Genealogical and DNA research for New Zealand family history
Kiwi Lineage Finder
David A. Jack MSc QG®
Digital & Development
Selected website, database, digital heritage, and community-record systems work by David A. Jack, alongside Kiwi Lineage Finder’s genealogy services.
I build practical digital systems for genealogy, local history, archives and community organisations, with a particular focus on websites, searchable databases and record-based collections.
My work is hands-on and usually brings together PHP/MySQL development, database design, search and record presentation, privacy and access controls, documentation, maintenance, and carefully governed automation where it is genuinely useful. The aim is straightforward: systems that are useful, understandable, maintainable, and suited to the people who will actually use them.
My work covers genealogy and local-history websites, searchable record systems, digital heritage projects, and practical database development. I also work with community organisations on the planning and development of archive and historical-record systems where the project, scope and resourcing are a suitable fit. Alongside this, I develop and maintain Kiwi Lineage Finder and other genealogy and family-history web projects. I generally take on selected work where my research background and practical development experience add genuine value.
Kiwi Lineage Finder remains my professional genealogy and DNA practice. David Jack Digital is the home for the related development and digital-systems work.
Work may include website development and maintenance, database and search interfaces, and specialist infrastructure for family-history, archive, genealogy, cemetery, school, military, local-history, whakapapa, and community collection projects where records, permissions, and source context matter.
Projects are selected where David’s practical PHP, database, research, and governance experience is a good fit. Scope, access, privacy, maintenance, and long-term stewardship are considered from the outset.
These examples show selected specialist digital heritage and genealogy systems development work. They are shared cautiously and only where public-facing details are appropriate.
Genie ZHC is a Kiwi Lineage Finder development project exploring governed genealogy workflow support, client-project setup, research organisation, document handling, and AI-assisted business infrastructure. It remains under staged testing and development.
South Canterbury Genealogical Society is developing online archive and military-history resources for its local genealogical and historical collections. David Jack Digital provides technical planning and development support for selected projects as they are scoped, approved and resourced.
The current Kiwi Lineage Finder website uses a simple PHP structure, privacy-aware enquiry handling, controlled public wording, and staged service information to support professional genealogy intake.
Further examples may be added as public-facing development work becomes ready to share.
Digital heritage projects require planning, development time, professional tools, hosting, testing, documentation, maintenance, and privacy-aware governance. Volunteer energy is valuable, but sustainable record systems need proper resourcing.
Some records may include living or recently deceased people, so access levels and privacy controls may be needed. Archive and database projects should also consider long-term stewardship, backups, permissions, copyright, image use, and continuity.
This work does not replace legal, privacy, archival, or funding advice. Each project should be scoped carefully so responsibilities, limits, and future maintenance are understood.
David Jack Digital work is available for selected organisations, businesses, genealogy projects, archives, local-history groups, and heritage initiatives where the project is a suitable fit.