(changed title from Unidentified subject!) John In a roundabout way I gave you and your team a pat on the back in my earlier response to Sue's offer of help. I also knew that Sue was a member of your team, which jogged my memory about your "How to read 19th Century Handwriting" below. To quote my response: ***** An aid regarding handwritten scans can be found via the Transcribers' Page at: http://www2.freebmd.org.uk/vindex.shtml scroll down to Volunteer Support & Resources and click on "How to read 19th Century Handwriting". ***** "How to read 19th Century Handwriting" is the recognised brain child of your Syndicate. I'm sure the Trustees of FreeBMD will agree with my comments that we will take on board any constructive comments on improvements to our "Hints for beginners" and Transcribers' Knowledge Base to make them more user friendly format. As I don't have sole control of what is on the FreeBMD site any suggestions for improvement can be sent to our DISCUSS list and not direct to me. I seem to recollect Mark Hattam saying the DISCUSS list was quiet, so now is the time to wake it up? I would agree about Sue and your comment "Why aren't the transcribers asking their co-ordinators for guidance?". The first port of call was always meant to be the Co-ordinator rather than post all and sundry to the Admins List Regards Allan Raymond ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Slann" <john.slann@btinternet.com> To: <FreeBMD-Admins-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: 20 November 2005 12:13 Subject: Re: Unidentified subject! Dear Sue, That was well said. There was only one thing I would quarrel with you over; you said: " I am no expert", but you are, you have read 1000's and 1000's on entries from a multitude of scribes whose handwriting ranged from poor to good and from photographs that ranger from appalling to fair. And for five years. That makes you an expert. I am confident you could hold your own on reading the writing with anyone. I suspect the problem with some co-ordinators is they just dish the work out and that is all. We and this includes Bob, you and the other mentors have got it more right than anyone else. There can't be a right answer, but one of the ways you can measure our success is to count how many times one of "ours" raises a query on any of the lists. From time to time I have raised the question of putting the FreeBMD "faq's" and "Hints for beginners" in a more user friendly format. The answer is always we can't on site, but after all this time you would have thought they could find a way around the problem. I have been trying to launch a website for the syndicate, and this was going to include all the bits and pieces of pictorial help we have put together over the years. I thought it was ready for uploading and when I tried yesterday it failed. I think I know why, but that will have to wait until the middle of the week before I have a clear patch of peace and quiet to sit and work it through for a two or three hours. You dun well gal!! Love John ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sue Bate" <sueburt33@hotmail.com> To: <FreeBMD-Admins-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, November 19, 2005 10:20 PM Subject: Re: Unidentified subject! >I am quite bothered by a few queries on this list recently. And before >anyone shouts at me that "this is not the place to air this concern" - this >is the place I read the queries so this is the place I will put my >concerns! > > Hand written scans are very different from the printed ones - and > transcribers undertaking them should be given guidance. It would seem, > from the queries posted, that transcribers are "thrown in at the deep end" > with these hand written scans and just left to get on with it. > > I really don't think it should be a "free for all" when somebody can't > read something. It becomes confusing when x amount of people suggest one > thing and y amount of people suggest something else. Why aren't the > transcribers asking their co-ordinators for guidance? > > Transcribing hand written scans is difficult and needs lots of > explanations - both on hand writing and comparing with other entries on > the page., not to mention deviations of districts. I am no expert, but > have done enough of them to know that being "told the answer" isn't > enough. > > I would be happy to help anybody with their problems - even though the > answer may be "put *" > > Sue Bate > ----- Original Message ----- > From: g.armstrong-bridges@tiscali.co.uk > To: FreeBMD-Admins-L@rootsweb.com > Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2005 3:06 PM > Subject: Unidentified subject! > > > I have one line I cannot get in 1849M2-Q-0000.jpg. > > Line 20 between Quayle Henry and Queen Mary Ann, there is an unreadable > line. > > I guess its Que_ , Heinry S moulton,X 351, > > Any suggestions? > > Keith R. Armstrong-Bridges. CITP. MBCS > > > ___________________________________________________________ > > Tiscali Broadband from 14.99 with free setup! > http://www.tiscali.co.uk/products/broadband/ > > > > > ==== FreeBMD-Admins Mailing List ==== > FreeBMD Transcribers homepage > http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/vindex.shtml > > ============================== > New! Family Tree Maker 2005. Build your tree and search for your > ancestors at the same time. Share your tree with family and friends. Learn > more: > http://landing.ancestry.com/familytreemaker/2005/tour.aspx?sourceid=14599&targetid=5429 > > > > ==== FreeBMD-Admins Mailing List ==== > FreeBMD - http://FreeBMD.rootsweb.com > > ============================== > 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 > > ==== FreeBMD-Admins Mailing List ==== Want to help FreeBMD? Go to http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/Signup.html to find out how. ============================== New! Family Tree Maker 2005. Build your tree and search for your ancestors at the same time. Share your tree with family and friends. Learn more: http://landing.ancestry.com/familytreemaker/2005/tour.aspx?sourceid=14599&targetid=5429