Swiss Anabaptist Genealogical Association

The first question is probably "Why another site?"
- As the databases continued to grow in size, it has become increasingly difficult to update the databases using a shared computer. In order to keep me from shutting down the other websites hosted on the same computer, the internet hosts have incorporated many limits on the processor usage and the amount of time any process I initiate can run. The result is that updating some databases requires restarting the process 5 or more times, and selecting a "Resume" feature every 13-14 minutes for several hours to complete the update process. To eliminate these obstacles I have moved the member site to a dedicated computer.

A couple notes
- when using the ancestor option, you may find the Ahnentafel setting with 8 generations useful as this lists the children of each set of ancestors.
- when using the relationship calculation option, realize this was not designed for such large databases.
I have set the max to 5 generations which takes about 15 minutes to run. (6 generations takes 2+ hours)
-- Suggestion, print a 6-generation pedigree chart for each person and compare them manually. This covers relationships out to 4th cousins - and is MUCH faster and less frustrating than using the TNG option!

Background:
- This website is provided as a service to our group's members to share their research with others. We do not have an office or any paid staff - all maintenance is done by volunteers in their spare time.

Corrections:
- The hosting duties do not include making any "corrections" to the databases, that is the responsibility of each contributor. Database contributor information is only made available to members. The database contributors are encouraged to send in updates every quarter to include additions / corrections / etc. that have been made since the previous update.

Dues:
- The membership dues are only to be used to cover the cost of hosting the databases - printing and mailing newsletters - or to offset some of the costs of our meetings. Since our 2007 meeting, we have been pleased to welcome 152 new members to our group. (as of May 27, 2008) Memberships are for calendar years so it makes things easier for everyone if people join or renew for multiple years. Renewals or membership extensions can be done at any time.

Software:
- We moved the databases off Geneweb for three main reasons. 1) The databases went offline nearly every weekend due to the heavy usage. 2) People had to individually search each separate database. 3) The software option to hide information about living individuals never worked correctly. TNG on the other hand has handled the load without issue - searches all databases simultaneously - allows much more powerful search options such as date ranges and spouse surnames - and correctly hides information about living people.

Membership Form

Name: _______________________

Address: _______________________            City, State, Zip: _______________________

Email: _______________________                Phone: _______________________

Research:
Anabaptist Surnames being researched: __________________________________________

Anabaptist Congregations being researched: __________________________________________

Geographic Areas being researched: __________________________________________

Genetic research project description: __________________________________________

Software:
Genealogy Software Used: __________________________________________

Number of individuals in your database: __________________________________________

Membership:
1 Year (12/31/08) $6.00 [__] 2 Years (12/31/09) $11.75 [__]  4 Years (12/31/11) $20.00 [__]

Checks should be made out to:
Robert Geiser

Please send this form with payment to:
G&S Titanium, Inc.
PO Box 1107
Wooster, OH 44691

SAGA Members must agree to abide by the Standards For Use Of Technology In Genealogical Research listed below.

Sign here to signify your agreement: _______________________

Standards For Use Of Technology In Genealogical Research Recommended by the National Genealogical Society

©2000, 2001 by National Genealogical Society. Permission is granted to copy or publish this material provided it is reproduced in its entirety, including this notice.

Mindful that computers are tools, genealogists take full responsibility for their work, and therefore they--

· learn the capabilities and limits of their equipment and software, and use them only when they are the most appropriate tools for a purpose.
· do not accept uncritically the ability of software to format, number, import, modify, check, chart or report their data, and therefore carefully evaluate any resulting product.
· treat compiled information from on-line sources or digital databases like that from other published sources, useful primarily as a guide to locating original records, but not as evidence for a conclusion or assertion.
· accept digital images or enhancements of an original record as a satisfactory substitute for the original only when there is reasonable assurance that the image accurately reproduces the unaltered original.
· cite sources for data obtained on-line or from digital media with the same care that is appropriate for sources on paper and other traditional media, and enter data into a digital database only when its source can remain associated with it.
· always cite the sources for information or data posted on-line or sent to others, naming the author of a digital file as its immediate source, while crediting original sources cited within the file.
· preserve the integrity of their own databases by evaluating the reliability of downloaded data before incorporating it into their own files.
· provide, whenever they alter data received in digital form, a description of the change that will accompany the altered data whenever it is shared with others.
· actively oppose the proliferation of error, rumor and fraud by personally verifying or correcting information, or noting it as unverified, before passing it on to others.
· treat people on-line as courteously and civilly as they would treat them face-to-face, not separated by networks and anonymity.
· accept that technology has not changed the principles of genealogical research, only some of the procedures.