mikefox@satx.rr.com 0 Report post Posted August 25, 2012 I am reaching an age where I'm concerned with leaving the results of 30 years of family research to my children. I have purchased a 1TB portable harddrive for each child to contain these results. In one of the folders on the drive, I'd like to have the TMG data-base for some 5000 ancestors and relatives. I will recommend each child buy a copy of TMG to have full control of the data, but as a minimum I'd to include a viewer for the data so the children can at least do searches for their ancestors. Is there a free viewer for the TMG data-base? Thanks --Mike Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michael Hannah 0 Report post Posted August 25, 2012 Yes, and No, Mike, John Cardinal produced a program called Mocakebi which is a free viewer of TMG Verson 7 data (see his web page here). However, John has not (yet?) upgraded that program to Version 8. I don't know what his plans may be, but that is the only free viewer I know of. Of course, TMG itself can be used free for a 30 day trial. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Terry Reigel 0 Report post Posted August 27, 2012 Mike, In my opinion, TMG's presentation, like those of other genealogy programs, is an awful way to share information with novices. It's designed to facilitate data input and analysis, and is very unfriendly to those unfamiliar with it who are wanting to casually peruse the information. Even those familiar with one program can find another program difficult to navigate, as I did when I received the data from another researcher in the "viewer" offered by the program he uses. Instead, I highly recommend preparing a website with Second Site, and distributing that site. Readers can then navigate the familiar web format with the web browsers they use daily. A very workable site can be created quite easily -- seem my Second Site Tips, particularly the link to "Second Site Basics," which is an illustrated version of John Cardinal's "six steps" to a website. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikefox@satx.rr.com 0 Report post Posted August 31, 2012 Yes, and No, Mike, John Cardinal produced a program called Mocakebi which is a free viewer of TMG Verson 7 data (see his web page here). However, John has not (yet?) upgraded that program to Version 8. I don't know what his plans may be, but that is the only free viewer I know of. Of course, TMG itself can be used free for a 30 day trial. Good news and bad. Mocakebi works perfectly, but-- I downloaded it to the portable harddrive and then installed it on that drive, and it reads my TMG database on the harddrive. But when I take the harddrive to another computer and try to launch Mocakebi, it won't start. Apparently, I'd have to install it on each computer. I'll have to do some thinking on this.. Thanks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikefox@satx.rr.com 0 Report post Posted August 31, 2012 Mike, In my opinion, TMG's presentation, like those of other genealogy programs, is an awful way to share information with novices. It's designed to facilitate data input and analysis, and is very unfriendly to those unfamiliar with it who are wanting to casually peruse the information. Even those familiar with one program can find another program difficult to navigate, as I did when I received the data from another researcher in the "viewer" offered by the program he uses. Instead, I highly recommend preparing a website with Second Site, and distributing that site. Readers can then navigate the familiar web format with the web browsers they use daily. A very workable site can be created quite easily -- seem my Second Site Tips, particularly the link to "Second Site Basics," which is an illustrated version of John Cardinal's "six steps" to a website. Yes, you're right. I want to pass 30 years of genealogy to my children, but immersing them in TMG cold-turkey isn't the way to do it. Only if one of them (or one of the grandchildren) want to continue collecting new info and continue the genealogy him/herself would the data base be any good. Second Site would be the best way to leave just the info to them. I probably should also put a copy of the GEDCOM on the protable harddrive in case they don't want to go as high-end as TMG to continue the genealogy. Thanks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
