PAF 2.0 - PAF As Online Web App

Would it be possible to convert PAF into an online web app? Instead of developing a platform specific software product, PAF would be accessed via the internet. So much genealogical research takes place on the internet, it seems logical to put the software there too. It would also give Mac and Linux users a standardized way of accessing their data and make them feel like they're in the same class as PC users. If made an online web app, it would be easier for researchers to share information with each other. It would also make the researcher's data available from any computer with internet access - eliminating the complexity of syncing data between computers at home and computers in the family history centers.

If you look around, there have been a few threads discussing the pro's and con's of an online version of PAF.

Something to consider is that many people use PAF offline on a laptop while at the historial sites (such as graveyards). However, many people would like to use a PDA for the same reason.

The new Family Search site will largely make the current PAF obsolete. There will still be a need to be able to do genealogy work offline, but it will need to be able to synchronize with the Family Search database. There are probably commercial applications that are going to do this fairly soon, but hopefully an open source alternative (desktop client that synchronizes with Family Search) will also be available... and in Java so that it works on Linux and Mac too.

I recently installed phpgedview as an online geneology editor. It isn't the prettiest thing, but it has a lot of cool features and reporting tools. I haven't used it much, yet, but I like it so far. Until we have online PAF or the new Family Search, phpgedview might have what you're looking for. See http://www.phpgedview.net if interested.

I think we need an offline version of PAF or another offline program. I have a large amount of multimedia items in my personal PAF. RE: Death Certificates, Birth Certificates, Ordaination Certificates, Awards, Photos, Mission calls, Draft regristrations, and Life Histories in the Notes. Most of this stuff I don't want on line. Like Birth Ceritificates of living people. We just need an update to PAF that will allow us to sync faster than uploading a complete GEDCOM everytime we get a little new info. For those who want to, you will be able to just use new FamilySearch, it has most needed functions. I have seen the Beta2 and you could just use it and nothing else and get buy fine. But it does not yet have multimedia capabilities and even when it does they will not be as extensive as many will want for their personal files. New FamilySearch does not have the printing variety of PAF either. Maybe in 10 years I will change my mind, but for now we do need PAF or some upgrade to it.

One of the things to consider before dumping PAF would be the fact that wireless hotspots and the like are not widely available yet. It varies from provider to provider, and there are large areas of cities not covered, including maybe even places where cemeteries and church records, etc., would be found at, especially in rural areas.

So you would need to have some kind of a record manager to load the information onto, including the source notes, then when you got to a hotspot, or your hotel, or whatever, you would then be able to upload to familysearch.

This is especially true if you go outside the US to do onsite research. Don't know much about if European cellular and wireless capabilities will allow US handsets and wireless cards to work with their system, so that is obviously going to be a very major issue. Since it is not likely, one will have to log the data on his computer, then get to a location he can connect to the net then upload what he/she wants put on familysearch.

This topic is a repeat of the discussion in [thread=194]21st century syncing of PAF / FamilySearch / IGI[/thread], [thread=268]new FamilySearch API[/thread] and [thread=82] New Beta Family Search[/thread]. Please avoid duplication of the same topic that has already been discussed. If you wish to add more to the discussion, continue it in it's original thread. If you have a new topic then please start a new thread. Thanks.