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Archiver > STEWART > 2003-01 > 1041742090


From: "Nora Yahl" <>
Subject: Re: [STEWART] Re: STEWART-D Digest V03 #6
Date: Sat, 4 Jan 2003 22:50:03 -0600
References: <27.358a5f2b.2b48fcb3@cs.com>


Ken,
Do you have Family Tree Maker? You can look it up in your manual. I know,
I know....manuals are last resorts.
A Gedcom is a universal method of transfering genealogical information from
one person to another without the bulk of opened files, as well as the
complexities of differing programs and/or versions of the same program. A
Gedcom compresses it and when you receive it, and click to open it, you
will be asked to change the name so that your program can read it. Then
when it is converted to the program you use, it will open in your program.
Be sure and use a unique name in the renaming process so that you can
distinquish it from your main data base that you have compiled.

It is possible, after you have read it and find that it has information that
you wish to use, to lay it into your own database. Let me caution you
against that. It is wise to avoid this unless you have made sure all of the
information is validated and that it has been sourced. That job can be
formidable after import. It is much easier to print out a portion that you
want to use, and then actually typing it in. That serves two purposes. The
physical typing allows your brain to assimilate it and you will remember it
better. Two, it avoids duplication of work that you have already done, as
often your data and the import will overlap and then you will need to merge
that information.

I am speaking from experience. As I had done a lot of work on my maternal
line and had a cousin that had done even more work and was willing to allow
me to use hers, I did this. Unfortunately there were several
issues....there were many intermarriages in that line, so one ancestor could
be related to me about a dozen ways. Then add to that, my father's maternal
line and my mother's maternal line cross, as they were cousins. End result,
I imported a 2,000 person file and ended up with so many duplications that
my final count was almost 5,000 people and merging was an impossible task.
I had to start over!!!!

On a similar but different subject...I have been reading about copyrights
and thought it might be interesting to you as well with regard to
Gedcoms...i.e. Other People's works. Give with website a read:
www.templetons.com/brad//copymyths.html

Regards,
Nora Stewart Yahl in St. Louis, MO USA


----- Original Message -----
From: <>
To: <>
Sent: Saturday, January 04, 2003 9:12 PM
Subject: [STEWART] Re: STEWART-D Digest V03 #6


> I would be interested in knowing more about using a palm pilot for
GEDCOMs. I
> also need to know how to use GEDCOMs on a regular computer. (I have
Windows
> XP).
>
> Thanks,
> Ken
>
>
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