ATTENTION Curators, please assist

The Geni "make a document" feature does not function for Ancestry.com, JewishGen.org, and presumably other pay sites, most likely because the viewer needs to be a paid user (as am I for both) in order to view the "made" document.

That said, what is the best technique to cite sources from these pay sites?

(1) Write a PDF and make a document

(2) Screen capture the text and paste in the "Overview"

(3) Screen capture the image, make a JPG, and upload as photo

Each of the above three, to me, seems ponderous. Am I correct in the rationale of why Geni will not allow the make of documents from pay sites?

Gary - ancestry.com used to let me download / upload but seems not too anymore.

I find the easiest & fastest is to make a jpg and upload as document to Geni. I use the overview more for citations.

The reason I upload images " as documents" is so I can tag to multiple profiles and cite the sourced facts.

You are correct, - Geni cannot make a snapshot of an URL that require a login, simply because the "user" in this case trying to access the site is the Geni server, not you, so having paid for access and logged in locally on your PC does not help.

Considering that Geni is absolute crap at handling typed-in text, .JPG is pretty much teh way to go.

I would worry about copyright a bit more if YOU are the one creating the picture - thru screen capture or writing to PDF or whatever - and then uploading that, rather than Geni creating it thru its Document-making process.

How do I create a document using geni?
normally I take a screen shot. Paste into then edit with Paint. Save to hard drive then upload to Geni.

http://help.geni.com/forums/367910-Documents

Never check the FAQ Alex. :)

I've uploaded thousands of documents. Really it depends on what the source is. The easiest is copy & paste a link from a public domain source such as an out of copyright google ebook

I do it like this

Profile view
Sources tab
Add source
Add a new document
Post a new link
URL box (the whole copy & paste from the browser address bar)
<wait patiently until rendered>
change title to be more meaningful to me & get rid of ugly unnecessary long URL that messes up the profile
Add description for full book title
Cite facts
Tag to more profiles

On my slowest day this takes 5 minutes tops

Never need the FAQ with you here Erica :)

To go back to the pay site issue, I write them as PDFs and upload. I like that method because the full citation is included in the PDF.

When I Just JPG a census report (as example) I try to first make a custom event in Geni on the timeline tab called residence, and copy & paste transcription into the envy description field. Then upload the report to the event & also use it for sourced cited facts for all the profiles in the household.

Sorry - that would be "event description."

Then I also most cleverly (in my own opinion) alias the URL of the uploaded doc in the overview because no one switches tabs, but they do compulsively click hyperlinks.

Sort of regarding both issues.
I've been following your instructions Erica and have uploaded 1/2 dozen sources for one woman today BUT (there's always a but) the aged produced in this manner is too blurry to be much use. I consoled myself at first that anyone can follow the URL to read the page in all it's glorious zoomable detail but then (here's that BUT again) that will only work provided the host site never changes it's URL. Even the smallest change will render the whole thing useless.
I am thinking that a carefully created screenshot is a better option.
Bit of a shame having just cited 100 odd facts :(

Sort of regarding both issues.
I've been following your instructions Erica and have uploaded 1/2 dozen sources for one woman today BUT (there's always a but) the image produced in this manner is too blurry to be much use. I consoled myself at first that anyone can follow the URL to read the page in all it's glorious zoomable detail but then (here's that BUT again) that will only work provided the host site never changes it's URL. Even the smallest change will render the whole thing useless.
I am thinking that a carefully created screenshot is a better option.
Bit of a shame having just cited 100 odd facts :(

Alex ... maybe do both? (all 3?) Take the screen shot, but also grab the URL to place into the details (metadata fields) when you upload the 'photo' as a document (i.e. Edit the document after upload opens up a few fields). That way one can both view the details within Geni, but still have a link to the original location (which MAY have been updated ... e.g. a FindAGrave memorial).

... and the URL as a link in the 'About' (at least some key ones).

Alex -- I looked at your "Activity" - it shows screen sho/documents of a screen offering downloading -- so in a situation like that, my recommendation would always be to download the document, then upload it to Geni. Not use Geni's create a document from a URL function.

You will find some websites comes across very well using Geni's create-a-Document function -- some on first view, some only when click on one or more of Zoom or View Full Size or View Original Document. And yes, a few websites just do not come across well.

Agree with Lois, that's been my experience also. And clicking on
"Go to URL" or "View Original Document" solves some "what appears to be bad" issues.

However - if the ONLY way they are legible is if you "Go to URL" - then you are at the mercy of link being changed, which Alex rightly wants to avoid!!

However -- recommendation esp. for Find-A-Grave -- sometimes do try the "Go to URL" -- have found many of those Memorials marvelously expanded/updated since my initial creation of a Document. (I then sometimes upload the new version -either adding or replacing)

Lois, stop looking at my Activity you are violating my personal space! :)

I definitely think screenshots are a better option but adding the URL in the description is a good idea as a sort of reference.

Alex - if they thought it was violating Personal Space, supposedly they wouldn't show it to everybody. They don't show everything, just Public Actions -- altho since all Documents start as Public, they list them even when you change them to Private Document. That is -- Private Document on Private Profile - listed! That really ticks me off. Think yours were Public Documents for Public Profiles, so not clear why it upsets you - but one is entitled to one's feelings. Feel free to fill out a Feature Request for them to change how Geni works.

Alex - it really depends on the source. If I'm doing a book extract, much faster & easier by "add URL" and it also gives me (others, if they bother to look) a chance to read more.

If you're doing difficult handwriting or a tombstone close up, as good a quality an image as you can make on your computer.

Etcetera

But Erica by posting a URL you are completely dependent on that server never changing, just seems a big risk to me.

Books change? Really ?

yes they do.. for example just the other day I found a updated copy of something that was published in 1879 in the library of congress they came out with a 2000 edition.. LOl.. I didn't know that either..

so what was once viewed as fact in the 1879 edition could very well have changed in the 2000 compilation based on whater the the nhgs thought was right at the time..

NOooooo, maybe i have to port the idea over to you? :)

The BOOK won't change, the _URL_ could change.

Recently www.nata.org.au changed to www.nata.gov.au (not in any way related to genealogy, just illustrating my point) which meant that i had to edit our company's website because we had several hyperlinks directing to that site which stopped working.

capice?

That's why they pay programmers the big bucks - to redirect hyperlinks.

When you use the add a URL function in Geni, it takes a snapshot & stores on the Geni server. Only by selecting "visit URL" would you get a dread 404 error, or the method of a live link in the overview.

Michael - the new edition of a book would have a different URL, just like it has a different call number and Dewey decimal classification at the library or a different ISSN or ISBN by the publisher.

okay, my exxperience so far has been that creating sources in this way produces an unreadable image which can only be viewed satisfactorily using the "visit url" button, hencemy concern about relying on links. As i said i think ill stick to screenshots.

You can crop the info from a census (etc) to get only what you want and print it in a size that ts easier to write....then add it as a document.

I also cite the data into the 'about me' since some records are hard to read...and it is not condusive to easy review to have people required to carry magnifying glasses with them at all times.

This profile for Paul (Unknown Profile) should be merged with this profile for Paul (Paul Myron Katz). I requested that they be merged a while ago, since his wife currently has duplicative husbands (and children), but no one has acted on my request. Are you able to complete the merge? I think that once those profiles for Paul are merged, I should be able to complete the merges for his children.

Thanks!