How I'm Using FTM 2012's 'Tasks' Feature

5/11/2012

Here's a short tutorial that explains how I'm using the 'Tasks' feature in FTM 2012 for my applications to DAR and UEL. It's part 1 of 2. The second video delves into my online workflow process and the 'Tasks' feature. I'm cross posting to my personal family history blog, Family Stories.

~Caroline

6 Comments

Russ Worthington link

5/11/2012 11:49:52 am

Caroline,

Great video.

Please use the Help Menu, Online Help Center, and send the developers your Feedback (using that link) about the ability to access your Task List on your AMT. The Subcategory issues as well.

Do you use the Research Notes or the Person notes for the "hit's" and "misses"?

Who do you suggest should be able to SEE your Task List?

The thought that went through my mind, watching your video, would also have that ability to 'sequence' the Task List. "When this task is complete, then offer or bring up the next task list". Not all Tasks will be sequential, but sometimes they may. I would "stack them up", and when one is complete, the next one appears. Like, Locate this specific record, Send away for the record, Await the arrival. I am thinking of some PA records, that have a 20 week return wait. I am going to forget that I ordered it, but when I set up that task, I would know the steps in the process for fully complete the task (Obtain Death Certificate).

Good Luck ... awaiting for the 2nd part.

Thank you,

Russ

Caroline M. Pointer

5/11/2012 03:43:07 pm

Thanks, Russ! I'll let them know of my suggestions.

Also, I use the Research tab for the hits & misses [or Research Log]. And my tree is private on Ancestry.com so I'd be the only one to see my tasks and those who I've shared my tree with. And I think that's a good thing to have the option of actual collaboration with others, but they'd need to set up controls for the owner of the tree.

I think that the whole Task feature needs to be less generic and more genealogy research specific. And what I mean by that is the wheel has already been invented. We have research logs, and that's what we want here. A research log that mimics the functionality to some degree task and project management software.

Also, I think Ancestry.com needs to decide if their app is for Ancestry or for FTM2012. As it is right now, FTM2012 somewhat piggybacks onto the Ancestry.com app. And that's not good enough. The tech is there for more functionality. I have an iPhone, but if I had an iPad, I'd be even more in favor of an FTM2012 app.

Thanks for all your input, Russ. I really appreciate it. =)

~C

Russ Worthington link

5/11/2012 10:55:17 pm

Caroline,

Ancestry's comments, that I have seen and heard, is that the App is an Ancestry.com App. I think I saw a couple of NGS blog posts about that.

I am not sure that too many folks use the Research Notes feature, nor the Task lists. I have talked about them on my blog, but don't see too many comments about them. But, I find it very helpful.

I would like to have a Task List for Sources and a Task List for a Place Name. For example, I find an Index that has my person, so I would like to add a Tack for that Index to find the real deal. Historical Place names so that I could locate more details about the jurisdiction changes.

Good luck,

Russ

Caroline M. Pointer

5/12/2012 12:06:06 am

Russ,

I suspect that many people don't use their databases for much other than holding info and printing a chart because they're too busy clipping everything and sticking it in Evernote. I like Evernote, but if you can't get your images out of there easily and you've spent $40 for genealogy database software that has many capabilities similar to Evernote, then why use Evernote for genealogy research?

I don't think separate task lists within a person [i.e., Sources, Place Name, etc.] would be beneficial. That's too many keystrokes and places to look. Instead, I'd rather see this Task feature be hierarchical similar to Task Management and Project Management software that already exists as well as a tagging feature.

This way, I'd have a list of tasks and sub-tasks that I need to accomplish and then within the sub-tasking feature would be also my negative return log. Eliminating the need to 'wing it' in notes.

By having a tag feature for the tasks, then I could pull up things I need to do at certain repositories.

~C

Mariann Regan link

5/12/2012 02:11:07 pm

Caroline, I've saved the URLs for both part 1 and 2, and I'm going to watch them again to buttress the "where to look" part of my research plan. I liked especially the ancestor search - ancestor record seque so that you can see what proof others have for an established lineage, and then find out whether that proof will be enough for the DAR. On a first pass, I looked at "public family trees" on ancestry, and they do have a place for "source," but I think DAR will be more rigorous. They emailed me that I should start by getting BMD certificates for myself, the parent, and the grandparent in question, and I'm wondering if I will have do to that all the way back to 1740. There are so many places to search, some page by page (the way I did the 1940 census for my county), and as you say, "how badly do you want that information"? BTW, I wonder if DAR would find it as amusing as I do that they asked me for my own death certificate ; - } Thank you for all these suggestions! Russ is a more sophisticated commenter than I am, but I'm extremely appreciative. Mocavo, must remember Mocavo . . . .

Caroline M. Pointer

5/12/2012 02:38:55 pm

Mariann,

You should definitely start with yourself and work backwards. As you go further back in time, birth and death records will not exist. It's different for every county in every state. In this case, you will look for records as close to the time of the event that can indicate birth and parental relationship. For example, my great grandmother was born in 1883 on Bolivar Peninsula, Texas. However, the state of Texas didn't begin requiring the recording of births until 1903. After a little research, I found that she may have been baptized at St. Mary's Cathedral on Galveston Island. I determined the correct diocese that it falls under, contacted them, and found that I could make genealogy requests by email. They found it [and her siblings as well] and they're mailing it all to me.

Hope this helps. I'll be doing some more videos and blogging on each generation as I try to fill-in the holes.

Thanks Mariann for stopping by & commenting. =)

~C

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How I'm Using FTM 2012's 'Tasks' Feature

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