The online process

Overview

Setup 

Once you get to the genealogy page you must be a logged in user. Separate login from the valley site, but I suggest you use the same username. Easier to remember.  One of the administrators will set you up to be the administrator of the family file for your part of the family line.  Send an email to the webmaster via the feedback link to make that request. Once you are authorized, you'll be able to edit that file. You can then authorize others in your family to edit the file.

 Getting started

 There is already a file for your ancestor on the site. The administrator has set that up. To get to your file once you are logged in on the site, hover the mouse over the left-most 'tree' menu and select your file. Now you are ready to begin.

Editing your GEDCOM file on the online genealogy page

Overview

We start with the premise that you have already registered on the genealogy page and have had the administrator give you full admin privileges on the file you are going to update.

The essence of the procedure is:

• Login on the genealogy page.
• From the Welcome Page menu, select the ancestor file to work on.
• An introductory sort of page appears with statistics and news.  Notice the instructions, particularly:  "To begin working with the data, choose one of the charts from the Charts menu, go to the Individual list, or search for a name or place."
• Details follow ....

Detailed Procedures  (helpful images below)

1.  Suggest choose one of the charts from the Charts menu, in particular the Descendancy chart.  From here on out we will work with the TEST file which is listed in the Welcome Page menu
2. Choose the descendancy chart under "Charts."
3. To edit any individual, click the name in the block (such as John Paul Jones).
4. The Personal Facts and Details page opens and you have two areas within which to edit:
   1. In the main form (far left) you see Edit choices for each data record.
   2. To the right, look for the Options for Individual menu area.
      1. Choose Edit | Quick Update -- that's your easiest way to do pretty broad editing.
      2. A page opens that allows changing existing data or adding new records.
      3. Notice the little trees with an overlaid question mark? Clicking on one of those will give you context sensitive help.
5. Then there are things to ADD. 
   1. Whether working in the main form or from the quick update menu,  you will be adding FACTS:
   2. Update a fact:  the genealogy trail is made up of facts. You can add a fact in a couple of ways:
      1. From the drop down box: Click that box and you'll see many choices.  Those are the main events in a person's life.  Here is an example of adding a baptism record:
         1. Select baptism (Baptism [BAPM]) from the Add New Fact drop-down box, then click ADD. A window opens.  
         2. Enter a date --- notice the DD MMM YYYY format.
         3. Enter a place.
         4. That's it -- but before you click save, look at all of the pre-formatted choices like a spouse, child, marriage.
         5. When done, click Save.
      2. Or from the quick add (Birth  Address  Residence  Occupation  Death ). Clicking one of those also opens a window with details specific to that type record.
6. Editing existing facts follows essentially the same processes.
7. How about adding a another person?
   1. Pick a branch, try the TEST family. Click on that.
   2. Then view a chart -- I find the Descendancy chart is best.
      1. Navigate to the individual under whom you wish to add a person.
      2. When you see that person's box, click on the NAME
      3. You will then be viewing the Personal Facts and Details for that person.
   3. Click on the Close Relatives tab.  You will see options for adding a father, mother, spouse or child. 
   4. The main point here is that you are normally adding someone either above or below a person existing in the chart. You cannot add a person's grandparent directly, but will need to add the parent and then the parent of the target person's parent.
8. Notice the red box in the main chart? That indicates that edits have been made.  Open any chart and notice the very bottom of the page where the opportunity exists to accept or reject changes. click accept/reject. (will not be present unless you have edit privileges).
   
   1. A page opens listing all files over which you have the authority to change. You can select one change at a time or all at once.
   2. Now open the file again (descendancy chart, click on name).
   3. Notice your changes are now there.
9. At any time, you can open another chart or list or report and come back to editing. Try getting the Individual Report (PDF reader or program required). Maybe open a new descendancy chart if you've added a spouse or a child.

Feel free to mess with the TEST file all you want. It's totally expendable.

Some helpful graphics

Look for the HELP icon all over the place.   You will get a popup box with tips.

 On the left is an example of a descendancy chart, and on the right is what you get with the Close Relatives chart.