AboutOne (beta)

Families of any size need a way to centralize and back up their most important information, such as medical histories, deeds to major purchases, and priceless photos. AboutOne (free) is an online hub where you can upload files, jot down important information about your loved ones, and otherwise manage all the paperwork and data that's associated with running a household.

AboutOne Use
AboutOne is simple to use and has decent search functionality, which is crucial for a service of this type. Unfortunately, it doesn't contain enough built-in suggestions for how to use it or reasons to log in often. Other online family organizers (Doxo comes to mind) encourage you to use the service by aggressively steering you toward different areas of the site every time you log in. Doxo can also link with utility providers and other billed services, much as Mint.com connects with financial accounts and paid services, giving you more reason to log in frequently. With AboutOne, on the other hand, it's easy to forget you have an account, because there's no compelling reason to visit the site?until a disaster strikes.

Set Up and Features
Signing up for an account takes little more than entering an email address, creating a password, and setting up a few additional security login measures. Once you have an account, AboutOne begins by having you enter information about your family, including pets. You can fill in details such as birthday, sex, blood type, and social security number.

Aside from entering information about family members, you can also add contacts and inventory your possessions. The contacts manager lets you import other address books as well, such as those stored in Facebook and Google.

Two other key features, a family calendar and centralized place for documents, show up as icons on the site but aren't available as of this writing (the site is technically still in beta). I should hope that by the time the site is launched in full, documents integrate neatly with possessions. If I were to list a vehicle that I own, I would also want to attach directly to it documentation for the license, registration, insurance, and any warranties associated with it, rather than stick that paperwork in a separate area.

Beta? You Betchya
AboutOne remains in beta, and having had a deeper look at its functionality and lack of finish, it's clear that it is. AboutOne understands the need to centralize important family information, but hasn't quite figured out the best way to do so yet. What's holding the service back at the moment is a compelling reason for users to return and continually update their information. It needs a hook, like Doxo's integration with services and bill pay, to keep people coming back.

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