Breaking for Genealogy Changes (& Do you Know What a Genealogy Converter is?)

Ever since I started digital scrapbooking, I have had no time for genealogy. It's sad as I do have so many things I could be researching.

I started many years ago using Homestead.com to create my webpages. Before I moved this scrapbooking website to a new host, I was very happy with their services. I still have many genealogy sites hosted at Homestead and have made a crucial decision the last few days.

I have decided to move all my genealogy sites to blogs. It just makes so much more sense. There were no free blogs like there are now for me to utilize when I built my sites.

I have to renew my Homestead account in mid-July, so I have to get everything moved before then. I spent about 9 hours today creating 8 new blogs with the basics (feeds, stats, etc), copying and pasting information, and saving photos to my desktop for reuploading. Whew...it's a TON of work!

I have 5 of the blogs completed (with the exception of graphics for the blogs which will come later as that's not so important). However, I still have the 3 largest sites to move. In fact, the biggest one I am certain is larger than a 600 page book! Why? Because it was actually published once and was 555 pages! It has grown a lot since the last publication.

Can I get it done before mid-July? Sigh. In addition, I need to prepare for this same surname's big family reunion and I'm feeling burdened by it. I don't like doing it. I am going to just have to buckle down and start. Maybe make myself a list of what I need to do and go at it one at a time. I want to include the new site address in the newsletter, so it is good timing to be moving the site. I believe there are about 400 addresses on the newsletter. Sigh.

I have found many distant relatives (and now good acquaintances) with good information just by having my information on the Internet. I would recommend this as a great step for you if you are just beginning genealogy (or have never done it before).

I am excited about the transition to blogs as now I can invite those distant relatives to the blog so that they too can post their information on the same blog. In addition, the ability to utilize comments is also a grand attribute.

Blogs can be made to look just like a website. I'm amazed.


GENEALOGY CONVERTERS

In addition, I did go ahead a buy a different host and URL last night for my genealogy pages. It costs a third of what I was paying with much more space. I have 10 GB space as opposed to 175 MB.

Some time ago I tested some free genealogy converters and was happy with the results.

I tested GED-Page and GED4Web. You can go to their sites to see samples of the results of a Genealogy Converter.

However, the one that I preferred and do plan on using is found at Misbach called GED Browser Software. You can click on the samples on this page to understand how the software takes your GEDCOM file (I use Family Tree Maker) to convert it to a webpage.

It is awesome to utilize the tool! It creates a whole folder of many, many files which make up a website. Each name is clickable to another chart to cruise through your genealogy. This one even does photos (sample). Simply upload the folder to your host and they are ready to go!

I plan on uploading them to my host and then having a link on my blog to go to the files. I plan on moving away from the hundreds of pages of names in my current format. Of course, I will leave some pages as they are, but much of the tree is going to be in this new format.

I have many people who like to log in to check their information. I password protect the pages for living people. In this manner, the pages will be much easier to update. I can simple generate another folder of files quickly after inputting new information into Family Tree Maker and reupload. No more scrolling through long lists and pages of names to insert each and every piece of new information. I am SO ready for this change!

I do like keeping my information off of places like Rootsweb and Ancestry as I can control the information of living people much better. I know my information is on the site and the person died and no one can access the account, so now it is stuck. I do not want to make that same mistake. If I should die, at least eventually if someone doesn't pay the hosting invoice, the site will be taken down automatically.

I hope this has been an inspiration to other genealogist out there for new ideas.