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Posting Pedigrees on Your Project's Patriarchs Page

  
Guidelines for Posting Pedigrees

  • Pedigrees are first posted on the Pedigree Forum by the project member or a visitor.
  • World Families will post the pedigrees to the Patriarch Page for projects which we administer or for projects we co-administer where the project administrator is not ready to post pedigrees.
  • World Families' policy, as of March 1, 2009, is that, for the project's for which we perform this service,  we will post to the Patriarch Page only those pedigrees that belong to a project member, and we will only post the direct line for that project member. 
  • Project Administrators should take on the posting of pedigrees to the Patriarch Page as soon as they feel ready to try, as this is a great way to get a feel for the lineages and the researchers for this surname.  Some admin recruit a co-administrator just for the purpose of posting on the website.  Project Administrators are free to post pedigrees for anyone who posts on the forum and to include siblings as well as the direct lineage in the pedigree on the Patriarch Page.
  • The pedigrees are posted on the Patriarch Page in chronological order, according to the birth date of the earliest ancestor.  However, you can choose to display them by lineage, surname variation, or any other way you choose
  • As you post pedigrees, check the Family Tree DNA GAP Member's page to see if that person has been tested.
  • If the pedigree correlates to a test, post the project member's kit number or code identity number in red at the bottom of the pedigree on the Patriarch page.  (World Families is no longer assigning a code identity number to new members for projects which we administer.  We are using kit numbers to identify new members, but will continue to display code identity numbers that were assigned earlier.)
  • If the pedigree family is not represented by a DNA test, encourage the pedigree poster to locate a male family member and have him yDNA tested.
  • Edit the pedigree as you post it, so that there are only four bits of information on each line, as we have realized that this approach allows clear identification of a family. Additional details can be provided elsewhere (If you are missing one or more of these, choose an important alternate fact to include).
    o        Full name (or as much as you have)
    o        Birth Date
    o        Birth Place
    o        Wife's name
  • Do not post any names of persons whose birthdates are after 1910, as we try to protect the privacy of any living individuals
  • This is the format we use for Worldfamilies.net, but you can choose any format and color scheme you wish.

  • You have two ways of posting new pedigrees on the Patriarchs page
    • Option 1:  Use the editing tools on the project's webpage to add the new postings.
    • Option 2:   Make the entire page into a word document, add new postings, save as an html file, and use upload feature to post on Patriarch Page.
    • We strongly recommend you use the Upload HTML file feature for any page with a lot of text
    • Common Problems with Posting Pedigrees
    • For information on the most commonly used tools, click here.
       

Editing the Patriarch Page:

 We strongly recommend you use the Upload HTML file feature for this page if you have a lot of text, as the editing tool on the website does not easily save and display a large amount of text on one page, and you can sometimes lose your formatting..

  • Option 1:  Edit on the page, using the tool bar and the editing box:
    • Log in as Project Administrator.
    • Copy (control c) the new pedigree from the Pedigree Forum.
    • Click on "Edit" on the Patriarch Page.
    • Be sure you have chosen "Choice 1. Your custom text" or "Choice 2:  Your custom text in a frame" as your "Edit Choice"
    • Paste (control v) the new pedigree into the Patriarch Page in the correct place chronologically.
    • Format the new pedigree using the tools in the toolbar above the editing box.
    • Click "Save" when you are ready to publish the page.
    • The page you just edited will appear on the Patriarch Page.
    • If you need more detailed instructions, please click here.
    • Click “reply” at the bottom of the new posting on the Pedigree Forum Page and post a note to the poster, or send him a personal email by clicking on the envelope symbol under his name.
    • Send a bulk email through your GAP at FTDNA to let project members know that a new pedigree has been posted. WorldFamilies has a sample email you are free to use or modify on this page: http://www.WorldFamilies.net/patmessage
  • Tips for Editing using the tool bar and editing box:
    • Before you begin, make a copy of the page in a Word document, just so you have a backup copy if the worst happens and you lose the page. Or, try the following:
    • Open the Patriarch Page in two different browsers (for example Internet Explorer and Firefox), so you will be able to look at the published page in one browser while you make the edits in the other. This will help you put the page back if you lose anything in the edits and also see how it is displayed on the published page. When you complete the edits, refresh the extra browser to see if the page displays well in both browsers.
    • Only edit a small amount at a time. Do a few edits, then “Save”, then do a few more, then “Save”. The editor can handle a few at a time better.
    • If you have a formatting problem that just won’t let you put text where you want, try highlighting the text and clicking on the “remove formatting” tool (the eraser) in the toolbar. This only works for a small amount of text. For larger amounts of text, copy the text that is giving you problems and paste it into WordPad or NotePad or another text editor. This will remove all formatting (including hyperlinks and color). You can then paste the text back into the editing box and it should format correctly.
    • Bullet points are the single biggest issue with formatting, so you may want to change to numbering for the generations.  
  • Option 2:  Using the "Upload" for your Patriarch Page
    • To prepare the Patriarch Page as an HTML file
      • Copy and paste the Patriarch Page into a new document in Word (use narrow margins to make it fit better.)
      • Copy and paste the new pedigree from the Pedigree Forum to the document in Word, placing it in the correct place chronologically.
      • Format the new pedigree using the tools in Word
    • To Save your document as an HTML file
      • For Word 2003 and before. 
        • 1. Click on "File"
        • 2. Click on "Save As" (Do not click on "Save as Webpage") 
        • 3. Type the tile of the document in the box name "File Name"
        • 4. In the "Save as type" box choose "Web Page (*htm, *html)"
        • 5. Be sure you have saved the file in the directory you want and click "Save"
      • For Word 2007 or Office 2007 one of these methods should save the file as an .html file:
        • Method 1 Office 2007
          • 1. Click on the button on the top left corner of your screen
          • 2. Click “Save As”
          • 3. Click “Other Formats”
          • 4. For “Save as Type”, choose “Web Page (*htm, *html)
          • 5. Name your spreadsheet and save
        • Method 2 Office 2007
          • 1. Select “Save as a web page”
          • 2. In next window,  place right above the publish button says "Save: Entire Workbook" or 3."Republish Sheet”
          • 3. Select "Republish Sheet"
          • 4. Instead of hitting the save button, hit the publish button.
          • 5. The saved file will upload.
        • Method 3 Office 2007
          • 1.  Convert the Word document to html source.
          • 2.  Copying only the source statements inside the DIV tags. Apparently some of the other tags outside of the DIV tags conflict with the html editor
          • 3.  Save as html file and upload.
    • Uploading your Patriarch HTML file to the Patriarch web page: 
      • Go to your project's web page, logged in as project administrator.Click "Browse" to find the file on your computer and double click on it. Click the "Upload" button at the top of the page.
      • Click "Browse" to find the file on your computer, and double-click on it.
      • When the name of the correct file appears in the box, click "Save"
      • The file will appear on your website page.
      • Note: If your file doesn't upload:
        • Try uploading the same file again, as it may work when you try again.
        • You may need to re-save the file as an HTML file, using the instructions above.
        • Click the “Edit” button and make sure you have chosen “Choice 1: Custom” or "Choice 2:  Custom text"in a frame"
    • Common Problems with the Patriarch Page:
      • The formatting looks great in the editing box, but “goes crazy” when I click “Save”
        • You may have a very long page with lots of text. If so, you will do much better if you copy the page into a Word document, save as an HTML file, and up-load. The text editor on the page does not function well when there is a lot of content to save and display all at once.  For tips on working with the editor to resolve some formatting issues, see Tips for Editing your Patriarch Page
      • The page comes up blank or has a picture of the heading for the web page on it, but my file page doesn't display when I upload my file.
        • You may need to re-save the file as an HTML file, using the methods listed earlier.
        • Try uploading the same file again, as it may work when you try again.
        • Click the “Edit” button and make sure you have chosen “Choice 1: Custom” or "Choice 2:  Custom text in a frame"
      • There are weird symbols showing up on the web page when I upload my HTML file..
        • Microsoft Word only allows 9 bullet points, so if you have managed to create more, they may show up as symbols instead. If this bothers you, you may want to use numbers for the generations.
        • If you have used the space bar to create extra spaces on the page, these spaces may show up as a symbol on the uploaded web page. Use the tab key or the “Increase Indent” tool to create spaces, and avoid using the space bar except between words. 

 Detailed steps for posting pedigrees using the text editing box and the toolbar,  and the style we use on the Patriarch Pages at Worldfamilies.net 

  • Copy the pedigree from the Pedigree Forum: 
    • Go to your surname's Pedigree Forum to find the recent posting(s) that has not been posted to the Patriarch page.
    • Copy (control C) the posting from the Pedigree Forum.
  • Paste the pedigree on the Patriarch Page:
    • Go to your project's Patriarchs Page, click "Edit" (It may take a few seconds for the editing page to open.)
    • Be sure you have chosen "Choice 1. Your custom text" or "Choice 2:  Your custom text in a frame" as your "Edit Choice"
    • The current Patriarch Page will appear in the editing box as it appears on the web page.
    • Select the correct place for the new posting in chronological order by the first ancestor in the pedigree.
    • Go to the last line of the pedigree that should be just above your new posting, put your cursor at the end of that line and hit Enter.
    • A bullet point will appear.  Use the Decrease Indent tool to move the bullet point to the correct place to begin your new posting.
    • Place the cursor next to the bullet point. 
    • Paste (control v) the new pedigree on the page
    • If you are having trouble with the placement of the pedigree or using the bullet points, click here for some tips.
  • Edit the Pedigree
    • “Select” the entire new posting by highlighting it by holding down the button on your mouse while you scroll over the material. While the material is highlighted:
      • Change the color of the text to teal by clicking on the “A” in the middle row of the toolbar across the top of the page and selecting teal. (4th row from the bottom, 4th row from the right
      • Change the type size to “3 (12 pt)” (click the arrow to the right of the box labeled "Font size")
      • Change the font to “Arial”    (Click the arrow to the right of the box labeled "Font family")
    • To indent each line after the first line:
      • Place your cursor at the end of the first line.  Use delete to bring the second line up to the end of the first.
      • Place your cursor just to the left of the name on the second line.
      • Hit enter. This will give you a second circle just under the first.
      • Click on the symbol “Increase Indent” (right end of middle row of tool bar-- symbol is horizontal lines with an arrow pointing to right) to move the second line into the correct place.
    • Use the same procedure for each line of the pedigree.
    • Continue through the generations of the pedigree, stopping at a birthdate of no later than 1910.
    • Note: if you have a pedigree with siblings listed, you will not “increase indent” with each one, as they are of the same generation and will have the same symbol.
    • As you post the pedigree, you may need to post an earlier generation after you have posted later generations: To do this, do exactly the same steps, except instead of “Increase Indent” you will click on “Decrease Indent” (the symbol to the left of “Increase Indent” with arrow pointing left).
    • If you are having trouble with the placement of the pedigree or using the bullet points, click here for some tips.
    • For information of the most commonly used tools, click here. 
  • To post the contact information for the provider of the pedigree
    • Go back to end of the first line, type a dash, then type or paste the name and email address of the person who provided the pedigree. (The email address can be found by clicking on the envelope under the person's name.)
    • Change the color of the text to black
    • Change the @ to AT to help prevent spammers from “harvesting” email addresses from the site.)
  • Linking the Patriarch page to the Pedigree Forum. (Often there is more information given on the Pedigree Forum than can be posted on the Patriarch page. It is helpful to provide a link from the posting on the Patriarch Page to the complete posting on the Pedigree Forum.)
    • Go back to the Pedigree Forum Page, and copy (control C) the url (address) for the page.
    • Return to the “Patriarch” page at the website, still open to the edit box (Do not close or you will lose your edits.)
    • Highlight the name of the earliest ancestor
    • Click on the chain symbol (Insert/Edit link) in the middle row on the tool bar.
    • Paste (Control V) the url from the Pedigree Forum page in the blank for url and click OK.
    • Highlight the name again, click on the AA symbol on the toolbar, change the color to dark gold (fourth row from bottom, third row from left), then bold it by clicking on the B in the toolbar while the name is still highlighted.
  • Correlating the pedigree to the test results
    • If you know the kit number or code identity of the member who is posting the pedigree, you can put it after the last line of the pedigree on the Patriarch page in bold red. (If you learn it later, you'll want to add it, as it is the correlation of dna results to pedigrees is really important)
    • Sometimes you can deduce the code identity number of a pedigree posting by looking to see if the email address of the pedigree poster matches the email address of a project member who has been tested. 
    • When you are satisfied with the posting, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the button Save and Publish.
    • After you have “Saved and Published” the Patriarch Page, take a look at the Results page to see if you need to add the earliest known ancestor for a test result there, based on the pedigrees now posted on the Patriarch Page.
    • Notify Project Participants that a Pedigree has been posted on the Patriarch Page
    • You can let your project member know his pedigree has been posted by clicking on “reply” at the bottom of his posting on the Pedigree Forum Page and posting a note to him, or sending him a personal email by clicking on the envelope symbol under his name.
    • You will probably want to send a bulk email through your GAP at FTDNA to let project members know that a new pedigree has been posted.
    • Click here to see a sample email.
  • Need more help?  Click here for answers to some common problems.

  •  

    We strongly recommend you use the Upload HTML file feature for this page if you have a lot of text, as the editing tool on the website does not easily save and display a large amount of text on one page, and you can sometimes lose your formatting.. 


 
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