FIELD NOTES & GUIDES
The family tree, explored.
Ideas and plain-English guides for seeing the research you've already done — on the television, in print, and with the whole family in the room.
September 11, 2026 · 5 min readFire TV vs. Google TV vs. Apple TV for Family History
For putting a family tree on the television, the differences that matter aren't the ones reviews cover. Here's what actually separates the three.
September 10, 2026 · 6 min readScanning the Shoebox: How to Digitize Old Family Photos Properly
Most people scan the shoebox once and scan it badly. Here's the resolution, format, and naming decisions that determine whether you have to do it again.
September 9, 2026 · 6 min readAncestry vs. FamilySearch vs. MyHeritage: Which One Is For You
The three genealogy platforms differ on axes most comparisons skip — coverage by region, how the tree is owned, and what happens when you stop paying.
September 8, 2026 · 6 min readThe School Family Tree Project, Done Properly
Your kid has a family tree due Friday. Here's how far back to go, how to fill it in one evening, and what to do when the worksheet doesn't fit your family.
September 7, 2026 · 4 min readFree Ways to See Your Family Tree (No Subscription Required)
You don't have to pay anyone to see your own family tree. Here's every genuinely free route — desktop, web, print, and the living-room television.
September 2, 2026 · 6 min readA Six-Generation Wall of Names: Reading a Full Fan Chart
A six-generation fan chart holds 126 people. Here's how to read one — the numbering, the halves, and the patterns worth looking for.
August 31, 2026 · 5 min readWhy Your Family Tree Shouldn't Live in a Browser Tab
You spent years on it. The finished object is a login. An argument about where family history should end up, and why nobody looks at yours.
August 28, 2026 · 5 min readApple TV Apps for Genealogy Lovers
The genealogy category on Apple TV is nearly empty. Here's what exists, why the workarounds are clumsy, and how to get your tree on the big screen.
August 28, 2026 · 4 min readHow to Get Your Ancestry Tree Onto Your TV
Ancestry has no one-click path to a television. Here are the two real routes — a free GEDCOM export, and a concierge import that keeps photos and sources.
August 24, 2026 · 6 min readFamily History Night: How to Run One Your Kids Will Remember
A family history night fails when it turns into a lecture. Here's a 45-minute format that works, with the questions and games that actually land.
August 21, 2026 · 6 min readThe Best Ways to View a GEDCOM File in 2026
You have a .ged file and nothing on your computer will open it. Here are the real options — free desktop apps, online trees, browser viewers, and the TV.
August 20, 2026 · 5 min readFamily Tree Screensavers: Your Ancestors as Ambient Art
The biggest screen in your house is black most of the day. Here's how to turn idle TV time into a slowly drifting portrait of your whole family.
August 17, 2026 · 5 min readWhat Is FamilySearch? A Plain-English Guide
FamilySearch is a free, nonprofit family history service built around one shared tree instead of millions of private ones. Here's what that means.
August 15, 2026 · 6 min readHow to Print a Family Tree Chart (PDF and JPG)
How to get a family tree chart out of your software, sized to a frame you can actually buy, and onto a wall — without paying a chart-printing service.
August 12, 2026 · 5 min readHow Many Ancestors Do You Have? The Math of Six Generations
Six generations back you have 126 ancestors. Thirty generations back the math says two billion — more people than were alive. Here's what actually happens.
August 10, 2026 · 7 min readAncestor Chart vs. Descendant Chart vs. Bow-Tie
Three chart shapes cover almost every family tree ever drawn. Here's what each one shows, what it hides, and which one answers your question.
July 24, 2026 · 3 min readFamily Reunion Ideas: Put the Whole Family on the Big Screen
Make the family tree the centerpiece of your next reunion — setup checklist, activities for kids and elders, and what to capture before everyone goes home.
July 20, 2026 · 3 min read12 Family Tree Display Ideas That Aren't a Poster
Twelve ways to get your family tree out of the database and into your home — from the living-room TV to gallery walls, quilts, books, and maps.
July 20, 2026 · 2 min readFan Charts, Explained: Why Genealogists Love Them
The fan chart is genealogy's most beautiful diagram. Here's how to read one, why it beats a boxes-and-lines pedigree, and where fan charts are headed.
July 20, 2026 · 3 min readHow to Show Your Grandparents the Family Tree
You built the tree. Here's how to share it with the people who lived the most of it — a practical guide to the best hour your research will ever buy.
July 10, 2026 · 3 min readHow to Export a GEDCOM File From Any Genealogy App
Step-by-step GEDCOM export instructions for RootsMagic, Family Tree Maker, MyHeritage, Legacy, Gramps, and Ancestry — and what a GEDCOM actually contains.
July 6, 2026 · 3 min readWhat to Do With Your Family Tree After the Research
You spent years building your family tree. Here are five meaningful things to do with it now — beyond letting it sit in a database.
June 29, 2026 · 3 min readHow to Display Your Family Tree on a TV
Three ways to put your family tree on the television — from casting a screenshot to a native TV app the whole family can explore with the remote.
June 22, 2026 · 3 min readWhat Is an Interactive Family Tree?
An interactive family tree is one you can explore, not just look at. Here's what that means, and how families are putting theirs on the living-room TV.READY WHEN YOU ARE
Your family is already on the screen tonight.
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