Putting Your Genealogy On-line

Transcription

1 Putting Your Genealogy On-line Presented by Charlie Mead

2 Overview How a website works Things to consider before you start Different options available Types of software

3 How a website works User selects a website address (URL) CLIENT REQUEST WEBPAGE SERVER INTERNET PC with Web browser Browser interprets webpage and displays the result RETURN WEBPAGE Server stores webpages, pictures, sound, video, document files, style sheets & server-side programs

4 Static versus Dynamic Websites STATIC DYNAMIC Webpages are stored on Webpages are created a server and displayed on the fly in response to by the browser on a PC. a request. Data within the pages is retrieved Easy to construct. from a database. Example: Example: Personal homepage. On-line businesses such as Amazon or E-bay.

5 Static websites Webpages are stored on a server and sent to the client. Pages are written in HTML (HyperText Markup Language). Browser interprets the HTML and displays the webpage - taking into account any CSS (Cascading Style Sheet). Pages can include graphics, audio and video to make them more interesting.

6 Dynamic websites Webserver holds webpages containing PHP statements. PHP (Personal Home Page), is a hypertext pre-processor. PHP statements form a program, which runs on the server to generate the webpage you see on the screen when it arrives, it s just like any other HTML. Ideal for websites that contain large amounts of data. An underlying database can be used to provide content for PHP generated webpages.

7 Inside the Internet You may think Microsoft synonymous with software, but 90% of the web is run on LAMP: Linux operating system (not Windows!) Apache servers (not PCs!) MySQL databases (not Access!) PHP scripting language

8 Considerations Too many genealogists don t like giving away their information. Others feel publishing is an essential part of genealogy and family history. You can compromise by publishing with username & password protection. Useful way to make contact with others researching the same area. Don't compromise the privacy of living subjects.

9 What to publish? Genealogies (family trees and pedigrees) Stories (family history) Photographs Interviews (audio or video)

10 What choices are there? Put your family history on a genealogy website: eg Ancestry, Genes Reunited, etc. Build your own family history website.

11 Using a subscription service No expertise required to publish your data. Some family history websites will offer a basic service for free, but will charge if you want more features. Your data may be used by the website for their own purposes. Ancestry Genes Reunited Tribal Pages My Heritage

12 Building your own website What do you need? Webspace Domain name Software

13 Webspace Some ISPs include a personal homepage with webspace that can be used for a family history website. Web hosting solutions are offered by a number of companies such as 1and1 and 123-reg.

14 Domain Name In the UK registration of domain names is handled by Nominet. Your ISP or Web Host may handle the service for you. TYPE Commercial Networks Organisations Personal Information.com.co.uk.biz.net.org.org.uk.me.uk.info

15 Software Choices Genealogy databases Some family history programs can create a website. Usually easy to use, but lack features. Specialist software Convert a GEDCOM into a website. Can produce a more sophisticated website with a greater range of features. Usually requires more expertise to set up.

16 Commercial Genealogy Packages RootsMagic Legacy Family Historian

17 Free Genealogy Packages Personal Ancestral File GRAMPS gramps-project.org

18 RootsMagic Step by step process

19 Legacy Tabbed dialogue

20 Family Historian Step by step process.

21 Personal Ancestral File Step by step process.

22 GRAMPS Step by step process.

23 Genealogy Packages PROS CONS Record your family history and create a website using the same software. Few features. Easy to use. Limited customisation. Generates static webpages which all have to be uploaded to the Internet every time a change is made.

24 Specialist Software Choices PC based [static webpages] Program runs on a PC and creates a website which has to be uploaded to the Internet. Web based [dynamic webpages] Runs on the Internet. Uses PHP to update and display an on-line database.

25 PC Based Easy to use. Converts a GEDCOM into a website. Little or no expertise required. GEDmill Open Source and free to use. GED4WEB Commercial software.

26 GEDmill Tabbed dialogue.

27 Web Based PhpGedView Uses PHP and MySQL to create an extensive genealogy website with user log in.open Source. TNG The Next Generation Uses PHP and MySQL to create a sophisticated genealogy website with user log in. Commercial.

28 PhpGedView

29 TNG

30 Editing Web Pages Text editors: Notepad (free) part of Windows PSPad (free) WYSIWYG editors: Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer 2007 (free)

31 Uploading The web pages created on your PC have to be uploaded to the Internet. FTP Software: FileZilla CuteFTP FreeFTP SmartFTP

32 FTP Client PC (client) Web Server DRAG & DROP Makes transferring files to a webserver as easy as dragging and dropping.

33 Recap SOPHISTICATION Genealogy packages RootsMagic, Legacy, Family Historian... PC based genealogy website builders GedMill... Web based genealogy website builders TNG, PhpGedView... SIMPLICITY

34 Example Websites GRAMPS

35 Any Questions? This presentation was created using Impress the presentation manager in Open Office.