Hi folks: The following news story moved this afternoon across Canada via The Canadian Press newswire: OTTAWA (CP) - It's a tale to make a publicist weep. Fearing it may have a smash hit on its hands that could bring down its Internet server, the National Archives of Canada purposely buried the online launch of the country's 1901 census data. The material has been available on the Web for more than a week, but the agency made a conscious decision not to publicize that fact. "We've launched it softly in terms of not wanting to draw a lot of traffic right off so that it brings our server down," said Paul Marsden, Webmaster at the National Archives. If it sounds like Marsden is blowing smoke, he's not. He's trying to avoid the fate of Britain's Public Record Office, which held a much publicized Web launch of its 1901 census data on Jan. 2. The site - two years in development - was designed to handle about 1.2 million hits day. It received that number every hour. The site crashed under the weight of 30 million hits on its first day and still isn't up and running five months later. The Canadian site, available for those willing to do a little digging (www.archives.ca/02/0201-e.html), received hits from 320 servers on May 21, its first day of operation. It's up to about 3,500 a day a little more than week later - and that's only a measure of servers, some of which may be routing hundreds of individual subscribers to the site. Never underestimate the tenacity and numbers of genealogists. "Working in the archives, you see that increasingly people are wanting to find their roots," said spokeswoman Michael Crawley. "There's just a huge surge in that." An official with the British Public Record Office has said the reprise of that site won't come with the same fanfare as its debut. "We will certainly be keeping a lower profile this time," a spokeswoman told the online journal IT Week. The National Archives have a much less ambitious and less costly plan than the British. The Brits paid a private company to index all the census data so that searchers could simply plug in a name and see what records turned up. People then had to pay to get actual copies of those records. "We've put the census online basically as it was produced by the Dominion statistician at the time," explained Marsden. "We're hoping that by putting it up (on the Web), people who are really willing to do the legwork will do the indexing for us." Genealogy groups have been doing the labourious 1901 indexing using microfilm for the past three years "This really blows that away in terms of accessibility," said Marsden. "They're going to have to work it, but it's free. For local history, you just can't get better than this." Ken Bird, president of the Ontario Genealogical Society, said the word is leaking out about the online census data. "It's a bit complex and you probably have to have a pencil and paper with you to go through the different steps of getting to the information," he said. Nonetheless, said Bird, "demand will be quite heavy." "I see it as very positive for genealogists, especially for those who aren't near Ottawa and can't get in to the National Archives themselves." The site is not without its foibles. Some people, Bird included, are having difficulty downloading the software needed to call up and scan the actual census documents. The program allows Web surfers to zoom in on documents, photos or maps without losing resolution. It could be a boon to making a host of archived material more accessible. "But you go with something new on the Internet and you're into territory incognito - unknown ground," said Marsden. He hopes all the bugs will be worked out by October, when the site hopes to add more search features. In the meantime, genealogists are spreading the word. "I can appreciate they're not telling everyone because of what happened with the British," said Lois Martin, president of the Abbotsford, B.C., Genealogical Society. "It's probably a good way to test it to make sure it works. But I would hope they wouldn't keep it from us too long. Many of us have been patiently waiting for this kind of thing." ---------- I had a go at it tonight, and discovered that in order to find somebody in the census, you've already got to know juszt about everything that is in there about him or her. Typical government planning. Dennis Bell in Burnaby

Hi Dennis, You're one up on me. I couldn't even figure out how to use the darn thing. What an atrocity!! Cheers! Malcolm ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dennis Bell" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2002 11:57 PM Subject: [SCTCDN] 1901 census > > > Hi folks: > > The following news story moved this afternoon across Canada via The Canadian Press newswire: > > > OTTAWA (CP) - It's a tale to make a publicist weep. > Fearing it may have a smash hit on its hands that could bring down its > Internet server, the National Archives of Canada purposely buried the online > launch of the country's 1901 census data. > The material has been available on the Web for more than a week, but the > agency made a conscious decision not to publicize that fact. > "We've launched it softly in terms of not wanting to draw a lot of traffic > right off so that it brings our server down," said Paul Marsden, Webmaster > at the National Archives. > If it sounds like Marsden is blowing smoke, he's not. > He's trying to avoid the fate of Britain's Public Record Office, which held a > much publicized Web launch of its 1901 census data on Jan. 2. > The site - two years in development - was designed to handle about 1.2 > million hits day. It received that number every hour. The site crashed under > the weight of 30 million hits on its first day and still isn't up and > running five months later. > The Canadian site, available for those willing to do a little digging > (www.archives.ca/02/0201-e.html), received hits from 320 servers on May 21, > its first day of operation. > It's up to about 3,500 a day a little more than week later - and that's only > a measure of servers, some of which may be routing hundreds of individual > subscribers to the site. > Never underestimate the tenacity and numbers of genealogists. > "Working in the archives, you see that increasingly people are wanting to > find their roots," said spokeswoman Michael Crawley. "There's just a huge > surge in that." > An official with the British Public Record Office has said the reprise of > that site won't come with the same fanfare as its debut. > "We will certainly be keeping a lower profile this time," a spokeswoman told > the online journal IT Week. > The National Archives have a much less ambitious and less costly plan than > the British. > The Brits paid a private company to index all the census data so that > searchers could simply plug in a name and see what records turned up. People > then had to pay to get actual copies of those records. > "We've put the census online basically as it was produced by the Dominion > statistician at the time," explained Marsden. "We're hoping that by putting > it up (on the Web), people who are really willing to do the legwork will do > the indexing for us." > Genealogy groups have been doing the labourious 1901 indexing using microfilm > for the past three years > "This really blows that away in terms of accessibility," said Marsden. > "They're going to have to work it, but it's free. For local history, you > just can't get better than this." > Ken Bird, president of the Ontario Genealogical Society, said the word is > leaking out about the online census data. > "It's a bit complex and you probably have to have a pencil and paper with you > to go through the different steps of getting to the information," he said. > Nonetheless, said Bird, "demand will be quite heavy." > "I see it as very positive for genealogists, especially for those who aren't > near Ottawa and can't get in to the National Archives themselves." > The site is not without its foibles. Some people, Bird included, are having > difficulty downloading the software needed to call up and scan the actual > census documents. > The program allows Web surfers to zoom in on documents, photos or maps > without losing resolution. It could be a boon to making a host of archived > material more accessible. > "But you go with something new on the Internet and you're into territory > incognito - unknown ground," said Marsden. > He hopes all the bugs will be worked out by October, when the site hopes to > add more search features. > In the meantime, genealogists are spreading the word. > "I can appreciate they're not telling everyone because of what happened with > the British," said Lois Martin, president of the Abbotsford, B.C., > Genealogical Society. > "It's probably a good way to test it to make sure it works. But I would hope > they wouldn't keep it from us too long. Many of us have been patiently > waiting for this kind of thing." > > ---------- > > I had a go at it tonight, and discovered that in order to find somebody in the census, you've already got to know juszt about everything that is in there about him or her. Typical government planning. > > Dennis Bell in Burnaby

I found the right link but didn't take the time to let the necessary files download. The correct url is: http://www.archives.ca/02/020122_e.html Laurie McRae Nelson

Dennis I get error, "the page can not be found" ???????? Edd Sinnett ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dennis Bell" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2002 11:57 PM Subject: [SCTCDN] 1901 census > > > Hi folks: > > The following news story moved this afternoon across Canada via The Canadian Press newswire: > > > OTTAWA (CP) - It's a tale to make a publicist weep. > Fearing it may have a smash hit on its hands that could bring down its > Internet server, the National Archives of Canada purposely buried the online > launch of the country's 1901 census data. > The material has been available on the Web for more than a week, but the > agency made a conscious decision not to publicize that fact. > "We've launched it softly in terms of not wanting to draw a lot of traffic > right off so that it brings our server down," said Paul Marsden, Webmaster > at the National Archives. > If it sounds like Marsden is blowing smoke, he's not. > He's trying to avoid the fate of Britain's Public Record Office, which held a > much publicized Web launch of its 1901 census data on Jan. 2. > The site - two years in development - was designed to handle about 1.2 > million hits day. It received that number every hour. The site crashed under > the weight of 30 million hits on its first day and still isn't up and > running five months later. > The Canadian site, available for those willing to do a little digging > (www.archives.ca/02/0201-e.html), received hits from 320 servers on May 21, > its first day of operation. > It's up to about 3,500 a day a little more than week later - and that's only > a measure of servers, some of which may be routing hundreds of individual > subscribers to the site. > Never underestimate the tenacity and numbers of genealogists. > "Working in the archives, you see that increasingly people are wanting to > find their roots," said spokeswoman Michael Crawley. "There's just a huge > surge in that." > An official with the British Public Record Office has said the reprise of > that site won't come with the same fanfare as its debut. > "We will certainly be keeping a lower profile this time," a spokeswoman told > the online journal IT Week. > The National Archives have a much less ambitious and less costly plan than > the British. > The Brits paid a private company to index all the census data so that > searchers could simply plug in a name and see what records turned up. People > then had to pay to get actual copies of those records. > "We've put the census online basically as it was produced by the Dominion > statistician at the time," explained Marsden. "We're hoping that by putting > it up (on the Web), people who are really willing to do the legwork will do > the indexing for us." > Genealogy groups have been doing the labourious 1901 indexing using microfilm > for the past three years > "This really blows that away in terms of accessibility," said Marsden. > "They're going to have to work it, but it's free. For local history, you > just can't get better than this." > Ken Bird, president of the Ontario Genealogical Society, said the word is > leaking out about the online census data. > "It's a bit complex and you probably have to have a pencil and paper with you > to go through the different steps of getting to the information," he said. > Nonetheless, said Bird, "demand will be quite heavy." > "I see it as very positive for genealogists, especially for those who aren't > near Ottawa and can't get in to the National Archives themselves." > The site is not without its foibles. Some people, Bird included, are having > difficulty downloading the software needed to call up and scan the actual > census documents. > The program allows Web surfers to zoom in on documents, photos or maps > without losing resolution. It could be a boon to making a host of archived > material more accessible. > "But you go with something new on the Internet and you're into territory > incognito - unknown ground," said Marsden. > He hopes all the bugs will be worked out by October, when the site hopes to > add more search features. > In the meantime, genealogists are spreading the word. > "I can appreciate they're not telling everyone because of what happened with > the British," said Lois Martin, president of the Abbotsford, B.C., > Genealogical Society. > "It's probably a good way to test it to make sure it works. But I would hope > they wouldn't keep it from us too long. Many of us have been patiently > waiting for this kind of thing." > > ---------- > > I had a go at it tonight, and discovered that in order to find somebody in the census, you've already got to know juszt about everything that is in there about him or her. Typical government planning. > > Dennis Bell in Burnaby > > > > > ==== SCOTS-IN-CANADA Mailing List ==== > To unsubscribe: [email protected] inserting the word unsubscribe in both the subject line and the text area and using a fresh email to do it. Use -D- if you are in Digest mode. > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 >