GENBRIT-L Archives

Archiver > GENBRIT > 1999-12 > 0944047307


From: John Buzacott <>
Subject: Re: 1901 census: I don't want to alarm you but...
Date: Wed, 01 Dec 1999 21:21:47 +1000


Whoops read 1881 not 1888, stuttering finger syndrome!

John Buzacott wrote:

> Dear David,
>
> The Causative factor in this is the fact that, to quote you, "DERA happens to be
> one of the major employers of scientific and technical talent in the UK"
>
> Yes you got that right, employers of employees. The people who will be
> transcribing/"translating" this data are NOT in that category and probably
> couldn't care less about the accuracy, plus if you look at the possible
> collusion between both keyers if/when they get bored, we will end up with the
> type of entry for "ponce" as was found and discussed re the 1888 CD release.
>
> If we can get that from "playful" credible transcribers what can we expect from
> a captive work force, who will, in all probability, not give a damn about
> accuracy.
>
> John Buzacott J.P.
>
> David Marshall wrote:
>
> > As an ex-employee of DERA I am very disappointed to see someone like Barney
> > (whose contribution to this group is usually so helpful) showing unreasoning
> > prejudice against civil servants as a group. DERA happens to be one of the
> > major employers of scientific and technical talent in the UK and has world
> > class expertise in most areas of computing. There are many worse
> > organisations who might have been entrusted with this task. I am sure that
> > any concerns and requests that are expressed in a reasonable and temperate
> > manner will be listened to and acted upon. The DERA project manager for this
> > task will be even more determined than any member of this group to ensure
> > that the project is a success and fully satisfies the end users.
> >
> > David Marshall
> >
> > Barney Tyrwhitt-Drake <> wrote in message
> > news:...
> > > You may by now have seen the announcement from the PRO on the 1901
> > > census project. It is at http://www.pro.gov.uk/census/updatenov99.htm
> > > and they have announced that the contract to make this census available
> > > online has been awarded to DERA.
> > >
> > > Who?
> > >
> > > Yes, the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. You'd never heard of
> > > them either, eh? Well it seems they are an umbrella organisation for
> > > thousands of civil servants. Does this sound like a skilled and involved
> > > partner to you?
> > >
> > > Still, the PRO announcement continues to tell us that the sub-contractor
> > > who will be doing the transcription (surely the most critical part) is
> > > the Enterprise and Supply Service. Fanfare!
> > >
> > > Who?
> > >
> > > A web search failed to find any information on the "Enterprise and
> > > Supply Service", so I went off to look at the PR announcements at the
> > > DERA website. It's http://www.dera.gov.uk/html/news/pressrel/pr_104.htm
> > >
> > > Here we learn that "Researchers on genealogy will be delighted with the
> > > news" that DERA has the contract. It goes on to tell us that the
> > > consortium to do the work includes Applied Net Ltd (who'll be doing the
> > > Internet bit), Comax (who'll be doing the image scanning bit), DERA
> > > (who'll be charging the management fees) and 'Enterprise Supply
> > > Services' who seem to have changed their name from the PRO announcement.
> > > I couldn't find them on a web search either.
> > >
> > > Now for the shocker. In brackets after the name of Enterprise Supply
> > > Services is (part of the Prison Service)....
> > >
> > > So, after all that time wondering who these highly skilled and
> > > experienced transcribers of the 1901 census are going to be, it turns
> > > out that they are going to be those detained at Her Majesty's pleasure?
> > > Leaving aside a few ex-Conservative Cabinet ministers (or on second
> > > thoughts maybe not), it's hard to think of a less intelligent,
> > > inexperienced, unskilled and unenthusiastic group of transcribers.
> > >
> > > Surely you're saying, this can't be right. Maybe Enterprise Supply
> > > Services will contract this out to groups like Family History Societies
> > > who could do it right. Bad news folks I'm afraid. The DERA press release
> > > goes on to say "Enterprise Supply Services will use the services of
> > > inmates to input the data twice (double keying method) with cross-
> > > checking software to ensure the best possible level of accuracy."
> > >
> > > Well, I'm sorry PRO. I've always had the greatest respect for the
> > > services provided by you until now. But getting prisoners to transcribe
> > > the census for genealogists! An own goal or what?
> > >
> > > (And in case anyone thinks I am being critical of offenders I am not. I
> > > am a firm supporter of NACRO and the Howard League for penal reform.
> > > It's just that many of this group of people will have neither the
> > > interest, motivation, training, nor skill to do this kind of work. A
> > > case of a lose lose situation if ever I saw one.)
> > >
> > > Feeling shell-shocked? It's about to get worse.
> > >
> > > When you look at the 1881 census on CD-ROM, transcribed by experienced
> > > family historians with double entry systems - people who know their
> > > names, places, manuscripts and census systems - the error rate in any
> > > single line of the census is around 50%. This is just about acceptable
> > > enough on a CD-ROM system that lets you do wild card searches to find
> > > that elusive ancestor. But the PRO announcement continues to say that
> > > you'll pay 50p to do each search on a database that is bound to be
> > > considerably less accurately transcribed than the 1881. Then you'll go
> > > on to pay 80p for each page you find, even if it's the wrong one as a
> > > result of their inaccurate transcription. Then they go on to say that
> > > the microfiche version will only be supplied to the PRO and CROs/Local
> > > Studies Libraries. No mention of the LDS or of FHSs. Or of the SoG for
> > > that matter.
> > >
> > > I don't want to alarm you but... it looks to me as if on a scale of 1 to
> > > 10 the PRO has scored -10 on this announcement. Please, please someone
> > > tell me it's all a bad dream. Come on Chris Smith, you appealed for a
> > > greater cultural involvement by UK citizens in the Commons last week. Is
> > > this what New Labour means by it?
> > > --
> > > Barney Tyrwhitt-Drake
> > >
> > > Drake Software web site: http://www.tdrake.demon.co.u

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