Can anyone advise on how to preserve a diphthong present in the scan when transcribing? "Phoebe" has the elided "o" and "e", and I would hate to be the one to take it away from her - unless, of course, it was the indexer himself trying to be clever! Thanks. Ray
Ray, I've tried using notepad to edit the output file and insert an œ diphthong. It works, but FreeBMD won't accept the file and reports an illegal character. I don't see any alternative but typing it as 'oe'. On the other hand, 'Æ' seems to be acceptable. Maybe a glitch in the checking routine? Bill Hounslow http://www.boincsynergy.com/images/stats/comb-2147.jpg >>-----Original Message----- >>From: Ray Harrowing [mailto:RAY@harrowing.freeserve.co.uk] >>Sent: 11 September 2005 18:09 >>To: FreeBMD-Admins-L@rootsweb.com >>Subject: diphthongs >> >>Can anyone advise on how to preserve a diphthong present in the scan when >>transcribing? "Phoebe" has the elided "o" and "e", and I would hate to be >>the one to take it away from her - unless, of course, it was the indexer >>himself trying to be clever! >> >>Thanks. >> >>Ray >> >> >>==== FreeBMD-Admins Mailing List ==== >>Subscribe/Unsubscribe instructions and Archives >>http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/FreeUK/FreeBMD-Admins.html >> >>============================== >>Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the >>last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: >>http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx >> >>-- >>No virus found in this incoming message. >>Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. >>Version: 7.0.344 / Virus Database: 267.10.23/99 - Release Date: 12/09/2005 >> -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.344 / Virus Database: 267.10.23/99 - Release Date: 12/09/2005
The glitch isn't the checking routine to the best of my knowledge. Please check out "Entering Special Characters" in the excellent WinBMD Help Guide. Æ is supported and œ isn't supported. Also check out Hints and Help For Beginners at: http://www2.freebmd.org.uk/beginhelp.shtml scroll to Deviations from "Type What You See" I guess if you want to use special characters use the special character facility in speedBMD or WinBMD rather than Notepad. Allan Raymond ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bill Hounslow" <billhounslow@f2s.com> To: <FreeBMD-Admins-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: 13 September 2005 23:01 Subject: RE: diphthongs Ray, I've tried using notepad to edit the output file and insert an œ diphthong. It works, but FreeBMD won't accept the file and reports an illegal character. I don't see any alternative but typing it as 'oe'. On the other hand, 'Æ' seems to be acceptable. Maybe a glitch in the checking routine? Bill Hounslow http://www.boincsynergy.com/images/stats/comb-2147.jpg >>-----Original Message----- >>From: Ray Harrowing [mailto:RAY@harrowing.freeserve.co.uk] >>Sent: 11 September 2005 18:09 >>To: FreeBMD-Admins-L@rootsweb.com >>Subject: diphthongs >> >>Can anyone advise on how to preserve a diphthong present in the scan when >>transcribing? "Phoebe" has the elided "o" and "e", and I would hate to be >>the one to take it away from her - unless, of course, it was the indexer >>himself trying to be clever! >> >>Thanks. >> >>Ray >>
After reading the discussion about diphthongs, and previous correspondence concerning accented characters, (none of which have yet occurred in any of my transcriptions), I am left wondering if the main object of this entire exercise is being overlooked - that is to create a free to use research aid. It is all very well entering special characters to achieve 100% accuracy, but does this help searchability? I think the majority of researchers looking for Phoebe, for example, are going to enter 'oe' as separate characters in their search string; to replace these by a single special character can only confuse the issue. One could always #COMMENT the entry with the original subtleties of spelling if desired. The search mechanisms within FreeBMD may (but I doubt it) sort all this out and automatically match accented characters and diphthongs with their simple equivalents, but even if it does, what about Ancestry.com, whose database search is very efficient, but doesn't operate in quite the same way. Just a thought! Barry Callaghan ----- Original Message ----- From: "Allan Raymond" <allan_raymond@btinternet.com> To: <FreeBMD-Admins-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, September 13, 2005 11:36 PM Subject: Re: diphthongs > The glitch isn't the checking routine to the best of my knowledge. > > Please check out "Entering Special Characters" in the excellent WinBMD > Help Guide. > > Æ is supported and œ isn't supported. > > Also check out Hints and Help For Beginners at: > http://www2.freebmd.org.uk/beginhelp.shtml scroll to > Deviations from "Type What You See" > > I guess if you want to use special characters use the special character > facility in speedBMD or > WinBMD rather than Notepad. > > Allan Raymond > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Bill Hounslow" <billhounslow@f2s.com> > To: <FreeBMD-Admins-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: 13 September 2005 23:01 > Subject: RE: diphthongs > > > Ray, > > I've tried using notepad to edit the output file and insert an œ > diphthong. > It works, but FreeBMD won't accept the file and reports an illegal > character. > > I don't see any alternative but typing it as 'oe'. > > On the other hand, 'Æ' seems to be acceptable. > > Maybe a glitch in the checking routine? > > Bill Hounslow > > http://www.boincsynergy.com/images/stats/comb-2147.jpg > >>>-----Original Message----- >>>From: Ray Harrowing [mailto:RAY@harrowing.freeserve.co.uk] >>>Sent: 11 September 2005 18:09 >>>To: FreeBMD-Admins-L@rootsweb.com >>>Subject: diphthongs >>> >>>Can anyone advise on how to preserve a diphthong present in the scan >>>when >>>transcribing? "Phoebe" has the elided "o" and "e", and I would hate to >>>be >>>the one to take it away from her - unless, of course, it was the indexer >>>himself trying to be clever! >>> >>>Thanks. >>> >>>Ray >>> > > > > ==== FreeBMD-Admins Mailing List ==== > FreeBMD - http://FreeBMD.rootsweb.com > > ============================== > Search Family and Local Histories for stories about your family and the > areas they lived. Over 85 million names added in the last 12 months. > Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13966/rd.ashx >
(Copied also to the DISCUSS List) Barry Thanks for your comments. However it is important to differentiate between transcribing/uploading the index information and searching the database. The information which I gave regarding transcribing special characters was official FreeBMD policy, not because I gave it but because it was contained either in the FreeBMD documentation or in the speedBMD/WinBMD help guides. Searching the database is down to the programming skills of our experts and I located Dave Mayall's previous advice on 3 Sep 2003 from the DISCUSS List archives. You may wish check out: http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ifetch2?/u1/textindices/F/FREEBMD-DISCUSS+2003+3573622+F which quoted: *********************************************************************************** We are (we like to think) pretty good at this programming computers lark, and we can do amazing things with consistent data. [The next bit is a general observation, NOT directed at you] We understand uncertain character formats, and code to allow for them. It isn't a problem. The ONLY thing that causes us problems is when people unilaterally decide that transcribing what they see isn't good enough, and 'improve' on it, usually because "if we transcribe what we see, the search won't find it". Trust me, we will write the code to deal with it consistently across the whole project. If people try to fix things in individual transcriptions, they are wasting their time and effort, because the transcription will have to be re- done. -- Dave Mayall *********************************************************************************** If you feel there is a need to discuss why we do things in a certain way, it should be dealt with on the DISCUSS LIST ( http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/lists.html refers ) Therefore I have copied my response across to the DISCUSS LIST for any follow responses. Allan Raymond ----- Original Message ----- From: "Barry Callaghan" <BarryC@dsl.pipex.com> To: <FreeBMD-Admins-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: 14 September 2005 10:57 Subject: Re: diphthongs After reading the discussion about diphthongs, and previous correspondence concerning accented characters, (none of which have yet occurred in any of my transcriptions), I am left wondering if the main object of this entire exercise is being overlooked - that is to create a free to use research aid. It is all very well entering special characters to achieve 100% accuracy, but does this help searchability? I think the majority of researchers looking for Phoebe, for example, are going to enter 'oe' as separate characters in their search string; to replace these by a single special character can only confuse the issue. One could always #COMMENT the entry with the original subtleties of spelling if desired. The search mechanisms within FreeBMD may (but I doubt it) sort all this out and automatically match accented characters and diphthongs with their simple equivalents, but even if it does, what about Ancestry.com, whose database search is very efficient, but doesn't operate in quite the same way. Just a thought! Barry Callaghan ----- Original Message ----- From: "Allan Raymond" <allan_raymond@btinternet.com> To: <FreeBMD-Admins-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, September 13, 2005 11:36 PM Subject: Re: diphthongs > The glitch isn't the checking routine to the best of my knowledge. > > Please check out "Entering Special Characters" in the excellent WinBMD > Help Guide. > > Æ is supported and œ isn't supported. > > Also check out Hints and Help For Beginners at: > http://www2.freebmd.org.uk/beginhelp.shtml scroll to > Deviations from "Type What You See" > > I guess if you want to use special characters use the special character > facility in speedBMD or > WinBMD rather than Notepad. > > Allan Raymond > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Bill Hounslow" <billhounslow@f2s.com> > To: <FreeBMD-Admins-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: 13 September 2005 23:01 > Subject: RE: diphthongs > > > Ray, > > I've tried using notepad to edit the output file and insert an œ > diphthong. > It works, but FreeBMD won't accept the file and reports an illegal > character. > > I don't see any alternative but typing it as 'oe'. > > On the other hand, 'Æ' seems to be acceptable. > > Maybe a glitch in the checking routine? > > Bill Hounslow > > http://www.boincsynergy.com/images/stats/comb-2147.jpg > >>>-----Original Message----- >>>From: Ray Harrowing [mailto:RAY@harrowing.freeserve.co.uk] >>>Sent: 11 September 2005 18:09 >>>To: FreeBMD-Admins-L@rootsweb.com >>>Subject: diphthongs >>> >>>Can anyone advise on how to preserve a diphthong present in the scan >>>when >>>transcribing? "Phoebe" has the elided "o" and "e", and I would hate to >>>be >>>the one to take it away from her - unless, of course, it was the indexer >>>himself trying to be clever! >>> >>>Thanks. >>> >>>Ray >>> > > > > ==== FreeBMD-Admins Mailing List ==== > FreeBMD - http://FreeBMD.rootsweb.com > > ============================== > Search Family and Local Histories for stories about your family and the > areas they lived. Over 85 million names added in the last 12 months. > Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13966/rd.ashx > ==== FreeBMD-Admins Mailing List ==== Want to help FreeBMD? Go to http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/Signup.html to find out how. ============================== Search Family and Local Histories for stories about your family and the areas they lived. Over 85 million names added in the last 12 months. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13966/rd.ashx