I guess I had just never looked carefull at the sites before but this weekend I discovered that you can volunteer and do indexing of records for both Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.com. Maybe it's just the geek (and librarian?) in me that finds this so exciting! And there's a small part of me, the one that's been looking at indexed documents to build my source files on my family tree and thinking "How on earth could someone have transcribed that information so poorly?", that is sure I can do better. At any rate, I'm at least willing to give it a try.
I looked at all the projects FamilySearch had going, paying particular attention to what might be available for Iowa. I was thrilled to note that the available projects included the 1940 US Federal Census for the state. I downloaded the necessary software, all set to spend some of my Sunday indexing. Unfortunately, when I tried to install the downloaded indexing software from FamilySearch, I couldn't get the installer to work. Every time I tried to run it, it would go so far and then give me a white square with a red x in it and my only option was to click OK. I fired off an email to them for assistance and then went over to Ancestry.com to see if they also used volunteers for indexing.
Sure enough, when I looked more closely under the Collaborate tab, I found out that they do. I downloaded the necessary software (not a hitch with the downloading or installation of this one), read some help files, and then went to select a project to download a batch of files from. Ancestry.com doesn't have as many open projects going as Family Search seems to (and none of the available were related to Iowa), so I picked United States, Spanish American War Volunteers, 1899-1927 and downloaded my first batch of records to transcribe. This project is actually extremely easy, consisting of transcribing (or "keying" as they call it), the rank (and any other prefixes), first and surname, company, and regiment (might have those terms a little off since I don't have it available here on this computer), the state, and any aliases (mostly just variations in given or surname) for the individual. Each record only contains one individual and a batch contains 10 records, so it moves very quickly.
I admit that I felt a thrill when I submitted my first batch of keyed records. Who knows, maybe someday I'll find out that one of my relatives served in this war by searching the dataset once it's completely indexed. I love the idea that I'm helping make valuable resources, the things that let us investigate and build the stories of the lives of our ancestors. Again, I'm not sure if that's just my inner geek peeking through or the my inner (and outer) librarian rejoicing in the advancement of research resources!
After I'd done a few sets from the Spanish American war project, I decided I'd be daring and selected the "Select a project for me" link and let Ancestry determine what project I'd get a batch of records from. The next thing I knew, I had a batch of records from the Kansas City and County Census, 1919 - 1978 before me. Looking at these images, I immediately took back every negative thing I'd ever thought about someone transcribing census data and getting it wrong. Because these records were *much* more difficult to read than the Spanish American war records had been. Mostly due to the quality of the scanned images. Luckily, the software allows you to do some manipulation of brightness and contrast, which helped in that regard. Handwriting is another issue altogether!
I had already been known to comment that they should have made anyone who was going to do census enumeration take (and pass!) a handwriting exam. Working with this batch of records did not change my opinion on that one whit! Still, I reviewed the available information on reading handwriting and ventured forth. As opposed to my Spanish American war records, each record in this set contained up to 20 lines with names and information to key in. I hung in there and before I knew it, I'd completed all ten of my records for the township of Langdon, county of Reno, state of Kansas, from the 1 of March, 1948 (which I totally couldn't make out the ending year on the date and only discovered after I'd submitted my records that I'd dated them all wrong by using 1945 as the date). Which is one reason why every record set is keyed by two different people and then goes through the arbitration process.
This morning, I was thrilled to discover that I had an email addressing the issue I had with the FamilySearch installation. I followed the included instructions (essentially, I just needed to run the installer as administrator) and the installation went off without a hitch. I then watched the introductory video that was available and read the indexing guidelines. I have downloaded my first set of records (for the 1940 US Federal Census for Iowa) but had to leave for work before I'd had a chance to do more than transcribe the first line of the record.
So now I will be balancing my own researching with providing volunteer indexing at the above two sites. I admit, I'm looking forward to having my records go through arbitration so I can see how accurate I am and where I need to improve!
Monday, April 23, 2012
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Reorganization
The other day I decided that my tree was getting very unwieldy as it continued to grow. So I made a decision to create a series of trees, each focusing on a different "branch" of the family, beginning each with a grandparent. Since I had no idea what I was doing when I started (and really, pretty much still don't'), I'm pretty much trying to start over and document everything. No more assuming that what I find on other people's trees at Ancestry.com has been researched and is accurate.
Doing this has led to a greater knowledge and appreciation of some of my great and great-great aunts and uncles. Yesterday I learned that my second great grand uncle (that is the relationship to me that Ancestry gives him. I would call him my great great uncle) was bludgeoned to death with a crowbar in 1949. Before I started this research, I had no idea that this man even existed, let alone that he'd been brutally murdered in his home when he was 75. As far as I've been able to find, the case was never solved. It was attributed to a robbery and although they once had two men in custody for it (including a "relative of the victim"), they were released when lie dectector tests cleared them.
Maybe I watch too many crime shows on tv because what really intrigued me when I was looking for newspaper stories was that fact that a "close friend" and neighbor of his was fished out of a river the day after great-great uncle Oscar was murdered. Part of me can't help wondering if the two are somehow related. Was the drowning also a result of foul play? Did the neighbor somehow see or witness something he shouldn't have? Was he somehow complicit in the attack on Oscar and couldn't live with himself afterwards? And the part that lives in 2012 and is well aware of the violence that can be perpetrated on people with alternative lifestyles even today wonders if Oscar, who never married, was perhaps gay.
Was the "close friend" perhaps a lover? He was missing from the time Oscar was beaten until his body was pulled from the river the day after Oscar died (three days after the attack). By all accounts, Oscar was fairly reclusive, retired to bed early and padlocked his door. The sheriff did not believe he would have opened the door for someone he didn't know. More disturbing, in my mind, is the fact that he was found wearing only a shirt and socks. What happened to the rest of his clothes? If this were TV, somehow I could have the case reopened by the cold case squad and they would have it solved by the end of the hour. I guess I just wonder about the absolute brutality that seems to be involved if it was nothing more than a simple robbery. But then, I guess you never know what might go awry in even the simplest of plans by thieves.
In any case, Uncle Oscar, I hope you had some enjoyment in your life before it was so brutally ended. If you were gay, I'm sorry you lived in a time where such things were kept hidden and deemed an embarassment. Everyone deserves love in their life, no matter where it comes from. So if you weren't gay, I hope you experienced love at some point.
Doing this has led to a greater knowledge and appreciation of some of my great and great-great aunts and uncles. Yesterday I learned that my second great grand uncle (that is the relationship to me that Ancestry gives him. I would call him my great great uncle) was bludgeoned to death with a crowbar in 1949. Before I started this research, I had no idea that this man even existed, let alone that he'd been brutally murdered in his home when he was 75. As far as I've been able to find, the case was never solved. It was attributed to a robbery and although they once had two men in custody for it (including a "relative of the victim"), they were released when lie dectector tests cleared them.
Maybe I watch too many crime shows on tv because what really intrigued me when I was looking for newspaper stories was that fact that a "close friend" and neighbor of his was fished out of a river the day after great-great uncle Oscar was murdered. Part of me can't help wondering if the two are somehow related. Was the drowning also a result of foul play? Did the neighbor somehow see or witness something he shouldn't have? Was he somehow complicit in the attack on Oscar and couldn't live with himself afterwards? And the part that lives in 2012 and is well aware of the violence that can be perpetrated on people with alternative lifestyles even today wonders if Oscar, who never married, was perhaps gay.
Was the "close friend" perhaps a lover? He was missing from the time Oscar was beaten until his body was pulled from the river the day after Oscar died (three days after the attack). By all accounts, Oscar was fairly reclusive, retired to bed early and padlocked his door. The sheriff did not believe he would have opened the door for someone he didn't know. More disturbing, in my mind, is the fact that he was found wearing only a shirt and socks. What happened to the rest of his clothes? If this were TV, somehow I could have the case reopened by the cold case squad and they would have it solved by the end of the hour. I guess I just wonder about the absolute brutality that seems to be involved if it was nothing more than a simple robbery. But then, I guess you never know what might go awry in even the simplest of plans by thieves.
In any case, Uncle Oscar, I hope you had some enjoyment in your life before it was so brutally ended. If you were gay, I'm sorry you lived in a time where such things were kept hidden and deemed an embarassment. Everyone deserves love in their life, no matter where it comes from. So if you weren't gay, I hope you experienced love at some point.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)