In 1999, the Board approved a "Test CD" project.  We concluded the project and the Board has been waiting for a final report from the Research Director to help decide if the PRA should publish a CD and make it available to PRA members and other researchers.

Below is an abstract from the final report to be presented to the Board at their meeting in July 2001 in San Antonio, Texas.

Gene Pennington , Research Director

To read the latest CD project, click here.

Background

The "Test CD" experienced delays which were caused by computer problems and personal time commitments.  We finally started working on the project around October 1999 and mailed out the actual test CDs around April 2000.

Estimated Hours:        200

Expenses:                  $750 (*This does not include expenses paid by me for equipment, software, supplies and mailing expenses)

*The initial expenses were estimated to be between $1,500 and $3,000.  This includes the software needed to convert the data into a format readable by any computer, the purchase of a device to write the data to a CD and the production cost for 200 to 500 CDs.  We only produced 50 of the CDs. 

If the incorporation, insurance and policy and procedures issues can be successfully concluded, then the PRA should consider creating more CDs.  Whether or not we sell them or given them away to our members and what content is placed on the CDs is a matter still to be discussed by the Board.

All of the feedback was positive and several suggestions were made to improve it should the Board approve the publication of CDs.

For example, it was suggested we include all of the JFMF in a "For Sale" CD.  However, as you recall, there has been quite a bit of discussion and concern expressed about selling the valuable information in the JFMF and making ALL of it available (even to our membership).  This is a critical issue that needs to be voted on and approved by the Board BEFORE we make a "For Sale" CD. 

Many delays caused the entire process to take much longer than anybody predicted.  Since we are all volunteers, we just can't rely on any type of production schedule.  In this case, volunteers faltered due to their own personal work loads.

I think we have a much better understanding of the process and have some of the "glitches" worked out now.  I learned that in order to create the genealogical reports and the gedcom files for just the 18 or so groups that were on the CD, it took many more hours than I had anticipated.  To do all 32 groups it will obviously take much longer. 

Remember that there are several steps necessary AFTER the reports and gedcom files have been created.  You need time to organize all the material, create draft versions of the documents and files, proof read them, and then create a final version of everything.  Then you have to create a "master" copy of what will be on the CD.  Then you have to create a "master CD" that will be used to create the finished product.

Bottom line is this:  If we are going to publish a CD, we need to publish just one (1) each year rather than the two (2) that we had previously discussed.  We need to give plenty of lead time between the start of the collection process (making changes to JFMF) and the time we want to start producing the CD.  Then we need plenty of time between the start and finish of the publishing so we have time to advertise (if we decide to sell them) to our members and to mail them out.

Remember also that EACH Family Group Leader was sent their own Group's gedcom file AND the "unconnected" Group files from the JFMF so they did have quite a bit of information.  In discussions with Jim and John Pennington, we felt that with the information on the "Test" CD, the Group Leaders would be in excellent shape.  This year all of that information has been placed on the PRA web site in individual group folders accessible to only the Group Leader.

Plus, on the CD they were all given the Petitions for Change to the JFMF along with reports and Gedcom files from new PRA members and non-PRA members who want to add their genealogy information to the JFMF.  That is quite a bit of information to review, comment on and submit a report back to me.

Now that we have resolved some of the publication issues, such as copyrights and changes, I see great potential in using this format to distribute information and genealogy data to our members.

If we add more to the CD (copies of the Pedigrees and/or the Research Library), the cost of the CD should go up accordingly.  Of course, there is a down side to this.  The sale of actual paper copies of these items will decrease since they will be available on the CD.  However, given the convenience and electronic searching capabilities of a CD, it will make the CD a more popular choice with most researchers and one which gives more value to our members who have a computer.

Think of the potential if you had a CD that contains the JFMF, the Bobby Pennington Index Project (BPIP) AND an electronic copy of ALL of our Pedigrees and Couriers!  Now, add to it an index and electronic copies of ALL of the books and papers in our Research Library!  Wow!