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Archiver > APG > 2003-11 > 1067712092


From: "Richard A. Pence" <>
Subject: Re: [APG] Social Security Death Index
Date: Sat, 1 Nov 2003 13:41:33 -0500
References: <20031101170007.27752.qmail@web41107.mail.yahoo.com>


But I thought the site you posted searched all of the on-line SSDI
databases. Therefore, the search results should return the maximum number of
hits, no matter whether some of the databases do not have a newer entry.
Instead, it is returning only the least number on any one database.

I suggest, at least until, I find out more, that you will get the best
results with the RootsWeb SSDI.

Richard

----- Original Message -----
From: "Katherine Flynn" <>
To: "Richard A. Pence" <>; <>
Sent: Saturday, November 01, 2003 12:00 PM
Subject: Re: [APG] Social Security Death Index


> Investigating the differences in results leads me to
> the following preliminary conclusion.
>
> It appears that the latest update to SSI from the
> government took place in July 2003 putting the number
> of records up to 70 million +. Only Rootsweb and
> Ancestry actually state the date of their database and
> they are both at July 2003.
>
> I believe the other databases that are reporting lower
> numbers for Richard's search have not updated to the
> latest database. Comparison of results shows that the
> 2 missing records are nowhere in the
> assumed-to-be-older databases. I cannot pull up the
> missing 2 with death date, SSN, Birth date or any such
> alternative search in those which only give 17 results
> for Richard's search.
>
> So the difference is not the search engine in this
> case but rather who keeps their data the most current
> - a classic lesson in information searching.
>
> All the best to all.


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