GEDCOM X is the latest specification in a line of FamilySearch specifications.
GEDCOM X is the latest specification in a line of FamilySearch specifications. It follows on GEDCOM, GEDXML and GEDCOM XML, so the name is neither very creative nor a huge surprise. As the GEDCOM X article already pointed out, the name is not even original; there are genealogy products known as GEDCOM X or GEDX already.
GEDCOM Explorer, a product of GedCom Solutions, is sometimes abbreviated to GEDCOM X. GedcomX is the name of an ActiveX control for reading GEDCOM files, and GEDx is an old Mac OS utility for converting GEDCOM files to tab-delimited ASCII.
One could think that the GEDCOM X name was inspired by the GEDCOM Explorer, GedcomX and GEDx products, maybe even by the open source Generation X tool for OS X. The problem with that explanation is that it makes you wonder how much respect FamilySearch has for existing products. Perhaps they were not aware of these products, and just did their thing.
By keeping the GEDCOM name, FamilySearch suggests continuity where there is none.
It is not hard to come up with several explanations for the name.
FamilySearch is sticking with the GEDCOM
bit, although it isn't GEDCOM, to capitalise on how well known GEDCOM is,
and to clearly position their GEDCOM X as related to GEDCOM, as the successor to GEDCOM.
FamilySearch apparently has more love for the GEDCOM name more than respect for its meaning. This is probably a marketing thing. By keeping the GEDCOM name, FamilySearch suggests continuity where there is none; they ignored GEDCOM for years and GEDCOM X is not compatible with GEDCOM.
AddingXMLorXtoGEDCOMorGEDisn't a new approach to naming their specifications. It is how FamilySearch named all the GEDCOM successors they've created.
| year | version | name |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 1.0 | GEDCOM |
| 2000 | 5.6 | GEDXML |
| 2001 | 6.0 | GEDCOM XML |
| 2012 | Roman 10 | GEDCOM X |
Adding XML
or X
to GEDCOM
or GED
isn't a new approach to naming their specifications.
It is how FamilySearch named all the GEDCOM successors they've created.
They did the same thing when they introduced GEDXML (in GEDCOM 5.6) and GEDCOM XML (also known as GEDCOM 6.0).
If FamilySearch abandons GEDCOM X like they abandoned GEDCOM, GEDXML and GEDCOM XML, then their fourth GEDCOM successor will likely be called GED X.
Addition of X
makes the name sound cool and technical by association with OS X and X Windows,
which in turn are both associated with UNIX, which has a reputation as a techie system.
The X also hints at GEDCOM X using XML, not only like GEDXML and GEDCOM XML, the previous FamilySearch specifications, but like many other XML-based technologies, such as XHTML and XQuery.
The name GEDCOM X suggests GEDCOM version 10; a version much better than GEDCOM 5.5.1.
The X may be a subconscious reference to Generation X (Gen X).
The X can be understood to mean transmit as it does in Xon/Xoff, and FamilySearch probably would not mind if you understood it as eXcelent.
The Latin Capital Letter X is also the Roman numeral for ten.
The name GEDCOM X suggests GEDCOM version 10; a version much better than GEDCOM 5.5.1.
Last but not least, if you understand the X as an abbreviation for neXt, then the GEDCOM X name explicitly claims to be
the next generation, the successor to GEDCOM.
There is something to each of these explanations. The official explanation for the GEDCOM X name, if there is any, is probably that there is something to each of these explanations.
GEDCOM X isn't GEDCOM with eXtensions, but a different, incompatible format.
The GEDCOM and GEDCOM X file format are not upwards or downwards compatible. The GEDCOM file format is extensible, but FamilySearch decided to create a new format instead. GEDCOM X is not GEDCOM with eXtensions, but a different, incompatible format. It should have been given a name that's just as different.
Copyright © Tamura Jones. All Rights reserved.