Quoting John Slann <[email protected]>: > I would like to seek further information and clarification before going > further. > > Dave said; > > "> The new check on inappropriate age at death caused any file which > > contained age at death before 1866 to be dropped (the whole file is > > dropped, not just the records in error). > > > > These records will return to the DB once the files are corrected." > > First, please could Dave confirm that this means the files uploaded by any > transcribers who have included a query mark in the AaD column have had them > transcriptions totally erased so that they need to be uploaded again after > the question mark has been removed. If this is so could they be restored? The files have not been deleted or altered in any way. They are still there exactly as they were, just flagged as "error" > Second, if they have been totally deleted should I remove the uploaded > signal from my allocations work book? Not applicable > Third, where the transcriber has ceased to be active am I free to reallocate > > the scans whose files have been dropped and regard them as new work? I'd just fix the files, in fact if you tell me which files, I'll fix them myself, just to save the hassle which this seems to be causing. > Fourth, could Dave explain how the results of a search would have been > displayed if the question mark had remained? It would be displayed as whatever the transcriber entered. If he/she entered an uncertain character (?_*) the info screen would have stated that the transcriber was unsure of this entry. > Fifth, if the question mark was displayed in a search could it's presence > have been explained by a note? Yes. What should the note say? That we are sorry that some records are affected by the instructions not being followed properly > Sixth, why was it imperative to take action now, why not wait for the second > > keying? Second keying is in progress on some quarters. As to why now, because it happened to be the next job that got done > Further on Dave said: > > ">These records will return to the DB once the files are corrected" > > First, could Dave explain what will happen if no-one corrects some or all of > > the affected files and I decide to take no action? They sit there waiting for somebody to do something about them. If necessary, I'll fix them myself. > Second, does he agree that the phrase quoted above could be construed as > blackmail? No. > Elsewhere Dave said > > ">* indicates one or more missing characters > >_ indicates one missing character > >- indicates the literal "-" > >? indicates an unexpectedly blank field > > >None of these values validly represent what is found in deaths to > >1865, which is an expectedly blank field. > > But clearly "unexpected" to a fairly. long list of transcribers. I've just checked, and the fact that pre-1866 deaths have no age at death was explicitly stated on the site from 12/4/1999. If the transcribers found its absence unexpected; 1) Why didn't they read what it says on the site 2) Why did they continue with page upon page of deaths with AAD "unexpectedly" missing without asking for advice. > And finally this is another time when the failure to warn co-ordinators has > resulted in upsetting valued transcribers. This is another time where we made the assumption that the vast majority of transcribers had followed the instructions, and that tightening the validation to enforce those instructions would be no problem. > The one principally affected in > my syndicate is a couple who have devised a system for working together that > > produces accurate and speedy results from some of the most indifferent > material they have to use. They have never complained until now. Some > 10000 roughly 25% of their input has been arbitrarily removed from their > input. This represents about 250 files. The task is daunting, and they > would have my sympathy if they suggested that as far as FreeBMD is concerned > > it should find a large expanse of water and then engage in an athletic > pursuit that results in getting wet Why is it that whenever anything changes in any way whatsoever, the immediate reaction is howls of protest, and threats to take the ball home from all quarters? Why is it that we are immediately taken to task for daring to say a word that might suggest that the transcriber has (unfortunately) failed to follow instructions, and told that it's entirely understandable that the transcriber would do it like this and that we should just work round it. What on earth is wrong with "Transcriber X hadn't realised that this was the wrong way to do it, is there any way that we can sort his/her files out". Now if anybody wants help sorting a transcriber's files out, please ask. If anybody wants to jump up and down shouting that they want to be consulted before every single change is made to the site, then feel free. We have very few people coding for FreeBMD, and if everything they do results in people jumping up and down shouting, the whole problem will probably vanish, because no changes will ever be made to the site once we have no programmers left. -- Dave Mayall ---------------------------------------------- This mail sent through http://www.ukonline.net