Why and How Do You Use Other Software?

[Ryan_N]

eric.vanbeest I was unable to find any way to private-message on here, which is very frustrating if a case of user-error on my part . I very much want to chat with you at your convenience re: DEVONthink workflow. I too use this software. More than 95% of my research and genealogy work occurs in that space. If you're willing to ping me by regular email, perhaps we could offline this discussion? I set up a separate gmail account for genealogy stuff, which I don't mind posting here publically: noyesancestors@gmail.com. Love to connect with you if you're willing to reach out. Thanks!

[Bob White]

Ryan.... Look in your user settings for this.

[Ryan_N]

Ryan.... Look in your user settings for this.

You mean the prompt to share my AOL Instant Messenger handle from the year 1993?

Kidding aside, I was all set up like this beforehand with direct-messaging enabled from guests, etc. That said, i'm not a fan of Google's crawlers potentially indexing my everyday email address on my profile page, and other oddities with this particular forum software.

I made a post on here earlier today about my strong desire to see this forum migrate over to Discourse, which is open-source (free),. much more secure, easier to use and direct-message others, and frankly just a lot more enjoyable.

Uploading a screenshot on vBulletin 5.6.4 is arduous. It's asking me if I want to upload it to the server? Much too complicated and far too many editor buttons in my own humble opinion.

Thanks nevertheless Bob. You're such a dynamo on here. I've learned a lot from your posts as a lurker. Cheers!

[Michael Talibard]

My process is a bit different. I use Ancestry only as a research tool. What I find is entered into Reunion, but I don't bother adding it to my Ancestry tree, which is very small and basic and rarely updated. I am content to build the full tree in one place only, and that's Reunion.

[Bob White]

...............Uploading a screenshot on vBulletin 5.6.4 is arduous. It's asking me if I want to upload it to the server? Much too complicated and far too many editor buttons in my own humble opinion.

Thanks nevertheless Bob. You're such a dynamo on here. I've learned a lot from your posts as a lurker. Cheers!

I am also a lurker. I read darn near every entry on the forums less some of the ones that go on ad nauseum about some fine point. As an old IT guy, one of my goals in life is to help users become independent users. Thus, that is a nice compliment.

I do not understand why you are having such a problem uploading. When one clicks on the Upload Attachments button (lower left), one should get a Finder navigation window. Navigate to the file and click Choose in the navigation window. Upload starts immediately. If the file is too large or an unacceptable format, an error message will pop up right away. Once the file has uploaded, one can both choose a size and preview the posting.

I don't recall Reunion ever asking me if I want to upload to server. Perhaps Mark or Frank may have some insight on this issue.

[gathompson56]

When I first started this thread I was overwhelmed in the software options and possible workflows. I was curious about what others on this forum were using and how they used them. Since I started in this thread my use of software has changed a little bit, with a couple of changes this fall. Now, for the first time, have a workflow that I am comfortable with.

My Software:

Reunion13 - my primary tree builder and documenting tool.
Ancestry - my primary research tool. Also building a full family tree that will mirror my Reunion family file
Mac Finder - my primary filing and storage system for my family history files
FTM2019 - my tool to sync with Ancestry
iCloud - backup and storage of my family history files.

Devon Think 3.0 - on my Mac but not being used. Someday I will figure out how to use it.


My hardware has been modified:

2017 version of 21" mac - my primary work station
2009 version of 21" mac - my 2nd screen


I have now settled into what is a pretty simple workflow, which is much easier with a 2nd screen:

- Reunion is open on my 2017 Mac on my left
- on my right is the 2009 Mac where I have Ancestry open. Also open on this screen are documents open in Preview which have been downloaded from Ancestry or scanned at home.
- Now I have a double screen setup which allows me to transcribe into Reunion on the left screen while reviewing documents on the right screen.
- I only use FTM2019 to sync with Ancestry. I found FTM2019 so cumbersome to use that it was easier to make updates and corrections in Ancestry than in FTM2019.

After struggling to find a means of "linking" my two Macs together, using iCloud is the first solution that has worked. Yep, there is a storage fee but that costs a lot less than other services and saves me a lot of aggravation.

Grant

[Ryan_N]

Bob,
I wrote a post the other day here on ReunionTalk concerning the forum platform ("Discourse" my title). That standalone space is probably best for this topic, but to answer briefly: the "upload to server?" question (from vBulletin) presents when the user clicks the image icon, which in the editor is two "buttons" left of the quote button in the header. I should note to you, that the "upload attachments" option is preferred by me, which is below the editor of course. However, when I used it last, as I recall anyway (and I might be wrong on this?), my uploaded screenshot did not show up in the body of my post, as anticipated, but rather as a URL that others would have had to click on.

Grant and Michael T.,
I very much enjoy ALL conversations about historical research workflow, logging and so on. My lifelong obsession with genealogy triggered a somewhat later-in-life masters degree in History, now in progress. I'm constantly interested in topics surrounding content discovery and improved workflow/logging on the part of the researcher. We will continue to see immense changes on this front. Some of these will be welcomed by genealogists--others not.

Grant, your follow up is great! Glad you found a workflow you're happy with.

[Bob White]

Two things, Ryan...

First, whether you choose attachments or from URL, the upload will land wherever your cursor is. So, if you want the image or URL amid text, get your cursor in place first.

Second, as far as I know (could be wrong), the URL situation you describe can only happen if you choose from URL. I'm going on memory; I was admin of a vBulletin installation for a homeowner's association for several years in the 2000's. I've also done ProBoards, Telefinder and BlueHost.

[jmo]

For those using or thinking of using DEVONthink 3, be sure to get the book from <takecontrolbooks.com> that really helps explain how to use it. They also have a great book on using Scrivner, which I use for research and writing biographies.

[jmo]

For a very interesting program that helps analyze conflicting information and come up with logical proofs that can help resolve the conflicts, check out Evidentia <evidentiasoftware.com>. It is a Windows program but has a shell to allow running on macOS. It’s a bit funky, and you really will need to know the difference between a Source and a Citation, but I have found it to be useful. I take the final reports it generates and place into Reunion to validate the data I have entered.

[theKiwi]

I wrote a post the other day here on ReunionTalk concerning the forum platform ("Discourse" my title). That standalone space is probably best for this topic, but to answer briefly: the "upload to server?" question (from vBulletin) presents when the user clicks the image icon, which in the editor is two "buttons" left of the quote button in the header. I should note to you, that the "upload attachments" option is preferred by me, which is below the editor of course. However, when I used it last, as I recall anyway (and I might be wrong on this?), my uploaded screenshot did not show up in the body of my post, as anticipated, but rather as a URL that others would have had to click on.

I must confess one of the things that frustrates my about this vBulletin system compared to Invision Power Boards, and I think phpBB is that in those forums I can simply paste a screen shot into the posting where I want it to be - so command-control-shift-4 to do a partial screen capture, and then paste it right into my post. Having to take the screen shot, and save it as a file, then navigate to that file in the "Upload Attachments" button adds several layers to the effort - particularly when you are now conditioned to always save screen shots to the clipboard for pasting.

Roger

[Bob White]

Nearly of of my screenshots are done with Snagit. It automatically puts a copy in the OS clipboard unless one has turned off the feature. This is useful for other things I do. But the clippings can't go direct in vBulletin. Either being able to paste a clipping or to drag a graphic to a sweet spot would be less steps than the current way. Hopefully, this conversation will generate an item for the future features list.

[Tom Robinson]

Nearly of of my screenshots are done with Snagit. It automatically puts a copy in the OS clipboard unless one has turned off the feature.

I use the built-in capability: the whole screen, a portion, or the current window can be sent to the clipboard or a file.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201361

[Bob White]

Tom: This is a case of where you are driving a base level VW and I'm driving a decked out high end Audi. The difference is that I have lot more "after the shot" tools; the built-in tools in the OS are basic. But, with regard to pasting, we are in precisely the same situation. As I said above, I would love to either paste a clipping or drag to the posting I'm working on at the time.

[Kevin Forrester]

Why spend lots of time naming and moving files around when one has a tool to do it for them? Maintaining one's own filing system is much work for storage of documents that one wants handy but rarely looks at. By using FTM as my files, if I need to see a particular document for a person, I just fire up FTM, locate the person, click the media icon and there is all of that person's documents. If Reunion was synch-able with Ancestry, I would not have FTM.

Thank you for this. However, when I sync FTM and Ancestry, the documents do not sync (although I've checked the "Download Ancestry Citation Media" box). I'm certain that there is a step that I'm failing to complete. Can you let me know what that step might be? Thank you!

EDIT: I see that I jumped the gun on this question. The media does sync. When, as you say, you locate the person, under the Tree tab, and then click on the media icon, you find the media in the right panel. What was, and still is, confusing me is that when you locate the person under the Tree tab and then click the Person tab, you will see a Media tab in both the left and right panels. The photographs appear in the left panel and the source media appears in the right panel. If the person has no photographs, it looks as if the "media" panel (on the left) has no media, while the "source" media panel on the right has source media (Census doc's and the like). (This appears to be true of the left panel whether you click on "Photos" or "All Media".) I'm curious as to the reason for this result.