STEER-L Archives

Archiver > STEER > 2008-04 > 1209071944


From: "Jon and Sue Steer" <>
Subject: Re: [STEER] STEER resources
Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2008 22:19:04 +0100
References: <030201c8a318$08da3580$c3304354@your904q9zk0ar><Prayer.1.1.0.0804202028310.1882@hermes-1.csi.cam.ac.uk><039401c8a337$b6e970e0$c3304354@your904q9zk0ar><003201c8a4d7$6b7c20c0$4001a8c0@DILLON><02b001c8a603$b00724b0$a430883e@your904q9zk0ar>


I'll give it a try as soon as I've got a few spare minutes, I'll add my tree
as a page and take it from there, if it looks useful then we can add to
it...

Jon

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jack Steer" <>
To: <>
Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2008 1:06 PM
Subject: Re: [STEER] STEER resources


>
> Thanks Jon
>
> I'm not at all sure that I understand the technology, but that does an
> interesting idea.
>
> Just wondered if it would be appropriate to wait for Chris to update his
> HINGSTON site with his vets? Alternatively an up and running format could
> be
> used by Chris, but from his email it sounded as though he had done almost
> all the work to allow publication.
>
>
>
> Regards,
>
> Jack Steer
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jon and Sue Steer" <>
> To: <>
> Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 1:17 AM
> Subject: Re: [STEER] STEER resources
>
>
>> Hi Jack, Chris and all,
>>
>> The Hingston site does look like a useful solution but I think the
>> underlying technology can be improved upon - if the site was run using a
>> Wiki system (see Wikipedia for the best known example) then the job of
>> editing can be opened up to as many users as desired with no danger of
>> losing data when changes are made as every version of every page is
>> logged
>> and changes can easily be undone if needed. Also, you don't need to be
>> able
>> to edit (or understand) HTML to update Wiki pages, there is usually a
>> word-style editor used to edit pages in place.
>>
>> Many Wiki systems also allow discussion of individual pages to take place
>> as
>> a way of reviewing and exploring new or forthcoming changes.
>>
>> If this sounds of interest I'd happy to dig out a system, get it up and
>> running so you can all have a look at how it could work and then look
>> after
>> it (from the technology side at least.)
>>
>> Jon
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Jack Steer" <>
>> To: <>
>> Sent: Sunday, April 20, 2008 11:41 PM
>> Subject: Re: [STEER] STEER resources
>>
>>
>>> Chris,
>>>
>>> Thanks for that. I hadn't even thought about the HINGSTON site, which is
>>> a
>>> bit silly as I have a Cornish connection there.
>>>
>>> I think that it is perhaps the most practical solution to the dilemma
>>> that
>>> is being discussed.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> <As an example, see http://www-civ.eng.cam.ac.uk/cjb/hingston/ha.htm
>>> (which
>>> has a Steer link within it!)>
>>>
>>> Jane was the daughter of Jasper STEER and Sarah nee BARTLET and was
>>> baptised
>>> 17.2.1788 in Loddiswell, Devon
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> <I have a version of the Steer Vets ready to go!>
>>>
>>> That sounds wonderful. I shall look forward to it with eager
>>> anticipation.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>>
>>> Jack Steer
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Dr Chris Burgoyne" <>
>>> To: <>
>>> Sent: Sunday, April 20, 2008 8:28 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [STEER] STEER resources
>>>
>>>
>>>> Dear Jack
>>>>
>>>> I faced the same dilemma when I started my HINGSTON pages. Simply
>>>> recording
>>>> a list of events, either by date order or by parish, or a list of
>>>> census
>>>> returns, is not easy for other people to understand. Copying lists also
>>>> runs the risk of infringing copyright law, which can be a minefield.
>>>>
>>>> So I decided to assemble the information in the form of Trees, each of
>>>> which follows the Descendancy Report format that many programs will
>>>> produce, although I do not keep a separate database of entries and in
>>>> fact
>>>> everything is entered by hand. That allows me to add extra information
>>>> as
>>>> and when it becomes available and gives me the freedom to amend the
>>>> format
>>>> if it becomes necessary.
>>>>
>>>> As an example, see http://www-civ.eng.cam.ac.uk/cjb/hingston/ha.htm
>>>> (which has a Steer link within it!)
>>>>
>>>> Other people can then access these trees, but not edit them. They have
>>>> to
>>>> send me the information, which means I can keep some control of the
>>>> format.
>>>>
>>>> There is a link at the bottom of that page to the main HINGSTON site,
>>>> so
>>>> you can see what else is provided.
>>>>
>>>> I think the format works well, but it has the drawback that you have to
>>>> be
>>>> able to edit HTML files, although there are plenty of simple programs
>>>> around to help you so you don't have to get down to the level of
>>>> writing
>>>> HTML code. You also have to have somewhere where you can post the
>>>> information; I fortunately have an employer who is content for me to
>>>> have
>>>> a
>>>> couple of MBytes of file space, which is pretty trivial by today's
>>>> standards.
>>>>
>>>> I am not going to offer to do the same for the STEERs - I simply don't
>>>> have
>>>> time, but I would be happy to pass on advice if anyone wanted to follow
>>>> my
>>>> example.
>>>>
>>>> (I have a version of the Steer Vets ready to go!)
>>>>
>>>> Chris Burgoyne
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Apr 20 2008, Jack Steer wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>Steve, Brian and Peter and et al
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> It's very possible that I have a slightly warped sense of the STEER
>>>>> family. When I sat down with my father in 1973 to look at the
>>>>> transcriptions that he had done in the vestry in South Milton, we
>>>>> realised very quickly that the family had barely moved from the parish
>>>>> in
>>>>> 200 years. When they did it was to such far flung spots as Thurlestone
>>>>> or
>>>>> Aveton Gifford, neither more than a couple of miles away. So doing the
>>>>> basics was remarkably easy and in one evening we'd broken the back of
>>>>> our
>>>>> STEER line. We had no need to ferret around in other counties, it was
>>>>> sitting there, ready for us. Visit South Milton churchyard and you can
>>>>> see my family's graves in a stately procession close to the south
>>>>> door.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> So I thought this research business was easy and proceeded with the
>>>>> assumption that one carried on as we had started. At work I did not
>>>>> introduce a computer system into a commercial environment until the
>>>>> basic
>>>>> information flow system was working properly. The seventies saw some
>>>>> spectacular bankruptcies caused by ignoring this maxim.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> When I eventually got a computer I carried on with a similar
>>>>> philosophy.
>>>>> I had to understand what I was doing, for I saw little point in a
>>>>> system
>>>>> that I did not understand. I tried things like FTM and PAF and just
>>>>> got
>>>>> frustrated that they did not do what I wanted, nor could I understand
>>>>> how
>>>>> they worked.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Perhaps I'm too decrepit to change now, although my son did persuade
>>>>> me
>>>>> two years ago to save things on the hard drive rather than on loads of
>>>>> floppies. That was a major step for me.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>Gaynor's original question to the list was
>>>>>
>>>>> <Would it be worth setting up a web site where we can all take
>>>>> responsibility to transcribe certain areas of the census returns and
>>>>> the
>>>>> BMI information, taking the central towns and villages in Devon to
>>>>> start
>>>>> with where the STEER name derives from, them branching out.
>>>>>
>>>>> I do realise that it will not be a few weeks work but a few years to
>>>>> get
>>>>> the site usable, but then all this information that is being
>>>>> contribute
>>>>> about the STEER name via e mails could be used buy us all as and when
>>>>> we
>>>>> need it in a format that is searchable.
>>>>>
>>>>>What do you think?>
>>>>>
>>>>> My view is that the answer is probably, as we are on this list because
>>>>> we
>>>>> have a particular interest in our own STEER family. If we choose to do
>>>>> more generic transcriptions then that is outside the scope of this
>>>>> list.
>>>>>
>>>>> But however desirable such a project may be I don't think that it is a
>>>>> workable option.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>Peter wrote
>>>>>
>>>>> <To meld all this disparate data into anything approaching universal
>>>>> comprehension is nigh on impossible.>
>>>>>
>>>>> I agree, it would be akin to the League of Nations all over again, a
>>>>> good
>>>>> idea, but it did not achieve any of the high ideals that were set at
>>>>> its
>>>>> inception.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>Regards,
>>>>>Jack Steer
>>>>>Banbury
>>>>>
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>>>
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