Enabling the Distributed Family Tree

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Enabling theDistributed Family Tree

• Thesis Proposal
• November 10, 2006

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Theres a lot of Genealogy on the Web

• Databases (records, images, results)
• GEDCOM files
• Family Websites
• Genealogy Wikis

Cyndis List WeRelate.org
262,200 links 1.3 million sources
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Nevertheless

• Genealogical data is isolated, causing
• Duplication of prior work
• Unnecessary stalls at dead ends

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Distributed Family Tree (DFT)

• Network of genealogical data and metadata
• Machine-understandable
• Open
• Standards-based
• Extensible
• Scalable

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Obstacles

• Inadequate Search Interfaces
• Isolated Pedigrees
• Chicken-and-Egg Dilemma

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Plan of Attack

• Inadequate Search Interfaces
• ? Natural Language Search Interface
• Isolated Pedigrees
• ? Semi-automatic Lineage Linkage
• Chicken-and-Egg Dilemma
• ? Real-time Data Extraction

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Thesis Statement

• Enable the Distributed Family Tree
• Graph-based data model
• Communications protocol
• Server software
• Extensible client software

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Genealogy Core Data
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Genealogy Provenance Metadata
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Genealogy Trust Metadata
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Communications Protocol

• Query
• Synchronize
• Pingback

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Server Software

• Code-named Valhalla
• Simple data store
• Partitioned user accounts
• Restricted access to living records

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Client Software

• Code-named Genesis
• Three primary functions
• Data Entry
• Search
• Inference

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Data Entry in Genesis

• Minimal record manager functionality
• Web page data extraction(using extraction
  ontologies from the Data Extraction Group)

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Search in Genesis

• Natural Language Queries(using ontology-based
  query processing from the Data Extraction Group)
• Anticipatory Search

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Inference in Genesis

• Manual non-destructive merges
• Semi-automatic lineage linkage(using record
  linkage from the Data Mining Lab)

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Validation

• Test installation of Valhalla on five servers
• Distribute genealogy, provenance, and trust
  information
• Establish links
• Seamlessly browse
• Demonstrate functioning plug-ins

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Imagine the possibilities

• Instant gratification
• Single search
• Accidental collaboration
• Deliberate collaboration
• Accessible anywhere, anytime

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• Questions?
• Progress updates and pre-release software
  available at
• http//blog.nucleartoiletpaper.com/dft