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From: "Jerry Fitzpatrick" <>
Subject: RE: [APG] Name Registry?
Date: Thu, 1 Jan 2004 12:48:55 -0600
In-Reply-To: <48.2654629f.2d25b5df@aol.com>


Margaret,



I appreciate your detailed and thoughtful response, but I can't really
comment on its merits. I'm not proposing a framework to resolve such issues.



I can certainly sympathize with your comment that "One of the biggest
problems in genealogy is that people do not critically analysis their
information." Many amateur genealogists, in a rush to find celebrities or
royalty in their lineage, have made a mockery of the legitimate research
process. I'm sure every professional on this list finds that situation
appalling.



Frankly, my proposal is not aimed at solving any profound genealogical
problems. All it does is to provide a way to synchronize data contained in
two physically independent databases (GEDCOMs specifically). It does so by
assigning a unique identifier to the same person in each database. For
example, if database #1 has a Margaret French, born 8 May 1812 Rockville
Illinois and database #2 also has a Margaret French, born 8 May 1812,
Rockville Illinois, both will share a unique identifier, say 805534278. This
identifier does two things:



1.It indicates that the person listed in each database is the same
person, not separate individuals.
2.It permits information from each database to be updated
(synchronized) automatically without user intervention (i.e. once the
identifier has been assigned, the genealogy application does not have to ask
you if the Margaret French in each database is the same person every time
you do an update).



If the two Margaret French's are not the same person, then you have made a
mistake assigning the same identifier to them. If the information about one
or both Margaret French's is fabricated, it is invalid regardless of whether
you have assigned an identifier or not. The identifier does not add or
subtract from the credibility of the real-world information.



If you do not have credible name and birth information for an individual,
assigning an identifier is perilous. That's why I've suggested the
combination of data as a safeguard (but not as a "solution" or substitute
for logic). There is no absolute protection against mistakes or fraud, but I
suspect that the odds of two different people actually having the same name,
birth date, and birth place is very low; approaching zero. If someone can
suggest better criteria, I'd be happy to use them.



If you do not use a genealogy database or do not collaborate with other
researchers, then my proposal has no value for you. It's only a way to share
information between two databases without having to manually type the
information into each one. After all, it seems silly to keep typing the same
information into the computer when someone has already done it once.



I'm getting the impression that those who understand my proposal think it's
trivial, while those who don't think it's dangerous or impossible.



Maybe it's only a problem for me. I'm collaborating with another researcher
and want to keep our two databases updated with each others findings. Having
spent many hours manually updating the databases and cleaning up afterwards,
I'd like an easier, less error-prone approach. I thought I'd make the
technology public so everyone could benefit from it, but there's no point if
no one else has the problem.



Is there an easier way for me to synchronize our databases and I'm just
unaware of it? (I don't plan to switch to Legacy as a solution.)



---

Jerry Fitzpatrick

Software Renovation Corporation



http://www.SoftwareRenovation.com <http://www.softwarerenovation.com/>;



-----Original Message-----
From: [mailto:]
Sent: Thursday, January 01, 2004 11:42 AM
To: ;
Subject: Re: [APG] Name Registry?



Maybe I am dim on how this will work but let me present a few actual cases
here and perhaps you can tell me how you would resolve the problem within
the frame work of what you propose.



1. Margaret French, the daughter of Daniel2 French and his first wife?
Peyton married James Strother. I have seen the date of this marriage
recorded as 1738 in data bases. I have also seen her mother named as
Margaret Pratt who was her father's second wife.

Neither the date of Margaret's marriage nor her mother is determined by a
simple answer that will fit into a form field.



Her marriage date is approximated as is the dates for the birth of her
children. Margaret petitioned the court in June 1736 for her share of her
father's estate. In November of the same year James her husband did the same
thing. These petitions are recorded in the court order books. Therefore an
accurate marriage date for the couple is between June 1736 and November of
1736, while the specific year of 1738 is not at all accurate.



Margaret's father was married to the widow of John Pratt at the time of his
death but she was still married to John Pratt when her younger brother
Daniel was born therefore Margaret could not have been her child.



The fact that her mother was a Peyton is from a deed of gift of slaves,
Daniel, her brother made to the daughter's of Henry Peyton whom he called
his cousins. By deduction it is determined this term meant niece and had to
be on the maternal side.



So how would you enter this very precise information where there are no
specific dates and lots of proof arguments?



<snip>



_____

Margaret R. Amundson, CGsm is a service mark of the Board for Certification
of Genealogists, used under license by Board-certified associates after
periodic proficiency evaluations.





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