Updating master sources - a dream.
So in my moments of far-flung fantasy, as I take a break from updating my sources (one by one, eventually generation by generation) I imagine that I find someone who has uploaded a Legacy source file with no real people, but Master Sources for every census, major record source (SSN, etc.) and typical site (findagrave...)
I know there are basic source examples out there, but what a great resource it would be. And of course, there are complications (e.g. I found many census records on my local library site, or on microfiche many moons ago) but really, I'd pay for a copy of that base of data.
But that would be a crazy large database just the 1900 US federal census would have entries for Ancestry, Family search, Myheritage, NARA, Findmypast, Smithsonian, it would be just as big a headache to pick the proper source.
ReplyDeleteI can't quite imagine how that would work. Master Sources are attached to people. If you delete the people you delete the sources. So, the question is how to get them in there unattached except by entering them one at a time? I can't imagine why anyone would do that. How much are you willing to pay?
ReplyDeleteWell, suppose someone created a family tree with John Doe Sr., John Doe Jr., and John Doe etc. Starting with the 1850 census, each master source would be entered. You could have a version for Ancestry and a separate version for other repositories.. Then you would import the database into your existing family tree. Next, you would use the added master sources to update all of your citations. No worries you did it wrong, no worries you will make misspells, you just use them. Then delete John Does. I mean, to have really reliable master sources for 1800 - present, Social Security death index and findagrave, I'd happily pay $25 or more. If someone already had them in their tree, they could just delete the extra stuff and send it along. And I bet there would be a market. Maybe not.
ReplyDeleteLike I said, in my dreams. I am a detail oriented, tech-comfy user, and I have watched about every free video, and I still hate this sourcing thing.
Grandma Deb
ReplyDeletePutting people in at all wouldn't work because if you delete the people later you delete their sources. In other words, I couldn't send you my database because I couldn't take my people out of there first. If I did, there would be no sources left.
BUT, you can start with an empty file and add Master Sources without any people. Just open the screen and start adding. But what's the difference between that and adding them to your existing file?
I don't put different versions of census records. I really don't care where they came from. It's the same records. I search at FamilySearch. My Cuz searches at Ancestry.
Other thing is Source Detail. If you choose a different Master Source, you still have to copy over the Source Detail from the other one. Or start from scratch.
I'm not sure that I'm really understanding what you're trying to do.
Oh I just dream of someone else doing it for me, I guess!!! =P Don't mind me, I'm just wishing I could cut this job in half.
ReplyDeleteGrandma Deb
ReplyDeleteWhat IS "this job"? I love finding shortcuts if I can.
I am recovering from the mess made by accepting Ancestry's multiple citations. The only way I know to clean it up is to go through every individual until they are all straightened out. Since I have switched to Legacy, the only way to determine one citation from another is either to drill down and inspect it, (which is a crazy amount of trouble) or just convert over to source writer (since this automatically identifies each source writer citation with a dot - which shows me which citations have been redone.)
ReplyDeleteIDK if this is making any sense.
But what I wish I had was a way to import all of the census master sources and other basics so I could already have the master sources ready to go and just add citation detail and reattach the events.
It seems like such a useful thing: a legacy family file with all of the master sources in source writer ready to go.
As Johni LeRoi pointed out it could have a huge number of sources just for census due to different repositories. But if they were named well, it would still be worth it I think, to have a resource like that.
But maybe I am nuts. =]
Grandma Deb
ReplyDeleteALL Master Sources is a tall order. Maybe you'll find a taker.
The problem -- or rather another problem with the master source list is "lumpers" would want it one way and "splitters" would want it another.
ReplyDeleteJohni LeRoy That's what I was thinking. How would someone want the list to appear? I do my census records by state/county. Someone else might want the city as well.
ReplyDeleteAhh, well. I have finally finished revamping the basic sources and duplicate sources in ONE person, converting them all to Source Master. One down, hundreds to go... Thank God I decided to only document the bare bones of the tree for now!
ReplyDeleteYour welcome! ;)
ReplyDelete