Ancestry.co.uk v FTM. The way forward?

[Muppet]

Please could any of you experts out there give me your thoughts?

I started my tree on Ancestry.co.uk in February 2009 and have used this for all my research, attaching census records and BDM records and to hold stories and photos.

I then began to think that it was all on Ancestry and did I want to be paying their subs for ever and a day to keep access to my tree and records.

I had FTM 2006 and loaded this and created a GEDCOM on Ancestry to upload to FTM 2006. All well and good and I have my basic data on FTM but not my stories or photos or the links to the census records. Although I still have a way to go, I want to have my records on my own system now.

Every so often I do a new GEDCOM and update FTM 2006, this of course gets rid of any photos or stories I had tried to attach. I assume there is not a way of doing it and keeping them? I have tried to work through some of the guides on the forum but ended up totally confused.

I am now thinking that I need to think to the future and suspect that FTM should be the place to hold all my tree records. Not sure how to do this now thought.

If I say that FTM is my main tree source and start to reload my photos and stories, will I then do a GEDCOM from FTM 2006 to Ancestry.co.uk every so often and use that just for basic data? I see reference to other types of formats for file transfers but don't understand them.

Would I at this stage be advised to upgrade from 2006 to FTM 2009 (using my Tesco points). I eventually want to use the book option available in FTM 2006, is this available on 2009? Seem to be suggestions that it is not.

If I do use FTM as my main tree holder and access Ancestry.co.uk to search for e.g. a census record and find it, can I save it / link it to my FTM programme as I do in Ancestry.co.uk? If so, how as I have tried to do it and do not seem to be able to see a way to?

If using just FTM and doing security backups, is it posible to back everything up or is it just the basic GEDCOM and you would lose the stories and photos?

Sorry if I am asking the blindingly obvious but I am so confused about the best way to go and would really appreciate any advice/comments. I have put a huge amount of worjk into this and want to find the best way to hold and safeguard the results.

Sorry I am asking so much :o

[Paulc]

just bumped a thread of mine on main research q & a page which might help

[borobabs]

Hello dear , the majority of people on here who have FTM use 2006 as it has other things you can use like Internet back up (you pay small fee about £7 year I think ), and also can do more things with it ;;
I also have 2009 which I like for the maps etc so each has its own thing which is good;;;
but saying that I use 2006 as my main tree add all census 's to that, stories and photos and use my ancestry tree as way of searching for more rellies and collect more info;;;
BUT do got into the habit of putting this into your FTM or you will loose yourself ;;;;)

[Elaine ..Spain]

I am now thinking that I need to think to the future and suspect that FTM should be the place to hold all my tree records.

Firstly I think you are right in wanting your main file on your own computer. It is then fully under your control and not reliant on a third party. Don’t forget the important regular backups!

Forget about your Ancestry tree for the moment and spend time getting your FTM file on your computer up to date, adding census info and pictures as necessary. This becomes your master file and is the only one you need to add any new information to in the future. Once this file is up to date then you can upload it to Ancestry. If you do this in GEDCOM format you will lose your pictures and attached census information, as GEDCOM is a text only file. However, you can upload the main FTM2006 file (.ftw extension) as it is, in which case it will still have the photos and census info.

Don’t worry about updating your Ancestry tree with every new bit of information that you find – just upload a new file from FTM at regular intervals, remembering to remove the original file on Ancestry or else you will end up with duplicate/triplicate/etc trees.

Would I at this stage be advised to upgrade from 2006 to FTM 2009 (using my Tesco points). I eventually want to use the book option available in FTM 2006, is this available on 2009? Seem to be suggestions that it is not.

FTM2006 v FTM 2009.
Mixed views here! I have both on my computer but having been a user of FTM for many years I have struggled at times using the 2009 version – probably because I haven’t persisted with it!

The first thing that put me off was when I imported my FTM2006 tree the source information was handled in a different way, which meant I had a lot of corrections to do. There was also a lack of some of the facilities, e.g. internet back up, creation of your own website, book option – all available on FTM2006 and all things that I use(d).

As a result I continue to use FTM2006 for my own tree, but if I am doing something for anyone else then I am using FTM2009.

There have been a few updates on the original 2009 program, including improved charts and source templates. They have also reintroduced the book facility which was sadly missing with earlier versions.

There seems to be one major problem for you at the moment. I have successfully uploaded a FTM data file (which includes photos etc) from FTM2006 – but have just tried a dummy run from FTM2009 and it doesn’t seem to accept it. I’ll check this out to see if I can see any mention of it anywhere.

If using just FTM and doing security backups, is it posible to back everything up or is it just the basic GEDCOM and you would lose the stories and photos?

When you do a back up on either 2006 or 2009 it is a back up of the whole file, which includes stories, photos etc.

[Elaine ..Spain]

There seems to be one major problem for you at the moment. I have successfully uploaded a FTM data file (which includes photos etc) from FTM2006 – but have just tried a dummy run from FTM2009 and it doesn’t seem to accept it. I’ll check this out to see if I can see any mention of it anywhere.

Just to let you know that it is possible to upload your FTM2009 tree into Ancestry, retaining all photos etc. You need to do it from within the FTM2009 program, rather than on the Ancestry website as in earlier versions of the program.

[borobabs]

Just to let you know that it is possible to upload your FTM2009 tree into Ancestry, retaining all photos etc. You need to do it from within the FTM2009 program, rather than on the Ancestry website as in earlier versions of the program.

Oh Elaine that sounds promising you will have to let me know how to do that ;;;;

[Glen in Tinsel Knickers]

Muppet

There are a couple back up options with FTM, you can backup a file as a GEDCOM but that won't transfer non text items such as photographs or scans of documents you have added.

The alternative is to backup the other filetypes FTM supports, for example via 2006 the .FTW filetype is the one to go for, it will save everything you have added to the file, whether it be text, images, scans or photographs.



It's probably easier to add links to a couple of wiki pages to explain the pros and cons of FTM filetypes used with FTM 2005/6 and backup file ideas.

Family Tree Maker - File Extensions and Icons - Family Tree Forum


Backing Up Your Files - Family Tree Forum

[Muppet]

Thank you all very much for your replies. I am going to spend some time now trying to digest them all.

Elaine - you talk about adding my census data to FTM. Just how do I do that?

Sorry to be dim but I can't see how you do this or maybe it is just that I am expecting to see a link to the census record, as on the Ancestry page for each of my ancestors?

Whichever way .... it looks as though I have an imense amount of work to do

[Muppet]

Internet back up (you pay small fee about £7 year I think

I like the idea of Internet backyup for a few pounds a year. Is this everything on the FTM file or just the GEDCOM items?




.

[Jennie H]

To send the complete tree to Ancestry click on Publish, then the share icon-top right hand corner-it gives the option to send to Ancestry.
Haven't checked if all media goes through as Ancestry is down at the moment.

[Elaine ..Spain]

I like the idea of Internet backyup for a few pounds a year. Is this everything on the FTM file or just the GEDCOM items?

.

Sorry, missed replying to this. If you back up to the internet it is your working file, and therefore includes all images, notes etc.
Worth every penny and so easy to do every time you close down FTM - one click (or maybe two!) and it's backed up.
However, make sure you have another form of backup as well - golden rule - never rely on one type of back up .... just in case.
I use the internet back up almost every time I have added something new to my tree, however small. I then do an additional CD back up once or twice a month.

[Heather Positive Thinker]

Just to say with 2006 you can still use your personal home page option where you do a few clicks to make your own family tree website which you can leave open to the world or password protect so only those you want can see it.

To confuse matters even more, today I received an email urging me to upgrade to FTM 2010.