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2013 in Review

Michael Booth 15 Comments

2013 Year in Review

It’s New Years Eve here in the RootsMagic underground labs which means that it is time for us to crawl out and spend some quality time with friends and family.  It also means that it is once again time to reflect on all that has happened this past year.  And don’t forget to check back on Wednesday as we present our resolutions for 2014.  But until then- let’s all gather in the TARDIS (don’t worry, its bigger on the inside) and travel back to January 2013.

Help Us Help You

RootsMagic Webinars

We know that one of the reasons our loyal users love RootsMagic so much is that no other genealogy software provides the level of support and training that we do.  Over the past three years, we have pioneered the use of “webinars“, or free online classes, to help you learn anything you wanted to know about our software.  Our webinars have been viewed and downloaded over a million times from users in nearly every country on the globe.  And best of all, all of our webinars are archived and still available, free of charge.

One of the most frequent requests for our online instruction was for smaller, briefer tutorial videos that focused on very specific tasks. With this in mind, we introduced our YouTube channel, RootsMagic TV.  These videos are usually only a few minutes long and quickly show you how to do particular task without the details and explanations that you’ll find in our regular webinars.  Best of all, because they are hosted on YouTube, they are easy to share with others via e-mail or social networks.

RootsMagic for PAF Users: A Quick-Start Guide

 

In June, FamilySearch announced the retirement of its Personal Ancestral File (PAF) genealogy software and recommended that PAF users upgrade to FamilySearch-partnered software like RootsMagic.  To make the transition as easy as possible for PAF users, we created a free 16-page, full-color booklet titled, “RootsMagic for PAF Users: A Quick Start Guide“.  We mailed out thousands of of these printed guides while thousands more downloaded the PDF version.

 Conferences, Sponsorships & Awards

2013AboutReadersChoiceAwards

In March, About.com Genealogy hosted the “2013 About Genealogy Readers’ Choice Awards”.  Readers nominated and voted for their favorite products and organizations.  We were honored to receive two awards for:

At the RootsTech conference in March, we once again gave away two iPads in the RootsMagic 2013 RootsTech Treasure Hunt.  Just as in 2012, it was a lot of fun and brought some well-deserved attention to bloggers in our genealogy community.

We attended conferences all over the United States from Southern California to Las Vegas to Indiana.  It’s also been our privilege to sponsor two great genealogy podcasts- The Genealogy Gems with Lisa Louise Cooke and The Genealogy Guys with George Morgan and Drew Smith.

Leading the Way

FamilySearch Family Tree

2013 saw several free updates to RootsMagic 6 that were firsts in the genealogy world.  In March, we became the first software certified to share data with FamilySearch Family Tree.  FamilySearch Family Tree is a new way to organize and record your genealogy online. It is free, is available to everyone, and provides an easy way to discover your place in history with free tools to help you preserve and share your family’s story for generations to come.

ProblemAlerts

In July, we introduced the world to “Problem Alerts“.  With Problem Alerts, RootsMagic will find any potential data entry errors (people born before their parents, etc.) in the background and display an alert next to the name of any person with a potential problem.  This alert will show on the pedigree, family, and descendant views.  This feature is a huge hit with our users and the genealogy community at-large.

More Devices, More Platforms

Android Coming Soon

 

Like you, we know how important it is to have your information where and when you want it.  One of our resolutions for this past year was to bring RootsMagic to even more platforms and devices.  We had already brought you RootsMagic for Windows Desktop, RootsMagic for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, and My RootsMagic online publishing.  In 2013, we released the beta version of RootsMagic for Android.  After much testing and feedback from our users, we are almost ready for the official release.  Watch this blog for an announcement in the very near future!

Happy Birthday to Us?

2013 was the year that RootsMagic had its ten-year anniversary.  We wish we could say “celebrated” its ten-year anniversary but, in all honestly, we didn’t realize it had been ten years until it was pointed out to us earlier today by Tamura Jones.  RootsMagic 1.0 was officially released on February 4, 2003.  Oh well, maybe we’ll do something for the 11th anniversary 🙂

Thank You!

We sincerely mean it when we say that none of this would have been possible without you and your support.  We are grateful for the wonderful support, enthusiasm, and encouragement that we receive from our community.  We are humbled by the knowledge, patience and wisdom which we so often see freely shared among RootsMagic users.  2013 has been an incredible year for us thanks to you!

PAF users have a new home at RootsMagic; Upgrade offer and Free Quick Start guide

Michael Booth 8 Comments

PAF users have a new home

In a blog posting today, FamilySearch announced the retirement of it’s Personal Ancestral File (PAF) genealogy software.

“Beginning July 15, 2013, PAF will be retired and will no longer be available for download or support. For full details and for information on alternative products, please visit http://familysearch.org/PAF.”

The linked page recommends that PAF users upgrade to family history software from one of the FamilySearch parters.  Of the three options listed, RootsMagic is the only software certified to utilize the full capabilities of FamilySearch Family Tree, including sharing data, ordinances, discussions, sources, and change history.

We understand that change isn’t easy, so we’ve worked hard at putting together some new tools and supports to make the transition as painless as possible for PAF users.

A New Home

Over the past few years, tens-of-thousands of PAF users have made the switch to RootsMagic.  They’ve enjoyed its amazing new features such as book publishing, color coding, wallcharts, Shareable CD’s, running straight off of a flash drive, interactive problem lists, online publishing, a mobile app, and more!

But don’t take our word for it.  Here’s what some of our satisfied-switches have had to say:

“I have used PAF for all my years in Family History research. I now enjoy working with RootsMagic, it is by far the best program. Thank you.” — Joyce

“I want to thank everyone at RootsMagic for all their hard work! I purchased RootsMagic 4 after attending a genealogy seminar this past September. I was still using PAF at that time. When Bruce explained how easy it was to convert my data I was extatic, so I purchased the software. When I received it, it loaded quickly converted all my old PAF data (just as Bruce said it would) and I was up and running. . . Love is a very strong word, and I Love RootsMagic!! Thanks everyone, great job!!” — Kathy

“I have been working on the family history for many years using PAF, and converted to RootsMagic, which is a great program, very user friendly. I have recommended the program to beginners that are interested in finding and recording their own family genealogy.” — Shirley

“A great improvement from PAF. This will help with the work. Thanks!” — Garth

Update Discount for PAF Users

To make the transition as painless as possible, we’ve set-up a special website at www.PAFUpgrade.com that includes training videos, testimonials, and more.  And for a limited time, we are offering PAF users the full-version of RootsMagic at the upgrade price of only $19.95.  You must visit www.PAFUpgrade.com to receive the discount.

Of course, we also offer a free version of RootsMagic named RootsMagic Essentials that offers the basic abilities of PAF plus the certified FamilySearch Family Tree features.

Free Quick Start Guide

RootsMagic for PAF Users: A Quick-Start Guide

We’ve also put together a special guide titled, “RootsMagic for PAF Users: A Quick Start Guide”.  This 16-page, full-color booklet guides you step-by-step in making the switch and answers the biggest and most common questions.  This guide is available in printed format and as a free PDF that can be viewed on your computer or mobile device and even printed at home.  We encourage our users to download this guide and freely share it with any PAF users who may benefit from it.

As a bonus, any PAF user who upgrades to RootsMagic at www.PAFUpgrade.com will receive a copy of this Quick Start guide.

We’re Here to Help

If you’re a PAF user, we understand that change isn’t easy. But with a little of your time and a little help from us, you’ll be just as comfortable with RootsMagic as you were with PAF.

RootsMagic becomes Only Software Certified to Collaborate and Share with FamilySearch Family Tree

Michael Booth 9 Comments

The ONLY software certified to share and collaborate with FamilySearch Family Tree

The great news is here!  We are pleased to announce that an update to RootsMagic 6 is now available which has been “Share+ Certified” (note the “plus”) by FamilySearch for use with their new “Family Tree” system.  This means that RootsMagic is the only software certified to collaborate and share data with FamilySearch Family Tree!

Last March, RootsMagic became the first software certified to share data with FamilySearch Family Tree.  Today’s update brings in many collaborative features for FamilySearch that can only be found in RootsMagic.  These include enhanced discussions, viewing and copying sources between RootsMagic and Family Tree, as well as viewing a change history for a person and reversing incorrect changes.  There are also many enhancements and improvements to existing FamilySearch features.

What is FamilySearch Family Tree?

FamilySearch Family Tree is a new way to organize and record your genealogy online. It is free, is available to everyone, and provides an easy way to discover your place in history with free tools to help you preserve and share your family’s story for generations to come.

In Family Tree you can:

  • See what the system already contains about your ancestors.
  • Work with others to fill in missing information and correct errors.
  • Add sources and explanations to show that information is accurate.
  • Find and merge records that are about the same person.

How is FamilySearch Family Tree different than new.FamilySearch.org?

RootsMagic, the genealogy software named “Easiest to Sync” with new.FamilySearch.org, now brings the same power and features that you love to FamilySearch Family Tree- with more to come!

Family Tree has most of the features that are available on new.FamilySearch.org. It has some new features including the ability to edit and delete most any information about a person, a detailed history of changes made to people, and the ability to add sources to back up your conclusions. While new.FamilySearch.org has primarily been available to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Family Tree is available to everyone.

Goodbye, new.FamilySearch.org

FamilySearch has announced that they will be shutting-off the ability to make changes to their (old) new.FamilySearch.org website on Sunday, June 30, 2013.  This means that previous releases of RootsMagic (4, 5, and pre-6.1) will no longer be able to write data to new.FamilySearch.org after this date.  Users of these older versions of RootsMagic should upgrade or update their software to take advantage of the latest FamilySearch support and features.

How do I get started?

To get started:

  1. Download the latest version of RootsMagic 6 or the free RootsMagic 6 Essentials.
  2. Watch our brief video tutorials to help you get up-and-running quickly.
  3. Check out our list of Frequently-Asked Questions for tips and explanations about the update.

More to Come!

In the coming days, we’ll be blogging more about RootsMagic and how you can use it to share and collaborate others through FamilySearch Family Tree.  We’ll also be adding new features and enhancements to our Family Tree support.  In the meantime, enjoy the update!

Goodbye, new.FamilySearch.org. Hello, FamilySearch Family Tree!

Michael Booth 25 Comments

We have some bad news, some good news, and some great news.

Bad News, Good News

The bad news is that FamilySearch will be shutting-off the ability to make changes to their (old) new.FamilySearch.org website on Sunday, June 30, 2013.  This means that previous releases of RootsMagic (4, 5, and pre-6.1) will no longer be able to write data to new.FamilySearch.org after this date.

The good news is that the latest update to RootsMagic (6.1) already works with new.FamilySearch.org’s replacement- FamilySearch Family Tree!  In fact, RootsMagic is the first software certified to share data with FamilySearch Family Tree.

The first software certified to share with FamilySearch Family Tree

How will this affect me?

If you use RootsMagic 4, 5, or 6.0 to work with new.FamilySearch.org, beginning Sunday, June 30, 2013 any attempt to make changes to data on new.FamilySearch.org will give an error message.  This is not due to any bug or breakage in RootsMagic. It is simply because FamilySearch is shutting off that capability as they replace new.FamilySearch.org with FamilySearch Family Tree.  Note: This does not affect any other features in RootsMagic 4 or 5. Only new.FamilySearch.org features are affected.

What should I do?

If you are using RootsMagic 6.1 or RootsMagic Essentials 6.1, you don’t have to do anything. RootsMagic 6.1 does not work with new.FamilySearch.org. It works directly with FamilySearch Family Tree, the replacement for new.FamilySearch.org.

If you are using RootsMagic 6.0, simply download the free update to RootsMagic 6.1 by choosing Help > Check for Updates from the main menu of RootsMagic or download the update from our website.

If you are using RootsMagic 4 or 5 and you want to continue interfacing with FamilySearch, you’ll need to upgrade to RootsMagic 6 or download the free RootsMagic Essentials 6.

What is FamilySearch Family Tree?

FamilySearch Family Tree is a new way to organize and record your genealogy online. It is free, is available to everyone, and provides an easy way to discover your place in history with free tools to help you preserve and share your family’s story for generations to come.

With RootsMagic, you can search FamilySearch Family Tree for matches for people in your file. Once you have found a match, you can copy any data that FamilySearch has about that person into your own file. You can also copy any data that you have into the FamilySearch system. You have full control over what data is copied in each direction.

RootsMagic is the first software certified to share data with FamilySearch Family Tree and won the awards for “Easiest to Sync”, “Best Dashboard”, and “Trailblazer” from FamilySearch.

Wait- what’s the “great news”?

Hmm- we better save that for another day. We don’t want to overwhelm you all at once. Stay tuned for an exciting new announcement in the very near future!

RootsMagic is Only Software Certified to Share with FamilySearch Family Tree

Michael Booth 18 Comments

The Only Software Certified to Share with FamilySearch Family Tree

We are pleased to announce that an update to RootsMagic 6 is now available which has been “Share Certified” by FamilySearch for use with their new “Family Tree” system.  This means that RootsMagic is the only software certified to share data with FamilySearch Family Tree!

What is FamilySearch Family Tree?

FamilySearch Family Tree is a new way to organize and record your genealogy online. It is free, is available to everyone, and provides an easy way to discover your place in history with free tools to help you preserve and share your family’s story for generations to come.

In Family Tree you can:

  • See what the system already contains about your ancestors.
  • Work with others to fill in missing information and correct errors.
  • Add sources and explanations to show that information is accurate.
  • Find and merge records that are about the same person.

How is FamilySearch Family Tree different than new.FamilySearch.org?

RootsMagic, the genealogy software named “Easiest to Sync” with new.FamilySearch.org, now brings the same power and features that you love to FamilySearch Family Tree- with more to come!

Family Tree has most of the features that are available on new.FamilySearch.org. It has some new features including the ability to edit and delete most any information about a person, a detailed history of changes made to people, and the ability to add sources to back up your conclusions. While new.FamilySearch.org has primarily been available to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Family Tree is available to everyone.

How do I get started?

To get started:

  1. Download the latest version of RootsMagic 6 or the free RootsMagic 6 Essentials.
  2. Watch our brief video tutorials to help you get up-and-running quickly.
  3. Check out our list of Frequently-Asked Questions for tips and explanations about the update.

More to Come!

In the coming days, we’ll be blogging more about RootsMagic and how you can use it to share and collaborate others through FamilySearch Family Tree.  We’ll also be adding new features and enhancements to our Family Tree support.  In the meantime, enjoy the update!

RootsMagic Wins Two 2013 About.com Readers’ Choice Awards

Bruce Buzbee 4 Comments

The awards keep coming in.  Just 3 months after winning its 4th straight GeneAward for Best Genealogy Product of the Year, RootsMagic has won not one, but two 2013 About Genealogy Readers’ Choice Awards!

2013AboutReadersChoiceAwards

After a month of nominations and voting by the community, RootsMagic received awards for:

About.com Genealogy is the highest-ranked single contributor genealogy site on the internet.  Kimberly Powell, the curator, does a terrific job keeping it up-to-date with the latest news and tips as well as detailed and valuable lessons and how-to articles.  If you aren’t already familiar with this resource, you owe it to yourself to check it out.

We’d like to thank all of you who made your voices heard through your votes.  We work hard to bring you the best genealogy features and software available and it’s gratifying to see that many of you approve of the job we’re doing.  Of course, we’re not just sitting around.  We have even more surprises in store to make researching, recording, and sharing your family history even easier!

RootsMagic 2013 RootsTech Treasure Hunt Winners

Michael Booth 1 Comment

The RootsMagic 2013 RootsTech Treasure Hunt is now over.  We wanted to thank the bloggers who placed clues on their sites: AnceStories (Miriam J. Robbins), Ancestry Insider (Anthony Nsider), DearMYRTLE (Pat Richley-Erickson), Elyse’s Genealogy Blog (Elyse Doerflinger), Gena’s Genealogy (Gena Philibert Ortega), Genealogy Gems Podcast (Lisa Louise Cooke), Genealogy Guy’s Podcast (Drew Smith), Genealogy’s Star (James Tanner), Genea-Musings (Randy Seaver), Granite Genealogy (Sue Maxwell), Leaves of the Tree (Kay Haden), Little Bytes of Life (Elizabeth O’Neal), Renee’s Genealogy Blog (Renee Zamora), The Genealogy Blog (Leland Meitzler), We Tree Genealogy Blog (Amy Coffin), Zap the Grandma Gap (Janet Hovorka).

Like last year, many of the bloggers said they had record-setting traffic to their blogs from the thousands of RootsMagic users from around the world who followed the links to find the clue words.  And we heard from many of you who enjoyed discovering new blogs and podcasts with such a variety of personalities and styles.

For those of you that are curious, the 15 words formed this important message:

“You have chosen wisely,” said the old crusader as Doctor Jones picked up Roots Magic

DecodedMessage

“Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” Copyright LucasFilm, Ltd.

We held our first drawing at the actual RootsTech conference and gave an iPad (4th generation) to Vicki Renz.  And for those who weren’t able to attend RootsTech in person, we held a second drawing for online entries.

RootsMagic booth at 2013 RootsTech Conference
RootsMagic booth at 2013 RootsTech Conference

And the winner of an iPad (4th generation) in our online drawing is Judith Ann Taylor of Rexburg, Idaho!  We also drew three more winners who will each receive a RootsMagic super pack which includes RootsMagic 6, Getting the Most Out of RootsMagic 6, Personal Historian 2, Family Atlas, Family Reunion Organizer, and RootsMagic Webinars on CD Volumes 1, 2, 3 and 4, all in a RootsMagic tote bag.  Congratulations go to Glenn Harvey of Melbourne, Australia; Fernande Boudreau of Pointe Verte, New Brunswick; and Pat Blalock of West Virginia!

Thanks to the thousands of you who participated in our treasure hunt.  We had a lot of fun putting it together and we hope you had a lot of fun participating.  Look for more treasure hunts, more connections with the genealogical community, and more magic in the future!

Win an iPad in the RootsMagic 2013 RootsTech Treasure Hunt!

Michael Booth 5 Comments

It’s been a tremendous last few months here at RootsMagic. We’ve been busy with the new releases of RootsMagic 6 and RootsMagic for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. We’re also excited to participate in one of the largest genealogy events in North America- RootsTech!

We want to celebrate these momentous events with you, our loyal users! And what better way to celebrate than with a treasure hunt where you could win one of many prizes including an iPad (4th generation)!

Online Treasure Hunt

We’ve partnered with 15 of the best and brightest genealogy bloggers- many reporting at the RootsTech conference. Each blogger will place one of 15 clue words on their website. The clue word will look something like this:

From Thursday, March 21 through Wednesday, March 27, 2013, visit http://www.rootsmagic.com/treasure for a complete list of the blogs where the 15 clue words can be found. Visit each blog, collect all 15 clue words, uncover the secret message, and you could win software, prizes, or an iPad (4th generation)!

Once you’ve collected the clues there are two ways to enter- in person or at home.

Enter at RootsTech

If you’re lucky enough to attend RootsTech in person, pick up an entry card at the RootsMagic booth (#401) in the Exhibit Hall.  Write the clue words on the back of the card and return it to the RootsMagic booth in the Exhibit Hall by Saturday, March 23, 2013 at 1:20 pm.  At that time, we will hold the prize drawings.  You must be present to win.

Enter at Home

We didn’t want those who aren’t able to attend RootsTech in person to feel left out so we’re holding a second drawing and giving away more prizes including a second iPad.  To enter this drawing, visit http://www.rootsmagic.com/treasure anytime between Thursday, March 21 and midnight MST on Wednesday, March 27, 2013.  Fill out the online form to be entered into the second drawing.  You may enter both drawings but one entry per person, per drawing.  Winners will be picked at random and notified via e-mail by Friday, March 29, 2013.

Remember, the treasure hunt doesn’t begin until this Thursday. Good luck!

Vote for RootsMagic in the “2013 About Genealogy Readers’ Choice Awards”

Michael Booth 29 Comments

About.com Genealogy is the highest-ranked single contributor genealogy site on the internet.  Kimberly Powell, the curator, does a terrific job keeping it up-to-date with the latest news and tips as well as detailed and valuable lessons and how-to articles.  If you aren’t already familiar with this resource, you owe it to yourself to check it out.

2013 About Genealogy Readers' Choice Awards Finalist

The site is currently hosting the “2013 About Genealogy Readers’ Choice Awards“.  Readers have nominated their favorites and the finalists have now been chosen in eleven categories, ranging from genealogy software and apps, to websites and blogs.

RootsMagic is a finalist in three categories:

  1. Best Genealogy Software (Windows)
  2. Best Tool for Putting Your Family Tree Online
  3. Best Online Genealogy Tool or Mobile App

This is a great chance to let the genealogy community know which products and services are most valuable to you.  Just click on the above links to vote.

Don’t forget, you can vote once per day in each category.  Voting is open through midnight (EST) on Tuesday, March 19, 2013.  Winners will be announced on March 27, 2013.

New Year’s Resolutions for 2013

Michael Booth 10 Comments

Happy New Year!  With 2012 behind us, let’s look ahead to the new year and some of our goals and resolutions for 2013.

New Devices

Android Coming Soon

2012 saw us expand new platforms and devices including our My RootsMagic online publishing and RootsMagic for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.  Like you, we know how important it is to have your information where and when you want it.  We’ll continue branching out in 2013 to more devices and platforms, including our app for Android devices (coming soon) and enhancements to existing services.  Be sure to watch this blog and our newsletter for official future announcements.

New Products

Glowing Box

In addition to new platforms and new devices, our secret underground laboratories are hard at work developing new ideas and products to support our mission to create “software to unite families”.  Again, the best way to learn about these new products and when they are released is by watching this blog and our newsletter for official announcements.

New Webinars

RootsMagic Webinars

Our free online classes (webinars) have been viewed and downloaded hundreds of thousands of times by users from almost every country in the world.  We are often told how much you love these classes and we’re thrilled to continue bringing them to you in 2013.  Watch for new webinars on the great new features in RootsMagic 6 and Personal Historian 2.  And don’t forget, whether you attend live or watch an archived recording, our webinars are always free.  They’re our gift to you, our users, to help you get the most out of our software.

New Updates

And last but certainly not least, watch for regular updates to all of your software with improvements, fixes, and new features.  Updates can be found by clicking Help > Check for Updates on the main menu of most of our software.

Thank You!

Of course, these resolutions are not a comprehensive list of our plans and goals for 2013. There are many other projects which are in development which we’ll talk about when the time is right.  Keep watching this blog or our e-mail newsletter for announcements.

In the meantime, thank you again for your support. We try very hard to listen to your problems, questions, and suggestions. If there is something that you’d like to see us do, please contact us and let us know.  Happy New Year and may you have a prosperous 2013 (both genealogically and otherwise)!