Re: recording events in slave genealogy
kdb...@aol.com
> In defence of the OP, if one posts a query about how to do something
> with a specific piece of software, and only gets back messages
> saying "don't use that software", it can be as frustrating as asking
> directions from someone at the side of the road only to be told
> "don't start from here"!
In fact what the OP wrote was somewhat qualified by statements such
as: "But since I have to make that move anyway, I don't want to buy
the software no one likes." and "Unless someone knows of software
that allows me to incorporate my slave ancestry without resorting to
an Excel spreadsheet, I'll stick to Family Tree Maker."
The latter suggests to me that the OP is using FTM *and* Excel so
suggestions as to products which would eliminate Excel seemed
appropriate.
Hi:
Since I was the original poster, I'd like to step back into this
discussion briefly.
This statement is inaccurate -- I originally asked about which
version of Family Tree Maker was most compatible with Vista. And
thanks to Lesley for acknowledging that the answers were
frustrating.
"The software that no one likes" meant later versions of Family Tree
Maker, not other brands of genealogy software. I thought I was
sufficiently specific, but it seems many misinterpreted my question
to mean that I was soliciting suggestions for other brands.
Not true.
I brought up the fact that I have to use Excel as an example of the
flaws of software that doesn't have as its base events related to
slavery, not as a request for how other brands could be manipulated
to include them. I noticed that no one has described software that
specifically incorporates or acknowledges slave genealogy.
However, more to the point: I'm simply not interested in learning
another program. I like what I have. I have many notes and other
family details in FTM now (say, 6-7 years' worth or more) -- so I'm
not interested in details of how I could incorporate these events in
other brands.
(I was unaware, too, that FTM allows you to add other events, so I
will check into it. Many thanks to the person who suggested that.)
Again, I appreciate all the suggestions but would have found it more
helpful to restrict the discussion to FTM.
Kberry
bob gillis
[ All, I usually edit posts to maximize the clarity of who is
saying what. This one's too hard for me to untangle, though,
so I'm just sending it through "as is". - Mod ]
kdb...@aol.com wrote:
>> In defence of the OP, if one posts a query about how to do
>> something with a specific piece of software, and only gets back
>> messages saying "don't use that software", it can be as frustrating
>> as asking directions from someone at the side of the road only to
>> be told "don't start from here"!
>
>
> In fact what the OP wrote was somewhat qualified by statements such
> as: "But since I have to make that move anyway, I don't want to buy
> the software no one likes." and "Unless someone knows of software
> that allows me to incorporate my slave ancestry without resorting to
> an Excel spreadsheet, I'll stick to Family Tree Maker."
>
> The latter suggests to me that the OP is using FTM *and* Excel so
> suggestions as to products which would eliminate Excel seemed
> appropriate.
>
>
>
> Hi:
>
> Since I was the original poster, I'd like to step back into this
> discussion briefly.
>
> This statement is inaccurate -- I originally asked about which
> version of Family Tree Maker was most compatible with Vista. And
> thanks to Lesley for acknowledging that the answers were frustrating.
>
>
>
>
>
I do not remember your original query being so simple.
While the above may have been one part of your query the other and to
me the main point was that there were no genealogy programs that can
handle slave genealogy.
From another reply:
> I want to see genealogy software that's capable of recording certain
events related to slavery.
> Kdb...@aol.com
Many of the replies said that other programs while they do
not have slave specific events or Tags built in, slave specific events or
Tags can easily be created by the user!
I for one mentioned TMG as being able to handle you slave genealogy
>
> I brought up the fact that I have to use Excel as an example of the
> flaws of software that doesn't have as its base events related to
> slavery, not as a request for how other brands could be manipulated
> to include them. I noticed that no one has described software that
> specifically incorporates or acknowledges slave genealogy.
Ian goodard said:
> I've long considered that genealogical S/W should be able to express
>>> different kinds of relationship of which descent would be just
>>> one. Such relationships might include employment, joint military
>>> service, sporting and feudal. The last clearly has some
>>> similarities to your requirement. In some cases it would provide
>>> the kind of indication of where to look a genealogical
>>> relationship that you indicate. In others it would be part of
>>> the records needed for a wider view of family history than the
>>> purely genealogical - again something that concerns you.
TMG can do that with the appropriate Tags and witnesses or timelines.
bob gillis
>>
I said and other confirmed that TMG can do slave genealogy: the events
that you gave and want recorded
>
> However, more to the point: I'm simply not interested in learning
> another program. I like what I have. I have many notes and other
> family details in FTM now (say, 6-7 years' worth or more) -- so I'm
> not interested in details of how I could incorporate these events in
> other brands.
Again TMG can import from FTM native files using Genbridge.
>
> (I was unaware, too, that FTM allows you to add other events, so I
> will check into it. Many thanks to the person who suggested that.)
>
> Again, I appreciate all the suggestions but would have found it more
> helpful to restrict the discussion to FTM.
OK, you have made up your mind and whatever anyone else says will not
change it. You asked about programs that will handle save genealogy with
having to use Excel spreadsheets.
>
> Kberry
>
> kdb...@aol.com
Lesley Robertson
<kdb...@aol.com> wrote:
> I noticed that no one has described software that
> specifically incorporates or acknowledges slave genealogy.
I think its too specialised a subject for the big software houses.
It's the same with Australian convicts and many other groups - while
there's a lot of people researching them, they're still a small
proportion of the total number doing genealogical research. The
easiest and most lucrative way to proceed is to produce something
fairly general which will appeal to the whole genealogical family,
and leave the option open for the user to add specialist fields. I
use Works databases to keep track of my massive collections of BMDs,
house occupancies, that sort of thing, and FTM to link up families -
I'm doing a One Place Study which has all sorts of extra
requirements, and FTM 2005's ability to generate "everyone in the
database" trees is invaluable. I won't be upgrading because they've
removed that feature..
> (I was unaware, too, that FTM allows you to add other events, so I
> will check into it. Many thanks to the person who suggested that.)
Choose your individual, click on the [edit] button to take you to
their individual details, click [add fact], instead of selecting
something from the list, type in something new (eg "owner", "sold"
and enter the info, click [OK]. It will then say that this is a new
fact and ask if you want to add it. Click [OK] and your fact title
will then come up in the main list.
> Again, I appreciate all the suggestions but would have found it more
> helpful to restrict the discussion to FTM.
One fact of USENET is known as thread drift - conversation moves
onto other topics. There's no real point in protesting, it will
always happen and sometime can be useful. BTW, if you want to trace
back on what was said in a given message, you can always go to group
archives on RootsWeb or Google.
Lesley Robertson
"Lesley Robertson" <l.a.ro...@tnw.tudelft.nl>