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Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter
| June 29, 1998 |
On Monday of this past week, a press release by two companies announced a friendly takeover of Broderbund Software, producer of the most popular genealogy program in the world: Family Tree Maker. The Learning Company of Cambridge, Massachusetts plans to purchase Broderbund of Novato, California for approximately $420 million in stock. Both companies are educational and entertainment computer software makers. Broderbund produces many programs in addition to their popular Family Tree Maker series, including Carmen Sandiego, Arthur, KidPix and The Print Shop. While The Learning Company has not previously had a genealogy product, they do have a number of other programs that will fit in nicely with the Broderbund products. These programs include ReaderRabbit, BodyWorks, MegaMunchers, Cyber Patrol, KeyCAD Deluxe, Labels Unlimited, Score Builder for the SAT/ACT, Home Medical Advisor and a number of products for learning foreign languages. The deal is expected to be accounted for as a pooling-of-interests. Both companies' boards of directors have approved the transaction and intend to recommend it to their respective shareholders. The two companies said in a joint statement that they expect the merger to be completed before the end of September. "Broderbund's well-known, award-winning brands, are an excellent addition to the Learning Company portfolio," said Kevin O'Leary, president of The Learning Company. "In addition, the combined business will have access to a database of over 20 million registered end-users who have purchased one of our products and desire to hear about more offerings, which will allow us to build our presence in the on-line and Internet channel," he added. Let’s see…. Family Tree Maker was created by a company called Banner Blue. That company later acquired Automated Archives, the first producer of genealogy CD-ROM disks. Banner Blue was later acquired by Broderbund. Then Broderbund also acquired Parsons Technology, producers of the competitive Family Origins genealogy program. Now Broderbund has been acquired by the Learning Company. I need a genealogy program just to keep track of this lineage! So what does this new acquisition mean to genealogists and especially to those who use Family Tree Maker? My guess is that there will be very little impact. The Learning Company did not have a genealogy program in their catalog, so the addition of the very popular Family Tree Maker will be a winner for them. Like Broderbund, The Learning Company has been very effective at marketing products. The Learning Company will probably continue to promote Family Tree Maker in much the same manner that Broderbund has. I expect it will be "business as usual" for the Broderbund employees. The one item that I cannot guess at is the future of Family Origins. This excellent genealogy program has always been a popular product for Parsons Technology. Broderbund purchased Parsons and then continued to sell Family Origins, even though it is a direct competitor to Family Tree Maker. Now the new owners will be looking at the two competing products with a fresh outlook. I hope they continue to sell and support Family Origins.
- More On The Australian Vital Records Index CD-ROM In last week’s newsletter I wrote about the new Australian Vital Records Index CD-ROM produced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons). I liked the disk and especially its ease of use. However, I wrote that "one thing that I did not care for in this implementation of Folio Views was the lack of support for the Windows Clipboard. I am used to highlighting text and then pressing Control-C to copy that text to the Clipboard. I then go to another Windows application and press Control-V to copy that text into the second application. However, the Clipboard did not work on this CD-ROM disk…". Ray Madsen, one of the managers in charge of the project for the LDS Church sent an e-mail with additional information. I would like to share his comments here. Ray agrees that that the commands are not exactly the same as other Windows applications; but he says, "You can cut and paste [to the] Windows Clipboard for such things as copying to a word processor. Just mark (not tag) the group of desired records using the left button on the mouse...drag to mark those records. Instead of the Control-C, click on the edit function on the tool bar, press copy. Call up the word processor and click paste. It works the same way, except you don't use the control C/V. It's edit, copy then paste." Thanks, Ray. I appreciate your comments.
- The Conceptual Approach to Genealogy David C. Chamberlin has just released a new book: "The Conceptual Approach to Genealogy" published by Heritage Quest. The subtitle is "Essential Methodology for Organizing and Compiling Genealogical Records." The description of the book on the back cover says:
I spent some time with the book and must say that David Chamberlin does cover his topics well. Many other books have been written over the years about how to do genealogy research. I have a bookshelf full of them. Mr. Chamberlin’s approach is a bit different from the others that I have seen. He does not describe census records or immigration records, and he does not tell where to find original documents or microfilmed copies of originals. Instead, he devotes this book to the theory of organized research, how to keep track of a large number of people and how to organize information in an organized manner that allows for easy retrieval when needed. This is more of a theory book than a "field guide" although there are numerous step-by-step exercises showing how to organize information. I’ll list the chapters of this book and add my own comments in parenthesis: Introduction (with a heavy emphasis on the use of computers) Planning Your Genealogical Work Source Extractions Unique Identification (of individuals, with a discussion of why the more common genealogy numbering systems are inadequate) Jurisdictional Tracking (tracking information by names, dates and locations) The Family Group Record Genealogical Charts and Numbering Using A Database Summary Appendix A – Planning Log Examples Appendix B – Source Extraction Examples and Exercises Appendix C – Jurisdictional Tracking Exercises Appendix D – Family Group Record Examples Appendix E – Pedigree Chart Numbering The book ends with a Glossary, a Bibliography and a 10-page index. "The Conceptual Approach to Genealogy" is based upon David Chamberlin’s 40 years’ experience in genealogy research. He has developed a system of organizing data that works well for him, and I suspect it will work for others. His system appears to resemble the research organizational techniques used by mathematicians and scientists; he frequently refers to these fields and often compares his system to the publishing of scientific papers. His methods are exacting and detailed. While I haven’t tried his methods yet, his description gives the impression that the reader will not be bogged down in the details of record keeping. It looks like an easy-to-use system. Mr. Chamberlin obviously is in favor of using a computer to record, sort, file and retrieve information. He often makes statements such as the one on page 4: "Though the use of a computer is not mandatory in genealogy, its benefits are overwhelming. To fully implement some of the principles and techniques that are described in this book does require a computer. In particular, the use of a relational database and word processing application are of inestimable value to the genealogist." I kept looking for the author’s recommendations as to selection of an appropriate genealogy program. I was disappointed to read his words on page 157:
The existing powerful genealogy programs are "very complex to use and difficult to learn?" I thought this was a strange statement from someone who devoted six pages to describing the differences between a flat-file database and a relational database and then devoted another 13 pages to describing how to use a relational database. I believe that several of today’s more powerful genealogy programs are easy to use. I wonder if the author has spent any time using a high-end genealogy program. However, he probably is correct when he states that "none of the programs I have seen are capable of fully implementing the concepts and techniques laid down in this book." A little further on page 157 the author hints at a new genealogy program under development that is based upon the research techniques described in this book. The new program is called GenStor, which is expected to be available late in 1998. Even though I found a few sentences that I disagreed with, I would still consider this book to be an excellent guide for anyone starting genealogy research. It also will be valuable to anyone who has been doing research for a while and is "drowning in a sea of records." You might not adopt every detail of David Chamberlin’s system, but reading this book will give you an insight into organizational methods and will help you develop a system that works for you. I only wish that someone had given me advice like this back when I started my genealogy research! "The Conceptual Approach to Genealogy" sells for $24.95 U.S. funds. Shipping and handling adds another $4.50 for U.S. addresses. It is available from Heritage Quest, PO Box 329, Bountiful, UT 84011-0329, telephone 801-298-5358.
-World Book of Generations – A Genealogical History I received an interesting book recently called "World Book of Generations – A Genealogical History" written by Dr. Lyman Platt. This book is quite different from any other book that I have written about in past newsletters. It combines both genealogy research and religious studies. If you have an interest in this area, read on. If not, you might want to skip over this article now. The "World Book of Generations – A Genealogical History, Volume 1" is a documented study of the earliest people of the world (according to the Bible and other religious documents) starting with Adam and then describing the ancestry and descendancies of many Biblical figures. I have spent some time with this book and can quickly tell you that I am not an expert in this subject. I will not offer any opinions as to the quality of the research, nor will I offer any opinions on the basic religious documents cited. I will leave all that to each reader of this newsletter to decide for himself or herself. I will say, however, that the references within the World Book of Generations are extensive and that the back-of-book bibliography is also lengthy. Many of the references cited are documents produced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the author is also a member of that church. Anyone who subscribes to a different theology may have different beliefs concerning the facts cited within this book. I know that some of the information cited within the book is different from my own beliefs. Nonetheless, I found this book to be interesting reading. Quoting from the book’s Introduction: "This volume is the first in a series that will uniquely identify all individuals possible, during the early history of the world, using proper research procedures and acceptable referencing standards. It is not presumed that all of the data recorded here is totally accurate. The reason for this is that original sources, and compiled sources, have incorrect information, some of which cannot be verified. Also, some purposeful inaccuracies have been created by record keepers of the past. Some errors have crept into The Holy Bible and other ancient works, either intentionally or by mistake. In the case of The Holy Bible these errors have thrown the chronologies off by ten to thirteen generations, or by as much as 307 or 407 years, depending upon how dates are calculated. " Some of the chapters of Volume 1 include: Introduction The Development of World Cultures Establishing an Accurate View of World History The Patriarchs from Adam to Abraham Dispelling the Theory of Evolutionary Time Population Statistics Chronology The Limited Record of Civilization Prior to the Flood, 4002-2345 B.C. Mankind Spreads Across the Earth After the Flood, 2345 B.C. A Preliminary Look at the Patriarch Abraham The Initial Divisions of the Growing Population, 2345 B.C. – 2245 B.C. The Basic Divisions of Mankind by Ethnic Designations The Descendants of Japheth, Eldest Son of Noah The Descendants of Shem, Second Son of Noah From Unknown Origins The Descendants of Ham, Third Son of Noah A Genealogical History of the World Establishing the Birth Year of Jesus Christ Establishing the Birth years of Joseph and Moses, and the Chronology from David to Joseph There are more chapters, but I believe the above list gives a good insight into the layout of the book. Dr. Platt tackles each chapter in the manner of a trained researcher; almost every fact cited is footnoted with a reference to where that information was obtained. In cases where information is based upon interpreted or deduced evidence, the author spends time describing how he arrived at his conclusions. On many pages the footnotes consume more space than the main body text. The softbound book has 244 pages of text followed by a 7-page bibliography and a 27-page index. In short, this is a scholarly study of ancient genealogies, based upon the LDS theology. I suspect that many LDS members and quite a few nonmembers will find this genealogy study interesting. I will say that the title of the book is a bit confusing. I have written several times in the past about the junk genealogy books produced by a certain mail-order company. These books are called "The World Book of <surname>." In the case of a mailing sent to someone named Eastman, the book would be billed as the "World Book of Eastmans" while a similar mailing to someone named Smith would advertise a book called "The World Book of Smiths." When I first saw mention of "The World Book of Generations – A Genealogical History" I assumed that it was another in that long series. In fact, this book is the exact opposite; it is a serious and well-documented genealogy study. I wish the author had chosen a different name as I suspect that this particular title will confuse many people. Speaking of the author, I first met Dr. Lyman Platt several years ago and quickly found that he is a leading expert in Hispanic genealogy research. I also learned that he is equally expert in ancient genealogies. Lyman was the chief genealogist for Broderbund Software at that time although he since has left that position and has moved on to other challenges. I did not realize just how extensive Lyman’s credentials are until I read his "bio" on the back cover of the book. To summarize, Dr. Lyman D. Platt has been a professional genealogist for over forty years. From 1969-1986 he was an employee of The Genealogical Society of Utah, working in record gathering, microfilming, cataloging, program development, research and extraction standards, and acquisition coordinator for twenty countries. After receiving his B.A. from Brigham Young University, he later obtained his Ph.D. in Latin American History from Columbia Pacific University. He is a fellow of The Utah Genealogical Association and former chairman of the Ethics Committee for the Association of Professional Genealogists. He has published extensively since 1975, being the author of more than twenty books and hundreds of articles and pamphlets. He is currently developing and writing a thirty-seven volume series of research guides for Latin America, a multi-volume series on Hispanic surnames and genealogies, in addition to his planned World Book of Generations series. He is also the past president of Automated Archives, Inc., which developed the first commercial genealogical compact discs. The "World Book of Generations – A Genealogical History" retails for $29.95 in U.S. funds. It is ISBN 1-888106-24-7 published by the Teguayo Press of St. George, Utah. For more information you may send an e-mail directly to the author at: lplatt@infowest.com
- Is Your Computer Millennium Ready? Have you read all the stories about computers being ready (or not ready) for the year 2000? Some of these stories are sensationalized, but the underlying problem is real: many computers will not operate properly on January 1, 2000. How about your computer? Will it function 18 months from now? The Millennium Bug may lurk in any of three locations on a personal computer: in software applications, in the operating system or in the BIOS, the basic instruction set that governs the computer's operation. Once turned on, a PC relies on its BIOS (basic input/output system) to check the data stored in the system's real-time clock (RTC). The operating system then grabs the date and time from the RTC, and applications draw date information from the operating system. In the next eighteen months I hope to test all the leading genealogy programs for Year 2000 compliance and will be writing about my findings. Other applications should be checked with the program's manufacturer, and there is a good chance such information can be found on the World Wide Web. Luckily, diagnosing hardware and operating system susceptibility proves a bit more straightforward. Anyone using a PC clone might face problems if the system relies on a Pentium processor or an older chip. Some Pentiums, 486s and their predecessors are not century date compliant. Machines with more recent Pentium chips or Pentium II processors should have no hardware problems. A tiny diagnostic software utility may be downloaded free of charge from the website of the National Software Testing Laboratories. Once extracted, this program is only 13,552 bytes. The free YMARK2000 program can be downloaded from http://www.nstl.com/html/ymark_2000.html. The program temporarily sets the computer's internal clock to read 10 seconds before the millennium and then monitors its ability to roll over to 2000. YMARK2000 only checks your computer’s hardware and BIOS, not its operating system or any application programs. If you run Microsoft Windows, you may or may not have a problem. Windows 98 and Windows NT 4.0 should have no century date problems. Windows 3.1 and older revisions of Windows 95 may need to be upgraded in order to avoid problems. Microsoft maintains a website with information on the millennium readiness of all of its products at: http://www.microsoft.com/year2000. Apple Macintosh computers have always been ready for the year 2000. Mac owners can feel smug that once again their systems proved to be superior. Even the original Macs introduced in 1984 are fully Year 2000 compliant. Actually, all Macs will have trouble in the year 29,940. I don’t think any of us need to be too concerned about that.
The following is a list of some of the genealogy-related World Wide Web home pages that have been listed recently on http://www.rootscomputing.com. Some of these sites may charge a fee for their services:
To submit your home page to this newsletter, enter the necessary information at: http://www.rootscomputing.com/register.htm. Due to the volume of new Web pages submitted, I am not able to list all of them in the newsletter.
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