Personal Ancestral File 5.2 Genealogy Software Review

Personal Ancestral File 5.2 Genealogy Software Review Personal Ancestral File has been discontinued. According to FamilySearch.org, On July 15, 2013, PAF was retired and is no longer available for download or support.  Current PAF users may continue to use the software on their personal computers. ï » ¿One of the oldest and most popular genealogy software programs available, this family tree software from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was available for free download until 2013. Powerful and full-featured, the tool is also very user-friendly, making it perfect for novice computer users and genealogists. If you want fancy charts, youll have to spring for the add-on program, PAF Companion ($13.50). And if your primary goal is publishing a family Web site or book, there are better options. Pros Very intuitive and easy to useCustomizable data entry templatesAvailable for free downloadWidely used and supported Cons Full range of charts and reports only available with an add-on, PAF CompanionOnly basic multimedia capabilitiesPublishing options are limitedNot updated very frequently Description Available for free download or $6 on CD-ROM.View screens and print reports in either English, German, Japanese, Chinese, Korean or Swedish.Type names and places using characters from any language.Create personalized templates to customize data entry.Five generation pedigree view offers easy navigation through large family treesSingle name field rather than separate fields for given names, surname and suffix titles.Prints basic reports and charts. Fancy charts and book publishing options available through an add-on.Attach images, sound clips, and video files, or easily create basic scrapbooks and slide-shows.Easily prepares information for TempleReady.Select individuals and families for export to your Palm handheld and view your data on the go. Guide Review - Personal Ancestral File 5.2 Personal Ancestral File 5.2 is surprisingly powerful and feature-packed given that it is a free program. Multiple views, including a five-generation pedigree view, make the program easy to navigate and the data entry screen is simple to use. Customizable data entry templates mean that you can create your own fields to match the information you wish to record. Source documentation options are adequate, though not as customizable as I would like. Multimedia options include attaching unlimited images, sound clips and video files to individuals, and creating basic scrapbooks and slideshows. Only a single image can be attached to each source, however, and none can be attached to families, events or places. Despite its wealth of data recording features, PAF lacks fancier charts (e.g. hourglass chart, everything chart, etc.) and many customized reports, unless you spring for the add-on program, PAF Companion ($13.50 US). Of all the genealogy software programs, Personal Ancestral File offers the best support for users with free support through LDS Family History Centers, PAF User Groups, and online. And since PAF is from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, its likely that the software will continue to be developed and supported. If you want something thats easy to use and uncomplicated, and arent focused on publishing your family information in a book or online, then add PAF to your shortlist.

Standard, Standardize, and Standardized

Standard, Standardize, and Standardized Standard, Standardize, and Standardized Standard, Standardize, and Standardized By Maeve Maddox A reader has asked for a discussion of the words standard, standardize and standardized: I ask because of a statement I made sometime ago, where I said, we took a standard test. But my friend thought it should have been we took a standardized test. I think Im correct since standard in this context is an adjective that qualifies the noun test. On the other hand, standardize is a transitive verb and it should convey a sense of action. However, when I surfed the internet to see how these words are used, I found a puzzling example: â€Å"There was no standardized time until train travel became common.† Would you consider this a correct way of using the word standardized? The verb standardize derives from the noun standard. Among the different meanings of the noun and the verb, these are the ones relevant to this discussion: standard noun: An authoritative or recognized exemplar of correctness, perfection, or some definite degree of any quality. standardize verb: To bring to a standard or uniform size, strength, form of construction, proportion of ingredients, or the like. Both standard and standardized function as adjectives, but with different meanings. One can speak of a â€Å"standard test† or a â€Å"standardized test,† but the two phrases do not mean the same thing. A standard test is the usual test given. For example, a â€Å"standard driving test† requires the learner to parallel-park. A â€Å"standard joke† is one that is often repeated. A â€Å"standard excuse† for not doing something is â€Å"I didn’t have time.† A  standardized test  is a  test designed, administered and scored according to specific guidelines based on a standard that has been established by some authoritative body. It’s even possible to speak of a â€Å"standard standardized test.† For example, a particular standardized test like the PARCC or ACT might be the â€Å"standard standardized test† in one state or district, but not in another. As for the phrase â€Å"standardized time,† the same sort of contextual considerations apply. One may speak of â€Å"standardized time† and â€Å"standard time.† Before train travel became common, local times, based on the sun or a locally chosen meridian, were sufficient. Once people had to plan journeys with departure and arrival times in different regions, a standardized method of telling time became necessary. The result of the nineteenth-century century standardization of time is standard time: a standard system of reckoning based on geographical time zones. Context, of course, rules, but generally speaking, standard conveys â€Å"the usual,† whereas standardized conveys something systematically designed and administered. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Writing Prompts 101One Fell SwoopApostrophe with Plural Possessive Nouns