TMG-L Archives

Archiver > TMG > 2008-06 > 1214106042


From: Terry Reigel <>
Subject: Re: [TMG] Unknowns
Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2008 23:40:42 -0400
In-Reply-To: <7726910DBDED490F8E678B95B1018EB9@yourat5qgaac3z>


RandyC wrote:

> I might be the newbie-est of all to TMG, having not yet
> even transferred over my FTM files. I created a dataset
> for the line I was working on at the time I got it just
> to see if I liked TMG. The jury's still out.

Welcome, Randy. Test away - I think you will find there is a lot to like. <g>

> I was very interested in the question about entering
> individuals with unknown relationships. I expected
> everyone to say that they created a new dataset for these
> people, and they linked them to their main file when a
> relationship was proven. I'm surprised that's not the
> case, and wonder why. Any thoughts on the matter?

First, you can't "link" them - data sets are purposefully separate. But you could copy or move the individuals from one data set to the other.

In my view there is no benefit from having unknown people in a separate data set. You have most of the disadvantages of having then in a separate project, and none of the benefits.

Unless your project is truly huge (think towards 50,000 people) there is really no disadvantage to having everyone in a single data set. But if you make them separate and use any of the tools for customizing Tag Types, Source Types, Styles, and the like it's a real pain to maintain them across the separate data sets. And if you don't maintain them and then end up copying people from one DS to another you create issues you need to clean up.

Better, in my view, to keep everyone in a single data set except when you import data from somewhere else - in that case keep them separate while you examine what you have and decide whether you want to do any merging. I think that's what the separate data set function was designed for.

Terry Reigel

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