Much as many of us dislike Social Media it seems to me that FaceBook and its ilk are a good way of publicising something and the first place that many people will look for help and advice. Can GENUKI get a FaceBook page, I wonder? Jon Sent from Mail for Windows 10 From: Sher Leetooze Sent: 31 October 2019 13:30 To: [email protected] Subject: [DEV] Re: The Demise of the OPC? To the List: Ros and others seem to be drowning in inaction! That is the shame of it. If people can't research without putting out big money on memberships to an online database, they don't seem to be able to research. And researchers will not join a local genealogy group in order to learn how to do their research - I know this first hand. Here in Ontario Canada we have the Ontario Genealogical Society with a branch or two in each county/region. Some branches are suffering because their membership is so low. I'm sure it is the same in UK and other places. Once or twice a year I accept an invitation to speak at their meetings - often it is to give a "genealogy 101" session about research techniques. But I'm preaching to the converted!! OPC's, Societies, etc just aren't being promoted - no $£$£ to advertise their wares - like the Ancestry's and FMP's of the world do. We need a blitz- PROMOTE! PROMOTE! PROMOTE! I'm told social media is the place to advertise - perhaps that's the place to be right now - talking up the OPC schemes and the Family History Societies and the FREE online databases that people seem to have forgotten. The onus is on ourselves to promote our wares as often as we can - OPC's included - we have to take our wares to the public rather than wait for them to come to us. Just my opinions. Sher in rainy Ontario, Canada On 10/30/2019 12:06 PM, Ros Haywood wrote: > I have to echo Jonathan's sentiments. I am an OPC, but I keep > thinking I will write to Deborah O'Brien and resign. Not because I am > infuriated at anything, but because nothing is happening. In fact, I > forget I even am an OPC for months on end - it's only when I get the > once-a-year query that I remember. And then I think of Deborah - and > then I sigh and forget to do even that. > > Years ago, all the queries were along the lines of 'how do I do > genealogy'. Now, the annual query from someone is so complicated, I > don't understand the question, let alone know the answer. > > I too have run beginner-genealogy courses. But now I have other > commitments. What's Deborah's address again? > > Ros Haywood > OPC for Ottery St Mary > > ------ Original Message ------ > From: "Jonathan Frayne" <[email protected]> > To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> > Sent: 30/10/2019 16:55:05 > Subject: [DEV] Re: The Demise of the OPC? > >> To play devil’s advocate; I used to be an OPC and now I am not. I >> copied all the records I could; I spent a considerable amount of >> money on books; I set up a website that had most of the “other” stuff >> I had collected over the years. What happened was that I got a stream >> of requests from people asking me to do the most basic of look-ups >> that they could have done for themselves on FMP/Ancestry etc. I think >> everyone should afford at least one subscription to a major website >> and the DFHS plus have knowledge of GENUKI. Then most of the basic >> stuff can be researched for themselves. The odd request from someone >> ‘out of county’ for an ancestor who happened to come here, is fine by >> me. It was the people who I ended up thinking were asking me to do >> their basic research that got a bit wearisome. Nowadays an OPC does >> not need to transcribe most PRs (as I did), nor the GRO indexes (as I >> did) nor do they need to transcribe the Censuses (as I did). Even the >> cemetery records are on-line (well, for ‘my’ parish they are-I did >> some of them!). I am not sure about what an OPC can offer nowadays. I >> used to go and photo local places but even they are on-line nowadays. >> >> What I wonder may be more useful in this day and age is to possibly >> offer a mentoring scheme for “newbies” - not a nice word, if word it >> is. That seems to be what others seem to be hinting at. I have run >> several starter courses in the past in which I focused on the basics, >> of course, but people seemed, in some cases, still to be a little >> nervous and a little judicious ‘hand-holding’ – without trying to >> sound condescending – maybe nearer what is needed. >> >> Jon Frayne-ex OPC Barnstaple >> >> Sent from Mail for Windows 10 >> >> From: Adrian Bruce >> Sent: 30 October 2019 16:39 >> To: Devon Rootsweb >> Subject: [DEV] Re: The Demise of the OPC? >> >> On Wed, 30 Oct 2019 at 16:30, Graham Parnell via DEVON >> <[email protected]> wrote: >>> ... I have noticed a marked decrease in the Silverton enquiries >>> that I receive over the years, which is disappointing as many of the >>> records that I have are not available via the Internet, or elsewhere >>> to the general public. ... >> >> Please don't take this the wrong way because I value people who help >> others - but the problem is possibly that people don't understand what >> extra information the OPCs, etc., have. Indeed there might be a >> further problem that people don't always understand that there *is* >> further info that's not in FMP or Ancestry, etc. If I look at the >> Silverton entry in the GENUKI Gazetteer, it simply says that the OPC >> (Graham Parnell) "invites queries and lookup requests." Maybe it would >> help to list some examples of the "other" stuff. (Getting people to >> look in GENUKI is another matter, of course!) >> >> Adrian >> >> _______________________________________________ >> ------------------------------------------ >> The DEVON-L mailing list is co-sponsored by GENUKI/Devon >> http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DEV/ and Devon FHS >> (http://www.devonfhs.org.uk/ ) >> _______________________________________________ >> Email preferences: http://bit.ly/rootswebpref >> Unsubscribe >> https://lists.rootsweb.com/postorius/lists/[email protected] >> Privacy Statement: https://ancstry.me/2JWBOdY Terms and Conditions: >> https://ancstry.me/2HDBym9 >> Rootsweb Blog: http://rootsweb.blog >> RootsWeb is funded and supported by Ancestry.com and our loyal >> RootsWeb community >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> ------------------------------------------ >> The DEVON-L mailing list is co-sponsored by GENUKI/Devon >> http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DEV/ and Devon FHS >> (http://www.devonfhs.org.uk/ ) >> _______________________________________________ >> Email preferences: http://bit.ly/rootswebpref >> Unsubscribe >> https://lists.rootsweb.com/postorius/lists/[email protected] >> Privacy Statement: https://ancstry.me/2JWBOdY Terms and Conditions: >> https://ancstry.me/2HDBym9 >> Rootsweb Blog: http://rootsweb.blog >> RootsWeb is funded and supported by Ancestry.com and our loyal >> RootsWeb community > > _______________________________________________ > ------------------------------------------ > The DEVON-L mailing list is co-sponsored by GENUKI/Devon > http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DEV/ and Devon FHS > (http://www.devonfhs.org.uk/ ) > _______________________________________________ > Email preferences: http://bit.ly/rootswebpref > Unsubscribe https://lists.rootsweb.com/postorius/lists/[email protected] > Privacy Statement: https://ancstry.me/2JWBOdY Terms and Conditions: > https://ancstry.me/2HDBym9 > Rootsweb Blog: http://rootsweb.blog > RootsWeb is funded and supported by Ancestry.com and our loyal > RootsWeb community --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. https://www.avg.com _______________________________________________ ------------------------------------------ The DEVON-L mailing list is co-sponsored by GENUKI/Devon http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DEV/ and Devon FHS (http://www.devonfhs.org.uk/ ) _______________________________________________ Email preferences: http://bit.ly/rootswebpref Unsubscribe https://lists.rootsweb.com/postorius/lists/[email protected] Privacy Statement: https://ancstry.me/2JWBOdY Terms and Conditions: https://ancstry.me/2HDBym9 Rootsweb Blog: http://rootsweb.blog RootsWeb is funded and supported by Ancestry.com and our loyal RootsWeb community

To the List: Ros and others seem to be drowning in inaction! That is the shame of it. If people can't research without putting out big money on memberships to an online database, they don't seem to be able to research. And researchers will not join a local genealogy group in order to learn how to do their research - I know this first hand. Here in Ontario Canada we have the Ontario Genealogical Society with a branch or two in each county/region. Some branches are suffering because their membership is so low. I'm sure it is the same in UK and other places. Once or twice a year I accept an invitation to speak at their meetings - often it is to give a "genealogy 101" session about research techniques. But I'm preaching to the converted!! OPC's, Societies, etc just aren't being promoted - no $£$£ to advertise their wares - like the Ancestry's and FMP's of the world do. We need a blitz- PROMOTE! PROMOTE! PROMOTE! I'm told social media is the place to advertise - perhaps that's the place to be right now - talking up the OPC schemes and the Family History Societies and the FREE online databases that people seem to have forgotten. The onus is on ourselves to promote our wares as often as we can - OPC's included - we have to take our wares to the public rather than wait for them to come to us. Just my opinions. Sher in rainy Ontario, Canada On 10/30/2019 12:06 PM, Ros Haywood wrote: > I have to echo Jonathan's sentiments. I am an OPC, but I keep > thinking I will write to Deborah O'Brien and resign. Not because I am > infuriated at anything, but because nothing is happening. In fact, I > forget I even am an OPC for months on end - it's only when I get the > once-a-year query that I remember. And then I think of Deborah - and > then I sigh and forget to do even that. > > Years ago, all the queries were along the lines of 'how do I do > genealogy'. Now, the annual query from someone is so complicated, I > don't understand the question, let alone know the answer. > > I too have run beginner-genealogy courses. But now I have other > commitments. What's Deborah's address again? > > Ros Haywood > OPC for Ottery St Mary > > ------ Original Message ------ > From: "Jonathan Frayne" <[email protected]> > To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> > Sent: 30/10/2019 16:55:05 > Subject: [DEV] Re: The Demise of the OPC? > >> To play devil’s advocate; I used to be an OPC and now I am not. I >> copied all the records I could; I spent a considerable amount of >> money on books; I set up a website that had most of the “other” stuff >> I had collected over the years. What happened was that I got a stream >> of requests from people asking me to do the most basic of look-ups >> that they could have done for themselves on FMP/Ancestry etc. I think >> everyone should afford at least one subscription to a major website >> and the DFHS plus have knowledge of GENUKI. Then most of the basic >> stuff can be researched for themselves. The odd request from someone >> ‘out of county’ for an ancestor who happened to come here, is fine by >> me. It was the people who I ended up thinking were asking me to do >> their basic research that got a bit wearisome. Nowadays an OPC does >> not need to transcribe most PRs (as I did), nor the GRO indexes (as I >> did) nor do they need to transcribe the Censuses (as I did). Even the >> cemetery records are on-line (well, for ‘my’ parish they are-I did >> some of them!). I am not sure about what an OPC can offer nowadays. I >> used to go and photo local places but even they are on-line nowadays. >> >> What I wonder may be more useful in this day and age is to possibly >> offer a mentoring scheme for “newbies” - not a nice word, if word it >> is. That seems to be what others seem to be hinting at. I have run >> several starter courses in the past in which I focused on the basics, >> of course, but people seemed, in some cases, still to be a little >> nervous and a little judicious ‘hand-holding’ – without trying to >> sound condescending – maybe nearer what is needed. >> >> Jon Frayne-ex OPC Barnstaple >> >> Sent from Mail for Windows 10 >> >> From: Adrian Bruce >> Sent: 30 October 2019 16:39 >> To: Devon Rootsweb >> Subject: [DEV] Re: The Demise of the OPC? >> >> On Wed, 30 Oct 2019 at 16:30, Graham Parnell via DEVON >> <[email protected]> wrote: >>> ... I have noticed a marked decrease in the Silverton enquiries >>> that I receive over the years, which is disappointing as many of the >>> records that I have are not available via the Internet, or elsewhere >>> to the general public. ... >> >> Please don't take this the wrong way because I value people who help >> others - but the problem is possibly that people don't understand what >> extra information the OPCs, etc., have. Indeed there might be a >> further problem that people don't always understand that there *is* >> further info that's not in FMP or Ancestry, etc. If I look at the >> Silverton entry in the GENUKI Gazetteer, it simply says that the OPC >> (Graham Parnell) "invites queries and lookup requests." Maybe it would >> help to list some examples of the "other" stuff. (Getting people to >> look in GENUKI is another matter, of course!) >> >> Adrian >> >> _______________________________________________ >> ------------------------------------------ >> The DEVON-L mailing list is co-sponsored by GENUKI/Devon >> http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DEV/ and Devon FHS >> (http://www.devonfhs.org.uk/ ) >> _______________________________________________ >> Email preferences: http://bit.ly/rootswebpref >> Unsubscribe >> https://lists.rootsweb.com/postorius/lists/[email protected] >> Privacy Statement: https://ancstry.me/2JWBOdY Terms and Conditions: >> https://ancstry.me/2HDBym9 >> Rootsweb Blog: http://rootsweb.blog >> RootsWeb is funded and supported by Ancestry.com and our loyal >> RootsWeb community >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> ------------------------------------------ >> The DEVON-L mailing list is co-sponsored by GENUKI/Devon >> http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DEV/ and Devon FHS >> (http://www.devonfhs.org.uk/ ) >> _______________________________________________ >> Email preferences: http://bit.ly/rootswebpref >> Unsubscribe >> https://lists.rootsweb.com/postorius/lists/[email protected] >> Privacy Statement: https://ancstry.me/2JWBOdY Terms and Conditions: >> https://ancstry.me/2HDBym9 >> Rootsweb Blog: http://rootsweb.blog >> RootsWeb is funded and supported by Ancestry.com and our loyal >> RootsWeb community > > _______________________________________________ > ------------------------------------------ > The DEVON-L mailing list is co-sponsored by GENUKI/Devon > http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DEV/ and Devon FHS > (http://www.devonfhs.org.uk/ ) > _______________________________________________ > Email preferences: http://bit.ly/rootswebpref > Unsubscribe https://lists.rootsweb.com/postorius/lists/[email protected] > Privacy Statement: https://ancstry.me/2JWBOdY Terms and Conditions: > https://ancstry.me/2HDBym9 > Rootsweb Blog: http://rootsweb.blog > RootsWeb is funded and supported by Ancestry.com and our loyal > RootsWeb community --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. https://www.avg.com

Whenever I do a basic "Genealogy 101" session I always point people to Genuki - you'd be surprised at the people who never heard of it!!! Some of the OPC problems stem from not enough promotion of the Genuki site itself - how you can do that on a low or non-existant budget is beyond me - but it seems that it must be done. Sher On 10/30/2019 12:57 PM, Jane Lucas via DEVON wrote: > I suspect that you’re all preaching to the converted. The people that need to hear this probably don’t belong to these lists. > > But as there is obviously an issue, what about adding some ‘tips’ to GENUKI with suggestions of simple searches new researchers could undertake/strategies they could employ to help them get started. > > After all, it is completely baffling at the start. I know there is lots of help out there, but it’s not like school or university where you can follow a structured hierarchical programme, often with an expert or two to hold your hand. > > Most of us are self taught family history researchers. I remember thinking that I was muddling through in a fog when I first started. And I still feel like that sometimes after several years! > > Jane > > > > >> On 30 Oct 2019, at 17:42, joy.langdon--- via DEVON <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>  >> I think the Devon OPC database is disadvantaged because there isn't one central site people can find when googling and can see what is available immediately. > _______________________________________________ > ------------------------------------------ > The DEVON-L mailing list is co-sponsored by GENUKI/Devon > http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DEV/ and Devon FHS (http://www.devonfhs.org.uk/ ) > _______________________________________________ > Email preferences: http://bit.ly/rootswebpref > Unsubscribe https://lists.rootsweb.com/postorius/lists/[email protected] > Privacy Statement: https://ancstry.me/2JWBOdY Terms and Conditions: https://ancstry.me/2HDBym9 > Rootsweb Blog: http://rootsweb.blog > RootsWeb is funded and supported by Ancestry.com and our loyal RootsWeb community --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. https://www.avg.com

Genuki is excellent but the newbies do not know about it. Cheers, Edna - rainy Ottawa -----Original Message----- From: Sher Leetooze Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2019 8:29 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [DEV] Re: The Demise of the OPC? Why do people NOT look at Genuki???? That's the first place I go when I need information, for Heaven's sake. It's the best "hub" site in the world!! Sher in rainy Ontario, Canada.

Why do people NOT look at Genuki???? That's the first place I go when I need information, for Heaven's sake. It's the best "hub" site in the world!! Sher in rainy Ontario, Canada. On 10/30/2019 11:39 AM, Adrian Bruce wrote: > On Wed, 30 Oct 2019 at 16:30, Graham Parnell via DEVON > <[email protected]> wrote: >> ... I have noticed a marked decrease in the Silverton enquiries that I receive over the years, which is disappointing as many of the records that I have are not available via the Internet, or elsewhere to the general public. ... > Please don't take this the wrong way because I value people who help > others - but the problem is possibly that people don't understand what > extra information the OPCs, etc., have. Indeed there might be a > further problem that people don't always understand that there *is* > further info that's not in FMP or Ancestry, etc. If I look at the > Silverton entry in the GENUKI Gazetteer, it simply says that the OPC > (Graham Parnell) "invites queries and lookup requests." Maybe it would > help to list some examples of the "other" stuff. (Getting people to > look in GENUKI is another matter, of course!) > > Adrian > > _______________________________________________ > ------------------------------------------ > The DEVON-L mailing list is co-sponsored by GENUKI/Devon > http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DEV/ and Devon FHS (http://www.devonfhs.org.uk/ ) > _______________________________________________ > Email preferences: http://bit.ly/rootswebpref > Unsubscribe https://lists.rootsweb.com/postorius/lists/[email protected] > Privacy Statement: https://ancstry.me/2JWBOdY Terms and Conditions: https://ancstry.me/2HDBym9 > Rootsweb Blog: http://rootsweb.blog > RootsWeb is funded and supported by Ancestry.com and our loyal RootsWeb community --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. https://www.avg.com

Hi Nancy I am more than happy to help people of any experience with their research as long as they have done the basic stuff for themselves and are in some way stuck. I too can recall having to do research long ago by surface mail and going to the Record Office and having to don white gloves before the original registers were presented. I, personally, don’t ignore requests from less experienced family historians but I do drift off into other activities (particularly during the warmer months!) so may not see requests for help. Sorry about that. I have seen people on this list ask, in the past, for basic information and then get sign-posted to where they can find it, only for someone else to look for them and produce the information for them. Wainwright’s book, the transcript of the Barnstaple PR, (and indeed all the transcripts published in the DCRS’s Old Series) were indexed at some point and that was published. For many years thereafter, due to resistance from the Bishop of Exeter (I was told), no other images of the PRs were allowed apart from the LDS microfilms and I am sure we can all recall how appallingly bad they were in general. Latterly the Heritage Centre and DFHS have done much to rectify this with their digitisation project. No praise is sufficient to them for this. It was in trying to help them in this that I discovered that I am nowhere near as good a transcriber as I thought I was. I have found that if you ask in the local record office to have the original PRs produced they will be (as long as they are fit for production of course). I do that sometimes for the sake of the smell of the old velum, but it isn’t really necessary where the page has been digitised. What I have found is that a digital photograph of the page makes it a lot easier to decipher if that is needed. The technology in a modern camera brings up the image, sometimes from vague splodginess to written-like-it-was-done-yesterday quality. Jon Sent from Mail for Windows 10 From: Nancy Frey Sent: 31 October 2019 01:59 To: [email protected] Subject: [DEV] Re: The Demise of the OPC? Hi Jon & others, as Wayne puts it: Brian has been very quick. There is no longer any reference to you or anyone else as being OPC for Barnstaple on the GENUKI Barnstaple page.0 There are a lot of old books, including the one containing the Barnstaple Parish Registers published in 1903 (of which I have a copy on my hard drive) available to read or download at https://archive.org/index.php. It doesn't actually say the church is St. Peter's but your local knowledge tells you that. And in the preface the editor Thos. Wainwright explains what information was and wasn't transcribed. And it is NOT indexed. There is nothing to say who actually transcribed the information from the PRs or when. What is not clear to me is where the FS. Ancestry and FreeREG got their transcriptions and if the original PR book exists in the Devon Record Office or do they merely have a copy of Wainwright's Book. I wish I could see the original PRs.. There are other online repositories for old books. You will also find access to some books not out of copyright on FS & Ancestry. With the latter I usually take a screen shot of the relevant pages as well the title page of the book and sometimes the Index. Before attempting to transcribe old records you need to get familiar with how handwriting differed over the years. There are a lot of tutorials online and a knowledge of Secretary Hand is helpful, even essential if transcribing any of the old PRs as is a knowledge of Latin as used by clerics. All this is available online if you really want to know. Nobody is 100% accurate and that is why groups like FreeREG have people who double check the work and bring in more 'eyes' if there is any disagreement. Those who can do this work are departing this earth very rapidly these days and few are taking their place. As to what an OPC can add to their page the first thing that comes to mind is a redirection to the location of books like this. I would also add transcriptions of Wills and other documents relating to people in the parish. Old newspaper clippings and postmortems are great additions, although these have to be transcribed first. Photographs of places in the parish both past and present are another item. Just because the usual things like PRs and Census records are now adequately covered elsewhere doesn't make an OPC site useless. Except in Devon where all this is on the GENUKI page. Cheers, Nancy Frey Windsor, ON, Canada OPC for Ansford & Castle Cary, Somerset [email protected] On Wed, Oct 30, 2019 at 4:00 PM Jonathan Frayne <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hi Wayne (and others) > > I was a little concerned to hear I am still the OPC for Barnstaple, apparently. I looked and yes I am! What must be very frustrating for people is that it has my name but an old email address! I think Brian was asked to remove that from GENUKI, but if not could I ask him here and now to do so. It was some time ago and I think somebody asked to be able to keep the information on the website available and I said yes. Not sure where that went to. > > To respond to the rest of your message: > > It made me feel good (and wanted) to respond to people’s requests for a while. Then I realised that being helpful could be over-used and then I thought that maybe the big websites may have rules about copying ‘their’ information to third parties-and they do! The puzzling messages noted elsewhere were a relief from the mundane, even if I had to say go and get a researcher. Maybe I was too gentle to be able to tell people to go and look something up for themselves. I recall when this discussion site was filled with just such look up requests! > > I have never received information through being an OPC that was of use to me. What has been very useful is the much maligned Ancestry from which I receive a continuing stream of very useful emails from other members . . . > > I have transcribed many documents but after doing some for the DFHS I found that I was not very accurate. I am glad you are, but I don’t comment on accuracy nowadays . . .3 > > BTW The PC transcript for Barnstaple St Peters has been on-line for years. It was first published by the DCRS (I think) as a very large leather bound volume which had been prepared by Chanter and/or Wainwright and covered 1537-1812. It is on-line in most of the large websites as a result and there is an original copy in Barnstaple Record Office. I doubt anyone has ever checked it for accuracy as it is enormous, beyond noting any discrepancies they may have noted. I used to be on good terms with the archivist/librarians in the record office ( I would still be but I don’t have the reasons to visit nowadays). They have not notified me of any discrepancies they have. > > Jon Frayne > _______________________________________________ ------------------------------------------ The DEVON-L mailing list is co-sponsored by GENUKI/Devon http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DEV/ and Devon FHS (http://www.devonfhs.org.uk/ ) _______________________________________________ Email preferences: http://bit.ly/rootswebpref Unsubscribe https://lists.rootsweb.com/postorius/lists/[email protected] Privacy Statement: https://ancstry.me/2JWBOdY Terms and Conditions: https://ancstry.me/2HDBym9 Rootsweb Blog: http://rootsweb.blog RootsWeb is funded and supported by Ancestry.com and our loyal RootsWeb community

Here, here! I’ve got Welsh ancestors in Flintshire.. and have had some crucial help from a couple of people on the Clwyd list. Jane > On 30 Oct 2019, at 22:23, Luned's via DEVON <[email protected]> wrote: > > Greetings and well done for the discussion about general research methods and OPCs. > It doesn't matter what or which is the better method of research, what is important that all researchers, new and old know where to find those little bits of the jigsaw that go to make up our very complex family and local history. > And what an exciting and frustrating journey that is. > First point of call - the Devon pages of Genuki, they are a gold mine of information. > Cheers > Luned in Blaenavon - yes, not Devon ;-) >

Yes.. I think that link and the help in GENUKI is excellent - I always use both when I’m stuck about what to do next, especially when searching in a new place. But the future learn course is a tutor lead course which focuses (amongst other things) on genealogical techniques and is not specific to a country. So it would be useful for beginners and intermediates all over the world. It is well structured and one topic leads onto the next. It explains the difference between primary and secondary/derived sources, analysis, evidence and standards of genealogical proof… etc, and it’s free. Nancy I think mentioned Pharos courses, which are also excellent. But those costs add up. It depends on course length but many I would like to do are around £50-£80. From some of the comments in this thread it seems that there are some tricky issues surrounding levels of knowledge and understanding. I can sympathise with the sentiment but can understand both sides. I was a lecturer before I retired and I know how frustrating it is when people ask a basic question without bothering to first look it up even in a course text. But we all start somewhere. I know I’ve asked daft questions here before, but I know how to learn, so perhaps I don’t do it as often as I used to. However, here may be people starting their family history research who don’t even have basic study skills. So the link above is just an example of a learning site where people can acquire technique. Of course, self directed learning depends on people finding any of the help that is on offer in the first place! Personally I think GENUKI, local OPCs, FHSs and these lists are indispensable, for all levels of research. I’d never have been learn much without them and I couldn’t possibly hope to repay the help I’ve had. It’s a bit sad that people are feeling underused and undervalued. I for one am appreciative and very thankful. I will offer help with transcribing if I ever feel my palaeography skills are up to it. I’m hoping to do John Booker’s course at THE DHC next year. But I can’t imagine ever knowing enough to take on an OPC role. Regards Jane > On 30 Oct 2019, at 23:23, [email protected] wrote: > > Similar but more extensive information is available at http://www.devonfhs.org.uk/links.htm#Getting_Started > > Terry > > On 30/10/2019 23:05, Brian Randell wrote: >> Hi Jane: >> >> GENUKI already has, on it’s home page, links to pages Getting Started in Genealogy, and Guidance for first Time Users. >> >> We’d welcome help in improving or augmenting these. >> >> Cheers >> >> Brian

I have always found that FMP are quite responsive when notified of errors-after all we are proof reading their content for free. They just put up the alternative suggested by me and sometimes they even amend the index accordingly! As for Ancestry, I think I have managed to get them to accept just one error. I have always suspected that Ancestry and the Catholic Church have similar attitudes to mistakes . . . I might add that having used LDS transcripts since the IGI was on fiche (that tells you how old I am!), I found very few errors (and no re-transcriptions and blank pages). I know others will disagree but I do see lots of errors creeping in nowadays as Paul says. Jon Sent from Mail for Windows 10 From: Mike Rendle Sent: 31 October 2019 08:50 To: [email protected] Subject: [DEV] Re: Transcriptions & indexers FMP is definitely not part of Ancestry, it is very much a competitor. It is owned by the Scottish publisher D C Thompson. On the subject of errors in transcriptions, I hope that if/where you find them you notify the publisher of what you believe the correction should be using whatever process they provide. Eventually the errors will be cleaned up. Mike Rendle Sent from my iPad > Of course FMP is also part of the Ancestry group of companies, so you > are just paying an extra fee for what you used to get with your > Ancestry subscription. _______________________________________________ ------------------------------------------ The DEVON-L mailing list is co-sponsored by GENUKI/Devon http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DEV/ and Devon FHS (http://www.devonfhs.org.uk/ ) _______________________________________________ Email preferences: http://bit.ly/rootswebpref Unsubscribe https://lists.rootsweb.com/postorius/lists/[email protected] Privacy Statement: https://ancstry.me/2JWBOdY Terms and Conditions: https://ancstry.me/2HDBym9 Rootsweb Blog: http://rootsweb.blog RootsWeb is funded and supported by Ancestry.com and our loyal RootsWeb community

Hello Nancy The Church stopped circulating microfilms on 7 September 2017. Ros ------ Original Message ------ From: "Nancy Frey" <[email protected]> To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> Cc: "Paul Hockie" <[email protected]> Sent: 31/10/2019 02:41:49 Subject: [DEV] Re: Surname MARTIN >Hi Paul, > >When did this start? > >Are they planning on closing the LDS FHCs completely? > >I used to visit the one in Oshawa when I lived in Newcastle, ON but >haven't been to the one here in Windsor although it is only a few >blocks away. Methinks it is time to make a visit and see the lay of >the land. > >Cheers, > >Nancy Frey, >Windsor, ON, Canada >OPC for Ansford & Castle Cary, Somerset >[email protected] > >On Wed, Oct 30, 2019 at 7:39 PM Paul Hockie via DEVON ><[email protected]> wrote: >> >> The LDS have stopped distributing microfilms whether or not they have been imaged. The local LDS libraries have been told to dispose of both films and readers (not all have complied). The UK central library, formerly in South Kensington/Kew was donated to the Society if Genealogists. Users can ask for un-imaged films to be given priority but films will not be copied. >> >> Cheers >> >> Paul > >_______________________________________________ >------------------------------------------ >The DEVON-L mailing list is co-sponsored by GENUKI/Devon >http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DEV/ and Devon FHS (http://www.devonfhs.org.uk/ ) >_______________________________________________ >Email preferences: http://bit.ly/rootswebpref >Unsubscribe https://lists.rootsweb.com/postorius/lists/[email protected] >Privacy Statement: https://ancstry.me/2JWBOdY Terms and Conditions: https://ancstry.me/2HDBym9 >Rootsweb Blog: http://rootsweb.blog >RootsWeb is funded and supported by Ancestry.com and our loyal RootsWeb community

FMP are most definitely NOT part of the Ancestry group. Find My Past is a British Company owned by  DC Thompson- a large UK publishing company based in Scotland. Terry On 31/10/2019 02:59, Nancy Frey wrote: > Right On! Paul. > > Of course FMP is also part of the Ancestry group of companies, so you > are just paying an extra fee for what you used to get with your > Ancestry subscription. > > The demise of the traffic on the Rootsweb Lists came about when they > went absent for some time. Devon is one of the few that has any > activity these days. The Rootsweb Lists including this one are still > owned and operated by Ancestry and it mystifies me as to why the > members are still posting here rather than joining me and the members > of the DFHS on their Facebook page. > > Cheers, > > > Nancy Frey, > Windsor, ON, Canada > OPC for Ansford & Castle Cary, Somerset > [email protected] > > On Wed, Oct 30, 2019 at 8:20 PM Paul Hockie via DEVON > <[email protected]> wrote: >> Terry, >> one is >> I first transcribed for a society in the early nineties and have taken part in a number of projects since, including the NBI and the National Archives (who issue a list of conventions to be used for names, places and legibility that make searching easier). Each of these was carefully managed and controlled. Yes there were mistakes but every effort was made to ensure high quality. Nobody is criticising the work of FHS volunteers. The works of Fursden, Philimore and others are also worthy of praise. The issue is that much indexing over the last few years has been outsourced to prisons, overseas call centres and the like. The problem is exacerbated by FMP et al. There are entries on FMP that have no information including no names and the image is a blank page or the film header. Events that are in the index 6 or more times. The search engines are designed on the google principle of quantity over quality. There are entries that just give a name with no indication where it came from. > FamilySearch announced that they were going to index thousands of films over a few years and FMP announced they would release 1m entries every week. Quality went out of the window. >> Volunteers good - FMP etc. bad. >> >> Cheers >> >> Paul >> > _______________________________________________ > ------------------------------------------ > The DEVON-L mailing list is co-sponsored by GENUKI/Devon > http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DEV/ and Devon FHS (http://www.devonfhs.org.uk/ ) > _______________________________________________ > Email preferences: http://bit.ly/rootswebpref > Unsubscribe https://lists.rootsweb.com/postorius/lists/[email protected] > Privacy Statement: https://ancstry.me/2JWBOdY Terms and Conditions: https://ancstry.me/2HDBym9 > Rootsweb Blog: http://rootsweb.blog > RootsWeb is funded and supported by Ancestry.com and our loyal RootsWeb community > -- Chairman - Devon Family History Society Registered Charity No. 282490 Mayflower International Genealogical Conference 2020 <http://www.devonfhs.org.uk/mayflower_conference.pdf> Web site: http://www.devonfhs.org.uk <http://www.devonfhs.org.uk/> Email address: [email protected] Join from just £12 a year

Thanks from me too Jan.. I have also book marked your post, I use Stack Exchange genealogy and family history posts a lots. But I wasn’t sure if I should recommend it on this list? There were a couple of threads in there recently that I have added to my source list, particularly one about what records are available in a location and how to differentiate between same names. I like the way a question is analysed. Jane > On 31 Oct 2019, at 00:16, Nancy Frey <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hi Jan, > > Thanks so much for your input on FS catalogs. I must admit I am still > uncomfortable looking things up there, so I'm archiving your eMail for > my next foray. >

The Open University hosts an online site called Future Learn. They do all sorts of high quality courses courses, completely free. There is one on beginner genealogy which I did a few years ago. It’s very good as a basic course. I think some one the tutors/content are from Strathclyde University.. already mentioned by Nancy. https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/genealogy Young or old who want will learn will learn. Maybe there will always be people who don’t want to or don’t know how. Either way, there is a argument for putting tips and directions on some of the sites people use, such as GENUKI and maybe the Devon FHS Facebook page. Jane > On 31 Oct 2019, at 07:20, Len Heyward <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hello Nancy; > > I agree with you regarding 'the younger generation' and the use of the > latest technology in their 'research', but do not agree with your definition > of a newbie. In my years of being involved with genealogy, most newbies are > not 'younger people', but most are retirees who take on a hobby they had > always considered getting involved in at some stage. There was a "famous" > genealogist in the U.K. who very recently passed away who used to give > newbies a torrid time and much abuse on the many lists, forcing some listers > to unsubscribe from their lists and from genealogy in general, by simply > having the cheek and nuisance value to ask a question. > > Len Heyward > > -----Original Message----- > From: Nancy Frey <[email protected]> >

FMP is definitely not part of Ancestry, it is very much a competitor. It is owned by the Scottish publisher D C Thompson. On the subject of errors in transcriptions, I hope that if/where you find them you notify the publisher of what you believe the correction should be using whatever process they provide. Eventually the errors will be cleaned up. Mike Rendle Sent from my iPad > Of course FMP is also part of the Ancestry group of companies, so you > are just paying an extra fee for what you used to get with your > Ancestry subscription.

Brian, I wonder how many people read Facebook's pages and pages of terms and conditions before signing up? They're quite scary.  I have been a member of DFHS for many years, and will stick to more old fashioned access to it's information!  Regrettably I can no longer visit Exeter but the web-site is a great help now I have changed hemispheres.  Linking discussions I am very grateful to all who transcribe records.  It's not straightforward, as I know having transcribed for Freereg. John On 31/10/2019 6:57 pm, Brian Randell wrote: > Hi John: > > I too have considerable reservations about Facebook, especially for general “social” interactions, as opposed to its very sensible use by organisations such as DFHS (in contrast to Cambridge Analytica :-). > My concerns about it were very brilliantly illustrated some years ago by The Onion - see their glorious spoof documentary about Facebook and the CIA at: > https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cqggW08BWO0 > > Cheers > > Brian > > Sent from my iPhone > > On 31 Oct 2019, at 04:56, Our Mail <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: > > Nancy, some of us have no faith in Facebook! > > John > > On 31/10/2019 1:59 pm, Nancy Frey wrote: > Right On! Paul. > > Of course FMP is also part of the Ancestry group of companies, so you > are just paying an extra fee for what you used to get with your > Ancestry subscription. > > The demise of the traffic on the Rootsweb Lists came about when they > went absent for some time. Devon is one of the few that has any > activity these days. The Rootsweb Lists including this one are still > owned and operated by Ancestry and it mystifies me as to why the > members are still posting here rather than joining me and the members > of the DFHS on their Facebook page. > > Cheers, > > > Nancy Frey, > Windsor, ON, Canada > OPC for Ansford & Castle Cary, Somerset > [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> > > On Wed, Oct 30, 2019 at 8:20 PM Paul Hockie via DEVON > <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: > Terry, > one is > I first transcribed for a society in the early nineties and have taken part in a number of projects since, including the NBI and the National Archives (who issue a list of conventions to be used for names, places and legibility that make searching easier). Each of these was carefully managed and controlled. Yes there were mistakes but every effort was made to ensure high quality. Nobody is criticising the work of FHS volunteers. The works of Fursden, Philimore and others are also worthy of praise. The issue is that much indexing over the last few years has been outsourced to prisons, overseas call centres and the like. The problem is exacerbated by FMP et al. There are entries on FMP that have no information including no names and the image is a blank page or the film header. Events that are in the index 6 or more times. The search engines are designed on the google principle of quantity over quality. There are entries that just give a name with no indication where it ca > me from. > FamilySearch announced that they were going to index thousands of films over a few years and FMP announced they would release 1m entries every week. Quality went out of the window. > Volunteers good - FMP etc. bad. > > Cheers > > Paul > > _______________________________________________ > ------------------------------------------ > The DEVON-L mailing list is co-sponsored by GENUKI/Devon > http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DEV/ and Devon FHS (http://www.devonfhs.org.uk/ ) > _______________________________________________ > Email preferences: http://bit.ly/rootswebpref > Unsubscribe https://lists.rootsweb.com/postorius/lists/[email protected] > Privacy Statement: https://ancstry.me/2JWBOdY Terms and Conditions: https://ancstry.me/2HDBym9 > Rootsweb Blog: http://rootsweb.blog > RootsWeb is funded and supported by Ancestry.com<http://Ancestry.com> and our loyal RootsWeb community > > > _______________________________________________ > ------------------------------------------ > The DEVON-L mailing list is co-sponsored by GENUKI/Devon > http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DEV/ and Devon FHS (http://www.devonfhs.org.uk/ ) > _______________________________________________ > Email preferences: http://bit.ly/rootswebpref > Unsubscribe https://lists.rootsweb.com/postorius/lists/[email protected] > Privacy Statement: https://ancstry.me/2JWBOdY Terms and Conditions: https://ancstry.me/2HDBym9 > Rootsweb Blog: http://rootsweb.blog > RootsWeb is funded and supported by Ancestry.com<http://Ancestry.com> and our loyal RootsWeb community > > _______________________________________________ > ------------------------------------------ > The DEVON-L mailing list is co-sponsored by GENUKI/Devon > http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DEV/ and Devon FHS (http://www.devonfhs.org.uk/ ) > _______________________________________________ > Email preferences: http://bit.ly/rootswebpref > Unsubscribe https://lists.rootsweb.com/postorius/lists/[email protected] > Privacy Statement: https://ancstry.me/2JWBOdY Terms and Conditions: https://ancstry.me/2HDBym9 > Rootsweb Blog: http://rootsweb.blog > RootsWeb is funded and supported by Ancestry.com and our loyal RootsWeb community

Brian.. that’s brilliant... it’s made me smile on this miserable grey and wet morning in Devon Cheers. Jane > On 31 Oct 2019, at 07:57, Brian Randell <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hi John: > > I too have considerable reservations about Facebook, especially for general “social” interactions, as opposed to its very sensible use by organisations such as DFHS (in contrast to Cambridge Analytica :-). > My concerns about it were very brilliantly illustrated some years ago by The Onion - see their glorious spoof documentary about Facebook and the CIA at: > https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cqggW08BWO0

Hi John: I too have considerable reservations about Facebook, especially for general “social” interactions, as opposed to its very sensible use by organisations such as DFHS (in contrast to Cambridge Analytica :-). My concerns about it were very brilliantly illustrated some years ago by The Onion - see their glorious spoof documentary about Facebook and the CIA at: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cqggW08BWO0 Cheers Brian Sent from my iPhone On 31 Oct 2019, at 04:56, Our Mail <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: Nancy, some of us have no faith in Facebook! John On 31/10/2019 1:59 pm, Nancy Frey wrote: Right On! Paul. Of course FMP is also part of the Ancestry group of companies, so you are just paying an extra fee for what you used to get with your Ancestry subscription. The demise of the traffic on the Rootsweb Lists came about when they went absent for some time. Devon is one of the few that has any activity these days. The Rootsweb Lists including this one are still owned and operated by Ancestry and it mystifies me as to why the members are still posting here rather than joining me and the members of the DFHS on their Facebook page. Cheers, Nancy Frey, Windsor, ON, Canada OPC for Ansford & Castle Cary, Somerset [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> On Wed, Oct 30, 2019 at 8:20 PM Paul Hockie via DEVON <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: Terry, one is I first transcribed for a society in the early nineties and have taken part in a number of projects since, including the NBI and the National Archives (who issue a list of conventions to be used for names, places and legibility that make searching easier). Each of these was carefully managed and controlled. Yes there were mistakes but every effort was made to ensure high quality. Nobody is criticising the work of FHS volunteers. The works of Fursden, Philimore and others are also worthy of praise. The issue is that much indexing over the last few years has been outsourced to prisons, overseas call centres and the like. The problem is exacerbated by FMP et al. There are entries on FMP that have no information including no names and the image is a blank page or the film header. Events that are in the index 6 or more times. The search engines are designed on the google principle of quantity over quality. There are entries that just give a name with no indication where it ca me from. FamilySearch announced that they were going to index thousands of films over a few years and FMP announced they would release 1m entries every week. Quality went out of the window. Volunteers good - FMP etc. bad. Cheers Paul _______________________________________________ ------------------------------------------ The DEVON-L mailing list is co-sponsored by GENUKI/Devon http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DEV/ and Devon FHS (http://www.devonfhs.org.uk/ ) _______________________________________________ Email preferences: http://bit.ly/rootswebpref Unsubscribe https://lists.rootsweb.com/postorius/lists/[email protected] Privacy Statement: https://ancstry.me/2JWBOdY Terms and Conditions: https://ancstry.me/2HDBym9 Rootsweb Blog: http://rootsweb.blog RootsWeb is funded and supported by Ancestry.com<http://Ancestry.com> and our loyal RootsWeb community _______________________________________________ ------------------------------------------ The DEVON-L mailing list is co-sponsored by GENUKI/Devon http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DEV/ and Devon FHS (http://www.devonfhs.org.uk/ ) _______________________________________________ Email preferences: http://bit.ly/rootswebpref Unsubscribe https://lists.rootsweb.com/postorius/lists/[email protected] Privacy Statement: https://ancstry.me/2JWBOdY Terms and Conditions: https://ancstry.me/2HDBym9 Rootsweb Blog: http://rootsweb.blog RootsWeb is funded and supported by Ancestry.com<http://Ancestry.com> and our loyal RootsWeb community

Hi Bev, thanks.. Yes.. it’s a shame I can’t claim them. Lots of records for them in Dartmouth but it is definitely not my Searle family ... though you are quite right about spelling variants. There are many of them.. including Cerle! I never thought of that one but I found it in the Devon Lay Subsidy Rolls 1545. Doesn’t seem to have reoccurred in my family anyway. But I always look out for that one. Cheers Jane > On 30 Oct 2019, at 19:40, B. Edmonds <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hi Jane > > Even though one would think it would be easy to search this name it does come up with some odd spellings. I have also seen Searell so SEALE would not be totally unreasonable. I would look at it anyway. As you have already done this and discounted the name, then you know to discount it in this case. > > Bev > > -------------------------------------------------- >

Hello Nancy; I agree with you regarding 'the younger generation' and the use of the latest technology in their 'research', but do not agree with your definition of a newbie. In my years of being involved with genealogy, most newbies are not 'younger people', but most are retirees who take on a hobby they had always considered getting involved in at some stage. There was a "famous" genealogist in the U.K. who very recently passed away who used to give newbies a torrid time and much abuse on the many lists, forcing some listers to unsubscribe from their lists and from genealogy in general, by simply having the cheek and nuisance value to ask a question. Len Heyward -----Original Message----- From: Nancy Frey <[email protected]> Sent: 31 October, 2019 11:03 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [DEV] Re: The Demise of the OPC? Hi Jon, I'd like to address your points about 'newbies'. Most of them are younger people who are used to getting instant answers to even the most basic question via their cell phone, probably in a cryptic language that people like me often don't understand. Actually reading the instructions on how to do something is totally foreign and perhaps outside their capabilities, our education systems being what they are today. There are hundreds of tutorials online starting with Family Search all the way to the UK National Archives. But why look something up when with a couple of taps on the cell phone can get someone else to do the work? And actually taking a course to learn something -- even if its free -- that's too much like school! There was a great course online recently given free by the University of Strathclyde in Scotland. Most genealogists will know that it is one of the few Universities worldwide that give degrees in genealogy. I took the course just out of curiosity and found it very basic, but just what someone getting started needed. There weren't many students in my class. How did we get this way? I have no idea. The phrase "You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink" comes to mind. More and more I find that the experienced genealogists that I know are on the List or in the Group just ignore these people. The responses given are usually from some other uninformed person just like them. When one genealogist had the courage to point this out in a Facebook Group she only got a few 'likes'. Most people criticized her for being 'unkind' and 'not helpful'. Yes, the truth hurts. I'm so glad I started my research much earlier on as I learned a lot of what I know about genealogy from fellow Rootsweb Listers. But then before asking for help, I had done my homework. I stated what I already knew and where I had looked and asked for suggestions and directions. I didn't ask for anyone to do the research for me. I have many mentors I still rely on today although I've lost a few as we're all getting older. I guess it takes the ability to realize that you don't know it all and actually listen to what other people have to say. That appears to be something the younger generation doesn't have. Cheers,. Nancy Frey, Windsor, ON, Canada OPC for Ansford & Castle Cary, Somerset [email protected] On Wed, Oct 30, 2019 at 12:55 PM Jonathan Frayne <[email protected]> wrote: > > To play devil's advocate; I used to be an OPC and now I am not. I copied all the records I could; I spent a considerable amount of money on books; I set up a website that had most of the "other" stuff I had collected over the years. What happened was that I got a stream of requests from people asking me to do the most basic of look-ups that they could have done for themselves on FMP/Ancestry etc. I think everyone should afford at least one subscription to a major website and the DFHS plus have knowledge of GENUKI. Then most of the basic stuff can be researched for themselves. The odd request from someone 'out of county' for an ancestor who happened to come here, is fine by me. It was the people who I ended up thinking were asking me to do their basic research that got a bit wearisome. Nowadays an OPC does not need to transcribe most PRs (as I did), nor the GRO indexes (as I did) nor do they need to transcribe the Censuses (as I did). Even the cemetery records are on-line (well, for 'my' parish they are-I did some of them!). I am not sure about what an OPC can offer nowadays. I used to go and photo local places but even they are on-line nowadays. > > What I wonder may be more useful in this day and age is to possibly offer a mentoring scheme for "newbies" - not a nice word, if word it is. That seems to be what others seem to be hinting at. I have run several starter courses in the past in which I focused on the basics, of course, but people seemed, in some cases, still to be a little nervous and a little judicious 'hand-holding' - without trying to sound condescending - maybe nearer what is needed. > > Jon Frayne-ex OPC Barnstaplecestry.com and our loyal RootsWeb > community _______________________________________________ ------------------------------------------ The DEVON-L mailing list is co-sponsored by GENUKI/Devon http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DEV/ and Devon FHS (http://www.devonfhs.org.uk/ ) _______________________________________________ Email preferences: http://bit.ly/rootswebpref Unsubscribe https://lists.rootsweb.com/postorius/lists/[email protected] Privacy Statement: https://ancstry.me/2JWBOdY Terms and Conditions: https://ancstry.me/2HDBym9 Rootsweb Blog: http://rootsweb.blog RootsWeb is funded and supported by Ancestry.com and our loyal RootsWeb community

Nancy, some of us have no faith in Facebook! John On 31/10/2019 1:59 pm, Nancy Frey wrote: > Right On! Paul. > > Of course FMP is also part of the Ancestry group of companies, so you > are just paying an extra fee for what you used to get with your > Ancestry subscription. > > The demise of the traffic on the Rootsweb Lists came about when they > went absent for some time. Devon is one of the few that has any > activity these days. The Rootsweb Lists including this one are still > owned and operated by Ancestry and it mystifies me as to why the > members are still posting here rather than joining me and the members > of the DFHS on their Facebook page. > > Cheers, > > > Nancy Frey, > Windsor, ON, Canada > OPC for Ansford & Castle Cary, Somerset > [email protected] > > On Wed, Oct 30, 2019 at 8:20 PM Paul Hockie via DEVON > <[email protected]> wrote: >> Terry, >> one is >> I first transcribed for a society in the early nineties and have taken part in a number of projects since, including the NBI and the National Archives (who issue a list of conventions to be used for names, places and legibility that make searching easier). Each of these was carefully managed and controlled. Yes there were mistakes but every effort was made to ensure high quality. Nobody is criticising the work of FHS volunteers. The works of Fursden, Philimore and others are also worthy of praise. The issue is that much indexing over the last few years has been outsourced to prisons, overseas call centres and the like. The problem is exacerbated by FMP et al. There are entries on FMP that have no information including no names and the image is a blank page or the film header. Events that are in the index 6 or more times. The search engines are designed on the google principle of quantity over quality. There are entries that just give a name with no indication where it came from. > FamilySearch announced that they were going to index thousands of films over a few years and FMP announced they would release 1m entries every week. Quality went out of the window. >> Volunteers good - FMP etc. bad. >> >> Cheers >> >> Paul >> > _______________________________________________ > ------------------------------------------ > The DEVON-L mailing list is co-sponsored by GENUKI/Devon > http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DEV/ and Devon FHS (http://www.devonfhs.org.uk/ ) > _______________________________________________ > Email preferences: http://bit.ly/rootswebpref > Unsubscribe https://lists.rootsweb.com/postorius/lists/[email protected] > Privacy Statement: https://ancstry.me/2JWBOdY Terms and Conditions: https://ancstry.me/2HDBym9 > Rootsweb Blog: http://rootsweb.blog > RootsWeb is funded and supported by Ancestry.com and our loyal RootsWeb community >