On 2011-05-23 23:08, singhals wrote: > Tom Wetmore wrote: >> Cheryl, >> >> I'm not asking what you should store so you can convince others of the >> accuracy of your work. >> >> I'm asking what do you want to do with the evidence you have gathered >> about people you MIGHT be interested in, but BEFORE you have figured >> out who was who. Since the evidence might apply to persons you are >> interested in, I assume you wouldn't throw it out. Since you don't >> know who it refers to yet, you can't add it to any person record >> already in your database. In what form would you want that evidence, >> and what would you like to be able to do with it? > > I want a piece of paper, filed where it seemed to me to be a good idea > to file it. > > Paper because I find it easier to shuffle paper than electrons -- for > one thing, I can spread two dozen pieces of paper on the table-top and > STILL be able to read them, something I find I cannot do with even 4 > windows open on the monitor. > > Cheryl > Absolutely. For all my interest in computers, my real underlying interest is in information. Computers are only a tool to help dealing with this. I keep the evidence (and some printouts) in lever arch files roughly organised on a surname basis. Yes, you can take several pieces of paper and spread them out in front of you to study and compare them. That is something you cannot do on a computer. The issue of evidence for people you MIGHT be interested in is a good point. However, my feeling is that throwing it all straight onto a computer is likely to be unhelpful even if the software can cope. Peter