Relative Finder Facebook Application: Generating Genuine ... · Facebook helps users invite their...
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Relative Finder Facebook Application: Generating Genuine Interest in Genealogy C. Michael Nelson, Computer Science Department, Brigham Young University, [email protected] Thomas W. Sederberg, Computer Science Department, Brigham Young University, [email protected] Abstract “Am I related to any of my friends?” is a difficult question to answer. In an effort to provide an easy solution, we present the Relative Finder Facebook Application which uses pedigree information from New Family Search and logic from the Relative Finder website. It allows users to discover their familial relationship to Facebook friends, easily share results, and invite others to participate. By finding users’ familial relationships, more genuine interest in genealogy may be generated. Introduction The Relative Finder website (previously known as Relationship Finder, relativefinder.org) finds the relationships between users and famous people, and has the potential to generate more interest in family history. However, after being available for nearly a decade, we feel it is still under‐utilized. The Relative Finder Facebook Application (apps.facebook.com/relativefinder) has been developed to increase usability and share‐ability of the Relative Finder website’s functionality. It uses New Family Search’s ancestral information, Facebook’s social networking abilities, and Relative Finder’s back‐end logic to find and share how users are related to Facebook friends and famous people. It is more than just a change of user‐interface from the website version of Relative Finder. The Facebook application makes finding your relations easier. Unlike the original Relative Finder website, it doesn’t require the creation of a user account, groups and passwords, having group‐admins, or publishing reports. Users simply authorize the application to access some of their information from Facebook and New Family Search, and then start finding relations. How it Forwards Family History Technology If you wanted to see how you’re related to people around you, how would you go about it? A comparison of family trees is painstakingly slow. New Family Search’s API does allow you to find how users are related to one another, but not to living persons. Several applications have discovered users’ relationships to famous persons, but not necessarily to other users (Ivie and Ivie 2010). The website version of Relative Finder is developing a beta version which also uses New Family Search, but this version operates best for well‐organized groups (like college classes, businesses, or church
Transcript of Relative Finder Facebook Application: Generating Genuine ... · Facebook helps users invite their...
RelativeFinderFacebookApplication:GeneratingGenuineInterestinGenealogyC.MichaelNelson,ComputerScienceDepartment,BrighamYoungUniversity,[email protected]
ThomasW.Sederberg,ComputerScienceDepartment,BrighamYoungUniversity,[email protected]
Abstract“AmIrelatedtoanyofmyfriends?”isadifficultquestiontoanswer.Inanefforttoprovideaneasysolution,wepresenttheRelativeFinderFacebookApplicationwhichusespedigreeinformationfromNewFamilySearchandlogicfromtheRelativeFinderwebsite.ItallowsuserstodiscovertheirfamilialrelationshiptoFacebookfriends,easilyshareresults,andinviteotherstoparticipate.Byfindingusers’familialrelationships,moregenuineinterestingenealogymaybegenerated.
IntroductionTheRelativeFinderwebsite(previouslyknownasRelationshipFinder,relativefinder.org)findstherelationshipsbetweenusersandfamouspeople,andhasthepotentialtogeneratemoreinterestinfamilyhistory.However,afterbeingavailablefornearlyadecade,wefeelitisstillunder‐utilized.
TheRelativeFinderFacebookApplication(apps.facebook.com/relativefinder)hasbeendevelopedtoincreaseusabilityandshare‐abilityoftheRelativeFinderwebsite’sfunctionality.ItusesNewFamilySearch’sancestralinformation,Facebook’ssocialnetworkingabilities,andRelativeFinder’sback‐endlogictofindandsharehowusersarerelatedtoFacebookfriendsandfamouspeople.
Itismorethanjustachangeofuser‐interfacefromthewebsiteversionofRelativeFinder.TheFacebookapplicationmakesfindingyourrelationseasier.UnliketheoriginalRelativeFinderwebsite,itdoesn’trequirethecreationofauseraccount,groupsandpasswords,havinggroup‐admins,orpublishingreports.UserssimplyauthorizetheapplicationtoaccesssomeoftheirinformationfromFacebookandNewFamilySearch,andthenstartfindingrelations.
HowitForwardsFamilyHistoryTechnologyIfyouwantedtoseehowyou’rerelatedtopeoplearoundyou,howwouldyougoaboutit?
Acomparisonoffamilytreesispainstakinglyslow.NewFamilySearch’sAPIdoesallowyoutofindhowusersarerelatedtooneanother,butnottolivingpersons.Severalapplicationshavediscoveredusers’relationshipstofamouspersons,butnotnecessarilytootherusers(IvieandIvie2010).
ThewebsiteversionofRelativeFinderisdevelopingabetaversionwhichalsousesNewFamilySearch,butthisversionoperatesbestforwell‐organizedgroups(likecollegeclasses,businesses,orchurch
congregations)notfordispersedoneslikefriend‐networks(seethesectiontitled“HowFacebookImprovesRelativeFinder”formoreinformation).
Asidefrompossiblyputtingdistantcousinsincontact,RelativeFinderdoesnothelpindiscoveringnewancestralinformation–soofwhatuseisit?Simplyput:itgeneratesmoregenuineinterestingenealogy.
TheLDSChurchemphasizesheavilytheimportanceoffamilyhistory,andalthoughmostmembersfeelitsimportance,familyhistoryworkisrarelydone(CharlesKnutson2009).AsDr.Knutsonpointedout,perhapsindividualswoulddomorefamilyhistoryiftheyfounditmoreinteresting.
TheRelativeFinderFacebookApplicationgeneratesinterestforfamilyhistory.AccordingtoProfessorSederberg,peoplehavebeenbroughttotearswhentheyseetheirrelationswhileusingRelativeFinder(Sederberg2010).Isn’tthefactthatateenisrelatedtoagirlthey’redatingworthtalkingabout?Wouldn’thistorybemoreinterestingifastudentknewtheirrelationshiptothepeopleinit?Facebookmakesthesharingandacquiringofthisinformationeasierandhopefullycanmakefamilyhistoryamoreinterestingtopicforbotholdandyoung.
HowFacebookImprovesRelativeFinderInordertoseewhytheRelativeFinderFacebookApplicationisanimprovementfromtheoriginalwebsiteversion,itisgoodtocomparetheirusecases.
Ifyouwanttoseehowyou’rerelatedtoyourcircleoffriendsandthenshareyourfindings,thestepstofollowareassuch:
RelativeFinderWebsiteVersion RelativeFinderFacebookApplicationVisitwww.relativefinder.org Accepta“RelativeFinderRequest”fromafriend
(orvisitapps.facebook.com/relativefinder)CreateanaccountontheRelativeFinderwebsite EnteryourNewFamilySearchcredentials EnteryourNewFamilySearchcredentialsCreateagroupandgrouppassword Talkto/emaileachofyourfriends,invitingthemtoalsocreateaRelativeFinderaccountandthenjoinyourgroupbyenteringthename,password,andyourgroupownercode
(Optional:ifnofriendsuseit,invitefriendstouseitbyclickingontheirnamesand“InvitetoUseRelativeFinder”)
Onceallyourfriendshavejoinedthegroup,runareport(ie:findhowyou’rerelated)
Click“FindRelatives:FacebookFriends”toviewrelations
Forwardinformationaboutthereporttoyourfriendsbyeitherprintingofftheresultsoremailingthem
Findsomewaytopublishtheresultsyou’reespeciallyexcitedaboutbyeithertalkingaboutit,bloggingaboutit,postingittoFacebook,etc.
PublishyourfindingsonyouFacebookwalltosharethem
Facebookfacilitatesfindingcontactinformationforfriends,invitingthosefriendstousetheapplication,informingfriendsofrelationship‐results,andsimplifiesauthenticationandtheprocessoffindingrelatives.
Facebookhelpsusersfindtheirfriends’contactinformation.ServicesprovidedbyFacebookinclude:importinginformationfromtheiremail’scontactslist,allowinguserstotransitivelyseetheirfriends’friends(i.e.:findingfriendsoffriends)anddeducingwhomightbeyourfriendsbecauseofmultiplesharedfriends.TheRelativeFinderFacebookApplicationcansimplyrequestthisinformationfromFacebook,insteadofrequiringtheusertofindtheirfriends’contactinformation.Facebookisalreadycommonlyused(theFacebookBYUnetworkhas52,101members(Facebookn.d.))sotheworkoffindingfriends’contactinformationhasalreadybeendonebyusers,andneednotberepeatedwhentheywanttouseRelativeFinderonFacebook.
Facebookhelpsusersinvitetheirfriendstousetheapplication.Facebook’sAPIisasimpleinterfacethatcanbeusedtoeasilyembedaprofessional‐lookingwindowinsideRelativeFinderonFacebookwhichhasalistofallusers’friends,whosepicturestheyclickontoinvitetousetheapplication.AninvitationissentgivingtheinviteetheoptiontoacceptanduseRelativeFinderornot.Iftheyclicktoaccepttheinvitation,theyareredirectedtoRelativeFinderonFacebookanditissavedintheirlistofusedapplications.
Facebookfacilitatessharing/publishinginformationfromtheapplication.Newsispostedonauser’s“wall.”(Auser’s“wall”isapageonFacebookwhereusersposttheirnewsandannouncementsforotherstosee.)Facebookusersalreadycheckeachother’s“walls”periodicallytostayup‐to‐datewiththeirfriends,sothisisanaturalplaceforpeopletobroadcasttheirnewfoundrelatives.NotonlyRelativeFinderFacebookApplicationuserswillbeawareoftheirfindings,butalloftheirFacebookfriendsaswell.
Facebooksimplifiesuserloginauthentication.RatherthanrequiringtheusertosetupanewusernameandpasswordwhichisRelativeFinder‐specific,Facebook’sAPIcanbeusedtoidentifytheuseraccordingtotheirFacebookID,andverifytheiridentity.Thisalsoprovidestheadvantagethatnotonlyisitsimplerfortheusertouse,buttheproblemofauthenticatingtheuserandstoringencryptedpasswordsisofnoconcerntothemaintainersoftheFacebookapplication.
Lastly,FacebooksimplifiestheprocessoffindingrelativesbyautomaticallycreatingRelativeFinderGroups.Aspreviouslyshowninthissection,inordertofindausers’relatives,theymustfirstbecomeamemberofa“RelativeFinderGroup.”Thisgroupdefineswithwhomrelativesmaybefoundwhenthebackendsearchesforrelatives.Theprocessofcreating,invitingpeopleto,andjoininggroupsisalittlecumbersome.Whilenotoverlydifficult,itdoesrequirequiteabitoforganization.
TheprocessofcreatingRelativeFinderGroupsisautomatedintheFacebookapplication.Facebook’sAPIallowsfordiscoveryoftheuser’sfriendswhousethissameapplication.Thisinformationisacquired,andaRelativeFinderGroupisautomaticallycreatedwiththeseindividualsinit.Thus,theuserneedneverevenknowaboutRelativeFinderGroups.
Table1FeaturesProvidedbyRelativeFinderWebsiteVs.FacebookApplication
StandardWebsite
FacebookApplication
FindingFriends’ContactInformation InviteFriendstoUseApplication
FindRelationshipstoOtherUsers NotifyOtherUsersofRelation‐Information PublishInformationtoNon‐ApplicationUsers LoginAuthenticationProvidedbyFacebook AutomaticCreationof“RelativeFinderGroups”
WhatdoestheRelativeFinderFacebookApplicationOfferthatotherFacebookApplicationsDon’t?ThereareotherFacebookApplicationsthatoffersimilar‐soundingfeatures,suchasFamilyTree(FamilyTreen.d.)andWe’reRelated(We'reRelatedn.d.).BothoftheseapplicationsallowyoutodesignateFacebookusersasrelativesandcreateafamilytree.Theyfindrelativesbasedontheinformationyouspecify.
Whattheylack,thattheRelativeFinderFacebookApplicationhas,isNewFamilySearchintegration.Thisapplicationdoesn’trequireyoutoenteranyancestralinformation;instead,itusesthewealthofinformationalreadycontainedinNewFamilySearch.Thispreventshoursofinputtingthisinformationmanually,oftencopyingitfromNewFamilySearchanyway.
Also,nootherFacebookApplicationcanfindusers’relationshiptofamousindividualslikeU.S.presidents,EuropeanRoyalty,andthelike.
HowRelativeFinderFindsRelativesAspreviouslymentioned,theRelativeFinderFacebookApplicationusesthesamebackendforfindingrelativesastheoriginalwebsiteversion.Thus,whilenosignificantdevelopmentsweremadetoimprovetheprocessoffindingrelatives,itmaybeofinteresttosomereaderstoknowhowitworks.
ThewebsiteversionofRelativeFinderexistedbeforeNewFamilySearch,andthuswasnotoriginallybuiltonNewFamilySearch’sAPI.ItusedtheAncestralFiledatabasetofindrelatives,andhasonlyrecentlyincorporatedNewFamilySearchdata.
AncestralFileisalineage‐linkeddatabasewhichwascompiledfrom1978to2000containingover36millionnames.Anadvantageofusingthisstaticdatabaseisthat,becauseinformationinitisnolongerchanging,itscontentscanbestoredlocallywithconfidencethattheyareaccurate.Thereisnoneedtoeverupdateit,andsearchingonthislocally‐storedinformationismuchfasterthanmakingrepeatedrequeststoNewFamilySearch’sAPI.
AcleardisadvantagetousingAncestralFile,however,isthatiftheuser’sdataisn’tfoundinit,it’suselessforfindingtheirrelatives.Theycan’tevenaddthemselvestoit.ThewebsiteversionusedtoresolvethisproblembyaskinguserstoindicatetheirclosestrelativeinAncestralFile.
WiththeintroductionofNewFamilySearch,theprocessoffindingrelativeswassignificantlysimplified.WhileRelativeFinderstillprimarilyusesAncestralFiletofindusers’relatives,itusesNewFamily
Search’sdynamically‐growingdatabaseto“fillinthegaps”,andespeciallytofindhowuserslink‐intoAncestralFile.NewFamilySearch’sAPIallowsdeveloperstorequesttheAncestralFileNumberofanindividualinNewFamilySearch,andthusidentifymatchesbetweenthetwodatabases.
UsingbothAncestralFileandNewFamilySearchrepresentsatrade‐offbetweenspeedandaccuracy.WhileitispossiblethereareconflictsbetweentheNewFamilySearchandAncestralFileinformation,thesedifferencesusuallyonlymeanRelativeFinderwilldiscoveraless‐directlinkbetweenindividuals–itwillnotmissfindingtherelationshipentirely.
HowTheRelativeFinderFacebookApplicationWorksTheapplicationacquiressomeinformationfromFacebook,somefromNewFamilySearch,andsomefromtheRelativeFinderwebsite’sbackend.
Figure1CommunicationChannelsinOperationoftheFacebookApplication
Figure8providesasimplificationofhowinformationistransferredintheoperationoftheapplication.Formostpageswithintheapplication,therequestisactuallysentfirstfromtheusertoFacebook(arrow1infigure8),whichinturnrequestssomeinformationfromourserver(2).OurserverprocessestheinformationinPHP,andthensendsaresponsewritteninFBML(FacebookMarkupLanguage)toFacebook(2).Facebookparsestheresponse,andrespondstotheuserinaformattheuser’sinternetbrowsercandisplay(1).
Whentheuser’sNewFamilySearchcredentialsarerequested(asinfigure3),theuserisactuallydirectedtoaNewFamilySearchpage(3).OnceNewFamilySearchauthenticatestheuser,theyareredirecteddirectlytoourserver(4)(inthisspecialcasetheyarenotsenttoFacebook)withanauthenticatingcookie.OurserverusesthekeycontainedinthatcookietodirectlyrequestinformationfromNewFamilySearch(5).Werequestinformationon5generationsofthecurrentuser’sfamilytree,andonlystoreasmuchasisnecessarytolinkintoAncestralFile.Onceourserverisdonerequestingpedigreeinformation,werequestthecurrentuser’sNewFamilySearchPersonID(3)andtheir
FacebookID(2)andlinkthetwotogetherinourdatabase.Finally,theuserisagainredirectedbacktoFacebook(1)torenderthesubsequentpage.
ApplicationinvitationsandwallpublicationsaredonenearlyentirelybyFacebook.OurserverspecifiessomedetailsabouthowtheseshouldbedisplayedintheFBMLsenttoFacebook(2),buttheyarestoredandmaintainedbyFacebook.
Whentheuserrequestsareport(ie:onceithasthenecessaryinformationfromNewFamilySearchandtheuserrequeststofindtheirrelatives),theysendarequestdirectlytoourserver(4).Theserver‐endPHPcodethencallsthesameback‐endCcodeasthewebsitetofindrelatives(thecodeisreusedinordertoreducecode‐duplication).Thewebsiteissetuptofindrelationsbetweenuser‐definedgroups,sotheFacebookapplicationcreatesatemporarygroupoftheuser’sfriends(thelistoffriendsisacquiredfromFacebook(2))andrunsthetestonthatgroup.Afterthetestisrun,theCcodeproducesanXMLdocument,whichthePHPcodeparses,andsendsthecorrespondingFBMLtoFacebook(2)tobeforwardedontotheuser.
Inordertoreducecodeduplication,theRelativeFinderFacebookApplicationusesweb‐serviceswhichareveryfamiliartoFacebookdevelopersandNewFamilySearchdevelopers(althoughthecombinationmaybenovel).ItalsomakesuseofRelativeFinderCcodeanddatabasewhichwaspreviouslyestablishedforthewebsiteversion.CodereusenotonlyreducesmaintenancecostsoftheRelativeFinderFacebookApplication,butitalsomakescodemoreunderstandablebythosefamiliarwiththerespectivecodebases.
WalkthroughofApplicationVisitapps.facebook.com/relativefindertoviewtheapplication,oriewthissamplewalkthroughofoneuse‐case.
Figure2
Typically,auserwillbeinvitedtousetheapplicationviaanApplicationInvitation,showinFigure1.Theuserclick"Accept"toaddandberedirectedtotheapplication.
Figure3
Afterclicking“Accept,”theuserisredirectedtothewelcomepage,showninfigure2.IftheuserisunfamiliarwithNewFamilySearch,therearelinkstoexplainhowitisused.Otherwise,theusermayimmediatelyentertheirNewFamilySearchInformation(orcredentials).
Figure3showstheNewFamilySearchpagewheretheuserenterstheircredentials.
Figure4
Figure5
AftertheapplicationacquiresthenecessaryinformationfromNewFamilySearch,theuserreturnstotheapplication,asseenonfigure4.Theusernowhastheoptionstobeginfindingtheirrelatives,asshownbythelinksontheleft.
Figure6
Uponclicking“FindRelatives:FacebookFriends,”theuserseesthelistoftheirfriendscurrentlyusingtheapplication(figure5)amongwhichtheapplicationwilltestforrelations.
Figure7
Afterclicking“FindHowI’mRelated”,theresultsaredisplayedasshowinfigure6.Theusercanviewtheirintersectingfamilytreesbyclicking“SeeHowYou’reRelated”,andtheycanpublishthisrelationtotheirFacebookWallbyclickign“PublishtoWall.”
Figure8
Figure7showsasamplewallpost,showingthattheuser’snewlyfoundrelation.
ConclusionAfairdegreeofperformance‐optimizationanduser‐interfaceimprovementsareunderway,buttheapplicationisusableandservesitsbasicpurpose:tohelpusersfindtheirrelativesamongtheirfriendsandfamouspeople,andbysodoinggeneratemoreinterestinfamilyhistory.
Otherfuturedevelopmentshavebeenconsidered.Amongthesefeaturesinclude:
• findingallauser’s4thor5thcousinsamongallconsentingusers,notjustFacebookfriends• integrationwiththeRelativeFinderwebsite,allowingauserwithanaccountontheFacebook
applicationtoautomaticallyhaveaworkingaccountonthewebsite,andvice‐versa• findingrelationsamongimportantdeceased‐individualswhoaren’twithinourbuilt‐ingroups
(ie:U.S.presidents,EuropeanRoyalty,LDSChurchprophets)
Forthetimebeingourprimaryfocusisonverifyingtheprogram’sfunctionality,andpromotingthisapplicationwefeelwillmakefamilyhistoryatopicofinterestandstudyformanymorepeople.
BibliographyCharlesKnutson,JonathanKrein."BYUSEQuOIAPublications."BYUSeQUOIA.2009.http://sequoia.cs.byu.edu/?page=papers(accessed124,2010).
Facebook.http://www.facebook.com/editaccount.php?networks(accessedJanuary5,2011).
FamilyTree.http://apps.facebook.com/familytree/(accessedJanuary5,2011).
Sederberg,ThomasW.,interviewbyC.MichaelNelson.(78,2010).
We'reRelated.http://wererelated.familylink.com/index.php(accessedJanuary5,2011).
