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Archiver > FREEBMD-DISCUSS > 2003-04 > 1050181203


From: "George Parker" <>
Subject: Indecipherable records
Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2003 22:01:11 +0100


While transcribing and cogitating on life in general, as you do, I
reckon that at least 1 to 2% of records that I have transcribed from
fiche are incomplete due to indecipherable parts of pages. Thinking of
this I thought that maybe I should be doing something about my
transcriptions at least.

I note that recently someone offered to pull a copy of a page from
1837.com for someone else who had a clarity problem. Dave Mayle has
already said that this is against the agreements that users have signed
up to with 1837.com and I think that this should be reiterated with some
emphasis before we get a bad name.

The alternative is to go to my local LDS centre (which I think is OK but
not for sure) and look up the uncertainties, a very time intensive
process, and which I think may be a waste of time.

I am keying in the first iteration of some marriages from the 1850's.
When the check transcription is done I presume it will be from the same
microfiche as I am using. If I correct some unreadable records from
whatever source, then won't this make what I have transcribed different
from the other transcription which the software will see as an error?
And someone will have to manually check anyway. At some point the
indecipherable fields will have to be rectified somehow, but when is the
best time?

Or have I just had too much red wine?

George Parker

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