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Newbie to Genealogy & TNG


tlfeet

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Hi,

Looking for some tips, links and such.

Not for websites to find people, places & things - i.e. not looking to search for folks yet.

Rather, looking for tips, links, info, basic, "for dummies" type stuff on terminology, how to use TNG, how to set up TNG, basic terms used in genealogy in general, and TNG in particular.

Later, when I get some grounding ... website up & running, and relatives & I have filled in some basic/known data ... well then at that point, I will need to then do some research to find people, to fill in the unknowns.

But first, some real basic, basics on genealogy and TNG.

Rather than throw all of my questions out there at once, I'll take some "key" ones (Sort of feel lost, as don't know enough to ask the right questions, yet.)

I am experienced in computers, programming (do that for a living), a little weak with PHP & MySQL, but not afraid to dig in if need be, so I feel comfortable with the "guts" end of things, the technical on the computer side of things.

Current Setup

Right now, I have TNG running locally, on my Mac, running Mac OS X 10.4.2, with PHP 5.0.4 and MySQL MySQL 4.1.13 (after blowing install a couple of times and getting it to run right thanks to Darrin wink.gif )

I figure I would play around with TNG locally, until I have a better handle on it, then set up a website (also waiting upon family to come up with a name for the website wink.gif )

My 3 main questions right now are:

1. Users & Security

2. TNG Terms?

3. Actions? & Some of my family's oddities?

4. General Other Usages

1. Users & Security

I can't seem to find a "User Group" type function, to which individual users can be assigned.

I am thinking, have 2 or 3 of us as administrators, others allowed to add records, others tentatively, and still others to be able to just view (don't want my 8 year-old niece, to be able to muck stuff up wink.gif )

The way I see TNG, I just have to keep in mind what settings I give to each individual user, as opposed to setting up a "Group" and assigning a particular user/individual, to the group?

Still also unsure as to what settings to use for general public/web users.

I know I can restrict "outsiders" to the home page, but say I let more info viewable to the public, can they find out where I live, or the fact that my auntie Em has cancer?

How do I go about limiting public access?

2. Some TNG terms? I guess they are TNG terms - but maybe they are standard terms used widely in genealogy (e.g. GEDCOM?)

TNG has Tree, Branch, Families (Individual, I get wink.gif )

How should I look at these? What are their differences (I also realize, I can sort of do with them what I will - but would like to adhere to "standards" if possible).

What is the hierarchy if any, between Families, Trees, Branches? How do they inter-connect if at all?

3. Actions? & Some of my family's oddities?

This relates to #2, and how to set things up.

My family, as I suppose many do, has a number of marriages, divorces, remarriages, illegitimate children, adoptions, step-relations, etc. etc.

That is, things don't always fit into the neat married, have children, die ... thats it, sort of model.

Some of the second, third marriages are childless, some not ... some born before the marriage.

Or, take my mother ... please ... her mother died giving birth to her, and she was adopted by her mother's sister, my mother's aunt.

So, is that a family, a Branch, a tree?

My mom died rather young, dad remarried, picked up a step-sister, who has 2-half-sisters btw, my first step-mother died, dad remarried, yet again, picked up 4 step-brothers & a step-sister, who have married in some cases, and have children.

I realize that blood-wise none of those are "related" but we don't think of it that way. wink.gif

So, how do I fit them, all into a Tree, Branch and/or family but link them to my dad, after-all, he did marry into their families?

And I could go on with such non-traditional type relationships, e.g. common-law, illegitimate children, whose biological parents put the child up for adoption, then go off to get married to someone else, have offspring, producing half-siblings for the illegitimate child, as well as an adoptive family.

So, suggestions for setting, fitting in Trees, Families, Branches?

I hate to get a 100 people in there and then find out I have them all linked half-backwards and then try to correct it all. wink.gif

4. General Other Usages

This might fit into "Are there plug-ins or add-ons"?

Don't know all of what I want to do, but am thinking "OK, have a website, which happens to have genealogical info/data, but gee why not turn it into a general "Our Family" type website"

Things were we can all post pictures for say a wedding, or reunion, or just a "Hey, this is us hanging around the backyard Bar-B-Q" having nothing directly to do with genealogy per se.

A photo gallery if you will.

But also thinks like, people can post messages, let each other know what is going on, keep each other up to date on life, etc.

A family Happenings section?

I mention these possibilities as well for example, I have a .Mac website, but it is open to the public and I always get "Take that picture down ... I don't want the whole world to see me." wink.gif

So, since TNG already has login & other security functions ... tie access the the photo gallery, happenings page into the already built-in/up security features & functions.

Any ideas, suggestions, criticisms, remarks, help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

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Mike,

1. Users & Security

TNG does work under a "per user" settings. So, yes, you can set up people to have a more complete access to editing/deleting information, or a limited editing of information, or a "view only" of information.

Create an "outside access" account for yourself to see and test which items are viewable to the outside public, before giving that option to general users.

2. Some TNG Terms

GEDCOM = GEnealogical Data COMmunications, or a standard format for the various genealogical programs to exchange their data between each other (if they follow the standard.) FamilySearch.org has a nice Glossary of genealogical terms available (upper right of home page.)

Trees, Branches, Families, Individuals

Trees are made up of one or more branches, which are made up of many families, which contain one or more individuals.

I personally use trees to keep my family's database separate from my research and lookup databases.

I use branches to allow my dad's side of the family and my mom's side of the family to use the same tree information, but not be able to view full names/living individuals' information on the other side of the family. I am hoping that Darrin can allow us to default to the user's assigned branches only, so that my dad's side won't have to see all of the photos my mom's aunt just added to the site, etc.

Branches allow me to update my own personal information in just one place, but have both sides of my family be able to view it.

3. Actions

Don't be tied down to the thought that a "family" has to have parents and children. A family in TNG is simply a marriage, whether or not the couple has children.

In the case of your mother, she can belong to multiple families -- her biological one and her adoptive one, or a guardian one, etc.

In the case of your father's step-relatives, create a branch using him as one of the "base" relatives -- this will include all of his blood relatives, then manually add his wives descendants to the branch.

In the case of non-traditional relationships, I try to (a) create the actual biological relationships, then (cool.gif add additional parents, children, etc. as the case my apply.

Andy

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Hi aewold2,

Thanks for the tips

1. Users & Security

TNG does work under a "per user" settings. So' date=' yes, you can set up people to have a more complete access to editing/deleting information, or a limited editing of information, or a "view only" of information.

Create an "outside access" account for yourself to see and test which items are viewable to the outside public, before giving that option to general users.[/quote']

Going to setup up a dummy outside account and see what I can get at.

Be nice if each individual user did not have to be set up completely on his/her own.

Rather, set up groups, e.g. administrators, super-users (e.g. admins don't have to review submissions), reg-users (can make tentative submissions), unrestricted viewers, general public ... then when someone resigisters just assign a goup to them ... and be done (as opposed to, for each person, manually setting everything)

My worry is, depending upon usage, number of registrants, I am going to inevitably give someone too much access, and someone else not enough ... cause I checked a box, or failed to check a box, when setting them up.

2. Some TNG Terms

Yes, got that, found that. Also found detailed, technical specifications for GEDCOM.

But looking for a good overview, quickie for dummies type intro to it ... plowing through tons of dense technical references, at this point, not much good.

Any GEDCOM for dummies links out there? wink.gif

Trees, Branches, Families, Individuals

Boy that helps, it really does. The "help" part of admin is a little disjointed on this. A little on it in the section, some more on branches over there, more on families yet in another place.

Trees contain Branches, contain Families, contain individuals, that really does help.

That is a very good idea.

Well, I get that from a technical, how to, POV - but do not understand why you would want to restrict one side of the family from seeing info on the other side.

Are they at war with each other or something? wink.gif

But, would not updating you, as an individual, update it all, wherever you may pop up?

More explanation please on this point.

3. Actions

A marriage with or without children, get that, makes sense. Afterall, Auntie Em may marry Uncle Bob and have no children ... still part of the overall picture.

Well, still a little confused here.

I put in her biological parents (who happened to be married, more on that later) and show her as their descendant, their daughter, child.

No problem, with that particular aspect.

But then, I would also want to show that Mary & Bill (who happened to be married, AND happened to be her aunt & uncle) then adopted her.

So, I can't simply enter her, again, as a descendant of Mary & Bill, I would want to show her as an "Adopted" descendant (and also, the fact that they are also her aunt & uncle biologicaly, by marriage).

So, how to I add my mom to the family of Mary & Bob, but as an adopted child?

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Mike,

Well, I get that from a technical, how to, POV - but do not understand why you would want to restrict one side of the family from seeing info on the other side.

Are they at war with each other or something?

Yes they are :wink:, but that is beside the point. My Hatfield relatives don't really care about anything I find for my McCoy relatives. They usually only care about what is found that applies to them. Also, there is the problem of information security of living individuals. Branches help manage that (a bit.)

But, would not updating you, as an individual, update it all, wherever you may pop up?

If my information is in the same tree shared by different branches, yes. But, prior to branches in TNG, I would have to have a Hatfield tree and a McCoy tree -- each having my own information, and I would have to update both trees' versions of my own information.

In the case of adoptive kids, (1) create the biological family -- whether married or not, (2) adding the individual as a child, (3) create the "other" family, and "Find" the previously entered child to add to the new family. This will then give that child two sets of parents, a biological one and an adoptive one, etc. When you edit the child's information, change the Relationship drop-down list for each set of parents to reflect the relationship.

Genetically speaking, we all have a father and a mother. Whether or not they were, are, or ever have been married. Most of us just put "Not Married" in the Marriage Date field of any parents that apply. If you want to include in the notes for the family how they are related (common law, etc.) that is up to you -- and the family's confidentiality.

No matter how many times Jane Doe remarries, her maiden name is always Jane Doe. If you want to keep track of a Married Name in your notes, that is up to you. As long as you have her linked to each of her (ex-)husbands, others should be able to follow along. If she did something unusual for her location (such as keep a previous married name), include a note indicating it, so that relatives won't go looking for Jane Smith's death certificate when she kept her previous married name of Jane Brown.

Andy

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Hi Andy,

If my information is in the same tree shared by different branches, yes. But, prior to branches in TNG, I would have to have a Hatfield tree and a McCoy tree -- each having my own information, and I would have to update both trees' versions of my own information.

Got that.

In the case of adoptive kids, (1) create the biological family -- whether married or not, (2) adding the individual as a child, (3) create the "other" family, and "Find" the previously entered child to add to the new family. This will then give that child two sets of parents, a biological one and an adoptive one, etc. When you edit the child's information, change the Relationship drop-down list for each set of parents to reflect the relationship.

My oversight.

In playing around some more ... my dog is married to my sister, and they adopted a cat ... who had human children ... wink.gif

Seriously, in playing around I found where I could specify child by birth, adoption, stray of the street wink.gif etc.

I missed that first 1/2 dozen times.

Genetically speaking, we all have a father and a mother. Whether or not they were, are, or ever have been married. Most of us just put "Not Married" in the Marriage Date field of any parents that apply.

That makes sense ... was sort of assuming "date" fields had to be dates or blank ... see where "text" can and is entered ... e.g. brith dates entered as "BEF 1570" (from a TNG based website).

One of those, learning the conventions of the field.

Sort of seeing how in a lot of places I could, from a computer/data POV enter whatever I want ... but am thinking that if I try to follow genealogy conventions, usual practices, might save myself a ton of work redoing things down the road.

If you want to include in the notes for the family how they are related (common law, etc.) that is up to you -- and the family's confidentiality.

Setting aside confidentiality for a second, sort of goes back to attempting to learn usual practices, standard methodologies and such.

As to confidentiality, well, I know some folks (maybe some of mine too) can get upset, seeing "oh my go on the web", "the shame of even metnioning it" type attitudes, I sort of look at it a couple of ways:

a. my family, and the people in it, are who they are, warts, foilbles and all.

b. it, the website, is not just for us who are alive today, but future generations ... and if we fundge, conceal, lie, mislead, distort, leave stuff out ... just cause folks don't like to talk about stuff ... it sort of defeats the purpose of doing it all.

c. being a bit of a scientist ... record the reality, the objective facts of the family. e.g. it is one thing to say "Auntie had Barbie out of wedlock" espeically if in fact that is what happened, is the facts, is what occurred, versus posting some note "Auntie Em was a loose women, who would take any man who came along and ..." wink.gif that is opinion.

d. if you don't like what ends up on the website, don't do it and so sue me. biggrin.gif

No matter how many times Jane Doe remarries, her maiden name is always Jane Doe.

Yes, that is the way I look at it ... again, sort of a what is the convention? type q.

If you want to keep track of a Married Name in your notes, that is up to you. As long as you have her linked to each of her (ex-)husbands, others should be able to follow along.

Yes, could see that ... after her 12 husbands would show up. wink.gif

But gets to the next point:

If she did something unusual for her location (such as keep a previous married name), include a note indicating it, so that relatives won't go looking for Jane Smith's death certificate when she kept her previous married name of Jane Brown.

Yes, that was my concern, she kept one name, or went back to a prior/maiden name, died, got married again, had children, did something in her life of note, or career, under one name or the other ... but no one could find the record cause she was using some other name at the time/place.

One that just came to mind is I had a stage name for a while, registered, legal, a la some actors and such ... so if people would try to do research on me under my otherwise real/usual name, they won't find anything.

Thanks for all the help Andy

{PS I am not getting email from forum that people have posted, so if it takes me a while to respond ... its cause I did not know}

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  • 12 years later...
On 8/15/2005 at 6:28 PM, aewold2 said:

Trees, Branches, Families, Individuals

 

Trees are made up of one or more branches, which are made up of many families, which contain one or more individuals.

 

I personally use trees to keep my family's database separate from my research and lookup databases.

 

I use branches to allow my dad's side of the family and my mom's side of the family to use the same tree information, but not be able to view full names/living individuals' information on the other side of the family. I am hoping that Darrin can allow us to default to the user's assigned branches only, so that my dad's side won't have to see all of the photos my mom's aunt just added to the site, etc.

 

Branches allow me to update my own personal information in just one place, but have both sides of my family be able to view it.

 

Andy,

I'm a newbie, running v11. I have set up a branch and assigned that branch to a new user. But within the User edit page, I do not see how to restrict that user from viewing people not in that branch. How does one restrict a user to only view the members of that branch, within one tree?

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Branch assignment only applies to restricting view information on Living and/or Private persons to the people who have that branch label.  In other words a user who is granted the Allow to view information for living individuals can only see the information on living people who have the branch label that he/she was restricted to.  They cannot see living individuals who are assigned a different branch label.

Everyone can see information on deceased individuals, unless they are marked private in which case the branch restriction and the Allow to view information for private individuals  user privilege determine access.

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