TMG-L Archives

Archiver > TMG > 2011-03 > 1300802655


From: "Darrell A. Martin" <>
Subject: Re: [TMG] Fwd: Re: Name changes in narratives
Date: Tue, 22 Mar 2011 09:04:15 -0500
References: <201132123491.135343@Terry><4D88228A.9080804@gmail.com> <4D883F4A.7090508@sprynet.com><007d01cbe892$6282a730$2787f590$@net>
In-Reply-To: <007d01cbe892$6282a730$2787f590$@net>


On 3/22/2011 8:09 AM, Teresa Elliott wrote:
> Darrell,
> You did find these people someplace, right?

Teresa:

Well, maybe.

In fact, I actually have a few people in TMG who exist because, when I
did the data entry in my first computer in the late 1980s, it was from
my recollection of a discussion that had happened at least ten years
earlier at a family reunion. Elderly Grand-aunt (By Marriage) Mildred
and Ancient Second Cousin (Twice Removed) Bertha had a lively
back-and-forth about certain relationships among people who died in the
1800s. I was in my 20s at the time of the reunion, and had already
caught the genealogy bug. The conversation between Mildred and Bertha
made a deep impression on me, but not enough to write anything down --
and now I can't even remember Mildred and Bertha's real names.

When I tried to clarify and verify this information before typing it
into "Family Ties" on my CP/M Kaypro 2X, a decade had passed and Mildred
and Bertha were no longer with us. Other relatives vaguely recalled the
family in question; a few even remembered the discussion at the reunion;
none were willing to express an opinion on whether what I thought I
remembered was correct. "Family Ties" had no ability to record sources.
Storage was a 360KB floppy disk, and maximum usable RAM was 59KB. All
documentation was kept in physical files. The actual data entry has
survived; I GEDCOMed from FT-CP/M into FT-PC, and GEDCOMed again from
there to Roots III. I upgraded until UFT, then transferred to TMG. There
was some cleanup at each stage, but no rekeying of old data.

Someone may say all that is a "source". Sorry, but no; no way, no how. I
take source documentation much more seriously than to put such a
fractured fairy tale into TMG. "You think you recall an argument from
years ago, between two very old distant relatives whose names you can't
remember? Puh-LEEZ!!"

No, that is not typical for me; but it is not the only case like it.
Yes, I believe not having credible evidence is a problem. To me, it is a
BIG problem. But it is a problem to be solved by finding real evidence,
not by creating bogus source records in TMG just so I can say "I don't
enter people without sources".

Darrell


This thread: