I
know a lot of people, including me, are upset with the news that Ancestry is
ditching Family Tree Maker. There doesn't seem to be another program with the exact same
great features. Reading the thoughts of users around the web , some are searching for alternatives and
others are taking a wait-and-see attitude.
I
urge you to not do anything rash, there is lots of time before you have to
decide. Read blogs by other genealogists on the subject if you're not sure what to do, or familiar
with what is out there. If you decide you want to get other software, read
specs and reviews to see if it is right for you and meets your needs.
I
recommend you read the blog of Lisa Louise Cook on the subject at
Genealogy Gems. Lisa explains the rationale behind the move by Ancestry.
I am at a standstill in my research right now, so I will take this time
to update, update, update. At Ancestry I will check all my hints, sort out and empty my shoebox,
download records and images, and any other chores needing to be done. Then I
will sync and save the GEDCOM. After that..... I don't know, but I will be
ready for whatever I decide.
A couple of people have asked, so here is how to
make a GEDCOM file and save it to your computer. GEDCOM (.ged) is the universal type of
file for genealogy programs, and can be exported from Ancestry or Family Tree
Maker and imported to pretty much any other genealogy software program.
From Ancestry online:
At your family tree, click Tree Pages to open the menu, choose Tree Settings. On the right side, you will see Manage your tree. Click on Export Tree, save the file on your computer. (I include the date when naming the file so I know I always have the latest one).
From Family Tree Maker:
From menu choose File, Export
New window appears, check entire file and include everything.
For Output Format, choose GEDCOM 5.5 from the drop down menu. Save the
file on your computer as above.
So, like I said, don't panic. There is lots of time to figure it all out.
Oh, and keep this old saying in mind.... "Don't cut off your nose to spite your face!"
Update: You can read Ancestry's next day reply to comments and concerns
here.