Shannon weighs in on "do-over" in genealogy software.
I've been reading a lot about people starting their database over and I have been thinking about doing the same. When I switched from FTM to Legacy I ended up with a bunch of Events with no sources and not a whole lot of information. So today I tagged everyone on tag #9 and I started going through each person getting rid of the Events that make no sense. When I am satisfied with them I then remove the #9 tag. The thought of starting over gives me a headache! I figured by using this method I can still keep the good information and weed out the bad over time. During this process I am not looking at fixing citations; I'm just getting rid of events. Baby steps!
Has anyone else thought about starting over or have you done it??
I thought about it too, but decided against it like you Shannon Thomas . I just correct as I go, when time and mood permit! I too utilize the tagging feature to correct one problem at a time. I figure it's better to have something than nothing at all. I would be discouraged to start all over. But that's just me!
ReplyDeleteI am in this "no start over" gang. There are too many good ways to go about "fixing" one issue at a time.
ReplyDeleteFixing is a wonderful thing, always good. It can never be bad, in my opinion.
That said, it can be overwhelming and exhausting. Taking baby steps is a great way to approach it.
I just cannot see starting over, all the input, massive amounts of input, all taking even larger, more massive amounts of energy and time.
I am quite selfish with my energy and time, and, I abhor "do overs" with a passion that is unknown to most of mankind. (Yea, THAT much! LOL)
Good luck, let us hear how this works out for you.
Applauding your decision to make your data base better! Ya Shannon Thomas !!!
I, too, agree that fixing the database would beat starting over.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks starting over is not the way to go! About two hours from when I started and I have cleared up a little more than 1,000 Event issues...only 2,625 people to go!! :) Thanks for all the support!!
ReplyDeleteWow! You go girl! Hopefully you are not ADD about it like I am. I start in good for a while, then get distracted by something else I want to correct and work on that awhile, and so on and so on.
ReplyDeleteI've started over a couple of times, usually while in the process of evaluating different genealogy software. Now that I've settled on Legacy, I won't be starting over again. I keep Legacy open all the while that I'm working on Ancestry.com, trying to keep everything updated simultaneously. I love the problem reports I can generate from Legacy, and I love the color coding and the bolding of my direct line. These things help keep me on track, meandering as that track may be.
ReplyDeleteIf you have really messed up your database or never sourced and don't know where you got stuff from, starting over is a good option. I have never just added people without some breadcrumbs and never added a GEDCOM. I like to work on projects (it gives me a sense of accomplishment - what can I say, I am a goof). In that vein I might focus on findagrave, or marriages, or using the random number generator - pick someone in my database and then clean up that family. I am a huge fan of tagging and while tag 1 and 2 are permanent (father's side and mother's side), and 9 is for when I spot a problem but need to focus on my tasks and get back to it later - 3-8 area available for projects. So put me in the clean up camp!
ReplyDeleteMonique Riley I usually end up jumping around but I am doing this through to the end. I have most of my evening free tonight and this is getting done! I even found a couple of Find A Grave events that for some reason I did not source so I tagged them on another tag so I can go back to them. It might be a lot of work but I will be much happier in the end. So if you need me tonight I will be right here working away on one monitor and checking things out on the web on the other. I am a multi-tasker after all! Just had another cup of tea and I am off! :)
ReplyDeleteI also switched from FTM to Legacy. And I started by tagging certain events and individuals I wanted to fix. But it got confusing to me and so I just started a new file and started over. It's daunting, and I'm not finished, but I'm completely happy with my "do over." I focus on one branch every quarter and make sure citations are complete, research plans are started and/or updated, and my notes are in order. I definitely feel more organized and finding new clues was a bonus!
ReplyDeleteKarin Coppernoll I'm glad starting over was a positive experience for you! I think we can all agree that we will never be done...there will always be some kind of clean up / maintenance going on in our databases.
ReplyDeleteI guess I am lucky in that I decided upon Legacy before I got too far into my genealogy. It seems that switching programs turns into a real pain because of how each program is a bit proprietary - I hear about events and sources that don't make the trip unharmed. Another reason to really give some thought to choosing and then learning your program AND sadly makes you really think twice about switching - would be nice if they all played well with each other - but ....
ReplyDeleteI have started over. I was initially going in and redoing my sources from the Basic Source Citations to the Sourcewriter, and decided it might be easier to just start from scratch - that way I can make sure I have everyone sourced and not skip any. I've been working on it off and on for about six months and I'm maybe halfway through. It's been slow going, but I'm making sure to transcribe all my sources into the notes and attach pictures/files to the sources as I go.
ReplyDeleteI make a gazillion backups so I'll never, never, never, never, NEVER have to start over. I just passed 15,000 individuals.
ReplyDeleteWhat's wrong with just cleaning up? Legacy has all kinds of search options to narrow down a piece to work on. I use Missing Information and Missing Sources quite often. Or searching Notes to see if anything needs to be moved around, cleaning up the Master Location List, cleaning up the Repository Address List, the Master Event Address list, Master Sources, Potential Problems. Tagging this, tagging that. Something gets me going and it can go on for days.
When I had a look at what's involved in switching Basic Source citations to the Sourcewriter I thought there's no way I'll live that long so it can stay how it is. I'll be cheering on the next generation from my grave.
I've found that genealogy is a constant cleanup. New software features, new data sources online, all sorts of new info coming your way that causes you to go back and review what you've done or, more likely, how you've done it. I've collected some 62,000 individuals and 25,000 families so starting over is not something I contemplate for more than 10 seconds at any time. But I have a number of 'cleanup projects' on the go most of the time. I use most of my 9 tags to break them down into biteable chunks and tackle them a bit at a time while still proceeding with new research. But you will never get to the perfect data set because the parameters change faster than you can keep up. It comes down to: what are your real goals?
ReplyDeleteTessa Keough, to follow up on your comment, I tend to use the User ID field to highlight my family lines - or Father/Mother lines in your terms. I also have IDs for those who belong to both, which can identify whether the paternal line is Father/Mother or Mother/Father (sounds contradictory but after a few generations with intermarriages, it makes sense). Saves me several tags for other uses. If it is a permanent tag, there may be a better way to isolate or filter it. Just my thoughts.