STEER-L Archives

Archiver > STEER > 2008-04 > 1209113933


From: "Jack Steer" <>
Subject: Re: [STEER] STEER resources
Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2008 09:58:53 +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$a430883e@your904q9zk0ar><000901c8a650$d4c9d250$4001a8c0@DILLON>


Thanks Jon. That sounds really positive



Jack Steer





----- Original Message -----
From: "Jon and Sue Steer" <>
To: <>
Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2008 10:19 PM
Subject: Re: [STEER] STEER resources


> 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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>>>>> 18/04/2008 17:24
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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