The RootsTech Developer Challenge - Thu, 8 Dec 2011

Behold has been submitted as an entry to the RootsTech Developer Challenge.

When I read the challenge: “Create an application or service that introduces a compelling new concept or innovation for family history.” - well, there was no better description of Behold that I could have made up myself.

Along with basic information about Behold, this was the descriptive info I provided:

What are you building?

Behold is a GEDCOM reader and data checking Windows application that presents all your genealogy data in a comprehensive “Everything Report”, supplemented by a TreeView for easy navigation. It includes a host of features to allow you to organize and view your data in almost any manner, all within its Everything Report. It can export to RTF and HTML. Behold is a brand new application.

Notes or Questions?

1. Finish and Polish: Behold has gone through several years of alpha and beta testing. Version 1.0 was released on November 24, 2011. It is now ready for the world.
2. Effective Solution: Behold eliminates the need to jump back and forth between Person forms, Family forms, Pedigree charts and the generation of numerous reports. All your data is always available to you in the Everything Report.
3. Market Value: Behold should be the program some or even all genealogists adopt to help them see at a glance see how their family is organized, point out problems with their data, allow them to send a relative the info they’ve got on just that relative and their family, or create a comprehensive single webpage of their family info. Genealogy software today is designed to get your data in. What is missing is software like Behold that is designed to get your data out so that you can use it.
4. Originality of Concept: Behold was built because there were no other programs available that could do what it does. The output-based design makes Behold unique allowing new types of functionality that just aren’t possible in today’s current forms-based genealogy programs. Behold’s ultimate goal is to allow on-report genealogy editing that will change the way genealogists enter and work with their data, effectively turning Behold into the world’s first word processor customized for genealogy.
5. Business viability: Behold has already tested the waters. Users who have tried Behold’s alpha and beta versions have given it rave reviews. The website: www.beholdgenealogy.com is professional and provides various means to contact the author and interact with other users.

Entry deadline for developers to apply is December 17th. The 6 finalists will be announced on January 22nd. Then the winners will be selected based on a mix of public voting (20%) and judging criteria and the winner will be announced live at RootsTech on February 2nd.

If nothing else, I hope this gives Behold a little exposure.