Recent Developments

Changes to Websites, New Technical Tools and Enlarged Databases

Many changes have taken place while the author has been busy preparing the RoadMap products for public release.  First, the work to be done was to go from about a 30 page version used on our 2013-2014 mission in Canada to the current 100 page version for members of the Church and 80 page version for those who are not members of the Church. Second, the work had to incorporate important changes to the subject websites, additional significant collaborative partners of FamilySearch, updates to existing technical tools and introduction of new tools and, as well, keeping abreast of the ever expanding indexed databases available along with improvements in search fields. RoadMap had to be easy to use with step-by-step instructions taking the user through progressive websites and technical tools in an orderly manner.  A Table of Contents, Summary Table of Easy Steps to Success and hyperlinks throughout the products along with new links to various videos, articles and learning material about family history using these new tools were employed to make using RoadMap and learning the tools as easy as possible for users.  

Family history is a dynamic and changing environment.   Some of the more significant changes to have taken place since late 2014, include the following:

• Improvements in FamilySearch for recording personal and family stories;
  
• Ancestry introduces an interface with FamilySearch that enables synchronization on a limited scale and facilitates matching persons; 
• MyHeritage introduces a matching feature that includes Family Tree on FamilySearch and a timeline feature;
• FamilySearch introduces a new tree view called "Landscape" that is much more user friendly and facilitates better and more comprehensive matches when entering relatives onto your tree;
• Searchable databases have incrementally expanded on FamilySearch and on all of its collaborative partner sites; whereby, there are about 20 billion historical records now available online;
• AmericanAncestors, featuring a Colonial New England database, was added as a collaborative partner of FamilySearch;
• Many minor improvements have been introduced to a variety of technical tools on all websites including search fields; and
• Ancestry has introduced a new look to its website, currently in beta stage, with many new features, including a life-story, facts view and media gallery.

The above rapid changes in family history websites and technical tools can be unsettling to those who are unfamiliar with any of these new tools and websites.  Please do not be concerned.  For the most part these changes are easy to adapt to.  For the beginner, it is still daunting, and poses the question: Where do I start?  This is one of the main purposes of RoadMap--to make starting easy and in a natural way.  RoadMap takes things one step at a time in an orderly manner. For example, to search family trees on Ancestry, which is well into the program, RoadMap goes through the process step-by-step from basic navigation on the website to the specific tool and then explains how to use that tool with success.  Examples from the author's research are given along with exercises for the user to do to search for his/her ancestors.  If good articles and/or videos are available on any segment, then RoadMap will provide active links to them where appropriate.

RoadMap is designed to be simple to use and easy to understand in order to help you apply the technical tools on each applicable website; and, to do so in a progressive and orderly way.  I know that if you will follow the pattern of RoadMap, you will be successful in finding your ancestors and their descendants along with their stories.  Remember, there are available to you about 20 billion searchable historical records mostly covering North and South America, western Europe and countries of the South Pacific and Pacific Asian rim.  You just need to learn to use the amazing technical tools now available and you will be well on your way to getting to know your ancestors and some of their descendants.