Dick Eastman's Review of Family Tree Legends 3.0
  By Dick Eastman
Family Tree Legends is a genealogy program that impresses me. It is super easy-to-use and yet is also very powerful. It will meet the needs of almost all genealogists who own Windows computers. I have always been surprised that this gem doesn't receive more publicity. The people I know who use Family Tree Legends all seem to love it.
I wrote about Family Tree Legends version 1.0 in the November 1, 2002, newsletter at http://www.eogn.com/archives/news0245.htm and about version 2.0 in the October 27, 2003, newsletter at http://www.eogn.com/archives/news0343.htm. Version 3 is being released this week. The folks at Pearl Street Software kindly gave me a chance to use the program a few days before its official release. I am still as impressed as ever.
Before diving into the new features of version 3, I will mention some of the things that made the previous version "stand out" from other genealogy programs.
First of all, Family Tree Legends is aimed at all levels of genealogists. Beginners will find that Family Tree Legend’s user interface and liberal use of icons results in one of the easiest to use genealogy programs I have seen. In fact, version 3 has mostly new icons and a lot of new screens. You can see screen shots that demonstrate the program's ease if you go to http://www.familytreelegends.com and click on Product Tour.
The software developers at Pearl Street Software obviously spent a lot of time studying how genealogists actually use a program. Family Tree Legends, also commonly called "FTL," seems to always be intuitive. While a full user’s manual is included in the program's Help files, I never had a need to look at it when using the program. Even with this ease of use, the program has a lot of power "under the hood" to meet the expectations of seasoned genealogists. It records full source citations, allows for contradictory data, and more.
FTL also has a tightly integrated online capability that constantly makes backups. To be sure, other programs will make backups, either manually or automatically. A couple of genealogy programs will even make backups online. However, I have never seen another genealogy program that does this as well as Family Tree Legends. I was reminded of that this week when I first obtained version 3. I have switched computers from the last time I used the program's previous version. I did not have a local copy of my Family Tree Legends database, not even a backup copy. As it turns out, that was not a problem. Once connected to the Internet, I launched Family Tree Legends version 3 and clicked on "Online Restore Family File." About a minute later my entire database was resident on my hard drive and fully functional within version 3. The backup copy had automatically been made some months ago and stored on Pearl Street Software's servers automatically. In fact, I had forgotten about it. When I needed that backup copy this week, it was restored with two mouse clicks.
The same would work if I switched computers, such as upgrading to a new system. There is no need to do a GEDCOM export or a separate backup at the end of the session. The program will do all that for you automatically. If you connect to the Internet via dial-up connections, Family Tree Legends will temporarily store the backup copies on your hard drive. Once connected online at a later time, the program will then transfer the backup copies to Pearl Street Software's servers. The backup copies are encrypted with a 128-bit encryption key before being saved. Backups are visible to you alone unless you specify otherwise.
Data transferred to Pearl Street Software’s servers may be displayed as Web pages, if desired. In other words, you can publish your data on the Web automatically. You don’t even need to upload a separate copy since the data was already transferred during that data entry process. Pearl Street Software’s servers can use your backup data to create Web pages for you. If you make a minor change to your database, such as adding one person or correcting a single date, your changes are reflected on your personal Web page within seconds.
Again, the publishing of data on the Web is optional. The user can specify to never publish the data. Should he or she decide to publish, the user also can specify several different levels of privatization: show data about living individuals or not, show names but not places or dates, etc.
Another feature of Family Tree Legends is WebFacts – data pieces that can be searched online. For instance, if you find a new record that specifies a town that you have never heard of, you can right-click on the town’s name, and a pop-up menu will appear. This menu allows the user to search for information on the Web about that place. The information obtained typically includes the geographical coordination, elevation, aerial photos, road maps, and more. It will also find surrounding locations, such as courthouses in adjacent towns or counties.
The best part of Family Tree Legends, however, may be its SmartMatching technology. The program compares data in its local database with that stored on GenCircles.com, a major online genealogy database. Family Tree Legends seems to do a better job of finding people than most of the other online databases. It really shines when searching for common surnames. Other online databases search for names, and most of them will also try to identify the years. However, it is common to search online for John Smith in Arkansas in 1840 and then find men of the same name 40 or 50 years later in Oregon, Alaska, or Massachusetts. Sure, they might be the same person, but how do you pick out the right one from the hundreds of records displayed on the screen?
SmartMatching does not display hundreds of hits for one person. Instead, it shows one occurrence of the name and then has links to sources of the information. These links are sorted in a manner defined by supporting evidence in other records. Family Tree Legends "votes" on matching records. First, it finds matching bits of information in other records. For instance, it may find a name and birth date in your database and then look for matching records. Some of those records may have the same name and birth date as well as a death date that you do not know. It is assumed that these new records match. Then these newly-found records are compared against the entire database. Now, perhaps a person with the same name and the same death date is found in still more records that also show the names of parents. Again, this data is a match even though it contains still more data not found in your database. This is a form of intelligent linking. The search algorithms also handle conflicting data by two methods: (1.) by voting to see if there are additional records that corroborate the data, and (2.) by showing both to the user for his or her decision.
When I used SmartMatching for the first time, I was very impressed with its accuracy. When I clicked on an icon, Family Tree Legends automatically sent my data of about 3,000 people to the Web server and then advised me to check back in a few hours. When I did so, I found that the software had returned several hundred matches. In many cases, the newly delivered information included data about parents, spouses, and siblings. I scanned through the list and could not find one single entry that was NOT an ancestor of mine! In my case, it was 100% accurate. Every single person listed is, indeed, an ancestor of mine. I have never seen that degree of accuracy on any other online data matching service that I have ever used. Each listing gave details and, in some cases, might have contained new information that I did not have previously. The company owners assured me that this is a typical experience. They say that they have seen a handful of mismatches, but the mismatches are rare. This program’s online name-matching database is amazing.
Under the user’s control, newly discovered data in the Family Tree Legends/GenCircles Web server database may be automatically imported into the local Family Tree Legends database stored on the user’s hard drive. In the case of conflicting data, the user may choose to ignore the new data, replace the old data with the new data, or else add the new data as a secondary record that is subservient to the older data. That last option is a good method of recording "possibilities" that need further investigation.
Now for the best part: with a single click of the mouse, I found that I could either immediately merge all the data from GenCircle.com’s displayed record into my local record of that individual, or else I could go through a step-by-step merge. The step-by-step merge takes the user through each piece of data, one at a time, and prompts the user whether or not to copy each fact to the local database. I certainly recommend you use the second option, reviewing each piece of information before adding it to your primary database. If you find a questionable piece of information, skip over that one and come back to it later after you have verified the data.
The merge process also contains several options for merging source citations. I would suggest that you select the option to copy all source citations from the GenCircles.com database along with the words, "via GenCircles," to each of those citations. That makes it easy to later identify and verify those citations. (I never believe anyone else’s citations; I always want to verify them for myself.)
Version 3 has added several improvements in the SmartMatching user interface and functionality. The GenCircles database has also continued to expand; it now contains information about 85 million ancestors.
Version 3 has a number of new features. Anyone who has used an earlier version will quickly notice a change in "look and feel." New icons appear on the screen, and many screens have been re-written or rearranged. While the program was always easy to use, version 3 is even easier than previous implementations.
Version 3 also has added an optional instant messaging client. When I first heard that, I said, "Huh? Why would they want that?" As it turns out, the instant message capability works very well. It also is an instant file transfer that takes a bit of explanation. The need for an instant messaging capability started when the software developers wrestled with the problems of sending files in e-mail. They wanted users to be able to exchange data and messages. Yet, the increasing problem of spam filters means that e-mail delivery is no longer guaranteed. Two years ago you could send an e-mail to anyone, and there would be a 99.9% probability that it would be delivered. However, the introduction of spam filters, automatic deletion of attached files, and other nasties results in a much lower delivery rate. Some published articles recently claim that less than 80% of legitimate e-mail messages ever reach their destinations. Since Family Tree Legends depends heavily upon file transfers, e-mail would be a poor choice for exchanging messages and data between users.
Instant messaging looked like the better answer, especially when you realize that some I.M. clients allow you to send a short message or file to someone who is not online at the same time you are. The data is stored in a server someplace and then delivered when the recipient connects to the Internet. The Family Tree Legends developers first looked for a general-purpose instant messaging client that would meet their needs. They could not find one; so, they wrote their own.
The internal instant messaging client, called GENGRAMS, within FTL allows users to exchange messages, data and even pictures. The pictures can be automatically attached to specific records within the program’s multimedia scrapbook. Unlike some instant messaging clients, this one works well with firewalls. It also will only exchange certain types of binary files. It will not exchange executable files or any other file type that might contain viruses or spam. As a result, the users can be confident that Family Tree Legends will protect both their data and their Windows systems.
As a result of the instant messaging capability with its ability to exchange data about people or even pictures, along with the SmartMatching capability that I described earlier, Family Tree Legends is one of the best genealogy programs available today for cooperative genealogy research efforts. If you and a distant cousin, or even a family association, are working on the same lines, use of FTL on each end will simplify the issues of sharing specific pieces of data without overlaying everything in your database. All data in your own database remains under your control at all times, and yet you can easily exchange data with other FTL users.
With GenGrams you will soon be able to send charts or reports to another FTL user. The result that will appear in the recipient's program is exactly the same as what the originator sent. No PDF or RTF files are involved. These charts and reports can be printed on either end. Sending a chart or report is very simple; simply enter the other person's user ID, and click on SEND. Computer novices will have no problem sending very sophisticated charts or exchanging data. This feature is not available in the version released today but will be available within weeks. The new capability will automatically be downloaded and installed into the software of anyone who purchased version 3. All they need to do is go online and use the program.
In addition, Family Tree Legends version 3 will directly import data from Family Tree Maker with no GEDCOM or GenBridge imports required. This import routine was written by Pearl Street Software. Unlike GEDCOM, this import routine will even import items from the Family Tree Manager scrapbook, including images, and store them in the appropriate places within Family Tree Legends' scrapbook. With competitive programs, importing data is usually simple, but moving multimedia items from one program to another can require hours of painstaking detail work. Of course, version 3 will still import GEDCOM files created by other programs. If you are using a different genealogy program, you will find it easy to import all your data into Family Tree Legends.
Version 3 also has added 35 or 40 new reports, including an hourglass chart, a bowtie chart, and a report publisher that allows for links to data and images on GenCircles. While you might have your genealogy data stored on a different Web server, you can automatically link to data and images on GenCircles without having to enter all the URLs (addresses). Most of the reports will look the same on the Web server as what you see on the screen when using FTL. The program now will also print lots of blank forms that you can send to others to be filled out. Most reports will print in PDF format, if desired, as well as in RTF and HTML. That makes it easy to send both blank forms and filled-in reports via e-mail.
Version 3 also has an all-new help system, called "Quick Help." It is much faster than Microsoft's standard Help file format that is used by most Windows programs. The program is even "self updating." That is, when online, the program checks to see if there are any new enhancements or bug fixes available. If so, the updates are downloaded and installed automatically. This is for the minor "dot releases" only.
Finally, the real "sleeper" in Family Tree Legends version 3 may be the new Learn button. Pearl Street Software has entered into an agreement with Family Tree Magazine to add numerous "how to" articles directly within the program. Want to know what a "third cousin twice removed" is? Click on Learn, and then follow the menus to an article that explains it all, including a relationship chart. About 30 articles are available today, and more are to be delivered in the future. This feature alone makes Family Tree Legends a strong offering for genealogy newcomers.
As much as I have written above, I still have hardly described all the features of Family Tree Legends version 3. For more information, look at http://www.familytreelegends.com and then click on Product Tour For the long list of features, look at http://www.familytreelegends.com/software/features.
All in all, I am very impressed with Family Tree Legends. Version 3 is a significant upgrade to an already first-class program. It is powerful and easy to use. Family Tree Legends is a strong competitor against the established products that have been available for some years. It is also price-competitive. If you are looking for your first Windows genealogy program, or if you are not happy with the one you are using, I would strongly suggest that you try Family Tree Legends. The program has a full 30-day, no-questions-asked money-back guarantee; so, what do you have to lose?
Family Tree Legends version 3 requires Windows 95, 98, 98 SE, ME, 2000, or XP operating system. It also requires a 166 MHz or faster processor, 20 megabytes of disk space, and 32 megabytes of RAM memory. In short, it will run on most Windows computers built in the past few years. Internet access is needed only for the optional backup, SmartMatching, and Web publishing features.
Family Tree Legends has a list price of $49.95 (U.S. funds). However, Pearl Street Software currently is selling it at an introductory price of $29.95. You can safely order it online via Pearl Street Software’s secure online order system. You can also order it via mail, using a credit card, check, or money order.
Best of all, registered users of Family Tree Legends version 1 or 2 may upgrade to version 3 at no charge.
Copyright 2004, Dick Eastman. Reprinted with permission. This article originally appeared here: http://www.eogn.com/archives/news0414.htm#FTL
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