Hi I have a person in the syndicate who has just completed their third practice page, which is still unsatisfactory. Whilst their third page is a definite improvement on their first certain problems still remain. The main problem is that it is is very obvious BMD Verify has not been used (although they have said it has) due to the high number of errors present on the page. I am beginning to think that I should drop this person, and not let them continue. If I should drop them, how should I say this to them as this is the first time I have had to think about doing it. Or if they should continue, how should I explain the use of the BMD Verify Program as it appears my efforts on this have not been successful (they have been referred to the site where the BMD Verify instructions are located). Any suggestions on what I should do with this person are welcome. Thanks

> The main problem is that it is is very obvious BMD Verify has not been used (although they have said it has) due to the high number of errors present on the page. How would Verify help reduce errors, except that they're looking at the entry more than once? Verify is mainly to spot what you may have missed and any missing lines. There are aids available but no wonder tools; you can either do the job or you can't. Is the new transcriber testing with a typed, printed or handwritten page? I have two transcribers who cannot do a hand written scan yet they turn out thousands of entries a month of the printed stuff. If your transcriber is making errors on clear printed scans that's another matter and I wish you good luck in "dropping" him/her. Steve Gaunt Croscan ----- Original Message ----- From: "Chris Mahoney" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, September 24, 2004 9:26 AM Subject: Advice requesedt on person > Hi > > I have a person in the syndicate who has just completed their third practice page, which is still unsatisfactory. > > Whilst their third page is a definite improvement on their first certain problems still remain. > > The main problem is that it is is very obvious BMD Verify has not been used (although they have said it has) due to the high number of errors present on the page. > > I am beginning to think that I should drop this person, and not let them continue. > > If I should drop them, how should I say this to them as this is the first time I have had to think about doing it. > > Or if they should continue, how should I explain the use of the BMD Verify Program as it appears my efforts on this have not been successful (they have been referred to the site where the BMD Verify instructions are located). > > Any suggestions on what I should do with this person are welcome. > > > Thanks > > > ==== FREEBMD-SYNDICATES Mailing List ==== > Want to help FreeBMD? > Go to http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/Signup.html to find out how. > > ============================== > You can manage your RootsWeb-Review subscription from > http://newsletters.rootsweb.com/ >

BMDVerify is an excellent aid to 'reducing' errors. I have used it to check hundreds of pages from transcribers and I have only done three pages in which I did not find at least one error. (That's not to say there weren't errors!) It reduces errors in the transcriptions before uploading because they compare the typed transcription with the image line by line and any differences can be corrected there and then on the transcription using WinBMD. It does not help where the scan is indecipherable but it enables anyone to pick up errors where the wrong key has been pressed, where the wrong district has been entered, where misspellings have been made etc., etc.. BMDVerify also helps transcribers learn where they are prone to making errors, e.g. alternative district spellings, missed punctuation marks etc. and thus avoid making them in the first place. We have transcibers who made over 100 errors in their first transcription (The record is 147!) and we do not allow them to do more than one scan at a time without their work being checked by me until they produce two consecutive files with 5 or fewer errors, that I find, on the page. (0.26% error rate on fields). This has taken as many as 8 transcriptions with a couple of people but most only need 3 to 5 pages to get there. We have had a few people who have given up after 1 or 2 attempts but most persevere. I have found that continued encouragement and an emphasis on what they are doing well, rather than just saying what they have done wrong, works better than bald lists of errors. The other thing is that everything they do finishes up on FreeBMD in it's corrected form - we do not use 'practice' pages - and this appears to motivate them to get things right. I suggest that three pages with errors is not too bad and at least a couple more be allocated before poltely suggesting that their abilities are not suited to transcribing. Steve Gaunt wrote: >>The main problem is that it is is very obvious BMD Verify has not been >> >> >used (although they have said it has) due to the high number of errors >present on the page. > >How would Verify help reduce errors, except that they're looking at the >entry more than once? Verify is mainly to spot what you may have missed and >any missing lines. There are aids available but no wonder tools; you can >either do the job or you can't. > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Chris Mahoney" <[email protected]> >To: <[email protected]> >Sent: Friday, September 24, 2004 9:26 AM >Subject: Advice requesedt on person > > > > >>Hi >> >>I have a person in the syndicate who has just completed their third >> >> >practice page, which is still unsatisfactory. > > >>Whilst their third page is a definite improvement on their first certain >> >> >problems still remain. > > >>The main problem is that it is is very obvious BMD Verify has not been >> >> >used (although they have said it has) due to the high number of errors >present on the page. > > >>I am beginning to think that I should drop this person, and not let them >> >> >continue. > > >>If I should drop them, how should I say this to them as this is the first >> >> >time I have had to think about doing it. > > >>Or if they should continue, how should I explain the use of the BMD Verify >> >> >Program as it appears my efforts on this have not been successful (they >have been referred to the site where the BMD Verify instructions are >located). > > >>Any suggestions on what I should do with this person are welcome. >> >> >>Thanks >> >> >> >> >http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237 > > > >