In message <E042996F304A455EACBAB605DFD327CF@nednulb6bx16vi>, N & K Chestnut <nkopportunity@gorge.net> writes: >Carole, > When I don't know a given person's name, I simply give the name as >UNKNOWN. Yes, I end up with lots of UNKNOWNs. Sometimes the given >name will be known, then I type that name, Jane for example, and use >UNKNOWN for the maiden surname. When it is a male, the surname may be >known, but not the given name, then I would have UNKNOWN JONES or >unknown JONES. [] I just use ?; so I might have for example Anne ? (in fact I'm pretty sure I do have that name). I thought I'd read somewhere that that was what was supposed to be done, but I may be wrong about that. -- J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar@T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf `Where a calculator on the Eniac is equipped with 18,000 vacuum tubes and weighs 30 tons, computers in the future may have only 1,000 vacuum tubes and perhaps weigh 1.5 tons.' Popular Mechanics, March 1949 (quoted in Computing 1999-12-16)

I have always used the convention FNU = First Name Unknown LNU = Last Name Unknown UNKNOWN = No Name Known Works for me and allows for searching without finding a lot of question marks. I did have a question from one person who wanted to know if LNU was an oriental name :) Pip.