BillionGraves
So my friends and I started work on BillionGraves.com. In building the site and its iPhone and now Android apps, we’ve created a framework that allows people all over the world to map out photos of all the headstones in their local cemeteries and upload them to the BillionGraves.com database. Once the photos are there, fellow family historians can transcribe the information from the headstones and make it easy to search, which puts unique headstone records only mouse-clicks away from anyone looking for their ancestors. By using the smartphone's location services, we can ensure that even when descendants are half a world away, they can not only see their ancestors’ information, but they can also see the headstones and precisely where those headstones are. Previously undocumented records end up collected in an easy-to-access, free-to-use location, and family historians anywhere can use this framework to build on their existing research.
The trouble is that even though we’ve built this framework, it won’t amount to much unless we have help from all over the world. And by all over the world, I mean if we don’t have help from YOU. We have the audacious goal to accurately acquire, transcribe and share at least one billion grave records, but that can’t happen without others who share that same vision...
Category : Lifestyle
Reviews (25)
Having read mixed reviews and being skeptical from the start that this might be takinv advantage if free labor to make a quick buck, I was relieved to see that this is actually a pretty well made app. The user interface is very simple to understand and the settings allow for some good customization like whether pictures are saved to the phone memory or SD card. Ihad read that the search feature was broken, defaulting to Uraguay, but I didn't find that to be the case. Best of all, it is free.
I love the concept of Billion Graves & Find a Grave. This app makes it easy to collect & upload photos of headstones either for transcribing within the app or on the website later. My only concern is that you have to take photos in the app itself. As a wheelchair user, I sometimes find it difficult to get close enough to grave stones to take good pictures. It would be useful if we could upload photos from other photo storage places like gallery on the phone.
Refuses to upload pictures!! Spent two hours taking pictures in remote area with no mobile network or Wi-Fi access, took over 90 photos and transcribed all of them at the time, then went home and connected to our broadband Wi-Fi and pressed "upload" button, app just spins and says uploading.... and it stops then gives no failure message and it hasn't been uploaded. Tried repeatedly for over 24 hrs with no success. The website or app has no troubleshooting or support section to work it out.
Despite having the GPS connection, the app keeps on identifying photos with a different cemetery (that isn't nearby). After taking a lot of photos (100+), the upload function often gets stuck and i have to wait and re-upload the remainder during a second or third try. That being said, I'm still happy to have the app.
Uninstalled...If you select a country to search in, after you view the search results (if any), when you go back it shows the next country in alphabetical order. E.g. I selected United States, California, etc., then put in a name, then found no results, then went back and country was set to Uruguay. The website's fine, but the phone app needs work.
Well put together, but not much data for my area, but that gives me the ability to explore locally and contribute to history. I would rate 5 stars if I had the ability to transcribe via the mobile app. Instead I have to go thru my browser in desktop mode to be able to transcribe while on my phone.
Good idea, but we spent a long time photographing, transcribing, and re-transcribing gravestone information only to find out later that none of the info uploaded and saved properly. Very frustrating for someone who works with computers and phone apps for a living. Either the Android app needs to be updated, or the developers need to provide better instructions at the outset. Again, good idea but the app sorely needs improvement.
Serious issues in Android app it disconnects and returns to the start screen just trying to tell it which cemetery to look in. Previously it worked great. One search needed it to be uninstalled and reinstalled to succeed but the next one even that didn't get past the issue.
Uploading is broken! I've completed several graveyards using this app over the past 4 yrs. However, my recent project has stalled because the pics WILL NOT upload! The first batch uploaded after a few trys. But the 2nd batch has been trying to upload for 2 DAYS. HELP feature indicates it my android. But I don't think my phone would JUST stop uploading from this app. There is no way to MOVE the pics to my pc either! So disappointing...
Fun to take pictures! You take a picture then download it right at the spot where the grave is, so it is easy to find where the grave site is. Then type in the information on the headstone, and anything extra. The reason I didn't give all 5 stars, is because at time I cannot download the pictures. Plus, the picture of the land is sad. You can't tell very well which ones have already been done! When you look on the map to see what ones have been done, most are not exactly where the gave is.
Like the app. This transcribing part can be glitchy. Occasionally, other transcriptions show up attached to the wrong gravestones and there isn't an easy fix for it. It works mostly well and is easy to learn.
These guys are crooks! I signed up last year somehow (I don't remember the circumstances, I think it was a trial) but all of a sudden I get a receipt from PayPal that they took $30 for an automatic renewal! I contacted them the same day and asked for a refund and they said they don't do refunds. They said they sent an email and I checked my trash and spam and I never recieved one so I asked again for a refund and again they said the don't do refunds. In this day and age you can get a refund just as easily as you can make a payment, they've just made it their policy not to do so. That's a shady way to do business! On top of that you can't even remove the data and photos you posted! I took these photos, they are my property! #crooks #badbusiness #thiefs #billiongraves
I am having problems with uploading pictures. Uploads stop after 20-30 pictures. The only I've found to start the upload is to shut down the program and the restart the phone. This happens on 4g network and also when connected to a high speed network. Please fix this bug. .
If I pay you a subscription fee every month of 8.99 and I can't keep the pictures that I take with your app without jumping through fire, than there is something wrong with the math. My phone my pictures. Find-A-Grave better app, keep all your pictures and guess what? It's free.
Although I am logged in, the app will not upload my photos. Also, states this app is not yet designed to work on android phones. Additionally, when trying to upload, besides receiving the two preciously stated errors, the app wants me to log in again to upload photos. And this second login box will not log me in even with the correct infornation.
It is confusing! There is noway to get in touch but via email which is THE MOST RIDICULOUS THING I'VE EVER DEALT WIITH!! Checking the same thing 2 to 5 time. Images that wouldn't upload for 48+ hours and before I even contact the snowboarding crew fun loving staff I've tried doing everything and the answer from them is try what you already tried! In the meantime watch 25 or so videos read as many articles and we'll do something. It's a sad day when one tries to do excellent work but can't
I downloaded to seach for a marker that I was planning to visit and photograph. After a long period searching I learned that the search had defaulted to different country than I selected. I have used an earlier app which was ok. I can not recommend this current app. The United States is at the bottom of the country list and I had to scroll for it each time I did a search.
Rubbish. Worked ok for a bit. Now comes up with a splash page but there is no way to do anything: the splash page does nothing! I've uninstalled & reinstalled twice, but still the same. Complete waste of time & space!
Simple app, without some of the functionality of the website, seems to upload the pictures I take in a random fashion rather than in the order they were taken, but a useful way to gather gravestone pictures
The mobile app is great for taking photos but horrible for doing a headstone search. Many times I've had to look someone up and the mobile app wouldn't show them but desktop version would.
The app features are open for discussion for improvemsnts. There are options for direct contact. I love the whole thing, it is kinda addictive! awhen I add a grave I usually see it match uo to someone's genealogy search directly. That's awesome to provide someone with answers directly!
Well, I went out to the cemetery this morning to take photos. When I got there, the app would not work! It opened but there were no options. When I got home, I uninstalled and reinstalled, and now it gives me options.. But I can't upload the photos I took, so I guess I'll have to go back!
This is awful! Not only are verified graves not shown or catalogued, but search parameters are arbitrarily changed while searching. There are some serious issues with this app. I will stick to Find a Grave.
Uumm the principle of this app is good, however the main issue for me is that you can't upload headstones from your photo storage, it has to be take in the app, I have loads of photos that I had previously taken and can't share them now.
It is for a good cause, capture history and feel good. The app can be a little clunky as it can take time for certain processes to run, it could be my Nokia 6.1 that is just not up to the job... When running the app, it does appear to be heavy on the battery.. But this is for a good social cause and just wish it could be a little faster, as I ended up having to stop half way through a yard, due to the program being so slow...