Frequently Asked Questions
What if I can’t get my family to work with me, is Ancestral Logs usable then?
Ancestral Logs can be used by a solo researcher. You just wouldn’t have to assign tasks to anyone else. Ancestral Logs then becomes your information storehouse. It will help you keep track of what you have already done, and what still needs to be done. It allows you to set goals, view all your research in an organized manner as you can cross file information easily between many ancestors without copying the documents again. Try it and see.
If I use Ancestral Logs, do I still need a subscription to Ancestry, FamilySearch, etc?
If you still want access to the features on other websites, including the family trees, you will need to subscribe to those websites. Ancestral Logs does not replace your use of those websites, instead it allows you to take the information you gather from those sites and organize the research details as well as the final facts about your ancestors in an understandable manner so it can be used by other users and research tasks can be shared.
Why does Ancestral Logs charge money?
Every website on the internet has hard costs for creating, hosting, and maintaining the website. We have chosen to not have advertising take up valuable space on Ancestral Logs and use that space to provide extra features and functionalities. So please tell us what features you would like to us to add.
Does everyone in my family need a subscription to use Ancestral Logs?
Each subscription is valid for one person. Only that one person will have access to view and enter information. You can make assignments to other people that don’t have a membership, but it will create more work for the subscription holder. Everyone else will have to email the documents and their research logs to the subscription holder so the information can be saved. It is less labor intensive, and less stressful if every researcher has their own login. Try it and see what method works for you.
Are living people displayed to other users?
As of February 2021, all ancestors, and the evidence you upload, is viewable by other users. We highly suggest not entering living people into Ancestral Logs. Privacy features are under development and will be here soon.
Can I just import an Gedcom file so I don’t have to re-enter everything?
Yes, On the entries screen, there is an import option. Here you can see all the Gedcom files you have imported previously. Click Import New File on the top right and find the name of your Gedcom file on your computer. Be sure to enter a description of the file you’re importing so you can know in the future what ancestors you imported. Please keep files limited to 100 individuals for faster processing. Larger files may be rejected. You can upload multiple files of 100 people if you wish. It is advised to upload the ancestors you are currently working on.
Is my research private or viewable by others?
All research is viewable by others. They need to add the individual ancestor to their entries to be able to see it though. This enables multiple people to help you with your research, isn’t that one of the goals of family collaboration? We are in the process of adding privatization for those who desire it, so please be patient.
What if there is data corruption or server failures?
We routinely make backups of the database in case of data corruption or server failures and will restore the latest backup.
Can Ancestral Logs be used by a research company?
It certainly can! In this case the coordinator may be the project manager over the client. Each researcher that works on the client project can have access to enter their research results, while the coordinator can give suggestions. This allows the coordinator to a assign tasks to multiple researchers working on the same client goal.
How does Ancestral Logs work with sites like Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org?
Think of Ancestral Logs as a replacement for your physical notes, file folders, and a way to make sense of all the original records, emails with other users, maps, biographies, etc. that you are collecting on these big research sites. Ancestral Logs becomes your working notebook, the collection place of all your notes and thought processes. Ancestral Logs is the medium between you and distant relatives also working on the same family trees. Here you can easily share documents, analysis, and divide the assignments between each other.
What if I don’t like Ancestral Logs?
We have provided you with a no cost generous 90-day free trial to see if you like the website. Most websites offer only 14 or maybe 30 days. We want you to have time to use all the functions and see how it really can save you time and frustration. Your credit card is not charged until the 90-day trial expires. If you discover it doesn’t work for you, click contact us on the side bar and ask us to cancel your membership. Realize that when the 90 days passes, your card is automatically charged if we have not received a cancellation message. It may take a few days to process, so please be patient.
Can I download evidence that I, or others, upload?
Yes you can! Just click on the document you want to download, and it will open it in a new window. Right click on it and then click save or print.
What can I see about other users?
Each user is required to create an Alias name when they sign up. Other users can only see the Alias. No other personal information is viewable by anyone except the administrators of the site, and it’s securely protected.
Can I print my research logs?
This feature is under development and will be available soon. As a work around you can print it just like you do any other webpage by clicking your right mouse button.
Can my research be changed by other users?
No. Only the user who entered the information can change it. Other users can add another opinion by completing a research log and uploading evidence and submitting it to the coordinator of the ancestor. But your evidence and your research logs remain only editable by you.
What if Ancestral Logs goes out of business? What happens to my research?
This is possible for every website that you upload information to. If that situation arises, and we sincerely pray it doesn’t, you will have an opportunity to download your research or it will be sent to the email address on file.
How do I know my data is secure?
We follow industry best practices in deploying security measures to protect your data, including
- All data is transferred to our servers via secure TLS encryption.
- Once you are logged into the site and ready to view or enter data, you can see the ‘https’ at the beginning of each page URL and the closed lock in the browser status bar. This is the same technology (called Transport Layer Security) used by online stores that capture credit card information.
- Once your data lives on our servers, we store it encrypted and restrict access to the data according to our privacy policy.
- Your payment information is not retained by us. It is solely in the custody of our banking and card processing partners.
- The site itself is password protected and that password is stored in an encrypted format that even we can’t read.
- We backup all data to offsite locations, to ensure that your data will be preserved if there is a problem with our servers.
- We retain security experts to regularly review our systems and practices to ensure that we are doing everything possible to protect your data.
Plus, we believe strongly that your data belongs to you.