Newsgroups: soc.roots
Date:         Mon, 4 Jan 1993 14:33:14 EST
Reply-To:     George Waller <HBLADM47@UCONNVM.BITNET>
From:         George Waller <HBLADM47@UCONNVM.BITNET>
Subject:      Perfect genealogy system

Here's my 2 cents about "perfect genealogy software:"

There ought to be a data collection system into which we could
enter raw data and out of which we could generate genealogies.
(I mean very *raw* data).

I think Tom Wetmore's idea of the events and results database is
close to what I'm thinking of. (Although, I might be inclined
to refer to the results database as simply another "report" from
the events database). So I'll stick with the EVENTS database.

The EVENTS database should be raw data and should have several
ancillary files to aid in the standard entry of data.

These ancillary files (databases themselves) should be:

TIME database: would calculate a "number-of-days" from a starting
point (e.g. 0.00 AD) to the event. There would be a built in
conversion table so we could click on Jan 8, 1717/8 or May 6 in the
8th year of King Edward III, etc etc. The EVENTS database would
simply store a number like 172399 which could be output in any
date system as appropriate.

PLACE database: standard representation of all geographic units/
placenames with dates, lat/long, parents/children (of towns/counties
of course), variant spellings, etc etc. The EVENTS database would
store a pointer to the PLACE database and the reports could be
tailored by the user.

NAME database: standard representation of "people" names (e.g.
given names/surnames/titles). This way, we could enter the name as
stated in the original source, but tag it with a standard name
(e.g. the record might state "Jos" but the name is Joseph or Josiah.)
Or, Katherine, Catherine, Katerina, Cathy, Kathy, Katie
could be better controlled (although I wouldn't recommend trying
to control Katie :-).
This database would also include info about origin of names and,
of course, Soundex.

RELATIONSHIP database: genetic relationships plus other human
   relationships (baptizer, guardian, etc).

ACTION database: something to help standardize the event "action:"
   Eleazer Williams OBSERVED (or ATTENDED) the "Sinners in the
   Hands of an Angry God" sermon PREACHED by his cousin Jonathan
   Edwards in Enfield, Connecticut, May 12, 1737. Or the more
   obvious Nancy Jane Hunter was BORN in Putnam County TN and
   DIED in Lincoln Co TN.

SOURCES database: standard formats for books, manuscripts, photos,
   tombstone etc. Note that OCLC already has 27,000,000 items described
   in a standard format, so some of the work has been done for us.

I've probably forgotten something important. Oh yes:

INDIVIDUAL database: each human being who ever existed would have
   a unique entry in this database. EVENTS would point here and
   enable us to collate all events of an individual's life. Since
   events are tagged by ACTION (e.g. born died etc) we could
   limit our output to standard genealogical reports if desired.


The EVENTS database itself should have some features such as
the ability to describe the reliability of the event, the
date of entry, date of collection of data, name of inputter.
Also, the ability to refer to  a CLASS OF INDIVIDUALS. For
example, a lot of diaries mention weather. So it would be
good to have the ability to enter something that showed that
the RESIDENTS OF MANSFIELD CONN experienced a major earthquake
on May 17, 1716.

Naturally, all this should be easy to enter so that we don't have
to enter the same information over and over.

This system would not spring up overnight... it would take a lot
of work... but, for example, someone just today offered a file
of placenames. Once we can get interactive access to such files
(so we may add info to it), we will be on the road to such a system.

But this all should not be too far in our futures what with the
new telecommunications systems which are coming along.

Thus spoke the keyboard of George Waller... Happy New Year.

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Cousin George Waller, UConn, HBLADM47@UCONNVM.BITNET   --> Happy Hunting!
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