OneGreatFamily Blog

Go Back
  • What Is An OGFN?

    Every individual in OneGreatFamily's database has a unique number to identify them. We refer to that number as an OGFN, which simply stands for "OneGreatFamily Number". With an OGFN you can always immediately return to the specific individual within the database.

    The easiest place to find a person's OGFN is by looking in the Selected Individual box in the Handprint, as shown here:



    A good tip to know about OGFNs is that you can also copy and paste them out of the Details For: box. To do so, simply click on the Selected Individual. The Details For box for that person will open. One of the fields is labeled I-OGFN (which stands for Individual OneGreatFamily Number). You can double-click on the 9 digit number in the box to select it, type CTRL-C to copy the number. It is a good practice to copy and paste the number instead of writing it down because with 9 digits it is very easy to make a mistake.
    You can use the OGFN in several other places within Genealogy Browser:

    1. As an option to upload information by "Using Known OGFN."



    2. Next to the name of every Anchor on your "Select Anchor" screen.
    3. As you mouse over any individual in your Starfield.
    4. Each time you manually add an individual you have the option to "add an existing individual" by using an OGFN.

    OGFN's are helpful when sharing information with others. When you upload information using an OGFN you get both the information on the individual the number represents, and all of the ancestry and descendancy that is available on the individual.

    Note: Uploading information using OGFN's is only available to subscribers. User settings must be set on "Advanced" in the Genealogical Expertise Level.

    Try It Out
    Enter 501695521 in the "Use Known OGFN" field on the "Select Anchor" screen after you login to Genealogy Browser.

    Full story

    Comments (0)

  • Colors in the Starfield

    Have you ever wondered what the different colors in the Starfield mean? If so, here is the answer to your question:

    . A white box indicates a record that you own because you submitted it to the system. Data may be added to and merged with that person and it will still appear white.

    . A gray box indicates a record that you do not own; meaning the system added it to your tree. If you open a gray record, and make changes to it, it will change to white.

    . A red box indicates an end of the line, showing that there are no parents listed for that individual.

    . A blue box indicates a common reference, meaning that in addition to the blue box will be a line connecting them to another blue box to show that they have a common ancestor. This color becomes more common the further back you go in your tree, as many people married distant family members.

    If you ever forget this, there is an easy way to find it on the site.

    Login to Genealogy Browser and on the menu at the top you can click on the "Help" link, which is right after "Anchors." Then you will click on the last option, which is "About OneGreatFamily"

    A new box will appear with the legend of what each color means.

    Full story

    Comments (0)

  • How To Use The All Conflicts Feature

    Have you been seeing lightning bolts all over your family tree? In Genealogy Browser there is an icon on the toolbar that looks like a lightning bolt. This feature is called All Conflicts. When this icon is selected it enables you to see the conflicts that are on your family tree (these are visible in both the Starfield and the Handprint views). You can also unselect this and get rid of the lightning bolts on your tree.



    So what is a conflict? A conflict is an alternate view. It means that another user has this person on their tree, but the information is slightly different. Due to these differences, OneGreatFamily has not merged these records. When you click on the lightning bolt icon you are able to see both your view (on the left) and the alternate view (on the right).

    Sometimes the difference between the two records is a simple as a misspelled name, or could be a difference in date, place, parents, siblings, sibling order, etc.

    Once you look at the conflict you have the option to ignore or accept the other view. If you ignore the other view, then it will remain a conflict (meaning you will still see the lightning bolt), but you will continue to see your own information and the other user will continue to see their information. If you choose to accept their information then you will lose your view (the information that you entered in) and accept the other user's view and information. It will then merge the two records and the conflict will be resolved.

    You should be careful when resolving conflicts, because once you have accepted another user's view it will alter your family tree and could alter relationships in your tree. It may be that another user's information is more correct and if so, it is good to resolve the conflict; just make sure that it is correct.

    Full story

    Comments (0)

  • Collaborate At OneGreatFamily

    As genealogists we often question the source of information about a particular ancestor, the reliability of the information, and whether the submitter is a distant relative-questions that can be resolved by communicating directly with the submitter.

    OneGreatFamily has designed a feature so you can contact other OneGreatFamily members and communicate with them about records and other genealogical related information.

    As you bring up the edit box for a particular ancestor you will see an icon in the bottom left hand corner of the edit box that says "collaborate," click on this:

    You will then see a list of the groups that have this record on their tree. Click on one of the groups listed and then the username listed below the group. You will see the group owners name and email address listed in the space provided.

    Here is a link to a brief video about this topic:
    http://www.screencast.com/t/MKW42g46

    Full story

    Comments (0)

  • Are There Thousands Of Ancestors Hiding In Your OneGreatFamily Tree?

    Do you know how many ancestors are really in your family tree at OneGreatFamily?

    Many of you may have noticed this on your Genealogy Browser toolbar but never really understood what it can show you:

    Number of Generations Display on the Toolbar

    You will notice this drop down menu in the toolbar section at the top of Genealogy Browser. This convenient menu lets you quickly and easily set the number of generations to be displayed in the Starfield area.

    Many users have never changed this setting and so have never actually seen everything that OneGreatFamily has found for them. If you have never changed this setting, we strongly encourage you to play around with it. You can select a value off the drop down menu or just enter a value into the box. If you are on a high-speed internet connection, we would suggest you try starting with at least 50 generations. Dial-up users might want to start with 20 generations.

    Remember, the higher the number, the longer it may take to load your pedigree. Still, you could be surprised to see how much OneGreatFamily has added to your family tree, and it will be worth the wait!

    Everyone can see the size and shape of their family tree on OneGreatFamily; however, only subscribers will be able to see the names of the ancestors found by OneGreatFamily's matching and merging process.

    Full story

    Comments (0)

  1. «
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. 6
  8. »

Ancestor Search

Enter Ancestor's Last Name:
Advanced Search
See what information we have in our database of over 190 million unique entries. Browse Alphabetically
  • Photos
  • Biographies
  • Histories
  • Country Origin
  • Alternate Spellings
  • Number of Generations
“...One person can't possibly do all of the work alone. They need help to speed up the work...The only way to do this is with your wonderful service...”
—Jeff Bagley
More Success Stories



Watch Demo

Use the buttons below to navigate through all four demos.

Previous Restart Next

Demo: Introduction

Learn More

Close