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Archiver > APG > 2008-02 > 1203617476


From: Debbie Parker Wayne <>
Subject: Re: [APG] Software to write genealogies / writing family history
Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 12:11:16 -0600
References: <20080221145120.7865.qmail@station198.com>
In-Reply-To: <20080221145120.7865.qmail@station198.com>


Janis Walker Gilmore wrote:

> Could this be a philosophical split between the
> writer/literary/research mindset and the
> scientific/technical/research mindset?
>
> I am devoted to my genealogy software, but I
> can't think why I would want to
> write narratives in it. What is the advantage?

That could be. My technical mindset says "I only want to write this once
and let the computer repeat it when I need it in the future." And my
literary mindset says "I want to be the one to write it" that first time.
And I will need to rewrite it as I learn more about the family.


Kerry Sandberg Scott wrote:
> I don't really get why someone would even WANT
software to do it for them. Isn't sitting down
and pulling it all together the fun part of research?

Yes. I want the database to let me sort and print the bare-bones data any
way I want to so I can analyze it and have all of the fun of solving the
puzzle.


Most people say you should write your genealogical stories as you go -
don't wait until you "finish" research <laughing hard here> to write it up.
This means you are going to discover new information as more research is
done. Quite possibly that research is going to require renumbering the
people in a genealogical list. This mindless repetitive stuff is what the
computer does much better than I can.

I want to use my writing skills, such as they are, to write the story. Then
I want to put it in my database so that when I find new information on this
family, maybe those new family members, I can create an updated report that
includes what I wrote last time. Or I can create a report with more or
fewer generations covered. I can spend my time writing interesting stories
on the new family members. I don't want to have to cut-and-paste all of the
things I changed earlier into the new report again. Or change bunches of
numbers in the old report so the numbering continues properly after the
insertion of the new people.


Some genealogy programs allow many custom reports for the analysis part of
the process and customization of the output text to reduce the repetitive
text changes. I am basically doing the same thing in TMG that others do in
their word processor. I just choose to use a different tool that saves me
time later on and works for me. I think I have the best of research,
literary, and technical worlds.

--
Regards, Debbie

Debbie Parker Wayne
Webmaster and Chapter Representative,
Lone Star Chapter APG http://lonestarapg.com/

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