The Next Generation (TNG) of Genealogy Sitebuilding Reviews

(based on 13 reviews)

15 of 26 people found this review helpful

I have been using TNG since 2019 and I have been very happy customer.
It's sturdy and easy to use. I wanted to use a broad range of capabilities, as
beyond just drawing family trees I wanted a repository of documents, pictures and videos
of family members, as well as incorporate content that previous generations have put
together, and be able to present it in a secure but easy to digest way.
It did all that, and the few times I needed I received help quickly and easily.
This last time I did not want to commit the time and risk making mistakes in the upgrade,
so the author did the update for me at a reasonable price.
There is also an ecosystem of plugins with extra features.

There are a couple of things I would like implemented around the photo and file management,
and elsewhere, but I would say that it beat my expectations by far when I first used it and I am
still more than satisfied.

In summary, I would recommend The Next Generation (TNG) of Genealogy Sitebuilding to a friend.

17 of 31 people found this review helpful

I have maintained "family tree" information for many of the past 25 years. I originally used Family Tree Maker, but lost some interest in this as it was a hassle to *share* the information amongst my rather extended family. TNG changed everything for me. The software quickly imported all of my data, and allowed me to make updates from anywhere on the web. I have been able to readily share all sorts of family information amongst my extended family (some 420 living descendants of my great-grandparents). We use the feature that requires visitors to login to the site; this way, we can make all sorts of personal information available to (only) registered users.

The support is fantastic. The author constantly updates the software to ensure compatibility with changes to PHP and MySql, adds new features, fixes bugs, and even helps with issues with a specific installation.

The software is powerful, and can be extended if you have the interest and know-how to do some coding in PHP. But no need for that -- you can create beautiful sites using the provided themes.

An excellent product, and worth every single penny of the price. Thank you, TNG!

In summary, I would recommend The Next Generation (TNG) of Genealogy Sitebuilding to a friend.

16 of 33 people found this review helpful

Have been using TNG for the past 10 years. If you're looking for a creative way to document your family history, store past records of life events, timeline and location for future generations, this is a great program to use. The ease of use, and ability to allow other family members to access and contribute past and current information on their family line, is extremely helpful .

For those who just want to see what is happening with different family members, it's easy to share family announcements : Births, weddings, birthdays, family picnics and passings of loved ones. And there is a large variety of formats you can use within the program or others that can be incorporated into the program for your own creative flare.

TNG developer has been very supportive from the beginning , when I initially set up the program, and has continued to further develop the program , making it even more user friendly. While continuing to provide excellent support. Always quick to respond and provide support with any issues that may come up.

For the price, the support and all the possibilities with the program, you won't find a better family tree program. Would definitely recommend !

In summary, I would recommend The Next Generation (TNG) of Genealogy Sitebuilding to a friend.

24 of 43 people found this review helpful

I first used TNG in 2008. My first site was published direct from a GEDCOM. I had previously tried most in the Top 10 list. While they all had good features to them, I found the website part lacking. After only using TNG to display my online site, I slowly started to use it more often as my editing and input progream.

For the past 6 or so years I have only used TNG for actual . I have still played around with the others but only to see what new features were introduced. I have not thought about reverting to any of them since though.

In summary, I would recommend The Next Generation (TNG) of Genealogy Sitebuilding to a friend.

22 of 43 people found this review helpful

I've used it since 2017 when I used it to escape from the clutches of Ancestry.com

I run my own site and I also run an installation where the Family History Society I volunteer for has a members' family tree service.

I don't think the original reviewer did a very thorough job.

For example You do NOT need to know MySQL or php to install or use it and there are hosting providers who will install it for you. There are dozens of templates available to set the site style, some free but even more chargeable ones that are just beautiful, and not expensive (one off costs). And all of it is customisable if you want to delve into the possibilities of CSS (not that you NEED to). You can also integrate it with WordPress

The idea that everything stays in GEDCOM format is wrong. GEDCOM files are imported into TNG tables. You can import and export GEDCOM files as often as you want.

It's blisteringly fast

But the most attractive feature is that you can collaborate with others to build and maintain the content. My sister and I do exactly that. And you can do that without... (Read the full review)

In summary, I would recommend The Next Generation (TNG) of Genealogy Sitebuilding to a friend.

21 of 39 people found this review helpful

I have been using TNG for about a decade for my St. John Genealogy and DNA project. It has allowed me to publish my research in real time and attract fellow researchers and potential DNA testers to my project. When I built my website I couldn't get passed my third great-grandfather. After launching my site, St. John cousins around the world found me and shared their branches with me. It allowed the website to grow into a global electronic archive for our surname. My lineage is now back to the 10th century with primary records and DNA evidence.

A few years ago, Darrin added DNA features that allowed me to integrate DNA data from my project. I finally had a single place to manage hundreds of kits. It is amazing.

Darrin has always responded to my emails in a quick, kind and professional manner. Even if you don't know HTML or PHP you can follow Darrin's easy to follow instructions to set up your site and run it as is. You can also learn HTML, PHP and SQL at W3School or ask questions in his forum if you want to customize the site but don't know how.

You can add custom... (Read the full review)

In summary, I would recommend The Next Generation (TNG) of Genealogy Sitebuilding to a friend.

20 of 40 people found this review helpful

I've used TNG since version 3 (around 2003). As others have mentioned, you can make this as simple or as complicated as you would like.

Most sites where you can set up a genealogy collection of your family are tied and/or shared with a broader community in one way or another. TNG allows you to set up a website where you own and control everything.

I have used it for my family genealogy of 30,000+ names and am also using it now to support a genealogy podcast with less than 1,000 names. It is flexible enough to handle both situations.

You can set up a site with little to no understanding of PHP or MySQL. If you need support, it is quickly available from the author. I have reached out to Darrin a few times over the course of 20 years. In each case, he has been extremely helpful.

One of the benefits of TNG is that if you ever want to do something outside of the box, a little knowledge of PHP and MySQL goes a long way. Before you... (Read the full review)

In summary, I would recommend The Next Generation (TNG) of Genealogy Sitebuilding to a friend.

22 of 43 people found this review helpful

After trying several sites, I wanted my own and this was it. I run my own server so it helps. When I'm stumped, I reach out to Darrin and receive awesome support from time to time. I have not ever had any thought to try another family tree site since. I love what I can do with "The next generation".

In summary, I would recommend The Next Generation (TNG) of Genealogy Sitebuilding to a friend.

21 of 41 people found this review helpful

I live in Denmark and have been using TNG for years, and I love it for its simplicity and the ability to learn along the way.

I write "you'll need a working knowledge" of PHP and MySQL". That's not true. When I started my TNG site, I knew nothing about any of it, but I've learned a little about it over the years. Building a website is not something you do in an afternoon. It's sad that you don't realise that it's a process where you can start from scratch and end up with something sublime - even in multiple languages.

You recommend MyHeritage without telling us that at least 50% of what you find there is pure nonsense, with no sources or considerations cited.

TNG offers to provide sources because it works nicely with Lagcy, for example, which is my favorite genealogy program.

Your review is, in my opinion, completely off the mark.

In summary, I would recommend The Next Generation (TNG) of Genealogy Sitebuilding to a friend.

23 of 47 people found this review helpful

I first used TNG way back when it was version 8 now it's version 13 and just gets better every upgrade. No real knowledge required to install and set up. If there are any problems there is an excellent forum and users mailing list. Support from the author is second to none!

I have 2 sites using the software and it is very easy to customize to how one would like it. I highly recommend it.

In summary, I would recommend The Next Generation (TNG) of Genealogy Sitebuilding to a friend.