I want to thank everyone who replied to my question. I like the idea of using oral history to document my pictures and I am looking into it. I am so glad I asked! Thank you all. Paulette
On Thu, Aug 22, 2013 at 10:16 PM, [email protected] < [email protected]> wrote: > Paulette:**** > > ** ** > > You’ve touched upon another aspect of genealogy software that I was going > to bring up in a separate thread, but you’ve beaten me to the punch! J As > far as I know, there isn’t a single genealogy product on the market > that will manage an artifacts database alongside the data contained in > records of individuals. Those products which do include some sort of > direct connection are extremely lightweight when it comes to the specifics > of documentation management. I don’t fault the makers of these products – > it really would be quite an undertaking to include such functionality in a > genealogy product. However, having to maintain your own separate > repository of documentation then link it to your database can be tricky if > you haven’t thought it all the way through.**** > > ** ** > > For my part, I use ACDSee Pro as my repository, because anything and > everything that I’ve ever used to support the entries in my family tree > database (it’s been FTM so far, but I’m considering Legacy now) has been > digitally scanned, including ‘3D’ physical objects, such as my father’s > army dogtags and war ribbons, my grandmother’s reading glasses, etc. > ACDSee is a first-rate product for photo management, so the ability to > enter metadata into the header of the digital file and have the interface > assist with an organized display is wonderful. Gone is the need to rely > upon clumsy operating systems subject to the whims of Cupertino and > Redmond: photo metadata has been standardized for a long time and there > are countless imaging management applications which adhere to the system.* > *** > > ** ** > > This means that I no longer have to deal with that awful directory/file > system that has never been revised since the days of DOS. Instead, all I > have to do is create volumes (labeled simply 001, 002, 003, etc.) and can > use generic filenames (10001.tif, etc.). All of the information about the > file – including extensive captions – in included in the header (meaning it > goes wherever the file goes) and is displayed in ACDSee. In short, I have > built a complete digital library that currently contains nearly 10K digital > files. In my genealogy software, I simply refer to the members of the > archive by the labels I’ve used for the files: there is no need to know > anything else. Then, where the physical items are stored, I have a simple > labeling system that corresponds to that of ACDSee. Thus, I can place a > dogtag next to a photo next to a high school diploma next to a marriage > license – it doesn’t matter. I retrieve by search engine and filename, not > by ‘type.’**** > > ** ** > > Once you really get down to it, if you attempt to organize the images by > concept, you’re going to run into a lot of trouble. So many artifacts have > multiple uses that it’s basically impossible to come up with a system that > you can be consistent in without a lot of interaction and > micro-management. For example, you would normally believe that an obituary > is simply a death notice, so you might create some sort of ‘Obituaries’ > folder. Fine. However, the type of physical artifact that an item is > pales in comparison to the way that it is utilized in your database. As > you know, obits can contain a great deal of information – beyond the death > of the subject. I have used obits as sources for births, marriages, > locations, and a host of other data elements. Yet, if I were to file the > item away as an obit, I would have to make sure that the item type (at > least) were a part of my citation information stream. By being able to > cite the item directly, however, the type of citation becomes simply a way > of understanding how the information was originally derived: no document > has an intrinsic confidence level.**** > > ** ** > > I’ve heard it said that the reason that the software developers don’t go > full out and create functionality in their products that manages digital > files is because there still seems to be a lot of controversy in regard to > the ‘authenticity’ of a digital source. Many genealogists still believe > that a digital image does not comprise a ‘true’ source, so there is no > reason to expand the role of the genealogy software into management of > these items. I can respect this viewpoint, but that hasn’t stopped me from > creating my own database. In the old days, there was a lot of verbiage > associated with records because without it, locating, retrieving, and > placing the artifact in question would be very difficult. With the miracle > of modern technology, however, a good database product with a solid search > engine is all you need. Your repository software becomes a sort of > ‘secretary’ who knows where each and every file is and what it contains > down to the last jot and tittle.**** > > ** ** > > Hope this provides a different perspective for you.**** > > ** ** > > Greg**** > > ** ** > > *From:* Syble Glasscock [mailto:[email protected]] > *Sent:* Thursday, August 22, 2013 3:56 PM > *To:* [email protected] > *Subject:* Re: [LegacyUG] Photos, book and Legacy**** > > ** ** > > I applaud you for trying to preserve the family photos and history, it > sounds like you have a good start in the right directions.**** > > Syble**** > > *From:* Paulette Martinez <[email protected]> > *To:* [email protected] > *Sent:* Thursday, August 22, 2013 12:36 PM > *Subject:* [LegacyUG] Photos, book and Legacy**** > > ** ** > > I have inherited from my sister a box of old unmarked family pictures > going back to 1900. I am the elder of the family and the only one > left with the undocumented memories. I know I should scan the pictures, > but right now I am looking for a fast and easy way to organize the > pictures, labels them with name, years, place, and to write what I knew and > remember about my ancestors and their families while using Legacy. I need > to do it right the first time. I cannot spend a lot of time learning > software because, I can learn...but I can forget very fast also. I am 80, > on palliative care for cancer, so time is an issue. Is there a miracle way > to do it?**** > > Right now I have sorted the pictures by year/grand-parents lines and am > writing in the back of each picture (in pencil 02). I will then put them > in archival photo albums with intercalary typed pages of my > memories/knowledge, researches finds, in addition to the habitual facts > (birth, marriage, etc...). I am thinking of typing the insert in the notes > of each marriage/individuals of Legacy and then print only the notes. Am I > going in the right direction or is there a better way.**** > > **** > > If there is time left I will scan the pictures and make a CD to share my > genealogy with my children, grand-children, nephews and nieces. Right now > I want to preserve the pictures and the memories.**** > > **** > > I am hoping I am not hors-subject. I know you are all so knowledgeable. > Thank you for sharing.**** > > **** > > Paulette**** > > **** > > One more question :). What do you do with facts such "they divorced and > witnesses testified having seen her with other men" (divorce judgment in > 1907). Hide the fact in consideration of the descendants feelings?**** > > > > > **** > > > > 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 > 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). 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