Monday, January 23, 2017

It's Easier to Download #RootsTech 2017 Syllabus Articles Using the App Website

I found that it is easier to download the #RootsTech 2017 syllabus articles to my desktop computer files using the app website http://app.core-apps.com/rootstech2017 than by using the mobile app (which I described in Finding Syllabus Material on the RootsTech 2017 Mobile App).

The Ancestry Insider wrote Whether You're Going to #RootsTech or Not last week, and noted that anybody who registers with the FollowMe website can download the RootsTech syllabus articles.  In addition, Louis Kessler commented on my blog post that:
They've made the App available online as well (which is great for people like me who don't have Android or iOS but have a Windows phone). The online site is: http://app.core-apps.com/rootstech2017
I think you'll find it easier downloading the Syllabus material by logging into the online site from your computer, because it will produce a PDF on each handout which you can then right-click and save to your computer, renaming it as you do so.
... and I should also say that sometimes the performance of the online app is not good. The pdfs sometimes stop loading mid-stream and I have had to go back and reload one 4 times before it came in.
With that performance now, I would not recommend trying to use the online version of the App at RootsTech. With 25,000 people all using the wifi at once, I'm sure it will be sometimes rough treading to try to access anything online. 
I'm planning to have my full agenda and the Syllabus material I'm interested in right on my phone using OneNote and pdf files.
So here is the process to download syllabus articles to my desktop computer files using the  http://app.core-apps.com/rootstech2017 website:

1)  You have to have an account with FollowMe - you will be prompted to create one if you don't have one.  But you don't have to be registered at RootsTech.

2)  Here is the screen for the online website:



It looks just like the mobile app.  That's how everything looks on the website.

3)  I clicked on the "Conference Schedule" icon: 

4)  I picked "Browse my Day" on the "track" list, and then on Saturday 2/11, and was on the list of classes:

I noted that there is a "PDF" icon next to classes that have a syllabus article available.

5)  I wanted to download and save to my computer the class for "RT4111 FamilySearch: Family Tree Futures" by Ron Tanner:
 I had to click on the "Handouts(1) down at the bottom of the screen above to make the handout article available:

The screen above now shows the handout and i'm going to click on that, but first I highlighted the title of the syllabus article on the screen above, and did a Copy (Ctrl-C for Windows) so I can use it when I save the article.

6)  I clicked on the handout link and the article opened in a separate tab on my computer:


7)  I can click on the "Download" icon on the top menu line on the screen above or right-click and pick "Save As" and the "Save as" window opened and it had the 24 digit file name (not the title of the class!) in the "File Name: line at the bottom:

8)  I clicked inside that "File name" line and did a "Save" (Ctrl-V on my Windows 7 computer) and the saved class title appeared.  I added the teacher's last name to the end of the line.  I had to delete the ":" in the class title in order to make it work (because Windows won't let me use some characters):

9)  I clicked on "Save" on the screen above and the file was saved to my desktop computer file folder for RootsTech 2017.

Believe it or not, that is easier than the earlier process of emailing it to myself on the mobile app.

10)  I have now saved most of the RootsTech 2017 syllabus articles to my desktop computer.  I will copy them to a flash drive and then to my laptop, and also to Dropbox, which I can access on my smart phone and on my tablet while at RootsTech if I choose to.

It's your choice as to which process to use - download to your smart device using the mobile app, or to your computer using the process above.  Obviously, if you don't have a smart device then downloading from the website is your preferred option.

As noted before, there is no download available for the whole syllabus.  RootsTech registrants can buy a printed syllabus for $35 on the RootsTech.org website and receive it when they check in, but you have to request it ahead of time.

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Disclosure:  I received a complimentary registration pass to RootsTech 2017, and earlier RootsTech conferences, for being a RootsTech Ambassador.

Copyright (c) 2017, Randall J. Seaver


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3 comments:

http://genealogytrot.blogspot.com said...

Great tips Randy! This year there will not be printers available in the Salt Palace. They will be referring people to the app. IT is better to take advantage before the conference to understand how to use the app.

Louis Kessler said...

The other option is that you can sign in to your RootsTech registration, and for $35, you can buy a printed version of the Syllabus. You'll likely get it with your welcome package when you check in at RootsTech.

GeniAus said...

Thanks for the headsup Randy. Preferable to downloading to my 'phone.