On 5 Aug 2010 at 16:02, Ann wrote: > Emily I agree as you say its just a bit of time as I have an annual > sub to Ancestry. The 1911 census is on Find My Past at a price. if > all the entries are as bad as the person I wanted then they ought to > be paying us. ! The person I wanted was EDMUND SMERDON JORDAN. It came > out as JORDAN. EDMUD SINERDON. !! < In my experience, which is extensive, the general level of transcriptions at Findmypast is much superior to that of Ancestry. Moreover, FMP is a British company who employ people with a real concern for genealogy, not an American outfit that seems to regard genealogy and family history as little more than a saleable commodity like soap powder and baked beans. I have submitted a considerable number of transcription corrections to FMP and have never had one refused yet. Moreover, they usually implement them within a few days, whereas others have told me you are lucky to get a response from Ancestry at all. Talking of errors, let us all remember that, for reasons of speed and cost, the censuses are transcribed and indexed by teams mostly in the Third World whose first language may well not even be English. Given this, on the whole they seem to do a pretty fair job! How many of us would care to transcribe and index a census of India or Sri Lanka? I well recall that when the 1881 census was transcribed, indexed and published, first on CD-ROM, that work was undertaken by teams of volunteers organised on a county basis who might be expected to be familiar with localised place names and surnames. It took YEARS to complete and was still riddled with errors !!! We must accept that if you want something done quickly and readily available online - and, let's face it, we all do - then the project will have to be farmed out to people unfamiliar with the names and areas they are working on. It's inevitable, so let's stop complaining and make sure we submit corrections when we find errors. FMP in my experience are very good and fast at accepting corrections and acting on the data you send them. -- Roy Stockdill Genealogical researcher, writer & lecturer Newbies' Guide to Genealogy & Family History: www.genuki.org.uk/gs/Newbie.html "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." OSCAR WILDE

Can we please get back to what the list is for genealogy not pro's and cons of 1911 census ban button is ready -------------------------------------------------- From: "Roy Stockdill" <roy.stockdill@btinternet.com> Sent: Friday, August 06, 2010 1:25 PM To: "Worcester List" <ENG-WORCESTER@rootsweb.com> Subject: Re: [WOR] 1911 Census > On 5 Aug 2010 at 16:02, Ann wrote: > >> Emily I agree as you say its just a bit of time as I have an annual >> sub to Ancestry. The 1911 census is on Find My Past at a price. if >> all the entries are as bad as the person I wanted then they ought to >> be paying us. ! The person I wanted was EDMUND SMERDON JORDAN. It came >> out as JORDAN. EDMUD SINERDON. !! < > > In my experience, which is extensive, the general level of transcriptions > at Findmypast > is much superior to that of Ancestry. Moreover, FMP is a British company > who employ > people with a real concern for genealogy, not an American outfit that > seems to regard > genealogy and family history as little more than a saleable commodity like > soap > powder and baked beans. > > I have submitted a considerable number of transcription corrections to FMP > and have > never had one refused yet. Moreover, they usually implement them within a > few days, > whereas others have told me you are lucky to get a response from Ancestry > at all. > > Talking of errors, let us all remember that, for reasons of speed and > cost, the > censuses are transcribed and indexed by teams mostly in the Third World > whose first > language may well not even be English. Given this, on the whole they seem > to do a > pretty fair job! How many of us would care to transcribe and index a > census of India or > Sri Lanka? > > I well recall that when the 1881 census was transcribed, indexed and > published, first > on CD-ROM, that work was undertaken by teams of volunteers organised on a > county > basis who might be expected to be familiar with localised place names and > surnames. > It took YEARS to complete and was still riddled with errors !!! > > We must accept that if you want something done quickly and readily > available online - > and, let's face it, we all do - then the project will have to be farmed > out to people > unfamiliar with the names and areas they are working on. It's inevitable, > so let's stop > complaining and make sure we submit corrections when we find errors. FMP > in my > experience are very good and fast at accepting corrections and acting on > the data you > send them. > > -- > Roy Stockdill > Genealogical researcher, writer & lecturer > Newbies' Guide to Genealogy & Family History: > www.genuki.org.uk/gs/Newbie.html > > "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, > and that is not being talked about." > OSCAR WILDE > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > ENG-WORCESTER-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 9.0.851 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3053 - Release Date: 08/05/10 > 19:23:00 >

To add my own tuppence worth to Roys letter which I agree with in every way, I would like to say that I sent FMP a correction last week and not only had it been corrected, but I had been informed so within half an hour! Excellent service and much appreciated. Diana On 6 August 2010 22:25, Roy Stockdill <roy.stockdill@btinternet.com> wrote: > On 5 Aug 2010 at 16:02, Ann wrote: > > > Emily I agree as you say its just a bit of time as I have an annual > > sub to Ancestry. The 1911 census is on Find My Past at a price. if > > all the entries are as bad as the person I wanted then they ought to > > be paying us. ! The person I wanted was EDMUND SMERDON JORDAN. It came > > out as JORDAN. EDMUD SINERDON. !! < > > In my experience, which is extensive, the general level of transcriptions > at Findmypast > is much superior to that of Ancestry. Moreover, FMP is a British company > who employ > people with a real concern for genealogy, not an American outfit that seems > to regard > genealogy and family history as little more than a saleable commodity like > soap > powder and baked beans. > >