Re: Geneology Database
Date: 29 Jun 93 06:17:26 GMT
Message-ID: <hayesstw.613.741334645_at_risc1.unisa.ac.za>
In article <1993Jun28.135318.8887_at_rpslmc.edu> eklhad_at_siss81.sis.rpslmc.edu (Karl Dahlke) writes:
>What, no alt.geneology newsgroup; no rec.ancestry newsgroup? I'm amazed!
>I expected widespread interest in this subject.
>Please let me know if there is a more appropriate newsgroup for this posting.
There is soc.roots.
>Then it occurred to me, why couldn't we develop a global geneology database,
>where each interested party does his own research (as we did)
>and then contributes to the whole?
>I realize there are already a number of centrally managed databases.
>The Morman's geneology database is vast; impressive is an understatement.
>But the individuals are not active participants in the ongoing
>data collection and integration process. The capacity of such a database
>is therefore limited to the staff that is assigned to maintain it.
>I envision a more universal system allowing widespread participation.
Actually anyone can contribute to their Ancestral File, and they actively
solicit contributions. The contents are periodically distributed on CD-ROM
to libraries in many different countries.
>Because my program does not depend on any preexisting
>software (such as Informix or Foxpro or DBASE II),
>it will run on any MSDOS machine and most Unix machines.
>All you need is a C compiler (Microsoft 4.0 on a DOS machine).
>Individuals can enter and maintain their own historical data,
>and if they want to be part of a larger experiment,
>they can issue a `transmit' command
>that will gather up all their data and send it to a central location
>for automatic integration.
>Needless to say, I have not written any integration programs,
>or any software associated with this huge centralized database,
>nor am I necessarily volunteering to do so.
>But I have merged half a dozen departmental databases here at the hospital,
>each housing overlapping sets of patients with mistyped hospital numbers
>and misspelled names and the like,
>so I have some idea how the process could be done. Almost
>all integration could be managed by machine, with minimal human intervention.
It sounds interesting - is it possible to get a copy?
>Question 1: am I reinventing the wheel -- is there a completely portable
>geneology management system that runs on MSDOS and UNIX machines,
>and allows people to email their information to a central location
>at the push of a button? Does it incorporate free text?
>(The letters and diary entries are the reall interesting data).
>If there is a comparable or superior system, I'll be happy to make the switch.
I don't know if there is one that does exactly what you describe, or that is portable from DOS to Unix, but there are hundreds of genealogy programs out there. Most of the better ones use the GEDCOM data exchange format, which is also used to send data to the Ancestral File operated by the Mormons.
But the data has to be sent on disk - there is no electronic link up, so you may be on to a good thing here - you should definitely have a look at soc. roots.
>
>Question 2: Would you like more information about my prototype program?
Yes please.
>Question 3: Would you like a copy of the source to experiment with?
>(I am not interested in profit; I consider this system to be public domain.)
>I'd like to know whether the features in version one are adequate
>for most peoples' needs. What additional features would
>improve this program?
Yes please again!
>Please email if possible; this posting is not 100% relevant to
>all the groups I have sent it to, and I do not read the net religiously.
Now you tell me!
I thought I would post this in soc.history because family history is a branch of general history, and there might be others who did not know that one can find a more specialized discussion of it in soc.roots.
Steve Hayes, Department of Missiology & Editorial Department Univ. of South Africa, P.O. Box 392, Pretoria, 0001 South Africa
Internet: hayesstw_at_risc1.unisa.ac.za Fidonet: 5:7101/20
steve.hayes_at_p1.f20.n7101.z5.fidonet.org
FAQ: Missiology is the study of Christian mission and is part of
the Faculty of Theology at Unisa
Received on Tue Jun 29 1993 - 08:17:26 CEST