Roger, You will be happy to know that you do not need to know anything about computing to use Legacy, at least until you have mastered the basics and get into more complex stuff.
Legacy is basically a set of forms for the collection of data which it stores in files which can be retrieved to present reports for printing or the web. These forms can be considered as being of three types: Individual Data: name. Events/Facts: such as birth, marriage, death, residence, occupation etc. Sources: the places from which the data was obtained. Each Source is split into two, a Master Source which is common to a number of Sources, and a Detailed Source which is specific to the Source being used. Some of this is obviously straight forward, but when it comes to censuses it is not. A census can be both a Source and/or an Event, or both - which is why I suggested that you listen to the webinar and read up on Events and Sources before, deciding which way to go. I only use censuses as sources for the data which I extract from them, but commonly they are also recorded as an Event. The choice of which way to go is yours, but I strongly suggest that you spend time considering this question, as changing later can be a pin in the neck. None of this relates to computing, but to methods of storing and using historical data, with which I am sure you are familiar. Ron Ferguson http://www.fergys.co.uk/ -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] Sent: Saturday, September 10, 2011 5:30 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re[LegacyUG] How to enter census data First, thanks for the very rapid replies. I'm 73, I guess a younger person might say, this groups rocks. My first draft was much longer with more background info on me and my problem. Looking at past LegacyUG posts it seemed that they were much shorter and to the point. I thought I'd better cut to the meat of my problem. After looking at the replies, I no longer feel that need. I learned at a very young age, NEVER ask grandma about grandpa. My father knew next to nothing about his father. What was the deep dark secret? Ancestry.com and family search told me old George Burt was married to my grandmother and another woman at the same time, having kids with each, at the same time. It must have been Hell when my grandmother found out. Years ago, I had a 3.9 GPA as a history major but I don't have any of that drive to learn the computer. My youngest son(43) hits me over the head and shoulders, with monotonous regularity, on my need to learn the computer. It is a fabulous tool but learning its ins and outs, leave me cold. I've found over the years update/upgrades often as not cause little problems I don't care to deal with. I've learned far more than when I started 15 years ago but I still don't get along well with the computer. All is well if I've done it before but I'm not good at learning new "computer things". Now back to Ancestry.com and its basic flaws. Using other peoples tree info can rapidly take you back to the past. It's great if you don't try to put any great faith in what you find. It is a very fast way into what may have been your past. I still like charging back a generation or so into the past, but knowing I'll have to stop and find real facts and records to support these guesses. Since I came to this quest as a student of history, time after time, I'll see people listing an ancestor born in Roxbury, MA in 1619, 1612, 1609 etc. Those things always jump out at me since I know the history and its dates. Computer people have computer things that jump out at them. They don't jump out for me. I found my wife, on ancestry.com, related to John Adams. WOW! It was, so they said, thru a young lass born in KY, the 6th of 7 John Adams children. It jumps out at you if you know history. John and Abigail Adams never lived in KY and they only had 4 kids. It is amazing how many people on ancestry.com think they are related to our second president. I saw a need to have my ancestor records in my own control, on my own computer. I always check reviews before I buy anything. I looked at Family Tree Maker reviews...BIG RED FLAGS for a person like me. Many windows7 issues and other computer problems. When I looked at Legacy, there were next to no computer problems listed. I BIG PLUS for a guy like me. Back to the original request. I like and have always had a fair amount of faith in U.S. census records. Yes, every 10 years they can't seem to remember how they spelled their kids names in the last census. I have one ancestor who, in each of three census records, gave three different dates for her arrival in the U.S. As much as 12 years apart. Is the first census record more near the truth, since it was closer to the actual voyage? No, I have not yet taken the time to try to find the correct voyage records. But, can anyone tell me what to type, what to click, to place a copy of a U..S. census record into my Legacy records on my computer. Telling me to save it as a .jpeg, .txt, ..html etc doesn't answer my dumb question. I want to be able to view the census records on my Legacy files with as few blanks filled in, as few clicks clicked, as possible. Once I do it, it's easy. I need the road map to get it done the first time...go here, highlight this, click on this, click on that, hit save to etc. I have a very good memory for things I've done. The problem is getting there and doing it the first time. Thanks Roger History really is my thing http://www.n4zc.com/ourstate for anyone that wants to know my history interests Legacy User Group guidelines: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp Archived messages after Nov. 21 2009: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Archived messages from old mail server - before Nov. 21 2009: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Online technical support: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Help.asp Follow Legacy on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/LegacyFamilyTree) and on our blog (http://news.LegacyFamilyTree.com). To unsubscribe: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/LegacyLists.asp
