Which software to use?

Whenever I am asked a question about which software to use I refer my genimates to Louis Kessler's website GenSoftReviews. Following is his annual report on top rated genealogy software for 2017. I'm pleased to see that the packages I use, Family Historian and TNG (The next generation) are in the top 25 list.

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GenSoftReviews.com is where users go to rate and review their genealogy software. The site lists almost 1,000 programs, and users have contributed over 4,800 program reviews and ratings since the site opened in 2008.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 1, 2018

The 9th annual Users Choice Awards have been tabulated and awarded at the GenSoftReviews website.

During 2017, 82 of the nearly 1,000 programs listed received 535 reviews. Along with the review, users rated the programs from 1 to 5 star, with 5 being best.  Programs that received at least one review in 2017 with 10 or more all-time reviews that achieved a user rating of at least 4.00 out of 5 receive a GenSoftReviews User Choice Award for 2017. The award reflects that the program is well-liked by its users.

The 25 programs awarded a GenSoftReview Users Choice Award as a Top Rated Genealogy Software for 2017 are:

• 13 Windows programs: Family Historian, Ahnenblatt, Personal Ancestral File, Family Book Creator, Ancestral Quest, Generations, Brother’s Keeper, RootsMagic, The Master Genealogist, Relatively Yours, Family Tree Builder, Family Tree Maker (up to Version 16), and Ages!  
• 3 Mac programs: iFamily for Mac, Heredis for Mac, and Reunion
• 4 programs built for Windows, Mac and Unix:  Evidentia, Ancestris, Familienbande, and GenealogyJ
• 5 Online programs: Famberry, The Next Generation, Genealogie Online, webtrees, and MyHeritage
• 0 Handheld programs.

The top program for 2017 was Evidentia, a program that helps you analyze evidence. Evidentia had an almost perfect user rating of 4.98 out of 5 based on 14 reviews. iFamily for Mac, a full-featured genealogy program for the Mac, was second at 4.95 out of 5 also on 14 ratings. And the online program Famberry was third with 4.94 out of 5 from 61 ratings.

New to the list of winners for 2017 was Ancestris, a free full-featured program from France. Ancestris received 8 reviews in 2017 bringing it to 12 reviews in total and making it eligible for the first time. Ancestris placed fourth overall with a 4.92 out of 5 rating.

Heredis for Mac rejoined the winners in 2017 after previously having won from 2012 to 2015. It dropped off the list in 2016 because it did not have any reviews in that year.

Winners in 2016 that dropped off the list this year include GenSmarts and Aldfaer which did not have any reviews in 2017, as well as Clooz and Heredis for PC whose overall rating dropped below 4.00 in 2017.

Several unsupported programs are still thought of highly enough by their users that they won an award in 2017. These include: Personal Ancestral File, Generations, The Master Genealogist, Relatively Yours, and Family Tree Maker up to Version 16.

Six programs have been GenSoftReviews User Choice Award winners every year since the awards began in 2009. They are: Personal Ancestral File, The Next Generation, Brother’s Keeper, RootsMagic, Family Tree Builder and Reunion.

GenSoftReviews uses a time-weighted average score. The weight of every user rating is reduced 50% every year, so newer opinions will be better reflected in the overall average score.

GenSoftReviews was created to be a site, somewhat like TripAdvisor for travelers, where genealogists can go to express their feelings about the genealogy software that they’ve used and tried. The reviews and ratings will likely help other genealogists who are looking for new software. It is hoped the developers of the programs also will see and use the reviews at GenSoftReviews to improve their programs.

For more information and a complete listing of current and past winners, see the Users Choice Award Winners page at GenSoftReviews.

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About Louis Kessler

Louis Kessler has been a genealogist, lecturer and programmer for over 40 years. He developed and runs the GenSoftReviews site. He is also the author of the genealogy programs Behold and GEDCOM File Finder available at www.beholdgenealogy.com, as well as the DNA analysis program Double Match Triangulator available at www.doublematchtriangulator.com

Unputdownable

Last night I was dog-tired but thought I'd read a few pages of Nathan Dylan Goodwin's latest novella,

The Missing Man: A Morton Farrier novella, before retiring. Well that was the end of my early night.

The book was unputdownable, I just had to keep on reading right up to the last page. I don't know if Nathan has excelled himself with this latest adventure of Morton Farrier or, now that I have read all the previous stories, I am so familiar with the characters that they are like old friends and I have to keep up with their latest exploits but this story drew me in, I just couldn't put it down.

As with his other books I think that Nathan needs a bit of assistance to develop more attractive covers and layouts but one shouldn't judge ta his book by its cover.

In this tale we join Morton and his now wife, Juliette, on their honeymoon in Cape Cod. As well as honeymooning with the ever patient Juliette Nathan takes the opportunity to try and track down his American biological father. As we join Morton on this journey we learn about US research and repositories and are with Morton when he meets various members of his extended family. 

The characters in this story are believable and the mix of dialogue and prose seems to work well. Nathan's writing has developed and improved in this work.

I would recommend this story to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.  Thanks Nathan for producing such a beaut story and for providing me with a review copy. I hope that there is another Morton Farrier story coming out soon.

If you would like to purchase a copy of the book it is available for Kindle and Paperback in the US from Amazon and from here in the UK. We folk downunder can find the Kindle version on Amazon.com.au here.

The Irish Inheritance - New Geneafiction

Recently my genimate Pauleen shared her Goodreads review of The Irish Inheritance on Facebook.

As I value Pauleen's opinions and I enjoy geneafiction I wandered over to Amazon Australia and invested $AU4.99 in a copy of the ebook. I can blame Pauleen for my lack of sleep last night as the book hooked me in and I just had to read it until I finished in the wee hours. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the story that was set in the present time and around the time of the Easter Uprising. Having recently visited Dublin and the graves of some of the Irish Rebels in Glasnevin Cemetery I was most interested to read the author's descriptions of the Rebels' activities during the uprising. This was an easy read with Jayne, the genealogist , a determined and committed protagonist. 

Like Pauleen I twigged to one of the mysteries but I was completely surprised by the final revelations. If you are a fan of geneafiction I can highly recommend this book. I look forward to reading further titles from M J Lee. 

Rebel Leader Daniel O'Connell's vault at Glasnevin.

Our Liverpool Boys

I was rather excited to come by a copy of "Our Liverpool Boys", a 32 page booklet produced by Liverpool City Council. "The publication presents the stories of soldiers who were born or bred in the area and have a strong connection with Liverpool."

As Mr GeniAus' Great-Grandfather, Grandfather and Great-Uncles lived in Liverpool and served in WW1 I was hoping to find mention of  one or some of them in the booklet but I guess they missed out because they were born in England. Liverpool born Eric Gladstone Deadman who married Mr GeniAus' Great-Aunt Emily Zara Ball is mentioned in the booklet.

The booklet produced to mark the centenary of World War 1 contains service details, some photographs and biographical sketches on about 40 soldiers from the Liverpool area. It appears to have been collated by Sue Dredge and Julie Senior from Liverpool City Library. 

Morton strikes again

I was delighted to hear from author, Nathan Dylan Goodwin, a few weeks ago. Nathan offered to send me a review copy of the latest book in his Forensic Genealogist series, The Spyglass File.

As I had enjoyed the earlier books in the series I responded with an enthusiastic "YES Please."

My recent health problems have robbed me of the concentration needed to read books. I have started and not followed through with quite a few. This book was just the tonic I needed.

With its cliffhanger chapter endings and twists and turns this tale kept me reading right up to the last page. That it was a genealogical mystery from World War 11 added to my interest.

Having read earlier books in the series I have become quite fond of genealogist, Morton Farrier, whose character is further developed in this tale.  Following the relationship of Morton and his long suffering fiance, Juliette, adds an extra dimension to this series.

I enjoyed reading about the various real resources Morton used while researching Barbara Springett's ancestry and have added a few museums to my must visit list for my next trip to the UK. I was impressed that Morton used Ancestry DNA tests to confirm his traditional research. Of course Morton had more success in knocking down brickwalls than we ordinary genies have but The Spyglass File is a work of fiction.

While not a masterpiece The Spyglass File is competently written and engaged this reader right up to the last words. It is a page turner that provides a few hours amusement - just what I needed.  This is not just a book for those interested in genealogy I think that any reader who is fond of a good mystery would enjoy this book .... and, if you're into genealogy, you will definitely enjoy it.

I hope that it's not long before I can read of Morton's next adventure.

This book is available in print and ebook format - scroll to the bottom of this page for details.

Magda Szubanski - Reckoning

One of the best birthday presents I received last year was a voucher for a bookstore because it forced me to buy books. If I'm given a more general voucher I'm likely to buy another kitchen gadget or piece of clothing that I don't need....but we always need books.

I took myself off to Dymocks in the city, one of our bigger Sydney bookstores and had a wonderful time browsing and investing my $50 voucher.The first book I selected was Lost Relations by Graeme Davison. My second purchase was an autographed copy of Magda Szubanski's memoir "Reckoning". Magda is a comedian and an actress best known for her role as Esme Hoggett in the film Babe  so I expected a funny book, a light hearted read. I didn't get what I paid for, I got much more

Why I am blogging about this book on my genealogy blog is that Magda spent a lot of time telling her family story in Poland and Scotland and discussing the influences her grandparents and others had on her. There was a delving examination of Magda's relationship with her father which was a çentral theme throughout the work.

Magda devotes several pages to a discussion of her feelings when she was the subject of a Who do you think you are? program. It is interesting to read how she was affected by that journey.

The serious tone of the book in which Magda openly discusses the emotional turmoils she has dealt with during her life was a surprise. It came across as a very honest, warts and all, recount. There were touches of humour many of which would resonate with Catholic schoolgirls.

A reviewer described the language in this book as "eloquent and moving". I had not expected to find such a well written book and was surprised and delighted at the quality of Magdas writing.

When I purchased this book it was only available in hardcover and was quite expensive although I got it at a special price.  I'm not suggesting that you run out and pay nearly $50 for this book but if you see it in your local library you might borrow it. It promises so much more than a litany of recollections from a funny lady.

Sitting by my desk....

...are a few books I have recently read and want to share with you.

I was interested to read, this morning, on Marty Playne's blog a review of one of these titles. Please read Marty's review as I agree with what he says. The book in question is an excellent example of non-boring family history writing.

I bought Lost Relations: fortunes of my family in Australia’s golden age by Professor Graeme Davison with a book voucher I received last year (Hint, Hint - that's the best kind of present - forces me to buy books.)

Thanks to Marty I don't need to pen a review I just need to say READ THE BOOK.

Lost Sleep - thanks to Nathan

I like to read in bed before I turn in for the night. It is the fault of author, Nathan Dylan Goodwin, that I missed out on several hours sleep this week.

Nathan kindly sent me a review copy of his latest genealogical mystery, The America Ground - the third book in the Morton Farrier genealogical crime mystery series. Once I started reading it was hard to stop.

The book was attractively presented with an appropriate cover illustration, the paper was light enough that the book was easy to hold up in bed and the font a decent size for old eyes. I did find the narrow margins disconcerting and would have liked a bit more white space around the edges of the text.

I was quickly hooked by the story although at times I found the prose a bit stilted and thought that there was an overuse of adjectives in some places. But it's really all about the story and that hooked me in. 

Having read the first two books in the series I have become fond of Morton Farrier, the larrikin genealogist, and his long-suffering fiance. Will she ever get him to the altar? It was nice to reconnect with these characters but this book is suitable for anyone to read as a standalone. Anyone who likes a good whodunnit (not just genies) should enjoy this tale.

The story moves in time between 1827 and the present day with a short visit to the 1980s. I did not find this at all confusing as one does with some time travel tales. From a very early stage I was hooked by the story and just had to keep reading to see how Morton solved the mystery that was presented. With a few murders, some kidnapping and a touch of romance this novel kept me in suspense until its last pages. The subplot of Morton's search for his biological father added an extra dimension to the story. An added bonus for we genies is that Morton talks our talk and hangs out in the places we like to visist.

I would certainly recommend this book to fellow readers. Thanks Nathan for sending me a copy to read. I'm now hanging out for Book 4.

The America Ground is available as an ebook from Amazon Australia. I was pleased that I received a hard copy edition which it appears that Amazon.com will ship to Australia.

My mates overseas can buy the book in various formats here:

Buy The America Ground now! (UK)

Buy The America Ground now! (US)

Buy The America Ground now! (Australia)

Buy The America Ground now! (Canada)

Book Review - The Lost Ancestor

That I stayed awake until 2:30 am the other night until I finished this book indicated that it must be a cracking yarn.

The Lost Ancestor  by Nathan Dylan Goodwin is available in both hardcopy and ebook format the book can be purchased from Amazon.co.uk. The Kindle edition can be purchased in Australia from the local Amazon.

Rather then penning a review I recorded the review on GoogleHangouts on Air. Here 'tis:

Disappointed with this tome

A couple of months ago I went to a talk by William Cox's descendant, Anne-Maree Harriet Cox Whitaker at Hawkesbury Family History Group. I quite enjoyed her talk (see my report) and lined up afterwards to purchase her book William Cox and Cox's  Road; a bicentenary souvenir as I was keen to learn more about the road and the story of its construction.

I believe that my convict ancestors, James Westbrook amd William Magick had earned their freedom in 1818 as a result of the work they did making bricks for the road.

I read the book when I got home and have had it sitting on my desk for six weeks as I ponder what to write about it. It was attractively presented, well laid out, competently written, had some pertinent images and was well sourced. Although there is nothing wrong with the book I felt disappointed after reading it. Why?

* From the title I thought there would be more emphasis on the building of the road and I was hoping to discover new information about the road and its construction.

* About 59 pages are devoted to Cox and his family, I didn't realise that this was a major focus of the work but should have realised as in the title the words  William Cox are in bigger font than And Cox's Road.

* The author recognises in the short four page chapter on "Cox's Road Party" that not all the names of those who worked on the road are recorded. I wonder what research was carried out to identify others. I would like to have seen a bit more information on the other members of the Road Party but this book's focus was definitely just Cox.

* 34 pages of the book are devoted to a reprint of the Journal Cox kept during the road's construction. This together with Governor Macquarie's instructions to Cox (also reprinted in the book) is freely available here through Project Gutenberg. I was annoyed that I had purchased a book told me no more about the building of Cox's Road than what I can find freely available on the internet.

Do go ahead and  purchase this book, it is a good souvenir. My disappointment is personal,  I had great expectations that just weren't realised.

A Good Online Computer Dictionary

Remember David Pogue from Rootstech?

I certainly can't forget my Rootstech interview with David.

This week David has posted a review of an Online Computer Dictionary in which he says "ComputerLanguage.com is the very definition of concise, a user-friendly, up-to-date technical dictionary."

You can read David's review here: http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/20/a-technical-dictionary-that-fits-the-definition-of-user-friendly/