|
|
About AncestryRegister.com FAMILY HISTORIES
|
Every AncestryRegister.com Family History uses an integrated architecture that simplifies its use for casual users, yet retains the traditional presentation and detail serious family historians expect. This is due to a 'five layer' structure :
|
| |
|
1. |
Level 1 - The 'AR' Website.
| |
The AncestryRegister.com website is the topmost level, and where many internet users first find us. The website level has an index and links to review copies of all 'AR' family histories on the site, as well as links to the 'AR' CD store and other useful FAQ pages.
Website users should be aware there are some differences between a Family History CD and the 'AR' website review copy. Website review copies are intentionally incomplete, omitting links to source citations, notes and biographies. They also omit the 'ancestral lines' descents described in 4 below, and many hyperlinked names and other items are also inactivated. One reason is that most website visitors are not interested in details, so removing them takes away possible distractions for them. In addition, the authors of all of 'AR's family histories have devoted thousands of hours to create them. Serious viewers interested in reviewing their source citations and notes, hyperlinks, ancestral lines descents, etc - the most important time-consuming part in creating it - are instead encouraged to purchase the Deluxe CD version (or have their library do so). This rewards 'AR' authors for their major efforts, since they share in their CD sales.
Since every Family History CD is self-contained, some CD users may never visit the website except to purchase a CD for a relative. Those who are interested can access the AncestryRegister.com website Homepage. The toolbars at the side and bottom of the page are all that is needed to navigate the website.
|
|
| |
|
2. |
Level 2 - The Focus Person or Focus Couple Home Page.
| |
Every Family History CD starts with the Home Page of its subject(s), and the family history specific toolbars at the top and bottom of the pages are all that's needed to navigate it. The AncestryRegister.com presentation is designed to share the ancestry and relations of either a single person or of a couple (oftentimes a still surviving parent(s) or grandparent(s)). Ideally suited to answering the basic question family members ask - "who are our ancestors and their history?" - the Home Page is the title page to the history. Even when separate histories are created for husband and wife, AncestryRegister.com 's extensive hyperlinks on its website make changing between the two partners' histories very easy (click HERE for the difference between Focus Person and Focus Couple histories.)
A Focus Person (or Couple) Home Page introduces them to the viewer, usually including a photograph. The toolbars then link to the 2 major formats in which 'AR' presents their ancestry - one using the traditional 'register style' genealogy format (level 3 below), and one a more compact 'ancestral line of descent' format (level 4 below). The toolbars also have links that simplify access to information. Indeed, the most important tool for navigating any AncestryRegister.com Family History is the toolbar at the top and bottom of every page.
|
|
| |
|
3. |
Level 3 - Traditional 'Register Style' Pages Linked to all the Details.
| |
Traditional family histories usually present their information in a 'register style' format that emulates the style found in the New England Genealogical and Historical Society's highly respected journal, The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. But such 'register style' genealogies become increasingly difficult to follow as the number of generations - and the added new family names they bring - increases. Fortuitously, the internet has introduced webpages with a unique new tool for tracing anything further - Hyperlinks. Carefully designed Hyperlinks make navigating any complex document (or set of them) easier by grouping the information into smaller easier to use reference pages. The people in AR's family histories are thus grouped into smaller easier to follow family lines (i.e. the Smith, Jones and Washington families), while hyperlinks between them allows for easy tracking even when family lines merge and children marry into other lines.
All of 'AR's Family History pages are also made easier to follow by highlighting Direct ancestors in 'green' for easy identification. The information packed 'Register Style' pages also contain 'shorthand' paternal ancestries next to every entry's name that not only visually link people all the way back to the first of their family line, but are hyperlinked to make skipping generations very easy. Last but not least, there are links to source citations for most person entries, and many of them also have links to author footnotes and other added material.
|
|
| |
|
4. |
Level 4 - Compact 'Ancestral Lines' Descents from every 'earliest ancestor' [CD Version only]
| |
'AR' histories typically contain 20 to 30 different family lines per 1000 names. 'AR' gives each of them their own 'register style' page (see level 3 above), with generation #1 being the 'earliest known ancestor' for that family line . Tracing a 10 generation descent from one of these 'earliest known ancestors' to the Focus Person or Couple may therefore require traveling through up to 9 different detailed family line pages (a page change being needed every time a daughter in one family line marries into another family line page). While every such page change is easily followed via hyperlinks, all the page changes means one can quickly lose track of all the names and generations.
AncestryRegister.com includes unique single page 'ancestral lines' descents from each 'earliest known ancestor' that succinctly present the names of every intervening couple down to the Focus Person/Couple. Using only two lines per generation (the top line the child of the prior generation, the bottom line their spouse or partner), a 20 generation line of descent thus takes only 40 lines, and - more importantly - every 'earliest known ancestor' has their descent to the Focus Person or Couple shown on a single page. Even better, one can drill down on any name to link to its supporting 'register style' page to learn all the details about them. Last but not least, where multiple descents from the same person exist, the descent with the most 'interesting people' is selected.
|
|
| |
|
5. |
Level 5 - Toolbar Links to Added Finding Features and Documentation.
| |
Every AncestryRegister.com Deluxe Family History CD has an index of all persons on it (found using the 'Directory' toolbar link), as well as an index to each of the major family line pages. There is also an index (found using the 'Highlights' toolbar link) to a list of separate biographies and Wikipedia and other websites with information about some of the genealogy's most 'notable' persons. All footnote source titles are also summarized on the toolbar 'Reference Sources' link. Last but not least, ancestors with notable accomplishments (such as being a veteran of the Revolutionary or some other War, a Mayflower passenger, etc) have interesting icons above their 'register style' entries noting the accomplishment. Each of these indexes, directories, links and icons increases the ease and speed that serious users can find the person, families and information they have any interest in (many of these features have been omitted or inactivated in the review copies of each 'AR' website review copy for the reasons noted in 1. above).
|
|
| | |
DISCLAIMER. No genealogy or history has absolute proof for all entries - records are often missing, there is often confusion between family lines and persons of the same name, and new information is continually unearthed. While the information on AncestryRegister.com was believed valid when posted, no representation is made the information about any individual or relationship shown herein is certain. Viewers with newer or better sources are encouraged to email the author or website administrator at inquiries@ancestryregister.com to suggest revisions or corrections.
|
| | |
We appreciate your support of the AncestryRegister.com Website.
|
|
|
