Turn "Record My Story" into a full blown personal journal section.
In short, my suggestions are:
- Have a "My Journal" or something like that feature where one can write and store a personal journal with the entries separate from other memories, and can easily be sorted through to look for a specific entry, any pictures can be uploaded with text or audio for that entry, and simple things like a space for the entry date, or giving it a title.
I have started writing a journal for myself on this site and I think it would be a perfect place to have it here on this site as I would never need to worry about losing it or posterity not being able to find it. It would be right here for them to read.
Comments
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Tom Huber said: Welcome to the community-powered public feedback forum for FamilySearch. FamilySearch personnel read every discussion thread and may or may not respond as their time permits. We all share an active interest in using the resources of this site and as users, we have various levels of knowledge and experience and do our best to help each other with concerns, issues, and/or questions.
I agree that being able to write and/or record (on audio) a journal as a memory of our own record would be perfect.
There are a number of sites / books available to assist in writing journals, but the same thing could be used for recording the audio of us telling our own story. I'm now in my seventies and should have done this a long time ago.1 -
I love that idea. If I may add on top:
There is a some great journaling apps out there.
The best I know of is an app called "Day One". It's available for iOS, Android and MacOS. Please check it out here: https://dayoneapp.com/features/
The best would be if the church would start working with them to incorporate their functions in family search memories. To be honest. I believe would have enough funds to just buy the app or even the company behind it. It basically includes all the features that I would wish "Memories" had. Some of the key features (on top of what memories can do) include:
- upload videos
- upload voice-to-text transcription
- drawings
- import Instagram posts (although I believe memories can do that already)
- connections to IFTTT
- send email to journal
- scan documents
- export functions to PDF/JSON/HTML, etc. (to migrate to another app if necessary)
- export journals and have them printed as a book (not just cheap export but looking very nice) - also great to have something "touchable" now and then - they do have collaboration with a printing facility.
- exporting posts as nice shareable cards to social media
- seamless multi-device continuity (start an entry on one device finish on another)
- reminders to add an entry
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Of course there are further things to include what I have not seen in Day One but also not in the memories app:
- different privacy features (apart from just public and non-public) -> has been suggested here: https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/111216/memories#latest (do upvote!!)
- have private posts turn public after disease -> see question here: https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/115929/private-memories#latest
- have journal posts (as suggested above) be private by default but add features to share with relatives or then be public depending on desires. (similar to bullet one)
- have a better chronological order of entries (which would be given if incorporating an app or at least the idea of an app such as "Day One") -> see suggested here: https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/64654/memories#latest
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memories has a lot of potential. especially if adding features as suggested above as great journalling apps do already have. with that you could catch two birds with one stone. as it helps members also to adhere to the urge to "keep records" of their lives and not just use it to add content to family search and respective trees. The way it is I don't see it fit yet as a "Journal" and I would understand if it initially was also not intended to do that. But adding this would help out a lot of member to get easier into the journalling aspect, have a decent repository to keep it as one would trust the church with their data and could also trust, that it will stay preserved.
Please work on that!! Thanks for all you do!
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I think the idea is awesome and definitely something I would have suggested as well. If I may add on top of that...
There are some great journaling apps out there. The best I have seen is "Day One". Please check it out here: https://dayoneapp.com/features/. It's available on iOS, Android and MacOS.
There are some great features that would support this journalling idea. And including these features in Memories would kill two birds with one stone by also supporting the members of the church in trying to adhere to the urge (for not wanting to call it "commandment") to keep records.
Some of the top features of the "Day One" App from my perspective include (some of them are premium features):
- multiple kind of journals (e.g., personal and family one)
- video upload
- voice-to-text transcription
- touch/drawing support (with pen)
- import social media posts (instagram) -> although I believe memories can do that already
- IFTTT support
- email to journal directly
- scanning function
- export into a book (not just cheap but looking really nicely) - they are partnering with a printing facility. sometimes it's just nice to have something touchable - also nice for family albums.
- reminders to journal
- export to instagram
- "On this day" flashbacks
- auto-tagging (date, time, weather, location, etc)
- ....
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there are some additional features which have been also already added in the community for the memories app which I will just add to provide further visibility to them (please also upvote on these!!):
- additional privacy functions for posts/journal entries made. Not just public and private. But also sharing with selected relatives. -> see posted here in the community.
- Share private posts when person posting is deceased --> see posted here in the community.
- better chronological order (which would be given if incorporating functions/features of a proper journalling app as listed above) --> see posted here in the community or here.
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As said, I believe, this would really support members it making it easier for them making a habit for journaling. All the content to put into a journal is on the smartphone. The time to invest in a "Offline" journal is for many not given. This would make the barrier so much smaller, if done, properly.
I do not see the current version of "memories" fit for journalling - already given the way privacy is implemented. I am positive the church would have sufficient funds to implement this in a more suitable manner (probably they could just buy the whole app or even the company behind it). Of course you could say if you like that "Day One" app so much then just buy it. That is not the issue. But not everyone is ready to spend that money on an app.
Thank you so much for the work you do. Would be very awesome to see this developing.
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As mentioned in this idea above - FamilySearch Activities> Record My Story does have the capability of recording (audio) and allowing typewritten 'stories'. It might not be as 'feature rich' but these basic capabilities are there:
just click on the 'New Story' tab at top and you can choose from among some categories:
I do like the idea of grouping them under a 'Personal Journal' container so that they do not end up scattered randomly. The closest you can do currently is create an Album (i.e. 'My Journal') and group the stories there.
I also found a Help Center article:
This suggests a workflow for keeping the Gallery less 'cluttered' - I guess I'll have to work on that...
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