Online Version of Indexing Program

Good <Morning/Evening>
There have been a few post recently about people not being able to use Indexing software in even Windows. I wonder if/when this indexing application will be brought into the current decade and be made into a webapp. Doing this solves a few problems:

• No client needs to be installed making it easier for users to get started
• No specific client requirements like JAVA which also can be a barrier to entry
• Automatic support on most if not all modern systems whether it be Windows/Mac/Linux/Android

Personally, I would like to index more but to remove me out of my primary operating system just so I can index makes it extremely inconvenient. Due to the fact that I have to drop everything I am doing to run the software.

I would hope this is being considered by The Church and would even be willing to help the development if such a project were underway.

jonrwads wrote:I wonder if/when this indexing application will be brought into the current decade and be made into a webapp.

This general direction was announced last year, and development is well underway. You can read about it in the article Looking Back, Looking Forward, beginning in the section titled "FamilySearch Indexing's Future."

Thanks for the reply aebrown. That is great news, I guess we just have to wait. I guess I should have searched on Family Searches own website instead of Google and I might have found the information/

Is there any update on the web-based indexing? I can't find anything new about it and it has been two years since the direction was announced.

KarenBarnes wrote:Is there any update on the web-based indexing? I can't find anything new about it and it has been two years since the direction was announced.

There have been a few updates along the way. One was in an article called Straight Talk About Indexing, published in September 2015. That article notes that progress has been slow, but progress is indeed being made.

"cricket sounds........"

This is becoming an issue as computers are being updated to newer versions of java, which are incompatible with the existing indexing program. The old java 1.6 (that the indexing program requires) is no longer supported for security updates, thus one has to decide between indexing and maintaining security updates. Hopefully this web-based solution is getting some attention and will be coming soon. I really don't want to downgrade to an older version of java. I know this issue with java is covered in another thread, but has no solution other than wait for the web-based solution or download an old version.

mclawsclan wrote:This is becoming an issue as computers are being updated to newer versions of java, which are incompatible with the existing indexing program.

The Java Runtime Environment (JRE) installed for a Windows operating system is not the JRE used by the Indexing program. When Indexing is properly installed on a Windows platform it will install the necessary JRE version 6 for Windows in a child folder for Family Search Indexing. You can update or change your system installed version of Java without affecting the Family Search Indexing version of Java. I am running Windows 10 with Family Search Indexing installed. My Windows installed Java is version 8 (build 1.8.0_101-b13). My Family Search Indexing installed JRE is version 6 (build 1.6.0_200-2). So my system uses JRE version 8 and Indexing uses version 6 and both operate as intended.

mclawsclan wrote:The old java 1.6 (that the indexing program requires) is no longer supported for security updates, thus one has to decide between indexing and maintaining security updates.

As mentioned previously the Family Search Indexing program installs and uses its own JRE version. As long as the proper JRE version is installed in the Family Search Indexing Windows Programs folder then the Indexing program will not attempt to use the Windows installed JRE. So if there is a Java problem for Indexing then the JRE installed with Indexing has a problem or was not installed at all.

mclawsclan wrote:Hopefully this web-based solution is getting some attention and will be coming soon. I really don't want to downgrade to an older version of java.

This is a common misunderstanding about the Java installed for the operating system and any Java problems for Indexing. There is no need to downgrade you system installation of Java for Family Search Indexing to work. Just make sure the JRE installed for Indexing is the correct version and properly installed.

I have a friend in my ward who is in college using a chromosome who would like to index but obviously can't use the current application. Is there anyway she can get the web app or is that by invitation only. Her father is a telecom architect for a major company here in Boise and she is somewhat computer literate. She relies more on her father and brother if that makes a difference.

Thanks

drewmov67 wrote:chromosome

Chromebook?

Yes a chromebook, the spellchecker caught me and I didn't proofread well enough. Should have been pretty clear anyway, I don't know of any other chrome... out there, so you could have taken a stab at it, but I guess you want to be a stickler and make the dumb user feel stupid. I'm 71 years old, and retired but worked in IT from the early 80's until I retired a few years ago. I always tried to help people, even when they couldn't explain or articulate what their problem was. I was a programmer as well as a DBA and SA at various times. The last few years I worked as the computer manager for the Transportation and Parking Department of a major university. This involved programming as well as customer support both software and hardware. Thanks for your time, I'm a Family History Consultant and Stake Indexing Assistant Director so am interested in when the web based Indexing system is going to be available.

He's just making sure. I'll bet sooner or later someone will ask if they can index on a chrome stick.

drewmov67 wrote:I have a friend in my ward who is in college using a chromebook who would like to index but obviously can't use the current application. Is there anyway she can get the web app or is that by invitation only.

The new web-based indexing application is available only to selected authorized groups of people (such as FamilySearch employees). I don't know of any way for those not in those selected groups to gain access.

drewmov67 wrote:I'm a Family History Consultant and Stake Indexing Assistant Director so am interested in when the web based Indexing system is going to be available.

The simple answer is that it will be available when it's available. I know that's not very helpful, but there have been no announced dates.

However, you can try out the beta version of the web-based indexing system to become familiar with it. Records you index with the beta won't actually become part of FamilySearch's record collections, but at least you'll know more about what's coming so that when it is made public you'll already be up to speed.

To try the beta, click here.