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Archiver > GenConnecticut > 1998-05 > 0894995801


From: Susan Taylor <>
Subject: Re: [GenConnecticut-L] Advise
Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 12:56:41 -0500


Gordon,

At 09:29 AM 5/11/98 -0700, you wrote:
>I would appreciate your UNBIASED suggestions

That's a tall order. Most everyone is biased towards the program they are
using or they wouldn't be using it. <g>

>on the "best" programs to
>buy from the srore shelf, internet or download which would provide
>charts, ACCURATE information

As to "ACCURATE information," that depends on what is entered into it
-garbage in garbage out. If one puts accurate info into their genealogy
program then they will get accurate info out. If one puts garbage in then
one gets garbage out.

and helpful hints for a beginner in
>genealogly searching.

Welllll, I'm bias towards TMG (The Master Genealogist.). I've been using it
for over 4 years. I have tried FTM, Reunion, Family Origins, PAF and
Brother's Keeper and none of them have it all in one pkg as TMG or are so
geared to a researcher's needs as TMG. TMG is one if not the most heavy
weights of genealogy programs out there. It will take/hold unlimited number
of people, unlimited number of sources, unlimited number of cites for each
and every event/tag, and each aspect of a tag/event can be individually
cited. Like you can have a cite(s) for the DOB of someone, a different
cite(s) to the POB. It will print out to either screen, file or printer an
unlimited number of reports which each and every report can be customized
to ones liking and new reports can be created. The reports can be printed
to a file in numerous formats like the generic text/ascii and the word
processing formats - to name a few - MS Word, Word Perfect, etc. In this
way you can open the file in your word processor and tweak it up a bit. The
reports can have endnotes and footnotes, Table of Contents, bibliographies,
indexes or none at all. You can format your endnotes/footnotes to follow
R. Lackey's Cite Your Sources or E.S. Miller's Evidence, the latest and
most up-to-date reference out on citing all the new stuff today like
microfilms, websites, e-mails, etc...

TMG reports also include the standard pedigree charts, etc. NOW if you want
the bells and whistles of big beautiful wall charts TMG is not the program
for you. However, you can create a GEDCOM type of report, print it to a
file and then import it into the many fan, wall chart utilities out there.
For the latest greatest write-up on TMG do check out what Dick EASTMAN
wrote up about it in his Eastman Online Genealogy Newsletter, Vol. 3, No.
17, 25 Apr 1998. You can find archives of his newsletters at:

http://www.ancestry.com/home/eastarch.htm

Here is the URL for TMG:

http://www.whollygenes.com

Beware of cheap or shareware programs for you will only get what you pay
for. However, what you get also depends on what you want to use it for. If
you want only to do wall/fan charts for family reunions then do not spend
your money on TMG. If you want to take up genealogy as a serious hobby with
wanting to document and keep excellent records of everything you come
across then TMG is the program for you. Another thing I love about it, I
can cite a tag/event to a source that has erroneous data and it will
signify the data is wrong through its surety system. In this way I have a
record under a tag that I checked such and such source, found such and such
data/info, *and* that info is wrong!

> With the banks family line, I have information to
>John Banks b. 1608 in York County, England and I want to get England
>information on him and his family. With others such as Graves,
>Micholas, Thornton, Palmer, Cromwell etc., I am, so far, looking at USA
>information. I am sure I will be trying to find roots in England on
>them also.

Right at this moment I have 15,000+ people in my db, *all* info is cited,
with 80% from primary sources and the other sources secondary, and all the
people are related in one way or another. The surety system of TMG tells me
at one glance which or these people or more accurate what info/tag/event
under a person needs more work. Surety rating of 3 = primary sources used;
Surety value of 2 = creditable secondary sources; Surety 1 = poor uncited
secondary sources like uncited family genealogies; Surety 0 = word of
mouth, AF, IGI, info from a mail list, e-mail, etc ...no source; and surety
of "-" negative = all info on this person is wrong. I enter *no* one in my
db unless it is from a primary or secondary sources. NOW some of the
data/info/tags/events under them might carry a "0" or "-" surety - but not
the person themselves. I have one of my mother's lines hitching back to
medieval times per Weis, Farris, and Roberts who are noted, very creditable
sources, for Royal lines of early immigrants.

Gordon, a genealogy program's beauty is strictly in the "eye of the
beholder." <g>

--- Susan


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**************** Updated 6 May 1998 ****************

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