Cheryl, I have been a contributor to Find A Grave for over seven years, creating memorials for my family lines, ancestors and their descendants, requesting transfer of some existing memorials to me for further work, and otherwise trying to improve the data in FAG, by pointing out duplicates and other errors that I run across. It is my impression that the data in FAG is getting better and better as a function of time, as more and more families are searching and entering data in FAG.
I use Find-A-Grave memorials to provide a simple format in my Legacy Family Tree General Notes. I paste the memorial text at the top of the General Notes field, where it is readily visible, and other General Notes are below. This provides the basic information about the individual whose grave has been recorded in FAG, and I can easily compare it with what is in other fields of my Legacy family file. I enter the FAG memorial number as part of the FAG Source Detail in my Legacy db , and also copy the FAG memorial number into the Legacy USER ID field. I currently can create a list of over 1400 individuals in my main Legacy Family file who have FAG as a source. On FAG memorials that I create and/or maintain, I add a biography based on data documented in my Legacy family file and also add FAG family links for graves of parents, spouse, children and siblings as I find them. For FAG memorials that I do not manage, I suggest edits to the memorial maintainer and provide additional data as appropriate, as I find it. Whenever I notice that a FAG memorial has been updated by someone, I review the changes, make any desirable changes in my Legacy file, and move the older version of FAG memorial into my Legacy Research Notes. In my experience, most changes usually are additional family grave links, which is desirable. I do revise bios on FAG memorials that I manage, based on new data that I have found in various sources or based on new insights. I tend to put a revision date on those bios. Considering that most big FAG contributors are working from obituaries, and they do not cite or keep their sources, and other big FAG contributors are working from cemetery records or grave marker transcriptions, we are fortunate to have the photographers photographing grave markers, as described in the Legacy FAG Webinar, so we can read names and dates that may not be the same as data entered by the FAG memorial creator. Pauline On 9/1/2014 7:04 AM, singhals wrote: > I've been away for a funeral and just now saw this. > > I'm using F-a-G to as an easily-accessible, independent > confirmation of facts proven a century ago. And, of course, > it gives the source-crazed something to argue with besides me. > > I suspect most of us (yeah, even me) will be more likely to > blame the citer not the maintainer when the Memorial # cited > shows something different than what I copied last winter. > That's not a fight I care to get into. > > Cheryl > > > Paula Ryburn wrote: >> Cheryl, After watching the webinar, I have sent several >> updates to maintainers, as well as asked them to transfer >> maintenance to me, so I can see why you see things >> changing--in the case of my ancestors, things are getting >> more accurate or complete. >> >> I think that as long as you recorded your access date in the >> citation, any mismatch found by a researcher who comes after >> you will be understood. We can only hope & assume (?!) the >> updates are better information. >> >> Bottom line, though, these are secondary sources--always >> best to find the original if you are trying to prove >> something, publish, etc. >> >> I have been using F-A-G to claim photo requests for the >> local cemeteries, then walk & take pictures when the weather >> is nice. Here in Houston that means I haven't done it in >> months, ha! >> >> I believe there is an option in the search to just see >> what's been updated in the past X days, too. That might help >> you see what's changed for your family's memorials. >> --Paula in Texas >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------ >> *From:* singhals <[email protected]> >> *To:* [email protected] >> *Sent:* Monday, August 18, 2014 12:04 PM >> *Subject:* Re: [LegacyUG] Register for Webinar Wednesday - >> Find A Grave: the World's Largest Cemetery Database by Russ >> Worthington >> >> Geoff Rasmussen wrote: >> > Explore Find-A-Grave, the largest cemetery database in the >> > world and a must-have tool in your genealogy toolbox. In >> > Wednesday's webinar, Russ Worthington will share insights >> > and methodologies into best using the site for family >> > history research. He will also provide suggestions about >> > contributing your own photographs. >> >> I hope he mentions something I tripped across this week : >> revisiting some Memorials at FaG that I had already saved, I >> discovered information missing, added, or changed from my >> previous visit! That means, I'm going to have to through >> several thousand names that have a FaG citation. It is, at >> best, irksome. >> >> Cheryl-the-grumpy > > > > 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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