The NEOCAG <<>> A Summary of Events and Topics of Interest to Online Genealogists NORTHEAST OHIO COMPUTER-AIDED GENEALOGY society compiled by Luther Olson Vol. 10 No. 1, January 15, 2005 Cynthia Turk --president Marcy Milota -- editor NorthEast Ohio Computer-Aided Genealogy [NEOCAG] serves Eastern Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga, Ashtabula, Portage & Summit Counties. Regular meetings 2nd Saturday of each month St. Bartholomew Episcopal Church 435 S.O.M. Road, Mayfield Village, OH. ======================================================== IN THIS ISSUE: >> News and Views >> PathWiz! Utility for TMG >> Backing Up Your Gen Files To A Yahoo Group >> Expert Advice: Free Surname Searching >> Free Electronic Newsletter Available from the Genealogy Department of the Allen County Public Library >> NGS Move Is Complete >> Longer Lasting CDs That Will Be Good For Centuries >> Can't Find Your Data Or A/V Files That Seem To Disappear Over Time? Incredible New Search Engines Are Now Here! ========================================================= >> News and Views Happy New Year to All! Hoping your holidays were merry and bright and your New Year is full of new ancestors. Maybe one of your new possessions includes a gadget we have discussed? Well, I'm gellin' with Magellan! It was purchased for use in cemeteries, but I am not ready to do anything with that at the moment. The project I needed it for is completed. However, as was mentioned in the presentation, another use for a GPS unit is GeoCaching. I may just have a new hobby. I already have two finds. If you don't know about this sport/hobby/game, you can read up on it at www.geocaching.com. Twenty Online Sources for English and Welsh Ancestry Alan Stewart wrote a recommendation article for Family Chronicle in the November/December 2004 issue which I thought was good. I have been enjoying many of these sites. If you have British lines, you might find some of them to be helpful. This is a very short abstract of his article, and you may wish to see the original, or just try the sites. In some cases, the free indexes are fairly skimpy, but enough to make you want to see the more expanded index offered for pay. www.1901census.nationalarchives.gov.uk Free index to 1901 census, pay for image views and transcriptions. www.ancestry.co.uk Subscription - 1891 indexed census images, 1871 and 1901 soon; Pallot Index of marriages 1780 and 1837 mainly in London and Middlesex. Free index search. http://freecen.rootsweb.com Free index in progress. So far, Cornwall 1841 and 1891. www.documentsonline.nationalarchives.gov.uk Free index to Prerogative Court of Canterbury wills 1384-1858. Pay for image view. WW I campaign medals and some other things, too. www.nationalarchivist.com Free indexes, pay for view. Births, marriages, deaths (BMD) at sea 1854-1890; army lists; passport applications 1851-1862 and 1874-1903; death duty registers 1796-1903; profession directories, etc. www.familysearch.org Free extractions of parish registers from 16th to 19th centuries, expanded index to 1881 census. www.1837online.com Pay to view GRO indexes to BMD 1837 to 1983 and computerized 1983 to nearly current. Good for those not in FreeBMD below. www.BMDIndex.co.uk Subscription to nearly same as 1837online.com. http://freebmd.rootsweb.com Free volunteer project computerizing the GRO indexes. Also available are free images of the index pages used by the volunteers as offered by 1837online.com. www.ukbmd.org.uk Free portal to local indexes of BMD, mostly free. http://thegenealogist.sandn.net/ Subscription to various English county census indexes. www.britishorigins.com (changed from englishorigins recently) pay to view various indexes including Boyd's Marriage Index 1538-1840. www.familyhistoryonline.net pay to view various databases by family history societies. www.catalogue.nationalarchives.gov.uk free index of soldiers in British army discharged to pension 1760-1913. www.gro.gov.uk online BMD certificate ordering. Also linked from FreeBMD. www.historicaldirectories.org free digitized county and town directories 1766-1919. www.british-history.ac.uk free searchable text of several volumes of the Victoria County History series and other resources by University of London. www.oldbaileyonline.org Proceedings of the Old Bailey, free accounts of 50,000 trials 1674-1799 at the Central Criminal court in London. www.a2a.org.uk Access to Archives (A2A) free search of catalogs of over 350 archives in England. www.ffhs.org.uk Federation of Family History Societies Free site of links to nearly 90 English and 8 Welsh family history societies. If this is not enough to try, you can also stay busy a long time with GENUKI http://www.genuki.org.uk/ and the GenWeb project at http://www.britishislesgenweb.org/. Have a wonderful successful season of ancestor hunting! Cynthia Turk ========================================================= >> PathWiz! Utility for TMG The Master Genealogist (TMG) is a very popular and powerful Windows genealogy program. As good as it is, someone can always determine some way to make it even better. PathWiz! is an add-on utility written by Bryan Wetton in Australia that adds a lot of functionality. Version 3.1 of PathWiz! was reviewed in this newsletter on July 18, 2004 in an article written by Mark Lang. However, version 4.0 has just been released and this week I spent some time with the newest version. PathWiz! is an exhibit management tool which allows you to access a TMG Version 5 or 6 project database table containing paths to and information attached to exhibits (graphical images and other files) stored anywhere on your local hard drive. If you are not familiar with The Master Genealogist, you may not understand the power of "exhibits" in that program. However, experienced TMG users know that exhibits are the heart of this powerful research program. PathWiz! simply adds a lot of flexibility to the way in which exhibits are stored and managed within The Master Genealogist. The following is a short list of some of the capabilities of PathWiz!: a.. If you are changing computer storage arrangements or sending your backup (.SQZ) files to a chart printing service, PathWiz! can consolidate all the required image files into one folder. b.. PathWiz! adds the ability to directly edit the Topic, Reference, Description and Caption fields of a list of related exhibits (for example - External Images attached to persons)from one screen. The user can view the actual internal and external images during editing. c.. A "Comprehensive Exhibit Catalogue" may be produced both internally and in Microsoft Word - effectively an inventory of all exhibits. The PathWiz! program operates in a number of steps and maintains complete protection of your original data files. TMG itself will be closed during use of PathWiz! Experienced PathWiz! users will want to note the changes in the latest version 4 of PathWiz!: a.. A radically changed "wizard-style" user interface b.. Now operates properly at 800 X 600 pixels c.. Can now split Microsoft Word reports into manageable sizes. (Word apparently has a limit on how many images can be shown in full. The new ability to split the reports into smaller, manageable reports provides a workaround to Microsoft's limitation.) d.. Now includes the full Exhibit Description in Microsoft Word reports e.. Now includes details of Place and Citation exhibits and all exhibits captions f.. Works with TMG Version 5 and the new Version 6 I downloaded the 4.2-megabyte PathWiz! file from the program's web site. A file of that size will require about twenty minutes to download on a 56k modem connection. However, it required less than one minute to download using my cable modem broadband connection. I then double-clicked on the newly-downloaded file and followed the instructions that appeared on my screen. Less than a minute later PathWiz! was fully installed. Normally, I would write a bit about how the program operates; how to open files, select reports and perform other functions of the program. However, Bryan Wetton has already written that report so there is no need for me to duplicate it here. Instead, look at the PathWiz! home page at http://www.sceya.com.au/pathwiz and scroll down a bit until you find " The 10 STEPS in using the program." You can also read Mark Lang's earlier article in this newsletter. I would strongly suggest making a backup copy of your data before launching PathWiz! or any other program that is going to use your valuable genealogy files. You have spent many hours putting data into those databases, you do not want to have a problem with a power failure or any other glitch while those files are open. All in all, PathWiz! is an excellent add-on utility for The Master Genealogist. All TMG users will be interested in this program. The more exhibits a TMG user has, the greater the need for PathWiz! PathWiz! is available in two versions: freeware and commercial. I have been describing the commercial version. For more information about PathWiz!, to download the free version or to purchase the commercial version via a safe and secure online order system, go to: http://www.sceya.com.au/pathwiz Dick Eastman Newsletter January 02, 2005 ========================================================= This suggestion by Trevor Williams is from the PAF listserve. Most of our softwares have a listserve in which members can ask questions, give answers, or make suggestions that may be of help to other members. Like our NEOCAG listserve, you can choose to receive Emails individually or in a single daily document. (A few years ago a number of companies offered free download space, which I tried very successfully, but after a short time they all seemed to find it was too expensive to offer free—and the offer soon died out. LO >> Backing Up Your Gen Files To A Yahoo Group I meant to comment earlier about backing up PAF. I have considered copying to CD and other methods but have adopted another solution. I would be interested in comments, especially of any pitfalls that I have not foreseen. I created a Yahoo Group (membership of one) just like this group. Every week I make a back up copy of my PAF files and just upload it to the Yahoo Group. I know it is out there in cyber space, and that I am the only person with access to it. It is also off site, to address a concern raised by another member recently. I have organized the settings so that only I can access the group, add, read, edit files etc. Maybe one day, when my family or other trusted people are ready to look at what I have done, I will allow them to become members of the group. I will probably get around to uploading my scanned photos and documents and storing them there too, but haven't done so yet. An aside: maybe I can find a way of tying multimedia files to my Yahoo Group photo files so that I don't have to create separate CDs when someone wants a copy of my work. I have created some folders in the FILES section, each with surname labels. I plan to place research stuff there until I can get around to processing the information. It is also handy to generate reports and store them in those folders. From: "Trevor Williams" Melbourne, Australia Sat, 18 Dec 2004 ========================================================= >> Expert Advice: Free Surname Searching Looking for family surnames on the Web? Here, Family Tree Magazine contributing editor Nancy Hendrickson offers advice for finding your family names in online databases. Several free Web sites store millions of names, submitted by your fellow genealogists, in online pedigree databases. (Remember that nobody officially verifies these family trees, so use them as starting points.) If your search comes up empty, try variant spellings. You never know how your surname might have been spelled (or misspelled), and some sites are better than others at catching variations. FamilySearch http://www.familysearch.org: FamilySearch boasts 957 million names in its databases. To use the site, click Search for Ancestors, then enter at least a surname. WorldConnect http://worldconnect.rootsweb. com: At last count, the free database had 340 million names in more than 300,000 GEDCOM files. It's merged with Ancestry.com's Ancestry World Tree; you also can search it for free at www.ancestry.com/trees. Search by entering your surname. If you get too many hits, use the advanced search box at the bottom of the results page to narrow the matches by date, place, parents or spouse. Ellis Island http://www.ellisisland.org: This site's database contains 22 million names of Ellis Island passengers lists from 1892 to 1924. To locate your ancestor, enter as much information as you know into the basic search fields. Or you can perform a refined search on parts of a name and additional criteria from passenger lists (see the article above for more information). For more surname-searching advice, see the Family Tree Magazine 2005 Genealogy Guidebook, a special issue available Nov. 22 on newsstands or online at Family Tree Magazine November 11, 2004 http://www.familytreemagazine.com ========================================================= >> Free Electronic Newsletter Available From The Genealogy Department Of The Allen County Public Library Addicted to genealogy? Love libraries and research? Interested in learning about new resources? If this describes you, sign up for an exciting electronic newsletter from one of the most popular genealogical research libraries in the nation. The Allen County Public Library's Historical Genealogy Department in Fort Wayne, Indiana is pleased to announce their electronic newsletter, "Genealogy Gems: News from the Fort Wayne Library." Each month learn about new acquisitions, department special events, featured sources, Web sites and much more! We will keep you up to date on our outstanding temporary location where the books and microforms are on open stacks available for your perusal. Information about the construction at the old library site and our plans for moving back in 2 years will also be included. There are two ways to subscribe. Visit the Friends of Allen County Web site at http://www.FriendsOfAllenCounty.org and fill out the subscription form at the bottom of the page, or send an e-mail to genealogygems-subscribe@friendsofallencounty.org." Please pass this notice on to interested individuals or organizations. Contributed by Susan Kaufman, Librarian Allen County Public Library Historical Genealogy Department 260-421-1225 http://www.acpl.lib.in.us UpFront with NGS The Online Newsletter of the National Genealogical Society Volume 3, Number 21 -- 01 November 2004 ========================================================= >> NGS Move Is Complete NGS began moving into new headquarters last November. As a result there may have been a short disruption in services, but they have now been up and running since November 1st. Updates on our status will be posted at the NGS Web site, The Society's phone numbers and e-mail addresses will remain the same. The new mailing address is: National Genealogical Society 3108 Columbia Pike, Suite 300 Arlington, Virginia 22204-4304 UpFront with NGS The Online Newsletter of the National Genealogical Society Volume 3, Number 21 -- 01 November 2004 ========================================================= >> Longer Lasting CDs That Will Be Good For Centuries As genealogists, many of us worry about the longevity of the CDs we use to store our digital family photos and genealogical data files. Delkin Devices, Inc., recently introduced a new CD-R that, using an accelerated aging process to test the longevity of CD-R media, has been shown to safely store digital information for more than 300 years. According to Delkin, the innovative materials found in new eFilm Archival Gold CD-R's make them one of the most reliable storage mediums available. These materials include a patented Phthalocyanine (thalo-sy- a-neen) dye and a 24k gold reflective layer. The Phthalocyanine dye is said to last significantly longer than the dyes used in other CD-R's when subjected to the harmful effects of UV light, heat, and humidity and the gold layer prevents oxidation, a common cause of CD-R failure. Delkin began shipping eFilm Archival Gold CD-R's in early October. To read the entire press release, see http://www.delkin.com/delkin_news_press_release.php?id=37 Delkin's white paper further discusses the details of CD-R media. You can download it at UpFront with NGS The Online Newsletter of the National Genealogical Society Volume 3, Number 21 ======================================================== >> Can't Find Your Data Or A/V Files That Seem To Disappear Over Time? Incredible New Search Engines Are Now Here! Nothing is more frustrating than to spend an entire evening searching for a file or photo that was meticulously filed away, but now we have no idea why it isn't there, right where we filed it. Take heart, dear friends, searching our computer has become as fast and easy as doing a search on Google or Yahoo! Go to the U.S News & World Report, ed. Dec. 7, 2004, and the Cleveland PD, Jan. 11, 2004 Business section to discover what is being described as one of the great advancements in home computing. David LaGesse, in U.S. News asks the rhetorical question whether we have ever wondered why Google can search millions of web sits in an instant, while a windows search of our hard drive just sits and grinds away—file after file--minute after minute-and then often comes up without the file we are wanting. Yahoo! (X1), Google, Microsoft, Ask Jeeves, America Online and Apple are all coming up with their search features, so I'm sure we soon will be hearing much more about this topic in the near future. How do they work so fast? When you do a search on Google it doesn't search 5,000 sites in two seconds, but rather searches an index of words which these sites have created. In the same manner, this new software is constantly creating and updating a word index as you work. A search for a word will now go to the index, not your entire hard drive. As I type this article I am simultaneously downloading X1, the miraculous new search engine from Yahoo. By the time I finish this article I may have some first hand experiences to pass on. (Ranked tops by US News & World Report) Download now complete, easy installation, initial indexing took about 30 min. I have now looked at X1 enough to determine that it is so user friendly that instructions are not necessary. Type the word, indicate by clicking on an icon whether you are looking for Email, an attachment, a file, a picture, or all of the above. Yes-the entire file list is already on your screen before you even finish typing the word—with your chosen word in every hit will be highlighted in a bold yellow. Some features listed on the Yahoo X1 site are: * Immediately locate any email, attachment or contact * Quickly retrieve any file, regardless of where it is located * Search for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, text, HTML, ZIP and over 200 other file types * Use the mail tool bar to conduct searches while you are doing Email * View, reply, forward and print Emails after you've found them. * Save your favorite searches for one-click reuse * Search the Web using Yahoo! Search from the same interface * Set indexing options by file type, Email client, and contacts. Good luck. I would love to hear of any experiences you have with these new searches. Often a new product comes out that seems it should be beneficial to us in our genealogy efforts-but later we discover little value at all, and it is soon forgotten. I suspect this product will be different, however. It would be no surprise to me if every member has installed one of these search products by the time you receive your next newsletter. Your free X1 download can be found on Yahoo.com. (We all know about Microsoft--they probably already have their version as an integral part of your next Windows update) Luther Olson ========================================================= CONTRIBUTIONS: When you come across something you think would be of interest to others who are involved in genealogy, whether it be about genealogy, software, or hardware, please send it to our editor, Marcy Milota at < milota@jcu.edu>. Please include your name and all credits of author and publication. Information from online genealogy newsletters can be used with these credits. EASTMAN NEWSLETTERS Articles from Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter have a copyright by Richard W. Eastman. They may be re-published here with the permission of the author. Information about the newsletter is available at http://www.eogn.com. Reprinted with permission from FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE EMAIL UPDATE, copyright 2003 F+W Publications Inc. To subscribe to this free weekly e-mail newsletter, go to http://www.familytreemagazine.com/newsletter.asp. For a free sample copy of the print Family Tree Magazine, America's #1 family history magazine, go to http://www.familytreemagazine.com/specialoffers.asp?FAMfreeissue ROOTSWEB REVIEW Permission to reprint articles from RootsWeb Review is granted unless specifically stated otherwise, provided: (1) the reprint is used for non-commercial, educational purposes; and (2) the following notice appears at the end of the article: Previously published in RootsWeb Review: Vol. 5, No. 40, 2 October 2002. LANGALIST STANDARD EDITION The Langalist Standard Edition is a free email newsletter from Fred Langa that helps you get more from your hardware, software, and time online. Plus! Subscribers have access to over 100,000 additional Words in special features, extra content and private links, All on a private web site? All that, plus 30% more content In every issue, for just a dollar a month! Full Plus! Edition info: http://www.langa.com/plus.htm ========================================================= TELL A FRIEND -- SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: Others interested in genealogy are welcome to receive these updates; if you know of anyone else interested, tell him or her to send us an E-mail To subscribe or unsubscribe to this publication, send an Email to Luther Olson: ============================================= Past issues of this Newsletter are available at: http:// http://neocag.net ============================================= * * * * NORTHEAST OHIO COMPUTER-AIDED GENEALOGY Society * * * * NEOCAG Mail List Server: * * * * Visit our web site at * * * * _______________________________________________ NEOCAG mailing list To send a message to the list click on Subscribers@Neocag.net