees, allowing researchers to connect with one another and solve long-standing research questions. As of today Findmypast will now be offering DNA testing services to all its members through FamilyTreeDNA.
FamilyTreeDNA is a trusted provider of DNA testing services. The company offers tests for those who are just getting started as well as advanced genealogists looking to get further with their research.
From today, Findmypast will also be offering a special rate on FamilyTreeDNA tests as part of their premium service for annual subscribers, Findmypast First. This new partnership is just the beginning of Findmypast’s journey into DNA testing for their customers.Family Tree DNA is the only DNA testing service that partners with National Geographic’s Genographic Project and allows you to add your results to that project for a nominal fee that goes to the Genographic Legacy Fund.
FamilySearch.org is not a commercial enterprise, it is a not-for-profit corporation owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Although it has partnered with many different online and desktop software companies, as yet it has not announced a partnership with an DNA testing company and in my opinion, is not likely to do so.
What Happens to Your Online Data When You Die -- Terms and Conditions
Within the past week Facebook announced a new legacy contact feature. Here is a quote from the announcement:
One of the facts of life on the Web is the proliferation of "Terms and Conditions." Almost every commercial website has some sort of legal jargon limiting the developers' liability. This type of agreement used to be called an adhesion contract. Originally this type of contract was printed in very small print, on the back of theater tickets, car parking receipts and other commercial receipts or tickets. The adhesion contract (i.e. stuck to the back or bottom of the document) attempted to limit the liability of the enterprise. For example, if you parked your car in the parking lot, you couldn't make a claim against the owner of the lot for vandalism. Many different situations that arose ended up in the court system and a whole body of case law resulted interpreting these contract provisions.
The formal definition of an adhesion contract reads as follows:
OK, now that would seem to be some reason for concern especially now with millions of websites and millions of programs (apps). But there are so many of these "Terms and Conditions" which appear before you even get a chance to work with a program (app) or website, that most of us just click through routinely. For all you or I know, we have just signed over our life savings to the company, however, there are some limitations on the scope of these contracts. This type of contract is usually limited to what would be reasonably expected in such a transaction. The legal term for this is "unconscionability," but in the case of genealogy apps or programs, the results of the adhesion contracts (terms and conditions) can be surprising.
If you do take the time to read some of these Terms and Conditions agreements, which are usually available in a link in very small type somewhere on the website, you may become very concerned. Many of the provisions of these contracts are expansive in their scope. Some of the websites claim an ownership interest in or even a copyright to all the material on the website, even when the user uploaded the content, or when the content is very old and obviously in the public domain. I hesitate to copy any of the provisions from any of the websites and reproduce them in a blog post because of the strong copyright claims expressed in the agreements themselves. It would also be unfair to pick on any one company, since they all have similar claims in their Terms and Conditions. I even have a disclaimer in the tabs at the top of my blog.
From a legal standpoint, the claims made by the companies creates a quandary. When the website user dies, who "owns" the content. For example, assume that someone puts all of their family information on a subscription website, including photos, stories and documents. If the person dies, who can work with or retrieve the information? In many situations, this issue may be obscured by the need for a formal probate action to appoint a legally constituted estate executor, administrator or personal representative. One major online content supplier states that the content cannot be accessed by the originator's heirs without the appointment of a formal administrator, personal representative or other legally constituted representative. This would force the heirs to go to court even if that were not otherwise necessary for the administration of the estate.
If you get involved in trying to challenge one of these adhesion contracts, you would have to know a whole lot more about the subject and learn a pile of legal jargon just to understand the issues. There is a plethora of discussion online about this topic and it is the subject of a constant stream of articles in legal journals. Here is a sample article out of the stream. You can use the terminology of the article to search for more information, if you care to do so.
ENFORCEMENT OF CONTRACTUAL TERMS IN CLICKWRAP AGREEMENTS: COURTS REFUSING TOENFORCE FORUM SELECTION AND BINDING ARBITRATION CLAUSES
The title to this article refers to a "clickwrap" agreement. That is, an agreement that is imposed if you click on a button etc. that says you agree with all the provisions of the terms and conditions imposed on the use of the website or program.
There is no simple solution to this type of problem. From the standpoint of a genealogist whose entire life work may be online in a database, it is imperative that the genealogist makes adequate provisions for the disposition of the online material in event of his or her death. Stay tuned for the next installment dealing with what you should do to prepare for the inevitable.
Facebook is a place to share and connect with friends and family. For many of us, it’s also a place to remember and honor those we’ve lost. When a person passes away, their account can become a memorial of their life, friendships and experiences.
Today we’re introducing a new feature that lets people choose a legacy contact—a family member or friend who can manage their account when they pass away. Once someone lets us know that a person has passed away, we will memorialize the account and the legacy contact will be able to:
This new "feature" addresses a real problem: who owns the rights to the content you put online and what will happen to it once you die? Of course, this includes a huge amount of online digital genealogy in files and family trees.
- Write a post to display at the top of the memorialized Timeline (for example, to announce a memorial service or share a special message)
- Respond to new friend requests from family members and friends who were not yet connected on Facebook
- Update the profile picture and cover photo
One of the facts of life on the Web is the proliferation of "Terms and Conditions." Almost every commercial website has some sort of legal jargon limiting the developers' liability. This type of agreement used to be called an adhesion contract. Originally this type of contract was printed in very small print, on the back of theater tickets, car parking receipts and other commercial receipts or tickets. The adhesion contract (i.e. stuck to the back or bottom of the document) attempted to limit the liability of the enterprise. For example, if you parked your car in the parking lot, you couldn't make a claim against the owner of the lot for vandalism. Many different situations that arose ended up in the court system and a whole body of case law resulted interpreting these contract provisions.
The formal definition of an adhesion contract reads as follows:
A type of contract, a legally binding agreement between two parties to do a certain thing, in which one side has all the bargaining power and uses it to write the contract primarily to his or her advantage.Generally, the challenges to these "adhesion" contracts were based on the idea that a business should not be able to impose contract terms on its customers without a "meeting of the minds," one of the basic prerequisites for making a contract. (after more than forty years, I can still hear echoes of my law school contract class in my head). However, this concept of mutual agreement has been severely eroded over time and now, almost uniformly, courts allow one-sided contracts in many commercial cases. The way they get around the contractual requirement of negotiated provisions is to use a legal fiction: that by undertaking to use the commercial product (i.e. website or app) you are agreeing to all the terms of their contract. Period.
OK, now that would seem to be some reason for concern especially now with millions of websites and millions of programs (apps). But there are so many of these "Terms and Conditions" which appear before you even get a chance to work with a program (app) or website, that most of us just click through routinely. For all you or I know, we have just signed over our life savings to the company, however, there are some limitations on the scope of these contracts. This type of contract is usually limited to what would be reasonably expected in such a transaction. The legal term for this is "unconscionability," but in the case of genealogy apps or programs, the results of the adhesion contracts (terms and conditions) can be surprising.
If you do take the time to read some of these Terms and Conditions agreements, which are usually available in a link in very small type somewhere on the website, you may become very concerned. Many of the provisions of these contracts are expansive in their scope. Some of the websites claim an ownership interest in or even a copyright to all the material on the website, even when the user uploaded the content, or when the content is very old and obviously in the public domain. I hesitate to copy any of the provisions from any of the websites and reproduce them in a blog post because of the strong copyright claims expressed in the agreements themselves. It would also be unfair to pick on any one company, since they all have similar claims in their Terms and Conditions. I even have a disclaimer in the tabs at the top of my blog.
From a legal standpoint, the claims made by the companies creates a quandary. When the website user dies, who "owns" the content. For example, assume that someone puts all of their family information on a subscription website, including photos, stories and documents. If the person dies, who can work with or retrieve the information? In many situations, this issue may be obscured by the need for a formal probate action to appoint a legally constituted estate executor, administrator or personal representative. One major online content supplier states that the content cannot be accessed by the originator's heirs without the appointment of a formal administrator, personal representative or other legally constituted representative. This would force the heirs to go to court even if that were not otherwise necessary for the administration of the estate.
If you get involved in trying to challenge one of these adhesion contracts, you would have to know a whole lot more about the subject and learn a pile of legal jargon just to understand the issues. There is a plethora of discussion online about this topic and it is the subject of a constant stream of articles in legal journals. Here is a sample article out of the stream. You can use the terminology of the article to search for more information, if you care to do so.
ENFORCEMENT OF CONTRACTUAL TERMS IN CLICKWRAP AGREEMENTS: COURTS REFUSING TOENFORCE FORUM SELECTION AND BINDING ARBITRATION CLAUSES
The title to this article refers to a "clickwrap" agreement. That is, an agreement that is imposed if you click on a button etc. that says you agree with all the provisions of the terms and conditions imposed on the use of the website or program.
There is no simple solution to this type of problem. From the standpoint of a genealogist whose entire life work may be online in a database, it is imperative that the genealogist makes adequate provisions for the disposition of the online material in event of his or her death. Stay tuned for the next installment dealing with what you should do to prepare for the inevitable.
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