Keeping track of your Contacts?

[AngelaR]

Hi all

I'm really hoping that some Rootschatters have good solutions for my problem 

I can't believe that I'm the only person who is struggling to keep track of the great people who've been in touch with me via the internet about my family researches. What happens is that someone contacts me, we have some interchanges about a branch of the family and then, 2 years later, they get back in touch with some more information and I can't find the earlier emails or remember what they already know   

I'd like a database with names in - lots of variants on the same name since people have different identities on each web site plus some fields to record what their interests are and what subjects they've contacted me one plus every email address and website I can contact them on.

The usual address book software is woefully inadequate for this.

I could create my own database but it would take quite some time and I'd rather spend it doing research 

Any ideas or suggestions, anyone?

Yours hopefully

Angela

[dennford]

Hi there,
       Have you herd of gmail. if not have a look at the link on the google site,
Second idea is whenever you get an email, highlight, copy and paste into your word programme, then save into an apprpriate folder - I have one folder called "gen contacts", this folder contains many folders, each with the name of who on my tree it concerns ( not the sender).each word file in the name folder is named by date and sender    -      05 06 24 walsh      -    this way, (year-month-day-name), all emails under a specific name remain in chronalogical order and are fully searchable. If you can do this using keyboard shortcuts - the whole process takes less than 30 seconds.
                                            Denn

[Sylviaann]

I do it the old fashioned way.  I print a hard copy and keep it in the file of the person they are talking about.   Kept in alphabetic order if you have a lot it's not too difficult to find.

However I did start before the advent of the internet and still like to look at a piece of paper.

Sylviaann

[suttontrust]

I just created a folder in Outlook Express and put all my fh correspondence in that.  If you have some sort of database software like Access or Lotus Approach, it's very easy to set up a database - once you've spent a few minutes creating it, it's quick to just add someone's details to it.  Alternatively, print off your emails and put them in a concertina file, suitably labelled.

[JillJ]

       Have you herd of gmail.

Hi Angela,

If you would like an invitation to join gmail send me a pm with your email address.

Best wishes.

Jill

[dennford]

I must remember
       Herd is heard
 Herd is heard
 Herd is heard
 Herd is heard
 Herd is heard
 Herd is heard
 Herd is heard
 Herd is heard
 Herd is heard
 Herd is heard     100 times after school

[1000xlch]

Paper is the backup.  I print everything and file it in lots of files - I have a big library and 12789 ancestors and counting.  At this rate I will eclipse rootschat!
Save copies of Family tree on 5 computers and cd back up just in case.

John Rowley

[tabitha]

I save all emails to a folder in My Documents, different folders for each branch of the family.

I also have a family history address book and write all contact details in that with a note indicating which family we have discussed (just in case the computer goes doolally!)

[Zeb]

Anyone backing up onto CD store them in a dark place away from direct sunlight and extreme temperatures (sunlight is most important as the bleaching properties rot the dye in the CDs)

Even if you use those black DVD style cases to store backups keep them out of direct sunlight - heat on the case can have a greenhouse effect and raise the temperature.

If you have read errors/scratches on CDs/DVDs use a clean [soft] cloth with glass polish and wipe side to side (never in a circular motion) then copy the data off asap.  This temporarily fixes most scratching except the severe gouges.  On gouges I've used T-Cut and often this has worked.  Never T-Cut the top [printed] side.

(He of useless knowledge strikes back )