New Features on Genealogy Websites

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Some very cool new features of genealogy websites and mobile apps were introduced at RootsTech. 

FamilySearch

Isabella Rogers, ready to add to tree

 FamilySearch Unfinished Attachments is available both on the FamilySearch Family Tree and on the FamilySearch mobile app. Read more about it at https://www.familysearch.org/blog/en/familysearch-unfinished-attachments/. Try it out and maybe this will happen for you:
I made a great discovery when I found a census record in an unfinished attachment for my great-grandmother. Once I opened the record, I saw her sister’s name on the census and added her to the family tree. No one in the family had known she existed. Now she is on the family tree and with the right family.


Map My Ancestors

 Map My Ancestors for the mobile app: https://www.familysearch.org/blog/en/whats-map-ancestors/

This is pure joy and only available for your phone or tablet. It is thrilling to see all the work you and other researchers did show up on the map. It makes our connection to our ancestors more available and more visceral. 

 The map is world-wide, and all major life events -- birth, marriage, death and burial -- are mapped if you have specified a place  for the event in their FamilySearch Family Tree profile.



Explore Historical Images: 8 to 10 million pages are added each week, ready within a day or two to be added as sources to your tree. Recently I was able to find the death certificates (Seattle) for both my great-uncle and great-grandfather both by browsing the images. https://www.familysearch.org/records/images/


Charles Schell's Death Certificate (top portion)

https://www.rootstech.org/video/familysearch-app-for-intermediate-advanced-users has more detail.

WieWasWie - Netherlands Genealogy

If you have ancestors from the Netherlands, you’ll love Links, a cutting-edge tool that reconstructs families from the data on the WieWasWie (Who Was Who) website. https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/WieWasWie and https://www.wiewaswie.nl/en/sources/links

GeoSearch on Filae - French Genealogy

Filae presents GeoSearch, a tool that plots historical record search results on a map. More here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um5tTKj3-h0


Geneanet DNA Matching - European Genealogy


Geneanet DNA Matching
Geneanet just introduced DNA matching in beta: https://en.geneanet.org/genealogyblog/post/2020/02/geneanet-launches-geneanet-dna

I've already had success with both DNA matching and the online tree (my gedcom) both. 

 Their latest feature is an app to upload images to Geneanet along with updating your GEDCOM file. Read more about it: https://en.geneanet.org/genealogyblog/post/2020/03/upload-your-pictures-to-geneanet-with-your-gedcom-file

Ancestry.com messaging


Ancestry's improved in-site messaging

Ancestry.com has improved in-site messaging; much more context is available without right-clicking. Notice the link "See how they are related."

MyHeritage In Color™ and Fan View

MyHeritage Fan View

MyHeritage In Color™ images now are tagged "AI", which removes confusion that an original was colorized. 

MyHeritage is a powerful site, especially for those who have European ancestry and relatives abroad. However, their tree display has been clumsy and difficult to navigate. Enter the new Fan View for family trees! Isn't it gorgeous? And up to 10 generations. When you hover over an ancestor, a label pops up for them as in the above image.

DNA Painter

Use your chromosome map to explore traits in your DNA: https://dnapainter.com/blog/use-your-chromosome-map-to-explore-traits-in-your-dna/ . In his blog, Jonny helpfully includes this graphic:
DNA Painter with Keylines and Show Traits both checked

 The one advantage to being homebound during this pandemic is the chance to try out so many new things!

Valorie Zimmerman

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