Legacy, in the tips and tricks section, links to an offsite filing system tutorial. That tutorial, in effect, recommends you file according to the family's Marriage ID (MID) number.
I was appalled when I read that. It makes sense, sure, but is very far from "best practices" related to database design and use. That site is recommending you base your entire filing system on a number intended for internal use only. That number can change at any time. And, in my own particular case, Legacy tech support INSTRUCTED me to renumber the IDs. (And rightly so.) Once your database gets renumbered, you lose your filing system. Chances are VERY good you'll renumber things some time in the next ten years. Hard drives crash; software changes; you're stuck with a filing system based on a non-existent master index. In database parlance, you're using an internal sequence number as a foreign key. Database people know that's a REALLY bad idea, and they've been painfully aware of the reasons why, for 25 years. I personally don't have a good filing system as yet. I'm reading books from the library as I have time, see what else makes sense. I know what filing system I am NOT using - and that's the one listed with Legacy's Tips and Tricks. If I had started using that system, I'd *already* have had to throw it out the window. One thing to consider, is ensuring that others can figure out your filing system when they inherit your records. Chances are that you'd like your children and grandchildren to have the benefit of your research. Right? They won't have learned what you learned. That is, they're not genealogists. So... make sure they can pick up where you left off, should they care to, or at the least, preserve your work for that great-great granddaughter who becomes curious. Yes, this was a rant. I don't like ranting, when I don't have any better suggestion to offer. But I'm working on it... :) Ed > What filing systems do all of you use for your documentation? > \ > I have been looking at what Legacy recommends. I have used the Clooz > systems (or have started to) in the past and find it intensive!! > > Any comments here? > > I really aprecaite all of your comments. > > Glenny > > > Legacy User Group Etiquette guidelines can be found at: > http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp > > To find past messages, please go to our searchable archives at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/legacyusergroup%40mail.millenniacorp.com/ > > To unsubscribe please visit: > http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/LegacyLists.asp --------------------------------------------- This message was sent using Endymion MailMan. http://www.endymion.com/products/mailman/ Legacy User Group Etiquette guidelines can be found at: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp To find past messages, please go to our searchable archives at: http://www.mail-archive.com/legacyusergroup%40mail.millenniacorp.com/ To unsubscribe please visit: http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/LegacyLists.asp
