In two days I shall install my new computer with OS Snow Leopard and after that update iFamily from its 2008 version to its current form. Then my data input will get serious.
I can hardly wait.
I am eager to get started on a very good foot.
So, I am wondering if anyone has an "I wish I would have done it differently when I started data input" story I could benefit from?
Something I should beware of before I start?
Snow Leopard
Kirsten,
I had no issues whatsoever with the change to Snow Leopard or to the current version of iFamily. You should be just fine.
I had no issues whatsoever with the change to Snow Leopard or to the current version of iFamily. You should be just fine.
Bevo, Thank you.
I like the reassurance.
But I see that I wasn't being clear - I confused the issue by mentioning my new computer.
I have not actually been "using" iFamily. Just testing and getting ready and not wanting to start until I have the updated software. So, it isn't a question of worrying about the upgrade.
Within my outdated software I have experimented with data entry to see what consequences follow certain format choices. I am wanting to know if little tips could be gleaned from what other people have had to redo or wish they would have entered data differently to begin with.
Examples I have thought of:
1) To have first name of "Anne Marie" or "Leigh Ann" stay connected and not get shortened to "Anne" or "Leigh" in certain reports, I have decided to enter them with option space.
2) I see that if I enter page ref numbers in my sources as consistently having 3 digits (e.g. "page 058") the page refs sort nicely in numerical order in their column on sources page whereas if I enter "page 58", it will be sorted between pages 5 and 6.
Those are just two examples of what I might be after: Data you enter and a slight difference in entry format makes some important difference down the line - only you may not know it until you get down the line...
I like the reassurance.
But I see that I wasn't being clear - I confused the issue by mentioning my new computer.
I have not actually been "using" iFamily. Just testing and getting ready and not wanting to start until I have the updated software. So, it isn't a question of worrying about the upgrade.
Within my outdated software I have experimented with data entry to see what consequences follow certain format choices. I am wanting to know if little tips could be gleaned from what other people have had to redo or wish they would have entered data differently to begin with.
Examples I have thought of:
1) To have first name of "Anne Marie" or "Leigh Ann" stay connected and not get shortened to "Anne" or "Leigh" in certain reports, I have decided to enter them with option space.
2) I see that if I enter page ref numbers in my sources as consistently having 3 digits (e.g. "page 058") the page refs sort nicely in numerical order in their column on sources page whereas if I enter "page 58", it will be sorted between pages 5 and 6.
Those are just two examples of what I might be after: Data you enter and a slight difference in entry format makes some important difference down the line - only you may not know it until you get down the line...
Re. Something I should beware of before I start?
I've discovered these things that are worth thinking about:
1. Think about your name conventions, then stick to your standards:
a) I like ALL CAPS (an iFamily option) for LAST NAMES
b) I put nicknames in quotations after: Given Name "Nick Name"
c) I put titles in iFamily's Description field, not in the name as many do
2. Be REALLY careful before importing GEDCOM's. I no longer do so, since they don't import with references, and since they often don't match my name conventions. I simply enter new names manually. I put in the reference(s) at the same time.
3. Enter a "Y" on the death date if you know that someone has died, but their date of death is unknown. Unless you enter the "Y", they won't show in reports that exclude living people.
4. Think about your place name conventions, then stick to your standards:
a) I use: town, county, state, country
b) I look up the county and enter it when I put in the new entry (Do a Wikipedia search on the town name and it will show the county)
5. Rename picture files before importing to into iFamily, and select the option in iFamily to copy the picture file. While iFamily allows you to change the Title of a picture, it leaves the file name the same. I'd imported a bunch of pictures that I'd copied that have nonsense file names, making it hard to figure them out later.
6. Use iFamily's People > ToDo and Comments areas for your work-in-progress notes. I now use the Notes area only for information that is verified and that I'll want to share with others (reports, etc.)
1. Think about your name conventions, then stick to your standards:
a) I like ALL CAPS (an iFamily option) for LAST NAMES
b) I put nicknames in quotations after: Given Name "Nick Name"
c) I put titles in iFamily's Description field, not in the name as many do
2. Be REALLY careful before importing GEDCOM's. I no longer do so, since they don't import with references, and since they often don't match my name conventions. I simply enter new names manually. I put in the reference(s) at the same time.
3. Enter a "Y" on the death date if you know that someone has died, but their date of death is unknown. Unless you enter the "Y", they won't show in reports that exclude living people.
4. Think about your place name conventions, then stick to your standards:
a) I use: town, county, state, country
b) I look up the county and enter it when I put in the new entry (Do a Wikipedia search on the town name and it will show the county)
5. Rename picture files before importing to into iFamily, and select the option in iFamily to copy the picture file. While iFamily allows you to change the Title of a picture, it leaves the file name the same. I'd imported a bunch of pictures that I'd copied that have nonsense file names, making it hard to figure them out later.
6. Use iFamily's People > ToDo and Comments areas for your work-in-progress notes. I now use the Notes area only for information that is verified and that I'll want to share with others (reports, etc.)
Dennis
Re: Re. Something I should beware of before I start?
Dennis,dennisb wrote:I've discovered these things that are worth thinking about:
1. Think about your name conventions, then stick to your standards:
a) I like ALL CAPS (an iFamily option) for LAST NAMES
b) I put nicknames in quotations after: Given Name "Nick Name"
c) I put titles in iFamily's Description field, not in the name as many do
2. Be REALLY careful before importing GEDCOM's. I no longer do so, since they don't import with references, and since they often don't match my name conventions. I simply enter new names manually. I put in the reference(s) at the same time.
3. Enter a "Y" on the death date if you know that someone has died, but their date of death is unknown. Unless you enter the "Y", they won't show in reports that exclude living people.
4. Think about your place name conventions, then stick to your standards:
a) I use: town, county, state, country
b) I look up the county and enter it when I put in the new entry (Do a Wikipedia search on the town name and it will show the county)
5. Rename picture files before importing to into iFamily, and select the option in iFamily to copy the picture file. While iFamily allows you to change the Title of a picture, it leaves the file name the same. I'd imported a bunch of pictures that I'd copied that have nonsense file names, making it hard to figure them out later.
6. Use iFamily's People > ToDo and Comments areas for your work-in-progress notes. I now use the Notes area only for information that is verified and that I'll want to share with others (reports, etc.)
Thank you very much. It was this kind of stuff I was hoping for. Some of it I was already okay on, some of it not.
Very useful.
How did you come up with the "Y" for death date if person dead and date unknown? Is this a common convention or did you invent it?
"Y" in the Died / Death Date field for unknown dea
Keith Wilson told me about the "Y" option in the Died / Death Date field.
I'd mentioned to Keith that he might want to put that option for "Y" in the Help popup for that field (comes up when you put in a malformed date) and/or explain it elsewhere. Hopefullly this is in a future update.
I'd mentioned to Keith that he might want to put that option for "Y" in the Help popup for that field (comes up when you put in a malformed date) and/or explain it elsewhere. Hopefullly this is in a future update.
Dennis
When you don't know full names, or have alternate spellings
A couple of more suggestions:
1. When you don't know a woman's maiden name, enter her married name in parentheses. Example: Mary (SMITH)
2. When you don't know a first name, use a "?" mark. Example: ? SMITH
3. When you don't know a last name, use a "?" mark. Example: Mary ?
4. When you have alternate spellings, consider putting them in parentheses. Example: Bertha (Berta) SMITH
I've noticed that some people will use the "name" Baby or Infant for a child that died in infancy. I prefer to use ? SMITH with the proper birth and death dates if available, and I put in the Death note "died in infancy". I don't know what the standard is for that, but this works for me.
I've used the above rules for myself in an 18,000 name iFamily database, and they work fine. Searches work just great, including searching for "?", and I'm always able to find what I need. The Reports properly handle the "?" marks, showing them where entered.
1. When you don't know a woman's maiden name, enter her married name in parentheses. Example: Mary (SMITH)
2. When you don't know a first name, use a "?" mark. Example: ? SMITH
3. When you don't know a last name, use a "?" mark. Example: Mary ?
4. When you have alternate spellings, consider putting them in parentheses. Example: Bertha (Berta) SMITH
I've noticed that some people will use the "name" Baby or Infant for a child that died in infancy. I prefer to use ? SMITH with the proper birth and death dates if available, and I put in the Death note "died in infancy". I don't know what the standard is for that, but this works for me.
I've used the above rules for myself in an 18,000 name iFamily database, and they work fine. Searches work just great, including searching for "?", and I'm always able to find what I need. The Reports properly handle the "?" marks, showing them where entered.
Dennis
Something I should be aware of before I start?
Thank you Kirsten, for posting the questions, and thank you dennisb, for the specific replies. I found them to be very helpful too! I am planning to reenter my tree now that I have a clearer understanding of what methods of entry will make it all work better.
Using Sources (References)
I thought I'd pass along a couple of more items on the use of Sources. Please note that I've not read much on genealogy, so I don't know the "official" rules on references. Please just consider these ideas for your own further thought and research:
1. Enter and use Sources. I found over and over that I forgot where I found some information. No more! Now I create a source, enter the full title, it's author and author contact information, the location (often a web URL), and notes about it.
2. Use the Source with each individual it applies to. Only that way can you go to a person and get a full picture of the documentation you've found that describes their vital information.
3. Use the Notes field extensively in individual Source entries. When you enter a Source for someone, cut and paste in the original text (e.g. LDS or Ancestry.com) of the source information that applies to that person into the Notes field. Now you'll know *exactly* what the information is and where it came from. Be willing to copy it twice if that's indicated - as in a marriage - so you'll put that info in a Source Note for both people.
4. Consider entering census information in both Sources and Events (Residence entry). For example: I'll create a Source for "1880 Census - Rock County, Nebraska". Then I'll transcribe the census entry and put that entry in the Source Note for each person mentioned. I'm also starting to create an Events/Residence entry at the same time for that person, referencing the Source. That ties everything together.
5. Note when there are alternatives with the text "Alt." - either in Person Notes or the Source Notes - since you'll quickly find that with multiple sources you'll get multiple dates and places! You don't want to lose that information.
Thanks Kirsten and Cazzy for letting me know that these notes have been helpful to you. Best of luck in your family history projects.
Dennis
1. Enter and use Sources. I found over and over that I forgot where I found some information. No more! Now I create a source, enter the full title, it's author and author contact information, the location (often a web URL), and notes about it.
2. Use the Source with each individual it applies to. Only that way can you go to a person and get a full picture of the documentation you've found that describes their vital information.
3. Use the Notes field extensively in individual Source entries. When you enter a Source for someone, cut and paste in the original text (e.g. LDS or Ancestry.com) of the source information that applies to that person into the Notes field. Now you'll know *exactly* what the information is and where it came from. Be willing to copy it twice if that's indicated - as in a marriage - so you'll put that info in a Source Note for both people.
4. Consider entering census information in both Sources and Events (Residence entry). For example: I'll create a Source for "1880 Census - Rock County, Nebraska". Then I'll transcribe the census entry and put that entry in the Source Note for each person mentioned. I'm also starting to create an Events/Residence entry at the same time for that person, referencing the Source. That ties everything together.
5. Note when there are alternatives with the text "Alt." - either in Person Notes or the Source Notes - since you'll quickly find that with multiple sources you'll get multiple dates and places! You don't want to lose that information.
Thanks Kirsten and Cazzy for letting me know that these notes have been helpful to you. Best of luck in your family history projects.
Dennis
Dennis
Thank you, Dennis, for adding more thoughtful information regarding useful method, this time on sources.
Another very valuable entry!
To go back to the issue of names:
Do you have any thoughts about handling the situation of a person who actually changes his name legally, not through marriage, but through legal process?
Another very valuable entry!
To go back to the issue of names:
Do you have any thoughts about handling the situation of a person who actually changes his name legally, not through marriage, but through legal process?
Changing name
Kirsten,
Customs vary, particularly when people change their names upon marriage. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Married_and_maiden_names
In that article you'll read about the "ne" prefix used in French and English to indicate the birth name. I see people use that sometimes in text, but less often in genealogy programs. It's not really necessary.
In genealogy programs I think that most people enter the birth name in the family name field. I also think that, most of the time, people leave that name as is, even should they change it due to marriage. In iFamily, you can always do a People > Index search for a given name and a spouses name to find that person. And, for example, Ancestry.com will do historic records searches automatically for a person both with their birth family name and their married family name(s).
As to name change, I've seen people put *both* the prior and the new names in the name field, with the birth name listed first between parenthesis. This allows you to see and search for both names. Example: James (JONES) CLAUS. I suppose the same rule could apply should they change both given and family names. Example: (James) Santa (JONES) CLAUS. But, I'm on much shakier ground here!
What if both spouses decided to change their names to a hyphenated name or blended name? See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyphenated_name If it were me, I'd use the second rule and give them each a new last name. Example: Mary SMITH marries John JONES and they decide the both want a new blended family name; I'd enter their names as Mary (SMITH) SMITH-JONES and John (JONES) SMITH-JONES.
iFamily has an optional name field called AKA, which may be of use. I've not used that field, so perhaps other iFamily users could weigh in. I don't see an iFamily event specifically for the name change, but it would make sense to me that if that were done legally, you might want to enter that date in an Other Event, to record it in your records.
Customs vary, particularly when people change their names upon marriage. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Married_and_maiden_names
In that article you'll read about the "ne" prefix used in French and English to indicate the birth name. I see people use that sometimes in text, but less often in genealogy programs. It's not really necessary.
In genealogy programs I think that most people enter the birth name in the family name field. I also think that, most of the time, people leave that name as is, even should they change it due to marriage. In iFamily, you can always do a People > Index search for a given name and a spouses name to find that person. And, for example, Ancestry.com will do historic records searches automatically for a person both with their birth family name and their married family name(s).
As to name change, I've seen people put *both* the prior and the new names in the name field, with the birth name listed first between parenthesis. This allows you to see and search for both names. Example: James (JONES) CLAUS. I suppose the same rule could apply should they change both given and family names. Example: (James) Santa (JONES) CLAUS. But, I'm on much shakier ground here!
What if both spouses decided to change their names to a hyphenated name or blended name? See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyphenated_name If it were me, I'd use the second rule and give them each a new last name. Example: Mary SMITH marries John JONES and they decide the both want a new blended family name; I'd enter their names as Mary (SMITH) SMITH-JONES and John (JONES) SMITH-JONES.
iFamily has an optional name field called AKA, which may be of use. I've not used that field, so perhaps other iFamily users could weigh in. I don't see an iFamily event specifically for the name change, but it would make sense to me that if that were done legally, you might want to enter that date in an Other Event, to record it in your records.
Dennis
I posted a related question elsewhere. This is how I resolved it: James Jones changed his name (completely) to Sam Smith. I entered it as James Jones aka Sam Smith, thus listing the initial legal name first, followed by the new name. I used the same process for the entire family; the children’s first and last names were all changed also. I found this to be a simple way to type it and a simple way to read it. I felt it was important to include all this information, i.e. both names, as future genealogists might spend a long time trying to trace this family if they didn’t know about the name change. I have not been able to discover what is considered the “properâ€