>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>There is a lot of discussion presently on the make up of genealogy
>programs. Once again let me speak for simplicity.
>
>A genealogy program is a data base used to record names of people,
>events/facts, notes and sources. It should also permit us to link these
>people and print what is recorded. As Porky Pig might say, "That's all
>folks".
...>Hugh
Einstein once said something to the effect of everything should be as simple
as possible...but not more so.
I think there are users who want SIMPLE. Those who are beginners at
genealogy or at computers or both or whose databases are small or whose
ultimate goal is to get a book out on paper. I think FTM fits the bill very
well for those genealogists. Personally I'm looking for a bit more from a
genealogy program. In addition to those elements you've listed above, I'd
like to see great handling of images, task lists, historic time lines, maps
(preferably with historic boundaries), flexibility on output, and especially
outstanding searching and analytical tools. Why enter all this into the
computer if you can't then analyze it, spin it, twist it, re-organize it,
correlate it, compare it, generate statistics on it, hypothesize about it,
speedily change things, and output it in dozens of different ways? That is
the power of computing as analytical tool.
Genealogical software has come a long way in the 15 years since I first used
Roots II, but it has a long way to go to be really great. Several programs
including Legacy, TMG, and yes even FTM are making great strides.
Unfortunately there is not one that does it all well. Genealogical data is
extraordinarily complex and requires complex software...spoken as one who
analyzes data (not genealogical data) for a living.
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