Basic computer tips

Basic computer tips

<p><strong>Do backups</strong> and if possible keep a copy away from home. See <a href="/wiki/guild-wiki/preserve/how-to-safeguard-and-preserve-your-study/" target="_blank">How to safeguard and preserve your study</a> and <a href="/wiki/guild-wiki/preserve/preserving-your-study/" target="_blank">Preserving your study</a>.</p> <p>A one-namer's computer will be asked to perform a range of inter-related tasks:</p> <ul> <li>Storing data — in a spreadsheet or database.</li> <li>Processing it to identify linkages.</li> <li>Retaining and displaying it in a format that can conveniently be shared with other researchers — such as the GEDCOM format.</li> <li>Communicating with other researchers — via an email programme or webmail account.</li> <li>Publishing the study's results — on a website, as a PDF, or as a book.</li> </ul> <h3>Choice of operating system</h3> <p>Genealogy programs are available for the Windows, Mac and Linux platforms, though the greatest choice is on Windows.</p> <p>New PC systems being sold today are generally 64-bit machines. However, many Windows programs used by genealogists have not been upgraded from 32-bit to 64-bit compatibility: many never will be. Additionally, some that work on Windows XP may not work in Windows 7. Members report that using the Windows 7 Ultimate edition allows you to create a separate space on the PC to run previous versions such as Windows XP in which older programs should function as on older machines. Mac users report that they can partition their hard drive to allow different operating systems, such as Windows, to run in parallel simultaneously with the Mac OS.</p> <p>In the past few years a new type of portable PC has become available: the <strong>netbook</strong>. These are lighter than laptops, have smaller screens (usually 10 inches) and generally carry fewer features and peripherals. Most have a much greater battery life than laptops. Almost all will connect with the web via a Wifi link and use a USB port to share data via a thumb drive rather than a DVD or CD drive. Netbooks can be very useful as tools to take on research trips to places like Record Offices and Courthouses. At home, an external screen can be plugged in for easier viewing, especially for looking at large spreadsheets.</p> <p>Members will certainly need a full suite of programs and online services to <strong>protect their work</strong>. These would include a broadband internet connection — preferably a fast one, external back up (to a second hard drive) and to an online backup service (such as Mozy, Backblaze, and others). It's also an idea to share your data with one or more trusted researchers on an annual basis. A specialist back-up programme, such as Acronis, can be set up to make a full disk back-up supplemented by incremental back-ups on a daily basis.</p> <p>See also <a href="/wiki/guild-wiki/preserve/how-to-safeguard-and-preserve-your-study/" target="_blank">How to safeguard and preserve your study</a></p> <h3>Choice of email systems</h3> <p>Members have the option to download messages from their standard POP email account using a traditional piece of desktop software such as Microsoft Outlook, or to use one of the many online services such as Gmail, GMX or Hotmail. The online services offer several distinct advantages: they are very efficient at filtering out spam mail automatically, access to them can be shared among researchers, and they offer simple but efficient ways to search and file messages. One option is to use an online account and set its preferences to forward all email sent to your @one-name.org address(es) to your standard POP account. That way you get the best of both worlds. Both types of system allow you to set up mailing lists to email files to fellow researchers and suchlike.</p> <p>Another tip is to set up a separate online account that you use purely to post messages on the web or to log in to family history websites (for example,  cjppublic@googlemail.com). You can always drop this address if the spam traffic becomes too intense, though Gmail is highly efficient in removing it in any case.</p> <p>See also <strong>Using your Guild email addresses</strong></p> <h3>Choice of software</h3> <p>Many Guild members run parallel data sets, one for Records (say in a relational database) and another for People (in a family tree program). It may not be good computing practice but it enables you to keep your cake ingredients separate from your attempts at cake-making!</p> <p>See also <a href="/wiki/guild-wiki/software-technology/family-tree-software/" target="_blank">Family tree software</a>.</p> <h3>Choice of Internet browser</h3> <p>In addition to Microsoft Explorer, open source Windows browsers such as Firefox (Mozilla), Opera and Chrome are viable alternatives and may offer selective advantages. From time to time, some members report that one browser or another may have problems working with parts of some websites, including commercial family history sites.</p> <p>There is, however, no need to ''choose'' between the Browsers available. You can download all of them and use whichever you prefer, or whichever is more appropriate to the task at hand. You can even use more than one of them at the same time. They are, after all, just programs.</p> <h3>Bookmarks</h3> <p>The Favourites/Bookmark) facility in the browser keeps a list of sites you wish to revisit or remember. Another option is to record these sites in a service like <a href="http://delicious.com/" target="_blank">Delicious</a> which will download a copy each time you log off to your browser's own bookmark file.</p> <h3>Using multiple monitors</h3> <p>Having more than one monitor makes it much easier when viewing and transcribing document images. From Windows 7 onwards you can use the Screen Resolution part of Control Panel to identify which monitor is which in a multiscreen environment. <a href="http://mediachance.com/free/multimon.htm" target="_blank">Multi-Monitor Taskbar</a> creates a second (and third) taskbar which will be put on extended monitors. Each taskbar display items from that monitor only.</p>