I have been equally overwhelmed and inspired since returning from my genealogy break. Coming back from a long break has left me with fresh eyes, and a mostly fresh brain. What isn’t fresh, is my computer files. After all the stress and heartache of 2014, I just didn’t have it in me to continue trying to fix the mess my computer swap left me. I basically just walked away from the task and didn’t think about it anymore.
I previously talked about it in a March 2014 post. So now here I am. Wondering how I’m going to get started again. Sure I’ve been researching, but I am limping along. My digital organization is working alright, though I’m still trying to better it. I have an overabundance of files after my computer switch and then a software switch after The Unforgivable Act (TUA). Honestly, I don’t even know if I got around to telling you the details about that aftermath. In the interest of saving web space, I will just briefly say that I was using Family Tree Maker and was test driving Legacy Family Tree. Family Tree Maker crashed for the thousandth time and corrupted my file. I restored it just fine but I officially signed off Family Tree Maker that day and started to use Legacy full-time. I was just done with dealing with it.
The great news is that I love Legacy Family Tree. I had used it for about 6 months, learning one thing at a time. In fact, it was probably because of Legacy that I decided I’d had enough. I am very glad that a software company has taken the reins with Family Tree Maker, because I think the program is going to get better now. That doesn’t change my mind, I am still done with it as my main program. I am in love with Legacy Family Tree and I’m not changing again. 🙂
You are probably wondering what my point is, and why I continue to ramble. Well, the reason is that I am a rambler and rambling is what I do best… No, sorry, ignore my sad attempt at humor. I’m rambling because I’m contemplating another decision and I think I know what I’m going to do but I’m not jumping in just yet. While I was away, the genealogy online community started a Genealogy Do-Over movement, which is kind of like my Family File Cleanup except more organized, with peer support, and you know actual planning! I was feeling pretty depressed about the state of all my files and even the state of my source citations which I am re-doing… again. I know, it’s not lost on me either that I am doing it again.
The difference between a Genealogy Do-Over and a Go-Over is kind of self-explanatory. I don’t think I need a full do-over because I just did my file cleanup and everything in my file is sourced. I just want to re-do them in Source Writer. I think what I need to do is go over everything one more time and make it uniform again. I was reading Thomas MacEntee’s Genealogy Do-Over workbook and it really inspired me. What I didn’t do in my family file cleanup was to set guidelines or practices for myself. I don’t have any set plans, I just fly by the seat of my yoga pants. That is what I know I need to change. I also want to learn how to better examine evidence and not work through it so quickly. If you are worried I will disappear again, never fear, I am going to document everything here. Just because I don’t think you hear from me enough. HAHA!
Other posts in this series:
- Genealogy Do-Over or Go-Over? <- You are here.
- Genealogy Go-Over: Getting Started
- Genealogy Go-Over: Setting Guidelines
- Genealogy Go-Over: Actually Do-Over
- Genealogy Do-Over: Where I’m At
- Genealogy Do-Over: More Decisions
- Genealogy Do-Over: More Prep Work
- Genealogy Do-Over: My Research Toolbox
Disclaimer: Legacy and Family Tree Maker have no connection to me. I receive no compensation for talking about them. I purchased both programs with my own money. There are no affiliate links in this blog but I can’t speak for when you leave this blog. I purposely didn’t link to either software program because I didn’t want to have to link them a million times as I talked about them. You can find Family Tree Maker and Legacy Family Tree by clicking their names in this disclaimer.
I have no vested interest in Evidencia http://evidentiasoftware.com but am looking it over myself. It seems to fill a needed gap that some genie software programs lack. I suggest you look it over, to see if it meets a need.
JoAnn
well, that was poor sentence construction. “It seems to fill a gap….” Too early in the morning. LOL
JoAnn
haha, JoAnn, we all have those mornings! I do have Evidentia, but I never learned to use it. So I’ll be watching videos and reading up on that too. 🙂
Kathleen
Without going into my software use history, I find Evidencia to be a very good sourcing software. There are a couple of things I wish it did, but it is still developing, so perhaps they will come. I learned early on that I would never ‘remember where I found that’ and how to find it again. I also learned to pick every bit of evidence to the bone. Not just the fact or two I was needing at the time. Combined with a chronology, it makes analyzing people and data so much more efficient.
JoAnn
That is great! I will hopefully get a lot of use out of it. That is what I have been wanting to do for the last year. I want to re-examine the records I already have and see what I missed. I think especially since I took such a long break and I don’t remember all those things I was stuck on before.
Kathleen