Overview of Thingealogy®
Thingealogy® is a system to save the stories of your important belongings and heirlooms with photos, audio recordings, and other information.
There are two ways to add information into a Thingealogy account: on a computer at thingealogy.com (web app) or with an iPhone app, although it is not necessary to use the iPhone app. In both cases you use an email address to create an account and that same account is accessible on the web app or phone app.
Once you have a Thingealogy account, you begin by uploading a photo and telling the story or provenance of an item. This process creates a file within the Thingealogy system. This file is called a Thing, assigned to a Collection, stored in a Workspace, and organized in a spreadsheet system. A QR code is also assigned to each Thing.
Thingealogy® QR Code
The QR code can be printed and affixed to a Thing which makes its information available at all times and in any location. For example, if you give a painting to a grandchild with its Thingealogy QR code label attached to the back, your grandchild can open the file now or in the future, listen to your voice as you tell the story or provenance of the painting, and they can also view the other information you’ve provided. Most smartphone cameras can read this information without the need to install a special QR code reading app.
Thingealogy® Definitions
User
A user is someone who creates an account on Thingealogy® using an email address. There is one user per email address.
Thing
A Thing is the name of the file that is created when a user adds a photo and story of an item.
Collection
A Collection is a grouping of similar Things. Collections are named and created by a user as Things are added. Examples of collections are paintings, antiques, china, record albums, wine labels, books, jewelry, trading cards, autographs, theater bills, stamps, rocks and minerals.
Workspace
A Workspace contains information about Things belonging to one person. A user can create more than one Workspace, although most first-time users will probably create only one. For example:
User A has one Workspace for household belongings at one address
User B has two Workspaces: one for their household and one for their elderly mother who doesn’t want to create her own Thingealogy® account
User C has three Workspaces: one for home, one for work, one for elderly father-in-law
User D has four Workspaces: one for home, one for 2nd home, one for work, one for elderly mother
Beneficiaries - optional
A Beneficiary is the person or organization to whom a user wants to give a Thing.
Value - optional
The Value is the financial value of an item.
Comments - optional
In the comments section, users can add more information about a Thing. For example, links to other websites, more photos of an item, or additional information to add color to a story.
Collaborators - optional
Users can invite collaborators to add information about the user’s Things in the comments. This is helpful when several family members have information about Things belonging to one person.