RootsMagic 4 Certified for Temple Trips and Ordinance Reservation

RootsMagic becomes First Desktop Genealogy Software to Reserve and Print LDS Temple Ordinances Using New FamilySearch

SPRINGVILLE, Utah. — March 30, 2009 — RootsMagic, Inc. announced the immediate availability of an update to their RootsMagic 4 genealogy software which is now FamilySearch certified for both temple ordinance reservation and temple trips. RootsMagic 4 is the first- and currently the only- desktop genealogy software to offer these features and certifications.

Ordinance Reservation Certified

As an “Ordinance Reservation Certified” application, RootsMagic 4 has the ability to link people in your desktop genealogy file with matching people on the New FamilySearch website. Once linked, RootsMagic 4 makes it easy to share data between your personal file and New FamilySearch. By simply clicking on the temple icon next to a person’s name, you are shown that person's official temple ordinances, complete with dates, temple names, and status. You may then reserve any incomplete ordinances that you wish to perform in the future or update your own file with ordinances which are already completed.

Temple Trip Certified

As a “Temple Trip Certified” application, RootsMagic 4 can create “Temple Trips” from any ordinances which you previously reserved through New FamilySearch. You select which reserved ordinances you wish to print ordinance cards for and RootsMagic will print a paper with a barcode on it known as a Family Ordinance Request (FOR). You simply take the paper to the temple and a worker will scan the barcode, printing off all the desired ordinance cards. Once the ordinances are completed, RootsMagic will update their status in your personal file.

“We’re very excited to be the first to work with FamilySearch in this important work,” said Bruce Buzbee, president. “Our mission is, ‘Family History Made Easy’, and that is exactly what this is. To submit and track temple ordinances used to be a long, complicated process involving many files and floppy disks. Together with FamilySearch, we’ve been able to simplify it to a few clicks and a single, printed page.”

New FamilySearch Made Easy

RootsMagic also simplifies other tasks when working with New FamilySearch. Recently, RootsMagic 4 received awards for “Easiest to Sync” and “Best Dashboard” at the 2009 FamilySearch Developer Awards. Video tutorials, demonstrating how easy it is to work with New FamilySearch using RootsMagic 4 are available at http://www.rootsmagic.com/fs.

Free Trial Available

A free trial version of RootsMagic 4 is available at http://www.rootsmagic.com. The trial version allows a person to import their data, add information, and play with RootsMagic’s major features without any time limitation. “We’re so excited about this new release, we wanted to give everyone a risk-free option to try it for themselves,” said Buzbee.

Users of other genealogy software products will find it easy to experiment with RootsMagic 4 using their own data. RootsMagic can directly import data from PAF, Family Tree Maker (through 2006), Family Origins, and Legacy Family Tree. It can also read data using the popular GEDCOM format.

About RootsMagic, Inc.

For over 20 years, RootsMagic, Inc. has been creating computer software with a special purpose- to unite families. One of our earliest products- the popular “Family Origins” software, introduced thousands of people to the joy and excitement of family history.

That tradition continues today with “RootsMagic”, our award-winning genealogy software which makes researching, organizing, and sharing your family history fun and easy. “Personal Historian” will help you easily write and preserve your life stories. “Family Reunion Organizer” takes the headaches out of planning those important get-togethers. And “Family Atlas” creates beautiful and educational geographic maps of your family history.

For more information, visit http://www.rootsmagic.com.

Source: RootsMagic, Inc.

RootsMagic 4 - It's Here!

The following is from RootsMagic.

It's Here!

It's finally here! RootsMagic 4 is the biggest upgrade in our company's history. If you want to learn more about RootsMagic 4, visit our blog at http://blog.rootsmagic.com.

To Order

The fastest way to get your upgrade is to order online at:

http://www.rootsmagic.com/orders_rm.htm

Please understand that if you decide to order by phone, your download order will be delayed as it needs to be processed manually. You may also need to leave a name and number for a callback due to the high volume of calls.

You can upgrade from any version of RootsMagic or Family Origins for only $19.95 for the download. If you want a CD, just add $5 to cover shipping and handling.

Free Upgrades

If you purchased RootsMagic 3 on or after August 1, 2008 or as part of a special genealogy conference offer during 2008-09, you are eligible for a free downloadable upgrade of RootsMagic 4 by visiting http://www.rootsmagic.com/myupgrade and entering information about your original order. Please allow up to 48 hours for processing as we must manually verify each request to verify that it qualifies.

Discount Offer

Do you have friends that you would like to switch to RootsMagic? Or are you not a RootsMagic user yet, but like what you see in RootsMagic 4? We'd like to welcome you to the RootsMagic family with a special discount. For a limited time, users of Personal Ancestral File (PAF), Family Tree Maker, Legacy Family Tree, or The Master Genealogist can buy RootsMagic for the upgrade price of $19.95. Go to http://www.rootsmagic.com/upgrade for more information.

Adventures in FamilySearch Indexing: Week 77

It's been a while since I blogged. It's actually taken me a week to get over the BYU Computerized Family History Conference that I attended March 13th and 14th. I think it was because I attended the Saturday before it the South Davis Family History Conference. These all day events really wipe me out.

People have asked me if I learned anything new and my mind just draws a blank. It was great, loved both conferences. Learned a lot but I didn't hardly write anything down. It just adsorbed into my brain and is sitting nicely there to recover at some random time. But for the life of me I couldn't tell you what's sitting new in there. Usually I write down new thoughts onto paper to refer back to later. I noticed I didn't make many notes for these two conferences. I also think it doesn't help having fatigue after the meetings. It makes my brain go to mush.

I've also had another project I've been working on for a while now. Someone hired me to go through four huge volumes of family history work that they paid a genealogies to do for them and have me check if all the temple work is done or not. The goal is to do 20 hours of work a month. This past week I put in a lot of hours because earlier in the month I didn't do very much. Playing catch-up is never easy. I have to say the extra income will be nice but I prefer working on my own genealogy.

Now it's time to focus on FamilySearch Indexing. I received an email from FamilySearch Indexing this week that I am passing along to you.

Dear Volunteers:

We greatly appreciate your contributions to Cheshire projects that have been indexed in the past. FamilySearch indexing is now uniting volunteers who have previously worked on Cheshire projects to help complete the UK - Cheshire Parish Registers part 1 project by March 31st.

If you have any questions regarding this project or about indexing in general, please contact Indexing Support toll-free in the U.S. and Canada at

1-866-406-1830 (click here for other international toll-free numbers), or by e-mail at indexing@familysearch.org.

Thank you again for all of your efforts! We have seen great things accomplished when volunteers work together toward a common goal.

Warm Regards,

FamilySearch Indexing

I really don't think I did much of the Cheshire project. If I remember correctly I tried to work on a batch and it was all in Latin, so I sent it back. I know they need people to help but I'm not sure yet if I will attempt a batch again. I know that all the batches are not in Latin but I'm just not sure if I'm in the mood to work on it right now.

As usual I looked so see if we have any other messages from Headquarters and there is one in My Messages in the application.

From: Headquarters
Subject: Update Personal Information
Date: 17 Mar 2009

To indexing volunteers in LDS stakes:

If you move into a different LDS stake, please update your personal information. This will help us support our extensive workforce of volunteers.

To update your information:

1. Click the Tools menu above.
2. Click Options.
3. Click the Personal Info tab.
4. Click the Change My Information link.
5. Enter your indexing user name and password.
6. Click OK.
7. Review your personal information.
8. If anything needs to change, click Edit.
9. Update your information.

• If you need to change your stake, you must select an option from the list that appears when you begin typing in the Group or Stake field.
• There must be something selected or typed in the Country and State or Province fields before you can save your updated information.
  

10. Click Save.

Thank you!

Now it's time to pick what batch I want to work on. I decided to take a look at the UK Cheshire Parish Records. I clicked on "View Sample" and nothing comes up. I see a quick flash of a download and then nothing. That option must not be working. I'm just not brave enough to tackle that project sight unseen.

My mood is more for census records. I picked the New Jersey 1920 US Federal Census. My first batch is blurred, it's like the page moved during scanning. I send it back, choosing the option "Send it back, and take it out of circulation". They really need to rescan it. I was advised to contact my group administrator and explain why it needed to be taken out of circulation. I think it's kind of late to call so I just sent them an email with the explanation and batch number.

Now for the next batch. Since I have batches right in the same series I have the same problem again - blurred images. I return two more batches. This time I keep the email up to my group administrator so I can just lump the batch numbers and explanation together. I get up to 14 batches that need to be returned. Then I downloaded a bunch of Argentina Census records by mistake and just return them for someone else to do.

So things are not going that well for me. I thought maybe I'm cursed because I don't want to work on the Cheshire projects. I downloaded one of the batches and my brain just doesn't want to comprehend what I need to do with this project. I decided to return that batch for someone else to do too. It's almost 10:30pm and I am tired out from all this. My decision is to stop fooling around with indexing since I just might make a mess of things if I keep up at my current rate. So I am throwing in the towel for the night and if I have chance I will try again later in the week.

See ya tomorrow, for tomorrow is always another genealogy day!

Ohana Software/Family Insight Receives 2009 FamilySearch Software Awards

Awarded “Best Separator” and “Best Standardizer” in 2009 FamilySearch™ Software Awards

The Separate Function- “Best Separator”

This function is essential to users of the new FamilySearch™ system. You can now view large combined individuals by the event information that is associated with them. For example, All birth places are listed one on top of one another making it easy to identify the 10 records with a birth place in Spain, versus the 5 in Kansas, or the 42 in New York. Once users identify a group of records that don't belong, they can both separate them and recombined them into a second individual all at once. This especially helpful with large combined individuals that may include the records for 3 or more different individuals.
View the Separate Video Tutorial

Place Editor- “Best Standardizer”

FamilyInsight's Place Editor received a 2009 FamilySearch™ Software Award for the Best Standardizer. Users can find up to ALL instances of a place name and correct them at once. If a place name is unrecognized in FamilySearch™ family tree, FamilyInsight will use place name suggestions from FamilySearch™ to alert the user. As users edit place names, they have the option of using the FamilySearch™ place name suggestions or keeping their own alternate place name format. Without FamilyInsight's Place Name editor users have to fix each place name individually or try the PAF global search and replace, which as many know can mess up place names entirely. Furthermore, when syncing a file with nFS, FamilyInsight will make sure they have chosen a recognized place name, even if they choose to keep a unique place name format in their own file.
View the Edit Places Video Tutorial

Humble Beginnings

Ohana Software was started in 2002 when founder John Vilburn decided there must be a better way to do merges. Since then, John has continued to push forward finding the best ways to do genealogy. The release of PAF Insight, the predecessor to FamilyInsight, was received with insurmountable excitement because of the rate at which it accelerated both genealogy and temple work. It was the groundbreaking algorithm behind our well know IGI search that became the seed for Familyinsight's new FamilySearch™ Synchronizing function. As the first to implement syncing technology, we are excited about the work that we have been able to accomplish in fine tuning and perfecting our database search algorithm.

“It is one thing to have a simple search. It is another to have a correct and complete search.”

In order to accomplish speed along with accuracy, FamilyInsight is design to bring up quick and easy matches right away and then continue to do a powerful and comprehensive search with dozens of permutations to bring back the matches that would be lost with any other search.

What is FamilyInsight?

FamilyInsight is a program meant for those who enjoy using PAF and wish to continue using PAF. FamilyInsight provides all the essential functions that PAF users will need as they begin to interface with the new FamilySearch™ web site. Furthermore, FamilyInsight has multiple unique and powerful features. One of which if the ability to trim and export a database based on a root individual. The separate function alone is powerful enough to save hours of time.
Discover more about of FamilyInsight

Familyinsight also works with GEDCOMs from other programs such as Legacy. It works for both Windows and Mac computers.