Who Will Take Over My Family History???

[drodgers34]

One day there will be a consolidation of all the various family tree websites on the net - it might already have started to happen.
In a decade or so it will be clear where to deposit your findings with the knowledge they will be preserved for hundreds even thousands of years.

The biggest worry would be it might necome politically fashionable to seek and wipe out such knowledge (as has happened over and over in history)

[Trees]

Thats exactly what we have done our son has been visiting record offices and has been a huge help but isn't that keen, but every now and then a story turns up that he can get his teeth into  At the moment its a photograph taken by one of my late uncles of  a telegram from Hitler to an air crew before the war Son has had it translated and researched the event it refers to even found photos of the plane so he's interested in the stories if not the genealogy.
Good luck in fanning the spark of interest into a blazing fire.
Welcome to Rootschat  Ronica and peter let us know how we can help
Trees

[mezentia]

Hello Trees

You can alway try donating your research to the Genealogical Society. I have a distant relative who spent decades researching one branch of my tree, before computers too, and he did just this. One of his ancestors has now collated all the paper documents and transcribed them onto a computer and is trying to sort out the remaining "problems". As a result of their work, I managed to solve a mystery on my tree, and with some extra spadework on my part, we also solved a couple of the other outstanding problems.

Alternatively, if you've got some half decent software that can be used to create a printable report, you could get everything printed and bound ...

David

[Siamese Girl]

For real future long term security I'd put everything down on good old fashioned good quality paper rather than trust ANY form of modern technology!!!!

It all comes and goes, but paper, or preferably (real) parchment will remain.

Carole

[Mum44]

Carole - indeed.

The downside to that is that the future family historians might not be able to find it, but it looks as if they'll all be computer wizards!  My son can find pretty much anything on the web - I still use Britannica in hard back!

[Siamese Girl]

We haven't had very long with cyberspace - but just think of all the obselete forms of sound recordings there have been in the past 100 years, and the different formats of TVs ...

You can sit in a Record Office, unfold and read a document from the 17th century and it's as good as the day it was written - I have a feeling that websites aren't going to mean very much to anyone in the 23rd century ........


Carole

[mike175]

For real future long term security I'd put everything down on good old fashioned good quality paper rather than trust ANY form of modern technology!!!!

Couldn't agree more, Carole. Computers and the Internet have transformed family history research, but if anyone imagines today's digital storage media will still be around in a few decades, let alone centuries, let them remember the Sinclair Microdrive, or try to buy a 78rpm record player or even a cassette tape player . . . ok, I'm sure there are still plenty around at the moment, and possibly even still being made, but as soon as the next latest thing comes along they rapidly disappear.

I'll carry on using the computer and the Internet, but If I ever manage to finish writing and binding my book, I think I might try lodging a copy with a museum or history society as suggested above . . . something I hadn't considered before.

An ancestry chart on parchment . . . now that is an interesting idea . . . better brush up on the calligraphy . . . 

Mike.

[Trees]

How about lodging a copy with your will at the solicitors office with instructions that it is to be added to by whoever inherits it and put a copy in your local Record Office . I think mine would need to go into just about every county Record Office the ancestors seem to cover sooo much ground   and put it on the web.
Trees

[mike175]

Another excellent idea, Trees. Much food for thought on this thread.

Mike.