Leveraging the Power of FS Memories to both preserve and keep in tact our research

Dennis J Yancey

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 collaborative 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

Digital Community Histories

https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/59341078?cid=mem_copy

Discussion of Fraudulant or erroneous info

https://www.familysearch.org/photos/gallery/album/703092

Discussion of common errors and myths

https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/105655021?cid=mem_copy

Discussions of theories as to Family Origins

https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/78243294?cid=mem_copy

Newspaper Accounts:

https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/60350121?cid=mem_copy

Digital Books

https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/24694652?cid=mem_copy

 

Copies of entire books that are in the public domain (245 pages on a simgle pdf)

https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/104009807?cid=mem_copy

Family Photo Albums

https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/67120918?cid=mem_copy

Oral Interviews (audio)

https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/111339664?cid=mem_copy

Music Recordings

https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/52679766?cid=mem_copy

Recorded news accounts (audio)

https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/107025974?cid=mem_copy

Poetry (audio)

https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/76061763?cid=mem_copy

Funeral Recordings (audio)

https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/94142327?cid=mem_copy

School Year Book data

https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/88850987?cid=mem_copy

Speeches (audio)

https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/99949447?cid=mem_copy

Funeral Cards

https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/129281073?cid=mem_copy

Needlework Samplers with Family info

https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/64400184?cid=mem_copy

Family Registers

https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/103371876?cid=mem_copy

Fraktur

https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/97903654?cid=mem_copy

and even links to online VIDEO

https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/128545977?cid=mem_copy

MNuttall

Dennis, thank you for your thoughts on this matter. You've included some great ideas on how to preserve vital information in a format that others cannot edit while at the same time providing the necessary documentation for the conclusions about a person's or a family's life.

You have classified your post as a discussion, so that's great.

Keep up the good work.

MaureenE123

Perhaps Dennis could post this as an Idea that the above information be incorporated more formally into FamilySearch in ways such as

*A Help Center article

*A link/pop up box somewhere within Family Tree/Memories to the information.

Just a comment. Will FamilySearch continue to support formats such as pdfs etc if they should become obsolete? I'm thinking of the situation with the withdrawal of the application Flash, and how this affected many of FamilySearch's own Learning materials such as Lessons etc, and how these are no longer available.

Dennis J Yancey

Things like training material and community pages and posts are ancillary to the main core content and purpose of FS. Often such material have a "shelf life" - and will need to get replaced sooner or later.

FS Memories - are not designed to have a "shelf life" - their intent is to be permanently stored.

I cannot speak for FamilySearch - but i just cant envision - how they would not convert to any new format.

especially as to how easy they should be able to do that.

But PDF should be around for a very long time and is meant to be backward compatible even when new releases come out.

bathompson

@Dennis Yancy,

You have provided such a thorough list! Thank you!

One can also preserve a Family Tree on GEDCOM and add it to the database in FamilySearch. It will be available for research but no one can change it.

https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/what-happens-to-information-uploaded-from-a-gedcom-file

Dennis J Yancey

agreed - this is also a great way of keeping your data "intact"