This tiny, little symbol is beginning to revolutionize the way genealogists look at online data - starting first with the data at new.familysearch.org:

And it is now available exclusively as part of Legacy Family Tree's FamilySearch toolset.

GIGO

FamilySearch databases with patron-contributed data, such as the Ancestral File, Pedigree Resource File, and parts of the International Genealogical Index (IGI) have always had a cloud hanging over them. Before mentioning the problems, however, these databases have always been "partly-sunny", meaning, that there are plenty of good genealogies, clues, and accurate information too.

But we've seen plenty of problems with the data - a person who died before they were born, a christening before birth, a child born 70 years after their parents were married, and so on. The major reason why this data is bad is because of the GIGO theory - garbage in, garbage out. When we have inaccurate data in our personal family files and then we choose to share it with online databases, that same bad data appears online - imagine that.

Often it is difficult to separate the good from the not-so-good. Until now.

In the example below, Legacy's FamilySearch tool compares what I have in Legacy about Martha Wilde with what New FamilySearch has about her. Notice that there are lots of different opinions about the facts in her life. These opinions have been contributed by many different researchers, and it looks like there are a few variations in the spellings of the places.

The real problem is not immediately obvious without the new red warning symbol next to the marriage information. This symbol is an indicator that there is a potential problem with this event. Hover your mouse over the symbol and the problem is described:

Looking closer at her birth information, it appears that there are three different opinions:

• June 15, 1889
• abt 1890
• June 15, 1899

Notice that the 1899 event is bold. This indicates that this is the summary event, or the event that has been chosen to be the primary event. Clicking on the Edit Summary button, it appears that someone by the contributor-name of "taytay" changed the birth summary on April 19, 2010 to June 15, 1899.

It's quite likely that "taytay" had a typo when they contributed this information, but this turns into a real problem when other researchers view Martha's summary and casually copy its information. Although other researchers cannot change taytay's submission (only the contributor can change or delete their information) they can change this person's summary information. After doing this, it now looks like this:

The result of my fixing this is:

1) other researchers who view Martha Wilde at new.familysearch.org will now see the corrected birth year as the main/summary information,

2) the red warning symbol is now gone

Had that red warning symbol not been there it would be simple to overlook the problem.

These red warning symbols will change the way casual researchers view and use data online. When we see one of these symbols, we are now more careful about the information we choose to download into our Legacy files (of course we should just use online data as clues and then verify it).

These red warning symbols also appear next to our Legacy data if there is a potential problem (click to enlarge):

In this example, Della Williams has a warning next to her birth information. Hovering the cursor over the symbol provides the explanation that she was born more than 20 years after the marriage of the parents:

While this may not be a problem, it cautions the researcher - it gets them to double-check their work. Now, before the researcher uploads any information to FamilySearch, if they see a red warning symbol, they are more cautious. These red warning symbols will prevent bad data from multiplying like it has in the past. Because of this new tool, we will be more careful about spreading the diseases of bad data.

You can change which potential problems are displayed. Just go to Tools > Potential Problems Options.

Warnings tab:

Problems tab:

Standardization tab:

If you see a red warning symbol and you would like to try to correct the problem, there are some options. In fact, I taught an hour-long class this past weekend on what can be corrected and how to do it. Click here to view "Improving Your Use of FamilySearch: Data Cleanup Strategies" and download its handouts.

This new tool of analyzing online data is currently only available in Legacy Family Tree. It is changing the way we analyze and view online data. Because it is so powerful I suspect that other vendors will soon adopt it. I hope so. I encourage the FamilySearch developers to consider adding these red warning symbols to FamilySearch databases online. Maybe these small red warning symbols will be adopted in all online databases.

Our company's motto is "Changing the world of genealogy..." I think we've done it, again.

The long-anticipated Legacy 7.5 update is here! This update adds additional New FamilySearch support (for those with a new.familysearch.org LDS account) and includes several minor bug fixes that you have reported.

We'll write a lot more about this update soon (but I wanted to be sure to announce this on the day of our announced deadline - it's now way past my bedtime).

How to Update

For our Deluxe Edition users, all you have to do is connect to the Internet, start Legacy 7, and click on the "Install and Download Now" link on the Legacy Home tab. (If you're reading this from within the Legacy Home tab inside of Legacy 7.0, you'll first need to click on the Home button in the top left of the Legacy Home tab which looks like the following picture:

If you are a Standard Edition Legacy user, you will need to visit our website. Go to http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/DownloadUpdate.asp and follow the instructions.

Watch the Legacy-FamilySearch webinars this weekend

There is still time to register for our two webinars this weekend about Legacy and New FamilySearch:

Improving Your Use of New FamilySearch: Data Cleanup Strategies (Friday, January 21, 2011)

New FamilySearch and Legacy Family Tree: an Overview (Saturday, January 22, 2011)

Click here to register.

You asked for it. We did it.

Due to popular demand, we are now publishing our genealogy webinars to CD. The first two in our webinar-on-CD series are now available to pre-order:

Google for Genealogists, by Thomas MacEntee

Sharing Genealogy Electronically, by Geoff Rasmussen

Viewing a webinar-on-CD is like having your own private genealogy instructor in your home - anytime! Just insert the CD into your computer's CD or DVD drive and enjoy personal training from the industry's finest teachers. The video topics are bookmarked so you can quickly jump from topic to topic or just watch it straight through. You can pause, rewind, or fast-forward at your leisure. Both webinar-on-CDs also include four pages of handouts.

Pre-order pricing is just $9.95 per webinar-on-CD. Order both and save on shipping (one flat rate for as much as you can "stuff" into your online cart). We expect to begin shipping on February 5, 2011.

Google for Genealogists webinar-on-CD, 1 hour 28 minutes

Most genealogists are only using 10% or less of the resources behind Google when it comes to genealogy research. Learn from professional genealogist, Thomas MacEntee, about the other 90% and how these Google components can be leveraged for better search results. Google is more than just a search engine – it is a wealth of information much of which goes unnoticed by the average genealogist. Besides search, Google allows you to access maps, books, journals, abstracts, patents and much more. These components may be what is needed to make advances in your genealogy research.

Topics include:

• Google Search
• Google Books
• Google Scholar
• Photographs
• Picasa
• Office Productivity
• Google Calendar
• Mail
• Sites
• Groups
• Translate
• Transcription
• News
• Reader
• Alerts
• Maps
• Google Earth
• Patents
• Question/answer session

About the author:
 
Thomas MacEntee is a professional genealogist specializing in the use of technology and social media to improve genealogical research and as a means of interacting with others in the family history community. Utilizing over 25 years of experience in the information technology field, Thomas writes and lectures on the many ways in which blogs, Facebook and Twitter can be leveraged to add new dimensions to the genealogy experience. As the creator of GeneaBloggers.com he has organized and engaged a community of over 1,300 bloggers to document their own journeys in the search for ancestors.

Click here to pre-order this webinar-on-CD for just $9.95. Expected ship date: February 5, 2011 (this webinar is available to view for free at www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/webinars.asp until February 5, 2011)

Sharing Genealogy Electronically webinar-on-CD, 1 hour 49 minutes

Learn about various methods of sharing your genealogy - printed books, print-on-demand publishing, websites, shareable CDs, and more. Join Legacy Family Tree's Geoff Rasmussen as he teaches how to better use Legacy Family Tree for sharing your genealogy with others.

Topics include:

• Pros and cons of printing your genealogy book using traditional methods vs. print-on-demand services
• Preparing and printing your genealogy book: creating the skeleton (rich text file), adding the meat (stories, pictures, etc.), creating the index and the Table of Contents.
• Multiple lines of descent book
• Publishing to the Internet: GEDCOM-based submission sites vs. creating your own web site
• Using and getting your own domain name (like www.JohnsonFamily.com)
• Creating web pages in Legacy
• Publishing to a CD or DVD
• Adding pictures in Legacy
• Publish to a flash drive
• Using Passage Express software
• Questions and answers from live callers around the world
• and other tips and tricks along the way

About the presenter:
 
Geoff Rasmussen is the father of four budding genealogists. He graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Family History and Genealogy. He served as director and vice-president of the Utah Genealogical Association and has taught hundreds (maybe thousands?) of classes around the world. He is the host of the Legacy Family Tree webinars, author of the Legacy training CDs, and helps develop the Legacy Family Tree software. He met and proposed to his wife in a Family History Center.

Click here to pre-order this webinar-on-CD for just $9.95. Expected ship date: February 5, 2011

Our 2011 conference season started off with a bang with our Google for Genealogists webinar. We hope to see you in Arizona, California, Utah, or online in January or February.

January 2011

Online webinar - January 5. Google for Genealogists presented by Thomas MacEntee. Click here to view the archived webinar.

USA | Utah | St. George - January 5-6. St. George Regional Family History Training Center located across the street from the St. George LDS temple. This is a two-part Legacy class of approximately eight hours. 1-5pm on both days. In addition to the demonstration of how to use Legacy, students will also have hands-on practice along with assignments and handouts to best learn the software. Registration is open to anyone. Contact David Midgley for more information or call the FHC at 435-673-4591.

USA | Utah | Salt Lake City - January 10. Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. Held at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City, come visit with Legacy's co-founder, Ken McGinnis. Special seminar pricing on products will also be available. For more information, please click here.

USA | Utah | Salt Lake City - January 13. Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. Held at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City, Legacy will be presenting "Legacy Family Tree: an Overview" for the lunch-time educational session. Those with a lunch ticket may attend the session. For more information, please click here.

USA | Arizona | Mesa - January 21-22. 23rd annual Arizona Family History Expo. Held at the Mesa Convention Center (263 North Center Street), visit us in booths 15 and 28. As a major sponsor of this event, we will be giving away prizes including an Acer Netbook computer. Click here for more information. Legacy's Geoff Rasmussen will be teaching four classes:

• Improving your use of New FamilySearch: Data Cleanup Strategies (this class will also be broadcast online - register here for free)
• Organizing, Planning, Mapping, Sourcing, and Sharing with Legacy Family Tree
• New FamilySearch and Legacy Family Tree: It's so easy (this class will also be broadcast online - register here for free)
• Legacy Family Tree - Tips & Tricks

USA | Utah | St. George - January 22. St. George Regional Family History Training Center located across the street from the St. George LDS temple. This is a full-day Legacy class of approximately eight hours. 9-5pm. In addition to the demonstration of how to use Legacy, students will also have hands-on practice along with assignments and handouts to best learn the software. Registration is open to anyone. Contact David Midgley for more information or call the FHC at 435-673-4591.

USA | Utah | St. George - January 29. Genealogy Now Expo. Held at the St. George East Stake Center (east side of the St. George temple) from 10am-4pm. Legacy's vice-president and co-founder, Ken McGinnis, will present classes on using Legacy. Come visit with him at our informational table. Contact David Midgley for more information or call the FHC at 435-673-4591.

February 2011

USA | Arizona | Youngtown - February 1/8/15/22. West Valley Genealogical Society. This is a four-week Beginning Legacy course taught by Legacy's Geoff Rasmussen. Pre-registration is required, and seating is limited. Visit http://www.azwvgs.org/Classes.htm for more information.

Online webinar - February 2. Newspapers: Critical Resource to Complete Your Family Tree presented by Thomas Jay Kemp. Pre-registration is required (free) and seating is limited. Visit www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/webinars.asp for registration and more information.

USA | California | Fresno - February 5. Genealogy Technology Seminar by Geoff Rasmussen. Co-sponsored by the Fresno-Yosemite Chapter DAR, the Fresno County Genealogical Society, and the Fresno Legacy Users Group, it will be held at the Picadilly Inn Shaw at 2305 West Shaw Avenue in Fresno (in large meeting room in the back) from 8-2:30. Registration is required. For more information call Corky Peterson at 559-322-1743 or send her an email.

USA | Utah | Salt Lake City - February 10-12. RootsTech. Visit with us in booths 206 and 208 for seminar-special pricing on Legacy products. Legacy's Geoff Rasmussen will teach "Digital Images for Genealogists and Technologists", "Stop wasting time in New FamilySearch: Better Practices", and will participate in the "Virtual Presentations Round Table". Visit http://www.rootstech.org for registration and more information.

Online webinar - February 16. Chasing Women - Finding Your Female Ancestors presented by Leland K. Meitzler. Pre-registration is required (free) and seating is limited. Visit www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/webinars.asp for registration and more information.

USA | Arizona | Sun City - February 19. West Valley Genealogical Society Annual Seminar featuring Arlene Eakle. Visit with us in the Legacy booth. Click here for more information.

USA | Utah | St. George - February 22-23. St. George Regional Family History Training Center located across the street from the St. George LDS temple. This is a two-part Legacy class of approximately eight hours. 1-5pm on both days. In addition to the demonstration of how to use Legacy, students will also have hands-on practice along with assignments and handouts to best learn the software. Registration is open to anyone. Contact David Midgley for more information or call the FHC at 435-673-4591.

Yesterday's "hit" webinar, Google for Genealogists, is now available in our webinar archives. This webinar (online seminar) set new records for registration, attendance, and overall performance. Our special thanks to High-Definition Genealogy's Thomas MacEntee for making this one of the most successful events we have held. Viewers from 33 different countries attended the live session.

Thomas is also the founder of GeneaBloggers.com where he has organized and engaged a community of over 1,300 genealogy bloggers (including Legacy News!). Some of them wrote about yesterday's webinar:

The Earlybird catches the Worm at Geniaus

Legacy Family Tree is more than great software at The "You Go Genealogy Girls" blog

Mappy Monday: Making use of a lesson learned at On a flesh and bone foundatoin: an Irish history

The feedback from our live audience was superb too:

"Fantastic!! I learned so much and hopefully I will remember how to use all the new information"

"It was my first Legacy webinar - thought it was great; so much to take in and experiment with.  Thomas did a very thorough job of explaining his presentation.  Great to know that genealogy information can be gleaned from Google in other methods than the common entry query. Thanks"

"Excellent information presented in a very clear manner.  A whole lot of content packed into 1 hour!"

"I haven't really used Google except for a search engine.  Thank you for opening a whole new world for me"

"I just wanted to thank you for yesterday's webinar about Google for Genealogists. It was FABULOUS!!!! It was actually my first on-line learning experience. I quickly signed up for several more and now I am enthusiastic again about learning...not just genealogy but learning in general. That is what an impact the class had on me! Thank you very much for your dedication and willingness to serve others."

Plus about 600 more comments...

View the recording, download the handouts

If you could not make it to the live event, the 1 hour 33 minute recording, and the handouts, are now available in our webinar archives. Visit www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/webinars.asp. The free recording will be available until February 5, 2011.

Pre-order the webinar-on-CD

For the first time ever, and due to popular demand, Google for Genealogists by Thomas MacEntee will be our first webinar-on-CD. Thomas' class, the complete Q/A session, and even the handouts will be included. Pre-order your CD for just $9.95 (special pre-order pricing). We expect to begin shipping the CD on February 5, 2011.

Special 10% off coupon ends this Saturday

Congrats to the 3 door prize winners (I love giving away free stuff...). Remember that the special 10% off coupon (available to everyone) of 10googleweb expires this Saturday, January 8, 2011. It is valid for anything in our online store.

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

Friday, January 21, 2011. Improving Your Use of New FamilySearch. Click here for more information.

Saturday, January 22, 2011. New FamilySearch Made Easy with Legacy Family Tree. Click here for more information.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011. Newspapers: Critical Resource to Complete your Family Tree. Click here for more information.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011. Chasing Women - Finding Your Female Ancestors. Click here for more information.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011. Building a Research Toolbox. Click here for more information.