Caution: Do not open the All the Stories app if you have anything else to do. I opened it just to get an idea of what it is so I could write a review of it later. After two hours of sitting in a chair I didn’t like, my back hurt so much I finally stopped.
All the Stories is an amazing app. You sign in, allow access to your family, and a list of all the stories anyone has posted on your family tree comes up. It’s as user friendly as anything I’ve seen: easy to access, no setup, instant results, and the results are important.
I couldn’t possibly spend the time necessary to find all the stories from my family history that were instantly listed by using this app. Genealogy and family history have always been available to me. Every side of my family has pioneer history, so it’s easy to take for granted. If curiosity strikes, I just log on to FamilySearch.org and check something out. But that’s a fairly focused view.
My grandson and I recently traced a couple of my grandmother’s lines back over 2,000 years. It was fun for both of us. We saw some names we thought were amusing, such as Odin Wodin. It’s been fun to talk about how we had relatives in Troy, but there wasn’t much to personally identify with.
When I started reading to my family from All the Stories, I found relatives, names, times, and places I had never heard of. I’m a direct descendent of a man who made Joseph Smith’s boots. I’m descended from another man who gave Joseph Smith water when the Prophet was on his way to jail.
I found ancestors who fought the Indians and the French before the revolutionary war. Some accounts documented travel aboard ships from England to America. Others gave first-hand memories of life in Nauvoo and of the persecution those folks suffered. Others chronicled the trials of the pioneer treks to the Salt Lake valley.
I found confirmation of my dad’s grandfather working for Brigham Young as a baker and then being assigned to guard against Indian attacks at Guard Knoll in Ephraim. And I thought all my Ephraim roots were from my mother’s side.
A concise description explains how the person in the story is related to you. For example, “Jane Doe is your mother’s 5th great grandmother.” This detail makes the family history more personal that would otherwise be another piece of research I’d have to wade through. Also, links to FamilySearch.org connect that person and that particular story.
My only suggestion for the app is to put the relationship at the beginning of the story instead of the end. I know that’s a small detail, but it would help those of us who are spoiled and lazy family researchers.
I’ve enjoyed a number of the FamilySearch.org apps. All the Stories deeply touched me. It provides an intimate connection through the words of relatives from the past. It also opened up information I’d never been able to confirm. I’d always heard there was a French connection in my family history. Thanks to All the Stories, I now know it was Norman.
Try this app out. There’s no learning curve, no technical challenges, and no forks in the trail. Just make sure you’re in a comfortable chair and you have a few hours.
Me parece fascinante, sin embargo trataré de resolver lo del idioma, ya que sólo está en inglés. Gracias, es muy interesante.
Apparently it isn’t your app that is crashed it is a problem with Chrome/Windows 7 on my computer. Too bad though that you didn’t mention this costs almost $30.
The app store says it is free. I didn’t have to pay anything for it.
Mine does not load very fast. Is there any way to get them to load faster? I could be all day trying to get mine to load. I see there is a fanchart that has the stories like Puzzola.
It does take a little while but it could just be a matter of your personal internet connection. Fortunately, once they load the first time, they will always be there when you go back.
If you can get it to load at all. I left my computer running with it all night long and it didn’t get loaded. I am signing in at the top of Familysearches right side to get my stories.
I leave my Computer running all the time so I have decided to start it and let it run for two or three days until it gets up. Thank you for telling me it loads and once loaded you don’t have to reload it.
It is still rolling after a day and a night
It is still rolling
The new Gallery does the same thing. Just click the Stories icon to see all, then the name of the person, and you’re there
When I open Gallery on my own tree, the only stories, pictures, documents, etc. that I see are the ones I put in personally. Do you see other people’s stories too? This is pretty frustrating to me.
It depends. If you are adding them to living individuals, only you will be able to see what you uploaded until that individual passes away. You should, however, be able to see anything that anyone has added to deceased persons. If you aren’t, try calling support.
I just looked through this and found a handful of incredibly fun stories I’ve never seen. Loved it!
I’ve been interested in learning about my family ancestry as long as I can remember. I grew up being told that my paternal ancestry is German, but I don’t know much else. If there’s anyone in the family who live in Germany, I’d like to come in contact with them. Is there a way to do that?
I love your introduction. Once I get started doing genealogy, I am the same way. Thanks for sharing such a great app in your blog.
An aunt of mine is helping me with my genealogy. I’d be very interested in learning who my ancestors are and other than my closest family members, I’d be very much interested in learning about any other Carpp family members, if they live in the United States of America, anywhere in Europe, in Germany, in England, or if there’s anyone living in Australia. If you know anyone by that name, either by marriage, or by birth, please let me know. Bye! 🙂
This app is not working for anyone i talk to. it zones out and will not load. Help please!
Seems to be working just fine for me. Maybe try a different browser?
I would like to have this app but I am technologically challenged… Can someone help me walk through it to get this app?
I’m afraid so am I. I know how to type, I know how to use a mouse, I know how to do a lot of things. The problem I have is memorising passwords, and finding a safe place to put it so that only I know where I put it so that I can use it again. 🙁
I am a Temple and Family History Consultant at a Family History Center. I have helped many people sign into the All the Stories Web App and many people have found it very addictive and enjoyable. When I try to sign into the app for my self using my FamilySearch log on, the stories buffer and never materialize or the stories load up on the left hand side but when I click on a story to read it, the screen goes back to loading and times out. I don’t know who to contact to find out how to fix this problem.
Ken, I recommend contacting FamilySearch support here.