Where Family Grows Development

Where Family Grows (WFG) is a family-centric web application intended to promote open communication between members of a family. The core of the software is based on Genealogy and collaboration on a family tree.

The motivation for the software is to provide a means whereby family units can create genealogy-based family web-sites. Genealogy can provide a marvelous sense of meaning and connection both with ancestors and with living relatives. WFG allows family members to upload genealogy data such that it can be shared with other family members. It encourages collaboration on genealogy by letting everybody work on the "same tree." It encourages integrating details into the family tree such as journal entries, memoirs, photos, historical backgrounds, and stories. Hopefully, the result will be a data set that flowers into a full and richly detailed family history.

A side feature of the WFG software is to promote open information sharing and communication between family members via discussion forums, chat rooms, photo galleries, shared web links, and articles.

Details

WFG is in its early development with an Alpha release out. The software is functional but needs significant testing. Also, it lacks some core functionality. Hopefully by the end of spring 2002 it will be fully functional and tested.

The WFG software is open and free under a BSD Style License. It has been developed using Java technology and therefore requires a JSP/Servlet engine such as Apache Jakarta Tomcat or Caucho Resin. It requires a database with a JDBC interface and has been developed with MySQL. If you do not have a dedicated web host, you will need to obtain web hosting that provides these capabilities in order to run the software in a web-accessible manner.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please contact me at david.m.harris@ieee.org. I would be happy to accept any assistance on this project as well! Have a good day!

Last Update: 20 January, 2002