One of the announcements made at RootsTech 2018 last week was that Findmypast would partner with FamilySearch to provide a new shared tree based on the FamilySearch Family Tree, which has over 1 billion person profiles. This is a work in progress, so not all features are included, but it's worth a look to see what is available now.
1) I logged into my Findmypast account and saw the home page:
At the bottom of the screen above, the text says:
"Findmypast's new family tree [beta]
"Is your family waiting to be found in our new global tree?
"Take a look at our new family tree and discover shared connections with users worldwide."
2) I clicked on the blue "Try the new tree" button:
At the bottom of the screen above, I input information for my 2nd great-grandfather, Isaac Seaver (1823-1901), born in Massachusetts.
3) I clicked on the blue "Search" button to see the matches found in the search:
There were three matches, and the top one is the one I want.
4) I clicked on the blue "View Tree" button for the first match on the list above:
The "Tree" view opens with a "Family view" by generation on the screen above.
5) In the lower left-hand corner, there is a link for "List View." I clicked on that and saw more information about the person:
The screen above provides:
* Birth and death date and location information for Isaac Seaver
* Spouse(s) with birth and death years [Note: only one was listed, Isaac had three spouses]
* Parents with birth and death years
* Grandparents with birth and death years
* Paternal great-grandparents with birth and death years
* Maternal great-grandparents with birth and death years.
6) If I click on any one of the other persons, I can see their information:
At the bottom of the "Basic Information" for the spouse, there is a blue "Go to this person" button.
Note that children are not included on the "List view" screen. They are on the "Tree view" screen, but you have to click on the name, then click on the "Go to this person" button to see the child's profile.
All of this information comes from the person profile on the FamilySearch Family Tree. At this time, if you want to improve the Findmypast information, you will have to edit the FamilySearch Family Tree information.
7) There are several FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) at the bottom of the second screen above:
Each question can be clicked on to see the answer. For instance, for the question
"What's new about the Findmypast family tree?" The answer is:
"Findmypast's new tree is a product that's being created to help users, both new and experienced, collaborate with others to discover more about their family. For novices, the new tree allows you to tap into research done by others on your ancestors instead of going it alone. For experienced users, Findmypast's new tree allows families (including distant cousins) to contribute their information and research, discuss, debate and resolve questions about their family."
Q: "Will my current Findmypast tree be merged into the new global tree?"
A: "Users who have, and prefer, a Findmypast private tree can continue to use that feature. Users with Findmypast private trees will be able to migrate their tree(s) to the global tree in the future if they wish."
There are more questions with answers - check them all out at https://www.findmypast.com/worldtree.
8) As noted above, this Findmypasdt global tree is still in a beta mode, so there will certainly be improvements in the future. Hopefully, they will include the following:
* Links to Children in the "List view."
* Source citations
* Notes
* Life sketch
* Discussions
* Memories (stories and photos)
My guess is that in the future users will be able to edit the details in the profile (name, dates, places, sources, notes, etc.) on Findmypast and have it modify the FamilySearch Family Tree profile.
I will continue to review this new global tree on Findmypast as it develops.
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Disclosure: I have a complimentary subscription to Findmypast, and have accepted meals and services from Findmypast, as a Findmypast Ambassador. This has not affected my objectivity relative to Findmypast and its products.
Copyright (c) 2018, Randall J. Seaver
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