Leveraging the power of FamilySearch Memories to Preserve and keep in tact our Family Research

Dennis J Yancey · July 14, 2021

THIS IS AN ANSWER - instead of a QUESTION . . . (I wish the Q/A would more easily facilitate comments and feedback like this - instead of just asking a question)

People in the community often point to the drawback of the collaborative paradigmn of FamilySearch where someone else can change or modify what they have entered into FamilySearch Family Tree and how no one really has a private tree (other than for the living records in their private space)

I totally understand that there are indeed pain points and challenges in this area.

But I also think many people totally miss some of the basic tenants of why a collaboratuve system can indeed have some significant strengths.

One of my favorite videos on the subject is this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwRSRZ9amlM

It is rather long - so before you watch it – please continue down with the below:

I do understand the pain points of collaboration as it is currently in FamilySearch - and I do look forward to FamilySearch continuing to make changes that allow for people having more confidence that the work they do won’t be undone by someone else.

I had written various posts on the subject of the matter in the old community - but they were lost in the upgrade conversion (grrrrrrrrr)

I will try to resurrect some of my thoughts and analysis on the matter with this and other subsequent posts

BUT one thing that I again and again go back to - is how much we can all so often leverage FamilySearch Memories - to not only preserve our own research - but preserve it in a way that even 10 years from now - it will still be in the same exact format that we left it.

In other words - how to upload versions of our research and documents - in ways that we don’t have to worry about others totally destroying or wreaking havoc on our documents - our research – our compilations - our family histories.

Here are just a FEW of hundreds of examples of items that I have uploaded to FamilySearch - so as to preserve such research in tact - - - whether it was my own - or someone else’s.

Just to give some context - - Ive uploaded more than 30,000 Items to FS Memories - I dont say that to brag - but simply to put in context that of that 30,000 files - I don't think Ive lost a single one to the system deleting it or because someone else deleted it - or because FS decided not to support something . FS seems to be FULLY behind keeping people's Memories for the foreseeable long term.

Pedigree charts in pdf format from a person's own local database - based on what they consider to be correct:

https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/56940175?cid=mem_copy

Family Group sheets in pdf format

https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/59341074?cid=mem_copy

Descendants Charts

https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/56940129?cid=mem_copy

Research Notes

https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/80263033?cid=mem_copy

Life Histories

https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/60676275?cid=mem_copy

Family Bibles

https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/59354074?cid=mem_copy