Comments on: The Organized Digital Genealogist http://ancestornews.com/how-to-research/the-organized-digital-genealogist/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-organized-digital-genealogist historical & genealogical researcher Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:00:38 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Linda http://ancestornews.com/how-to-research/the-organized-digital-genealogist/#comment-335 Linda Mon, 25 Oct 2010 20:27:34 +0000 http://ancestornews.com/?p=123#comment-335 I love your bridge story. Have you considered starting a digital family history story book? I have a family history book started...one of those projects I need to get back to...where I use pictures to tell stories. Since I have only one child, I talk directly to him through my writing and try to personalize it with reference that are meaningful to him. I will also insert scanned non-picture information if applicable. In my organization of photos, sometimes, there is id information or even a little story about the photo. I will scan the back of the photo, have the same beginning name of the file as the scanned front of the photo followed by "_id". This is also useful if there is a photo with many people. I love your bridge story. Have you considered starting a digital family history story book? I have a family history book started…one of those projects I need to get back to…where I use pictures to tell stories. Since I have only one child, I talk directly to him through my writing and try to personalize it with reference that are meaningful to him. I will also insert scanned non-picture information if applicable.

In my organization of photos, sometimes, there is id information or even a little story about the photo. I will scan the back of the photo, have the same beginning name of the file as the scanned front of the photo followed by “_id”. This is also useful if there is a photo with many people.

]]> By: Linda http://ancestornews.com/how-to-research/the-organized-digital-genealogist/#comment-334 Linda Mon, 25 Oct 2010 20:09:47 +0000 http://ancestornews.com/?p=123#comment-334 Nancy...there are ways of effectively digitizing without keeping an index of digitized files. That may have been applicable in the days when a file name was only 8 characters but now I would consider a separate index pretty much a waste of time. If you truly get into a digitized organizational system, an index with descriptions for 1,000's of files would be extremely time consuming and probably not that useful. I actually started doing an index five years ago when I started a digital organizational system and quickly abandoned it as when I wanted to find something I did a Windows search rather than refer to my index. I also was in the stages of determining my naming conventions and file structure. The key is to create Windows folders and subfolders representing categories (a binder or sets of folders) and subcategories (a subdivision of a binder or a specific folder) that make sense to you; name the file name with a meaningful name within a naming convention you establish for your system. For example, I might have a census as (Anderson_Alvin_1930Census) and place it in the the subcategory of Census under the surname of Anderson. In Windows, files are sorted alphabetically which is one reason I always put the last name first for files that apply to an individual. For Marriages, I will put the last names of the bride and groom together with the blood related person first. For example (Anderson_Steele_MarrCert). Windows allows you to search and create lists of files. You can get into boolean searches to search for pieces of file names not together. A simplistic search might be to see all records across category and subcategory folders for Alvin Anderson. Since my naming convention for most types of files is _, I would simply search for Anderson_Alvin and all individudal files for him would be returned. If I want to get more specific, I would do a boolean search. You can also add additional information or tags through the file properties if you so choose. I only keep original paper documents and photographs. I have recycled all those non-original items after scanning, naming, and backing up and given away many binders and other filing materials. I back up on a portable hard drive and give my son a copy of my updated genealogy once a year. Some people may choose to use an internet backup service or keep a copy in their bank box. Of course, as with any paper system, there are many layers to a digital system (people files, location files, downloaded historical books, preferred way of handling married woman or multiple marriage). With so many items being downloadable nowdays, it makes sense to get on top of a digital system and for the ambitious, replace all the paper files with digital files. Nancy…there are ways of effectively digitizing without keeping an index of digitized files. That may have been applicable in the days when a file name was only 8 characters but now I would consider a separate index pretty much a waste of time. If you truly get into a digitized organizational system, an index with descriptions for 1,000′s of files would be extremely time consuming and probably not that useful. I actually started doing an index five years ago when I started a digital organizational system and quickly abandoned it as when I wanted to find something I did a Windows search rather than refer to my index. I also was in the stages of determining my naming conventions and file structure.

The key is to create Windows folders and subfolders representing categories (a binder or sets of folders) and subcategories (a subdivision of a binder or a specific folder) that make sense to you; name the file name with a meaningful name within a naming convention you establish for your system. For example, I might have a census as (Anderson_Alvin_1930Census) and place it in the the subcategory of Census under the surname of Anderson.

In Windows, files are sorted alphabetically which is one reason I always put the last name first for files that apply to an individual. For Marriages, I will put the last names of the bride and groom together with the blood related person first. For example (Anderson_Steele_MarrCert).

Windows allows you to search and create lists of files. You can get into boolean searches to search for pieces of file names not together. A simplistic search might be to see all records across category and subcategory folders for Alvin Anderson. Since my naming convention for most types of files is _, I would simply search for Anderson_Alvin and all individudal files for him would be returned. If I want to get more specific, I would do a boolean search. You can also add additional information or tags through the file properties if you so choose.

I only keep original paper documents and photographs. I have recycled all those non-original items after scanning, naming, and backing up and given away many binders and other filing materials. I back up on a portable hard drive and give my son a copy of my updated genealogy once a year. Some people may choose to use an internet backup service or keep a copy in their bank box.

Of course, as with any paper system, there are many layers to a digital system (people files, location files, downloaded historical books, preferred way of handling married woman or multiple marriage). With so many items being downloadable nowdays, it makes sense to get on top of a digital system and for the ambitious, replace all the paper files with digital files.

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