The "perfect" Genealogy Program
During the Genealogies Workshop, a wish-list of features the "perfect" Genealogy Program would satisfy was collated:
The use of ‘light’ software is preferred because we want to have programs which will still be used in the future; web is also solid/long lasting. It was noted that GEDCOM, the interchange format for genealogies, is now adapting to XML.
Computer programs for genealogies should have at least the following features:
- The use of ‘light’ software is preferred because we want to have programs which will still be used in the future; web is also solid/long lasting. It was noted that GEDCOM, the interchange format for genealogies, is now adapting to XML
- Computer programs for genealogies should have at least the following features:
Ability to print the genealogies out in a number of formats- A4, A3 or larger, continuous print; customised printing eg. Print without deceased peoples' names.
- Linked to database
- Use colours
- Zoom in and out ability
- Quick drawing- easy to add texts and graphics
- Create own symbols, lines
- Filters
- Easy to add features
- Appearance on mother data screen to be designed so that people can follow it easily.
- Genealogy program should have capacity to reflect social organisation and variety of relationships of Indigenous groups in different parts of Australia
- flexible searching tools that will enable researchers to search the database not only according to name of person or persons ID number but also according to dob, dod, moiety, source of information, dreaming, geographical location, etc.
- a system that protects restricted and culturally-sensitive information
- Multiplatform Macintosh / Windows
- Anthropological symbols- ie. Triangles, circles
- Able to represent multiple marriage partners
- Able to show charts in which people might appear more than once (eg. Descendant and spouse)
- Able to produce charts in a variety of 'descent types'
- SQL select- search function (compatible with other programs such as Mapinfo (GIS) [Dbase gear]
- Flexibility in display (ie- adoption and other things)
- User-friendly (not necessarily complex)
- Genealogical conventions of male/female/etc standard
- Dbase link to fields (personal profile information)- choice of display on chart- ie spreadsheet info.
- Adaptable to differing cultural circumstances
- Have security measures to protect the data and control access to information to ensure privacy
- Integrate genealogical data to other archival data such as photographs, documents, video etc
- Provide an interactive interface so that individuals can enter their own data – i.e. to create a living archive
Meanwhile, we have listed and evaluated some of the available programs in the Genealogy Programs section of this website.
|
|