From: tim@powys.org   
      
   On 12/04/2019 10:29 am, Ruth Wilson wrote:   
      
   > Thanks for the replies. I think it is probably best to just import a new   
   > 'whole' tree from Brother's Keeper, which is my main database. That's   
   > the one I update religiously with new information, whereas Ancestry I   
   > keep for the hints which contain the odd gem or two!   
   >   
   > Fingers crossed I get some proof of the Scottish line ...   
   >   
   > Ruth   
      
   A core problem is that Gedcom is NOT a standard.  There is no set of   
   rules that all providers of tree programs agree on nor are there any   
   tests to show that they have conformed to whatever might have been   
   agreed.  So whatever comes out of one GEDCOM might not all go in to the   
   receiving one.  You have to do your own tests and do extensive checks   
   that all bits of data have survived the migration.   
      
   Further there is no guarantee that the likes of Ancestry will not   
   eventually die or get bored and then cheerfully discard your valuable   
   data.  So you would be better advised to keep your master data elsewhere.   
      
   But your data must still be backed up somewhere to treasure it.  My best   
   advice is to place it somewhere with internet access and encourage   
   everyone to copy it.   
      
   I would not advise keeping your data on multiple databases for different   
   trees.  You will eventually, as you have found, want to combine them.   
   And that is murder having to go through everybody to ensure they have   
   merged well and that there are no duplicates.   
      
   It is perfectly possible to have all your family trees on the one   
   database system.  But you must choose a system that allows you to   
   identify each tree (selections queries, flags, etc).  Then you must get   
   the hang of creating reports for selections from you sole main database.   
     And you probably also need a flag to show those with good data and   
   those with speculative guesses: a score out of 5 would do and you should   
   include the score needed for inclusion in each report you are going to   
   make and send to others.   
      
   I suppose I could go on for a long while on this but I have been using   
   one program now for over twenty years.  It started as Reunion on a PC   
   then became Generations on a PC then the owners abandoned it but I could   
   still migrate the files to Reunion on a Mac and, with continual support   
   and development, the program does virtually all that I need and a bit   
   more besides.  I've tried other programs but have never concluded that I   
   ought to migrate.   
      
   --   
   Tim Powys-Lybbe                                           tim@powys.org   
                 for a miscellany of bygones: http://powys.org/   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)