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Archiver > TMG > 2003-04 > 1049228776


From: Steinar Vissebråten <>
Subject: Re: [TMG] TMG newbie
Date: Tue, 01 Apr 2003 22:26:16 +0200
References: <200304010229.h312Tvdr032701@mail.rootsweb.com><017201c2f7ff$0f3be5a0$3bdca8c0@w3v3k7>
In-Reply-To: <3E8923E3.960CCD97@infoave.net>


At 07:30 01.04.2003 Tuesday, Richard Brogger wrote the following:
Hi all.

I am also a newbie to TMG. I used the FTM before.

First of all what I read about TMG and see how it work I will never change
back!

But as seen several times lately the help in TMG is VERY DIFFICULT to
understand and get the answers you look for. To me jumping on TMG 5.0x for
the first time it is not a program to average Genealogy people. If it
should be so the help file need to be made just from the beginning again in
a more explanation way.

I think we don't need pictures but we need for sure an UNDERSTANDING
explanation for the thing we need to search for. The obvious help is NOT
there. There is always another way and another answer and AOTHER WINDOW!

Where did you start the search for help? I have problems to find back to
the start!

Think about it developers not everyone has been with TMG from the beginning.

Sincerely
Steinar Vissebråten
NORWAY

>Barbara, Lynda, Toni and all,
>
>I have not seen a draft of the TMG5 manual but if it is like the TMG4
>manual, you will not get step by step instructions. I have not seen
>the tapes, because I would need them on DVD, but they may give steps.
>Some of the folks on this list have step by step instructions on web
>sites but only for specific tasks.
>
>Due to the fact that TMG allows us to do a task different ways, it
>would be a big pain to write or follow step by step instructions. IMO,
>it would require electronic media where the user could be given a
>general outline of how a task can be performed. The user could then
>select a method, jump to and follow the steps until they arrive at
>another branch in the path.
>
>I fully agree that pictures are very important. However, it would take
>volumes of screenshots to get the right results. Again, a CD could
>hold a lot of images but a book is too limited. I have always prefered
>to read printed manuals. However, I doubt that what you and I would
>like in a manual for TMG can be written on paper. The printing and
>shipping cost would be prohibitive even if we were willing to go back
>and forth through several volumes.
>
>As for an electronic manual, I am not sure that an application exists
>that would meet the needs for publishing such a manual. I see a need
>for text to be in one window and pictures in a second window so that
>you call new images as you read the text. Adobe Acrobat will allow two
>pages at the same time but I don't know of a way to change them
>independently.
>
>TMG users will have:
>the Help files,
>the printed Manual,
>the tapes "Video Training for TMG v5",
>the book "Getting the Most Out of The Master Genealogist."
>http://www.whollygenes.com/faq1/fom-serve/cache/1.html
>In addition there are the Wholly Genes web sites such as:
>http://www.whollygenes.com/ftsttour.htm. (This a guided tour of Family
>Tree SuperTools but most of it applies to TMG5)
>Frequently asked guestions at:
>http://www.whollygenes.com/faq1/fom-serve/cache/1.html and of course
>the private web sites by
>Lee <http://www.tmgtips.com/lhoffman>;,
>Terry <http://reigelridge.com/tmg/export.htm>;
>and many others. Last, but certainly not least, we have this list.
>
>I would be amiss if I did not mention that we also have the unmatched
>software from John Cardinal:
>TMG Utility 5 -
>http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~johncardinal/tmgutil/index.htm
>Second Site -
>http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~johncardinal/tmgsite/index.htm
>On This Day -
>http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~johncardinal/tmgotd/index.htm
>Mocakebi (pronounced "moe-kah-kee-bee") -
>http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~johncardinal/tmgotd/mocakebi.htm
>
>Since I have not covered all that is available and still have a
>considerable list, we do have a lot of help available. Maybe we need a
>master index so that we can find the right information. <grin>
>
>Richard Brogger
>
>Barbara Hammer wrote:
> >
> > I like things spelled out step by step and I need to read and do step
> by step to get it in my head. The help menu never seems to to the trick.
> >
> > I'm with you on this, Toni, as the help manuals are written by people
> who already know what they are doing. I need a book like TMG for Dummies
> that will walk me through step-by-step and have pictures. When I was
> working, I had a secretary who learned all the new software and then
> taught it to me. Now that I'm 'retired', I have to learn this on my own
> and that's hard!! However, I am learning on my own and with help from
> this list as there are so many knowledgeable people who are willing to
> help people like us.
> >
> > Barbara Ferguson Hammer
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From:
> > To:
> > Sent: Monday, March 31, 2003 9:30 PM
> > Subject: [TMG] TMG newbie
> >
> > I have just caught up with all the responses created by my posting last
> night.
> > I've been at work all day and just finished reading all the TMG
> postings for
> > today. Thank you for everyones responses. I'm glad to find other confused
> > souls out there. thanks Lynda for hyjacking my thread! :)
> > I'm one of those strange souls that reads the manual before diving into a
> > program. That's where TMG throws me. I have printed out most of the
> tips and
> > hints from everyone or every site I am aware of. I guess it's too late
> now for
> > TMG 5. I'm sure everyone's afraid to divert Bob Velke's attention in
> any way.
> > Maybe he could keep my suggestion in mind for the future. I like things
> > spelled out step by step and I need to read and do step by step to get
> it in my
> > head. The help menu never seems to to the trick.
> > I have figured out many things so far, I do back ups all the time to
> several
> > discs. And that has come in handy as my laptop with all my data
> crashed this
> > last week. It was in the shop all of last week and when I got it back
> the hard
> > drive had been whiped clean. It's all happily back on now thanks to
> back up
> > discs.
> > One thing I had been working on before the crash and didn't understand was
> > Place styles. I was going to use the Obit tag described on one of the help
> > sites and I cannot determine why you need or want to change the Place
> style or
> > how to do it. I was going to post my questions to the list but then
> the laptop
> > went down the tubes. Any help will be appreciated.
> > Toni
> > Westchester, IL

Genealogy from Nes parish in Hallingdal.
Coordinator on Internet for the "Farm and Family books" for Nes and Flå
parish.
Steinar Vissebråten,
N-3540 Nesbyen. NORWAY
Phone:+47 32068733 - Mob. +47 90693540
http://home.online.no/~steinv

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