Tom,I perfectly understand your hesitations in submitting your gedcom to just any site that will claim it as their property. I too have avoided downloading my gedcom to any site. And, even with the lds site, I didn't download my gedcom, but have just entered in part of my direct line. This sounds like a VERY VERY BIG project for the Platte County site. I have always said to others that I am very lucky that the Platte county website is a gold mine of data as well as the people on their mailing list. This would put them leaps and bounds over all other county websites! But I have to go take some ibuprofen now, as I have a huge headache just thinking about how much work this would take!!! > From: [email protected] > Date: Sat, 28 May 2011 02:21:01 -0500 > To: [email protected] > Subject: [NEPLATTE] LDS Merging Software - > > Cousin Monica - > > I'm sure that my recommendation for consideration is not a new and hot issue. Over time, theres little doubt to me that there were/are others who had/have the same idea in merging Gedcom's from a particular region, however, I don't think that the genealogical software to specifically do this has yet been published for common use. I think that any good software for genealogy will do what's necessary, however, at this time I believe it has to be manually inputted, which of course, takes time. > > I don't think it would take an inordinate amount of time to physically type it all in, rather, I think that the excess time would be spent on trying to correct instances where an obvious error takes place, wrong dates, wrong names, wrong Family, misspellings, and so on, and there's no real remedy for correction other than to present the dilemma to a volunteer who would research the issue while the typist sets aside (for the moment) this particular entry then continues to input names and particulars. > > In the end one would have a Gedcom file that has several "flags" attached that reflect particular portion's being researched by a volunteer. At this point, the file would be as close to accurate as one can make it and would be considered the base document. As research results are completed by volunteers, the typist would then transfer it to the main document (In a Perfect World). If the entry is questionable, then decisions will have to be made and the information tagged as "Needing Verification" or something similar. > > In this way, the Gedcom is completely correctable at any time and a protected zipped file could well be posted anywhere, such as the Platte County Site. The only real question is the amount of personal information that can be published. Here, legal advice is an absolute requirement. > > At any rate, if merging software were indeed available now, the system would probably kick out a good portion of inputted information simply because several entries simply wouldn't match. The same amount of time will then have to be spent by someone to ferret out the truth, regardless. > > It doesn't surprise me in the least that the LDS has already addressed the subject. They're the #1 "World Leader" in genealogy so they would almost have to be the first to do so. By your remarks, I see that they have a program already in it's first stages of use for those of the LDS and are continuing to work the bugs out of the software. Fair enough. In the end, I know it will be error free and easy to use - there's no doubt. If the LDS software were available via CD as a stand alone program, then I would simply read the fine print and consider myself lucky to have such a program on my computer. > > However, if the Gedcom merging effort would have to take place through the LDS, remaining on their system, I'm not so sure this would be the best way to obtain project results. I say this only because of the fine print associated with inputting information, such as a Family Gedcom for non-LDS members. As I recall, if a non-member does post their lineage into the LDS, the inputted information becomes the property of the LDS. If this is still true, and applies here, I'm not so sure that a civil group of County amateur genealogists would acquiesce for usage. > > I don't mean to cast any negativity here, I suppose the terms of usage will simply have to be examined when and if the LDS Gedcome program becomes available for the public. > > Tomasz > > > > > On May 27, 2011, at 12:18 PM, MONICA ZENDEJAS wrote: > > > > > Tom, as to your master gedcom file project, I can tell you that familysearch has such a site that does that now for their members, and as soon as the kinks are all worked out, they will open it up to all. Right now, I can add my gedcom, and then with another click of the button, I can view possible duplicates. I can then, at that time, combine or merge the entries together. Once I merge them, anyone that the duplicate had attached to them will also be linked to my file, just like any genealogy program's merge function. The nice thing about this is that no one can search for anyone still living in my file, so once someone is merged from my file to someone else's, they still will not be able to view anyone's information in my file who is still living. It also allows me to see who contributed the information and email them. That is a nice feature as then I can find new distant cousins! My biggest complaint about this is that if, while comparing the 2 people that are po! > ss! > > ible duplicates, I see that parents, spouses, children and dates are all the same and I merge them, then if they have made a major mistake, say a wrong grandparent, I have also linked their errors. While it is possible to unlink them again, it is quite the headache. I can only change information on data that I originally entered, and just dispute the information that someone else entered, and hope they see my dispute and correct it. Overall, I think it is a good program and does what you have suggested. But as this becomes available to all, I would also caution people to keep their own genealogy in a separate program as well as using that one. And, as always when dealing with other people's family file submissions, take it as a clue or a lead to further your research. NEVER add the information until you have VERIFIED their information. So, keep an eye out. I hear it might be open up to the everyone sometime this year!Monica > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message