Computeractive, 18 Dec 2024, Issue 699, p. 20. https://getcomputeractive.co.uk/
gramps gets a mention
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I was able to utilize Libby/Overdrive to read this issue of Computeractive (699) through my local library in Massachusetts.
But while on the libraryās website, I checked its available online resources. One of the sites (which your library may also access) was Gale OneFile. Putting in āGramps genealogyā as the search brought me to this article.
Peers, Nick. āHOW TO Record your family history with Gramps: STEP-BY-STEP GUIDES TO IMPROVING YOUR PC.ā MaxPC US, no. 222, Nov. 2023, pp. 61+. Gale General OneFile, HOW TO Record your family history with Gramps: STEP-BY-STEP GUIDES TO IMPROVING YOUR PC. - Document - Gale General OneFile. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Actually, a pretty good article for a new user to get started.
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The November 2023 article shows Nick Peers has dug into Gramps enough to grasp the pros and cons. And he seems well-versed on competing product interfaces. That gives the mildly deterring mention of Gramps in this monthās issue more weight.
Have we all acknowledged Gramps has a very steep learning curve for novicesā¦ and that might be too steep for a significant percentage? I think so.
Given that assumption the question becomes: is this something that the developer community wants to change. Is there a desire to make Gramps more accessible to neophytes?
My assumption has been: āyes, but not if those changes make it harder to harness Grampsā power.ā
Is that incorrect?
Iām guessing that is the intention and given that Gramps is so flexible a simpler interface could be provided with an option (or desktop shortcut) to switch to the normal interface that most of us have learnt.
On the main page of the Gramps website it states:
We strive to produce a genealogy program that is both intuitive for hobbyists and feature-complete for professional genealogists.
So the project does not hide it is targeted at the proficient genealogy user, or anyone with a do-it-yourself attitude who is willing to read the documentation, and solve their own problems but the word strive does hide a lot in the promise that it be intuitive for the hobbyists which is one step up from a beginner! Gramps should not be recommended to a beginner in the current form!
Sure improve the flow of data entry for Gramps but please donāt reduce the program to the point of being useless!
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Hi
I classify myself as a medium term user, hobbyist and code tweaker and I
am very much in favour of the simple approach Kariās Simple Sidebar
being a perfect example.
I have recently installed a new operating system and clean version of
5.2.3 and then started to get my interface back to how I like it as part
of this I did an exercise of looking at the plug-ins/add-ons and found
that there are over 400 built in/available/installed.
For someone new to Family History this must be an assault on the senses.
I am totally against any form of ādumbing downā of GRAMPS because I
suspect this is where most of the developers (present and future)
interests focus.
So a starter configuration (basic/better/best or
starter/experienced/pro)with suitable documentation would be a viable
approach.
phil
PS whilst CardView is a super addon in my opinion it is not the base I
would use because the configuration would involve an epic sized tome of
documentation on itās own.
Thinking back when I first downloaded gramps, I was able to figure most of the basic features without reading any docs. I did stumble putting in the source/citation in the correct spot and it took me a while to figure out I needed the Long/Lat in the Place name before I could get the Map view to work.
I think gramps passed the initial test with a 90% in that I could use the program without reading the docs.
A couple of suggestions:
When an Event is added, have the Sources tap (Label) colour RED until an entry is made.
When a Place is added, have the Lat and Long fields RED (Labels) until there are entries.
This will draw the attention to these fields for the users that donāt read help pages. If there are any other āmust haveā fields then follow the same process.
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The development of Gramps Web has proven that the core of Gramps can be reused within an entirely new user interface. (In that case itās web-based, but desktop versions could also be built.)
Ambitious developers could theoretically build independent interfaces of various complexity and platform support, yet all could use the same underlying database and logic.
A novice user could start on with a simplified GUI and later switch to a more complex one ā or continue to use both. People already do this when switching from one genealogy program to another, but in this case, there would be no issues about converting their data.
All of that is easy for me to say, since Iām not a developer. I do appreciate that itās a ton of work to do anything. I guess what Iām saying is, developers interested in significantly improving the interface shouldnāt feel that they have to work within the confines of the current one.
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Thatās true.
It would be very interesting to see special-purpose Gramps-engine Apps for smart phones and tablets as research assistants.
Like a Camera app for gravestone photosā¦ with an OCR alternative looking up ancestors and auto-filing as a Burial Event gallery object. And logging the the gps metadata for plotting other known persons on a cemetery diagram.
Or collecting snapshots from pages referenced in a book in a repository. Where the researcher has Citation, Source and Repository gallery slots ā¦ like a cover/spine/ back, title page (with publisher/author data), card catalog page (physical or electrontic). So they are already organized for when you want to analyze the data or process with OCR tools.
And although Iām not a gamer, a tethered VR headset interface with Genealogy Fonds about specific ancestors or families for exploring complex data relationships.
My experience is similar. I figured out the basics of building families without digging into the documentation. Having said that although Iād never used a genealogical db system of any flavour prior to using Grampes, I did come to Gramps with a lot of experience of being a middle man between a team of people using a business system db and the IT geeks that coded that system, i.e. I do understand a bit about relational dbs. Without that experience of a complex relational db though Iām not sure Iād have found Gramps all that welcoming.
Also, Iām a 100% Windows user but I do know a little bit about Linux so to discover certain Gramps add-ons have ādependenciesā is no surprise and didnāt bother me. Iām not sure your average Windows user would be as understanding. Theyād expect an installer to install, not install but leave the user to learn something else must also be installed before what you installed works.
In other words, for your average Windows user, I donāt think Gramps is that accessible.