Things I Learned from the Maryland TMG User Group

or A Few Tips, Tricks and Thoughts

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After five years as president of the Maryland TMG User, I needed a break. I wanted to work on my own research and I found that difficult when I was spending so much time monitoring the TMG-L, maintaining the group's web pages, and studying and adapting to every TMG update. With the advent of TMG version 5, many of the web pages were outmoded and I didn't have the energy or inclination to revamp the site. Therefore, I resigned and dismantled most of the pages, leaving only a skeleton. Unfortunately, no one came forward to carry on the Maryland User Group's work. Fortunately, the Arlington RUG adopted TMG and there was little need for a separate Maryland group.

My recent relocation has given me the time and the reason to update a few of my old TMG pages. Rather than rewrite everything, I've revised the screen shots and annotated the reports to accomodate the much greater abilities of TMG ver. 5.x.

Keep in mind that I am not affiliated with The Master Genealogist or Wholly Genes, Inc. in any way. I'm simply a long-time user (since ver. 0.97) and fan of genealogy's number one software program.

Annotations relating to version 5.x will be formatted in this manner throughout these pages. I would like to begin by emphasizing my philosophy of education.

TMG's learning curve is not high. Like genealogical research, it simply comprises a large number of skills and options. If you try to learn everything all at once, you will be overwhelmed. Instead, learn new skills as the need for them arises.
TMG is an excellent research tool, but it's still only a tool. It will help you organize, it will help you analyze, and it will help you report; but ultimately, yours will be the brain behind the tool. Use TMG; don't let TMG use you.
If you are new to genealogy, TMG may not be the easiest program to use. On the other hand, if you are an experienced genealogist, TMG should be your first choice, regardless of your computer expertise. Why? An experienced researcher will know exactly what they want their software program to do and TMG may be the only program available that will let them do it.
Trust me; the world will not end simply because you make a mistake when using this program. If you want to learn the program, take the plunge! Enter data, create reports, make the program work for you.
Most important, there is no one right way to use this program. If it does what you want it to do, you've found the right way.

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Things I Learned from the Maryland TMG User Group

or A Few Tips, Tricks and Thoughts

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