Comments on: Meet Geni : a bright Web 2.0 concept http://www.techiteasy.org/2007/08/25/meet-geni-a-bright-web-20-concept/ A Technology and Business Weblog provided to You by a Global Group of Friends. Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:29:11 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Steve Danino http://www.techiteasy.org/2007/08/25/meet-geni-a-bright-web-20-concept/#comment-3074 Steve Danino Tue, 28 Aug 2007 22:55:58 +0000 http://techiteasy.org/2007/08/25/meet-geni-a-bright-web-20-concept/#comment-3074 Absolutely. BTW, I expect these genealogy services to merge or disappear one day: this is typically a business where the winner takes it all... Absolutely.

BTW, I expect these genealogy services to merge or disappear one day: this is typically a business where the winner takes it all…

]]> By: Jeremy Fain http://www.techiteasy.org/2007/08/25/meet-geni-a-bright-web-20-concept/#comment-3075 Jeremy Fain Tue, 28 Aug 2007 19:14:35 +0000 http://techiteasy.org/2007/08/25/meet-geni-a-bright-web-20-concept/#comment-3075 hey Olivier, it seems you aren't a faithful reader of Tech IT Easy ;-) ! We already blogged on MyHeritage.com. Here it is: http://techiteasy.org/2007/05/29/myheritagecom-do-i-really-look-like-rafael-nadal/ hey Olivier, it seems you aren’t a faithful reader of Tech IT Easy ;-) ! We already blogged on MyHeritage.com. Here it is: http://techiteasy.org/2007/05/29/myheritagecom-do-i-really-look-like-rafael-nadal/

]]> By: olivier cahane http://www.techiteasy.org/2007/08/25/meet-geni-a-bright-web-20-concept/#comment-3076 olivier cahane Tue, 28 Aug 2007 18:58:27 +0000 http://techiteasy.org/2007/08/25/meet-geni-a-bright-web-20-concept/#comment-3076 I just discovered today www.myheritage.com - weird Steve that you don't mention it I checked it and immediately started to build my own tree, and to get addicted to it check it out I just discovered today http://www.myheritage.com – weird Steve that you don’t mention it

I checked it and immediately started to build my own tree, and to get addicted to it

check it out

]]> By: Steve http://www.techiteasy.org/2007/08/25/meet-geni-a-bright-web-20-concept/#comment-3077 Steve Sun, 26 Aug 2007 09:31:13 +0000 http://techiteasy.org/2007/08/25/meet-geni-a-bright-web-20-concept/#comment-3077 Well, hopefully there is no need for all the family members to work on the tree. Not even for a majority... Well, hopefully there is no need for all the family members to work on the tree. Not even for a majority…

]]> By: Kathy http://www.techiteasy.org/2007/08/25/meet-geni-a-bright-web-20-concept/#comment-3078 Kathy Sun, 26 Aug 2007 05:48:05 +0000 http://techiteasy.org/2007/08/25/meet-geni-a-bright-web-20-concept/#comment-3078 Fascinating. I like the idea, but doubt that my family would keep up with it. Fascinating. I like the idea, but doubt that my family would keep up with it.

]]> By: Steve http://www.techiteasy.org/2007/08/25/meet-geni-a-bright-web-20-concept/#comment-3080 Steve Sat, 25 Aug 2007 11:54:20 +0000 http://techiteasy.org/2007/08/25/meet-geni-a-bright-web-20-concept/#comment-3080 That's for sure Matthias. I believe this will eventually come to an end one day: for me, email/IM/social networking are as important as the mobile phone phenomenon. They will get widespread one day. And thanks to the yet-to-come smartphone revolution, these two technologies might also eventually merge. That’s for sure Matthias. I believe this will eventually come to an end one day: for me, email/IM/social networking are as important as the mobile phone phenomenon. They will get widespread one day.

And thanks to the yet-to-come smartphone revolution, these two technologies might also eventually merge.

]]> By: Matthias http://www.techiteasy.org/2007/08/25/meet-geni-a-bright-web-20-concept/#comment-3079 Matthias Sat, 25 Aug 2007 11:05:35 +0000 http://techiteasy.org/2007/08/25/meet-geni-a-bright-web-20-concept/#comment-3079 Interesting topic and interesting tool. But it would't work in family, as there still are too many "offliners". Even among my friends there are quite a few who organize their contacts and friendships simply by answering the phone and opening the door when the bell rings. They would never even think of creating a profle on Facebook oder Geni or elsewhere... Interesting topic and interesting tool. But it would’t work in family, as there still are too many “offliners”.

Even among my friends there are quite a few who organize their contacts and friendships simply by answering the phone and opening the door when the bell rings. They would never even think of creating a profle on Facebook oder Geni or elsewhere…

]]> By: Steve Danino http://www.techiteasy.org/2007/08/25/meet-geni-a-bright-web-20-concept/#comment-3083 Steve Danino Sat, 25 Aug 2007 03:02:52 +0000 http://techiteasy.org/2007/08/25/meet-geni-a-bright-web-20-concept/#comment-3083 Honestly I haven't try all the competitors, except GeneaNet which I found somehow disappointing (not very user-friendly, and too long a process globally). Having my tree filled by other relatives, just like friends in social networks help me get my network filled in quickly by "providing" me with their own friends, is really useful. Time to sleep here in Europe...:-) Honestly I haven’t try all the competitors, except GeneaNet which I found somehow disappointing (not very user-friendly, and too long a process globally).

Having my tree filled by other relatives, just like friends in social networks help me get my network filled in quickly by “providing” me with their own friends, is really useful.

Time to sleep here in Europe…:-)

]]> By: Fidji SIMO http://www.techiteasy.org/2007/08/25/meet-geni-a-bright-web-20-concept/#comment-3082 Fidji SIMO Sat, 25 Aug 2007 02:57:16 +0000 http://techiteasy.org/2007/08/25/meet-geni-a-bright-web-20-concept/#comment-3082 Ok I see. But would you say that when it comes to family networking Geni is the best tool? I believe that there are other things to do to grasp a share of the family networking market. The tree-based networking approach isn't sufficient for me, but of course I can deny that their success is pretty amazing. Ok I see. But would you say that when it comes to family networking Geni is the best tool? I believe that there are other things to do to grasp a share of the family networking market. The tree-based networking approach isn’t sufficient for me, but of course I can deny that their success is pretty amazing.

]]> By: Steve Danino http://www.techiteasy.org/2007/08/25/meet-geni-a-bright-web-20-concept/#comment-3081 Steve Danino Sat, 25 Aug 2007 02:32:18 +0000 http://techiteasy.org/2007/08/25/meet-geni-a-bright-web-20-concept/#comment-3081 Hi Fidji. Interesting comment, thanks ! I am not sure however Geni is meant to incite you to build a whole tree. Maybe I am wrong, or maybe nobody knows, but I believe the best way to use it is just sketch a small part of the tree. I mean by that: just input your nuclear family + grandparents, and 1/2 cousins), and then wait for others to complete it by viral diffusion / merging trees (the merging function being unavailable yet). I think this might explain why so many people used it: there is no need to design a wide tree, so it requires little time to get done with Geni after all. What astonishes me is that the diffusion was so fast, while trees cannot yet be merged. Probably users are aware that this functionality is yet to come ? Besides, I think that Geni is really simple and straight to the point, which is necessary since family tree- making is often dismissed as too complex and time-consuming. Hi Fidji. Interesting comment, thanks !

I am not sure however Geni is meant to incite you to build a whole tree. Maybe I am wrong, or maybe nobody knows, but I believe the best way to use it is just sketch a small part of the tree. I mean by that: just input your nuclear family + grandparents, and 1/2 cousins), and then wait for others to complete it by viral diffusion / merging trees (the merging function being unavailable yet).

I think this might explain why so many people used it: there is no need to design a wide tree, so it requires little time to get done with Geni after all. What astonishes me is that the diffusion was so fast, while trees cannot yet be merged. Probably users are aware that this functionality is yet to come ?

Besides, I think that Geni is really simple and straight to the point, which is necessary since family tree- making is often dismissed as too complex and time-consuming.

]]> By: Fidji SIMO http://www.techiteasy.org/2007/08/25/meet-geni-a-bright-web-20-concept/#comment-3084 Fidji SIMO Sat, 25 Aug 2007 01:55:22 +0000 http://techiteasy.org/2007/08/25/meet-geni-a-bright-web-20-concept/#comment-3084 Great article Steve. I totally agree with you about the specificity of family when it comes to social networking, but also the need not to fill lots of profiles. However, I didn't find the Geni approach really convincing (especially the tree-one): my family is definitely not what we can call “web connected”, and to finally add some cousins (often online, who can see an interest to such a service) to my tree I have to build a whole tree with people who don’t care at all about Geni. Due to the age structure of every family, I don’t really understand how this app can be so viral. I haven’t spent more time on it, so I must have missed something, please enlighten me! Concerning family networking, I would prefer creating a private Facebook group for members of my family without of course any tree-approach, or a dedicated social network on a platform like Ning. Except the people search engine (with the entrance key being family, which is definitely original compared to other people search engines), I don’t really see Geni’s added value. Great article Steve. I totally agree with you about the specificity of family when it comes to social networking, but also the need not to fill lots of profiles.

However, I didn’t find the Geni approach really convincing (especially the tree-one): my family is definitely not what we can call “web connected”, and to finally add some cousins (often online, who can see an interest to such a service) to my tree I have to build a whole tree with people who don’t care at all about Geni. Due to the age structure of every family, I don’t really understand how this app can be so viral. I haven’t spent more time on it, so I must have missed something, please enlighten me!

Concerning family networking, I would prefer creating a private Facebook group for members of my family without of course any tree-approach, or a dedicated social network on a platform like Ning.

Except the people search engine (with the entrance key being family, which is definitely original compared to other people search engines), I don’t really see Geni’s added value.

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