Keeping It In The Family (Geni)
So I've left this whole blogging thing on the back burner for way too long. There's no excuse for it beyond laziness, but in case you're interested here's what I've been up to.
Another year begins and the world according to geeks continues to move. Instead of coping out again and writing another update post, I decided to just get on with it and talk about something new. So last week I signed up for a brand spanking new Web 2.0 service called Geni. Geni takes something everyone is introduced to during Primary school, the family tree, and puts a social network spin on it. The idea is fairly simple; you sign up and enter some details for your relations, adding e-mail addresses of these people invites them to join, ideally incorporating any additional details they may know, rinse and repeat. The idea of gathering information in this fashion intrigued me and after reading reports of an almost viral growth once the ball was rolling, I was keen to see how my family would get involved
The first thing that struck me about the site was how simple it was to start. I simply started adding my family members and in the background Geni created my account and e-mailed me the login details. It wasn't until I went to save what I had done that I realised it had already happened. Continuing on I entered in e-mail addresses for a my mum and a couple of sisters and sat back to see what would happen. It took a couple of days but eventually one of my sisters logged in and joined in the fun.
In the meantime I pondered on what more I should do. I had toyed with the idea of getting my partner involved, but the only option Geni had for this was to add her as a wife. Not being married I was fairly hesitant to add her in this way, but eventually curiosity got the better of me and I 'took my vows'. While members of my family shared my reluctance in further adding relations, my new 'wife' had no such qualms. The day following her invitation, the 'in laws' tree stretched to 60+ members with still more being added by her aunty. I can definitely see how Geni trees could quickly grow to immense sizes.
Unfortunately, as with most other Web 2.0 services Geni is still only a Beta and as many of its users have noted, there currently exist a number of limitations and 'related' issues. The previously mentioned wife issue has been raised by a number of sin living couples, limitations on 'tree merging' (or what I like to think of as inbreeding), adoption, exporting / printing, deletion and removal, have all been identified on the Geni blog. Of course to anyone familiar with cutting edge web apps this is all par for the course, but for everyone else (including my mother and sisters) it makes it difficult to trust in and want to spread the word about an otherwise awesome idea. Coupled with problems handling the massive influx in traffic and some magically disappearing images, and my chances of tracking down a rich long lost uncle getting on in the years are flailing fast.
Geni definitely talks the talk and looks the goods, but in its current beta state remains tough to sell. This of course completely undermines the ultimate viral goal of the service. I'll continue to try and get some more relatives involved, and maybe even make some time to add details myself, but until at least some of the issues are resolved I don't have high expectations of expanding my tree beyond those I already know.
Categories: Web2.0, Geni, Family, FamilyTree
Another year begins and the world according to geeks continues to move. Instead of coping out again and writing another update post, I decided to just get on with it and talk about something new. So last week I signed up for a brand spanking new Web 2.0 service called Geni. Geni takes something everyone is introduced to during Primary school, the family tree, and puts a social network spin on it. The idea is fairly simple; you sign up and enter some details for your relations, adding e-mail addresses of these people invites them to join, ideally incorporating any additional details they may know, rinse and repeat. The idea of gathering information in this fashion intrigued me and after reading reports of an almost viral growth once the ball was rolling, I was keen to see how my family would get involved
The first thing that struck me about the site was how simple it was to start. I simply started adding my family members and in the background Geni created my account and e-mailed me the login details. It wasn't until I went to save what I had done that I realised it had already happened. Continuing on I entered in e-mail addresses for a my mum and a couple of sisters and sat back to see what would happen. It took a couple of days but eventually one of my sisters logged in and joined in the fun.
In the meantime I pondered on what more I should do. I had toyed with the idea of getting my partner involved, but the only option Geni had for this was to add her as a wife. Not being married I was fairly hesitant to add her in this way, but eventually curiosity got the better of me and I 'took my vows'. While members of my family shared my reluctance in further adding relations, my new 'wife' had no such qualms. The day following her invitation, the 'in laws' tree stretched to 60+ members with still more being added by her aunty. I can definitely see how Geni trees could quickly grow to immense sizes.
Unfortunately, as with most other Web 2.0 services Geni is still only a Beta and as many of its users have noted, there currently exist a number of limitations and 'related' issues. The previously mentioned wife issue has been raised by a number of sin living couples, limitations on 'tree merging' (or what I like to think of as inbreeding), adoption, exporting / printing, deletion and removal, have all been identified on the Geni blog. Of course to anyone familiar with cutting edge web apps this is all par for the course, but for everyone else (including my mother and sisters) it makes it difficult to trust in and want to spread the word about an otherwise awesome idea. Coupled with problems handling the massive influx in traffic and some magically disappearing images, and my chances of tracking down a rich long lost uncle getting on in the years are flailing fast.
Geni definitely talks the talk and looks the goods, but in its current beta state remains tough to sell. This of course completely undermines the ultimate viral goal of the service. I'll continue to try and get some more relatives involved, and maybe even make some time to add details myself, but until at least some of the issues are resolved I don't have high expectations of expanding my tree beyond those I already know.
Categories: Web2.0, Geni, Family, FamilyTree
posted by Adam at 1:15 PM
1 Comments:
Kincafe much like geni
It was a great experience for me to have something like geni. I found it extremely useful for making a family tree.
But i would like to add something which is much like a geni, its Kincafe.
I would like you to particpate in beta release of Kincafe and provide feedback at andy@kincafe.com
Thanks
stesmith
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