FTM best practices?

I'm new to genealogy (6 weeks) and am wondering what is more
efficient. Is is better to make one huge database with everyone or
keep separate files and merge them for a big picture. I currently have
over 300 people.

newsgroups...

I don't know about FTM as I have used Brother's keeper and PAF, the
latter as it quickly built a web page for me, but I have now split my
database in to 5 - 1 for each of my parents, 1 each for my wife's
parents and then a 5th holding other people who may connect to one of
my families. Part of the reasoning was that the only people interested
in all are my children and me and it means that when new information
arrives I can add it and quickly create an up date to my web site
without having to rebuild hundreds of pages.

Tony Reading

Hugh Watkins...

if they are all relatives one large master file is best

it is wise to export a specific tree for the purpose if you want to add
photos
or create a "book" or a one-place or one-name study

I do a LAPHAm one-name study so exported all my mothers relatives then
added to it
other LAPHAM researchers and transcribers from around the world
contribute to it from time to time

(1) learn to use CONTROL + S
to add a source
my biggest mistake at the begining was not adding ALL sources

(2) never merge another tree with yours

before importing a file (ged or ftw) read every single entry
I usually make a working copy of the second file and delete any
duplicates and merge just with one individual as the link

(3)
learn how to correct mistakes
read the help menu and follow the links to the online knowledge base
FTM is very big and complex and has many "hidden" featurs

get to know rootsweb.com
the major freebie and community
ask for help by location or surname or other / eg census or occupation
or . . .
learn to use lists and boards

unknown cousins find me - and brickwalls vanish

start with your living relatives and family photos and papers

Hugh W

Charlie Hoffpauir...

Since you're using FTM, I'd say it entirely depends on whether or not
you'll be including pictures and other multimedia items with your
genealogical data. since FTM includes everything in one large file, if
you have a lot of media, your file will rapidly become huge. Most FTM
users who have a lot of multimedia items tend to maintain multiple
data files.

However, if you do not incluce a lot of images, etc, then by all means
keep all your data in one database, it makes everything much easier.

If you want to keep everyone in one database AND include images and
multimedia items, switch to another genealogy program. There are
several good ones that link the images, etc, instead of including them
in the data file(s).

Charlie Hoffpauir
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~charlieh/