When I die...

[justlen]

How does one deal with all of this genealogy data when we go?

I've been using Reunion since God, I don't know when, but I've been pondering what I do to leave the data to others.

Do I just burn a CD of all my stuff?

Do I just burn a GEDCOM?

[donworth]

Re: When I die...

I think about that a lot myself. I have been busy scanning everything I have (since genealogy for me started in the time before computers). I took photos of all the family heirlooms I've accumulated with information about what they are and why they are significant and hints to my daughter (who doesn't really like genealogy) about who in the extended family might want them. Then I'm burning DVDs (CDs aren't big enough) with my data and photos and such and sending them to various cousins (generally younger ones) all over the US. I have also uploaded my GEDs to familysearch.org - I figure the Mormons will keep it all in a salt mine somewhere. Now if I could just invest in some sort of endowment to keep my genealogy web site going in perpetuity...

Oh yes, and I have done Lulu.com books on most of my family branches with photos and such scattered throughout.

[ttl]

Re: When I die...

I think the bottom line to your question is, "How can I be sure my research is accessible to others so it's not lost?"

For me, the sources I've collected are the heart of my database. With them, anyone can reconstruct what I've developed. In addition to having digital versions of them and distributing them, I've made a point of having paper copies of them and keeping them in a safe place. As long as the paper is intact, there's no worries about data obsolescence and incompatibilities for many, many generations into the future.

To provide a roadmap to the data, I also have a large paper relative chart which is very informative in itself and also connects most of the dots found in the sources. I find the Reunion Family History Report format to be useful as well, they can include nearly everything I've entered into the family file. Finally, paper copies of all the photos, with annotations indicating who's who. (My heart breaks looking at old pictures in my files with no hope of identifying who's in them.)

Of course, GEDCOMS and PDFs and JPEGs stored in multiple places, and uploads to whatever public databases you're comfortable with. These are fabulous starting points for whoever picks up after you.

Still, the lowest common denominator solution comes back to sources on paper... everything in my family file maps back to that.

[Bob White]

Re: When I die...

..........I've made a point of having paper copies of them and keeping them in a safe place. As long as the paper is intact, there's no worries about data obsolescence and incompatibilities for many, many generations into the future.

To provide a roadmap to the data, I also have a large paper relative chart which is very informative in itself and also connects most of the dots found in the sources........

Whether this works or not depends upon who "cleans up" after you once you are six feet under. There are sometimes relatives or friends that either hate genealogy or maybe are simply clueless and think "nobody would be interested in this old stuff about people we don't even know" ...... etc., etc.... I have seen destruction more than once. Just the way the world outside of genealogy works!

[ttl]

Re: When I die...

Whether this works or not depends upon who "cleans up" after you once you are six feet under. There are sometimes relatives or friends that either hate genealogy or maybe are simply clueless and think "nobody would be interested in this old stuff about people we don't even know" ...... etc., etc.... I have seen destruction more than once. Just the way the world outside of genealogy works!

No doubt. But you gotta try.

Identifying a successor would help, or at least a steward.

[rclrocco]

Re: When I die...

"Do I just burn a CD of all my stuff?

Do I just burn a GEDCOM?"

Well you could , but be aware that almost every data storage format since Macs and PCs became pretty much ubiquitous has become redundant. Tapes, cassettes, dvds, cds, records, hard drives, floppies, memory cards etc are only as good as the current means of accessing and reading such formats - most have passed on. While websites are all the rage at present for some, they too will evolve and within a decade, will probably be unrecognisable from what we now are so familiar with. Unless you regularly update your formats, much of what you accumulate may not be much use to those coming after you. As an example, i have some tapes of conversations with a great uncle, now sadly passed on. To me, these are priceless, but only if I keep them intact and up to date on current digital formats. i don't have a working cassette recorder to play the originals back, but I have them on various hard drives.

As others have said, paper is still king, and will I'm sure outlast current digital formats. I have thoroughly enjoyed finding out about my family and forebears for almost 35 years. The next project has to be presenting and leaving the data to generations to come. I hope to do this with three prime documents: the narrative of what I have found out and how - the family story if you like; all the various family trees which I've put together with the sources on which the data has been based; and thirdly a paper description of how I have used Reunion and other software where relevant, together with digital copies of all the data. The documents are easily to copy and "live" in a custom made box which is easy to grab in case of fire at home. And yes, there are copies elsewhere!

For me, Reunion is just a tool to help organise and store my research. It is not the actual research. It is down to each of us how we leave what we find with Reunion, and it is one of the biggest challenges that a Family Historian faces. When you crack that, often in the face of family members who may not currently be interested, then you can leave a lasting legacy, and be satisfied that your years of work with Reunion etc, will not be wasted. A good test of how successful you have been is to talk to a local or national archive centre, record office or similar and see whether they will store your paper copies and complete research record for posterity.

[Gato]

Re: When I die...

As others have suggested, it's a good idea to try to identify someone interested and reliable to take over after your death your Reunion file, and all of its associated photos and material. This arrangement then can be specified in your will: after all, it is a "family heirloom" in its own right.

How does one deal with all of this genealogy data when we go?

I've been using Reunion since God, I don't know when, but I've been pondering what I do to leave the data to others.

Do I just burn a CD of all my stuff?

Do I just burn a GEDCOM?

[Bob White]

Re: When I die...

As others have suggested, it's a good idea to try to identify someone interested and reliable to take over after your death your Reunion file, and all of its associated photos and material. This arrangement then can be specified in your will: after all, it is a "family heirloom" in its own right.

Or not wait until one dies. In fact, for most of us, it would be a good move to find someone sooner as many of us will experience an unknown period of "decline" leading up to our final demise. (And some of us will have all of our faculties right up to the end...)

In my case, as I near the big seven-zero next month, I have had my eyes open for a couple years for someone younger to pass the torch to. For my mother's side, I was the recipient, about twenty years ago, from an older cousin who was in his late 70's at the time. I don't worry much about my father's side as there are several who have been bitten by the genealogy bug and we constantly share. And a couple of the several are only in their 30's.

[Michael Talibard]

Re: When I die...

This thread has prompted me to decide to buy Reunion for my son (highly competent Mac user). How does one gift the download? Or is it better for this purpose to get a CD?

[George Chapman]

Re: When I die...

This thread has prompted me to decide to buy Reunion for my son (highly competent Mac user). How does one gift the download? Or is it better for this purpose to get a CD?

My problem is that I'm almost 75 and none of my kids use Macs even tho they're very computer able. I really don't think they really care about their geneology. Have to find someone else such as a niece or nephew.

[donworth]

Re: When I die...

"Do I just burn a CD of all my stuff?

Unless you regularly update your formats, much of what you accumulate may not be much use to those coming after you. ...

As others have said, paper is still king, and will I'm sure outlast current digital formats.

Actually, while I won't argue the point that paper can outlast digital formats, you can't print everything. If you did, someone would throw out those 12 bankers boxes of stuff someday to make room in their garage. And how do you make an offsite backup if everything's on paper? The issue isn't so much that older media will be left behind technologically, it's that the physical media may deteriorate. There are lots of transfer services around that will convert your Beta Max tapes, Commodore 64 floppy disks, 7 track reel to reel mainframe tapes... even cylinder phonograph records. So, as long as people have things they care about on old technology there will be business that will find a way to serve them. In fact, I recently had some old 16 mm film taken by my ancestors in the 1920s converted to DVD. However, the nitrate substrate on a couple of them had fused together so that the reel of film was almost a solid block. Same goes for floppies (magnetic images don't last forever) and today's CDs and and DVDs. I use only archive quality Taiyo Yuden DVDs. They cost more, but they will last a lot longer (some claim 70 years) than the cheapos you can buy in Staples (some deteriorate after 2 or 3 years). But even Taiyo Yudens aren't going to last forever. So I transfer the images from backup drive to backup drive and spread copies around.

Which brings me to my strategy - I give my data away to anyone who will take it. If that puts me at risk for losing the credit for having created it or losing control over it, I'm willing to live (or die) with that. In each of my lines I have stumbled upon a genealogist, long dead, who was the authority on the family of their time period. Those people haven't been forgotten, at least by me - in fact, they are my heros! I'm sure I will be some future genealogist's "hero" too someday. The most important thing to me, though, is that there be some chance that somebody, somewhere, will have the data, photos and stories I collected, and can build on them.

[kmgenealogy]

Re: When I die...

My problem is that I'm almost 75 and none of my kids use Macs even tho they're very computer able. I really don't think they really care about their geneology. Have to find someone else such as a niece or nephew.

At almost 71, this thread does hit home. I have talked to my niece, who is interested in genealogy but is just coping with working and being a mom of two (with one having medical challenges) right now. She has promised she will not throw out anything about the family. She will box it all up and keep it, either until she has raised her kids or finds the time or for the next generation who might be interested. So, my job is to make sure it is all organized enough that she knows what to box up. Also, she will inherit my Mac computer, whatever it is at that time. She has promised not to delete anything having to do with genealogy, especially the folders labeled Genealogy and My Family History (per Ben Sayer's system). Again, it's my job to make sure the computer is organized enough for her. She does know how to use the Mac but, since she has a PC, I need to get a PC genealogy program onto her computer and loaded with a GEDCOM which should be updated periodically.

Whew, hadn't put this down in words before! Thanks for making me think more about it.

[Janice Roden]

Re: When I die...

Since no one in my family is interested. I self publish the lines I have worked on, and send them to several libraries and the library of congress. That way MAYBE it will be of help to one struggling genealogist

[genealogist.lily]

Re: When I die...

How does one deal with all of this genealogy data when we go?

I've been using Reunion since God, I don't know when, but I've been pondering what I do to leave the data to others.

Do I just burn a CD of all my stuff?

Do I just burn a GEDCOM?

Lots of good suggestions here. Mine would be to find a local genealogy society and share data with them. It may be where you live - or where your family's roots originated. Such Societies are always eager to have good research to add to their files.

[Paul Bridges]

Re: When I die...

This thread started me thinking.
I have no one to take over my research, I did not have time until I retired and I do not think that my children will be interested until they retire (15 years away).

I like the way Ancestry handles family trees after using library access to it, and it is getting increasingly popular for this feature.

Can anyone help with the following questions ?

1. If I buy an Ancestry subscription ($300/year) and load my tree on it,
what happens to the tree if I stop subscribing ?
(I have a couple of websites on Godaddy and I am pretty sure I will lose them if I stop paying).

2. How easy is it to load a medium size tree (4000 +) from Reunion to Ancestry (including multimedia) ?