>>> Scotlandspeople update: 1841 and 1851 census due in next 2 months

[ibi]

Unless I've missed it no-one seems to have picked up the most recent news at http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/content/help/index.aspx?r=554&413

Specific dates are now given ............

ibi

[Little Nell]

Oh, I saw it alright - I just decided not to shout out loud about it yet!  Last time I did that we were in the process of changing our broadband supplier and I had really limited access for three weeks.  I decided I wouldn't push my luck 

Nell

[ibi]

Nell

Barring the outbreak of WWIII, I'm 99.9+% certain that January 2006 will happen for 1851 but then I won't raise a storm if it turns out to be the first week of February .......... 

Regarding Feb/Mar 2006 for 1841, given previous GROS/SoL/SP performance in terms of meeting dates, I'd have to downgrade that 99.9% to 99%  , but will be discombobulated if it slips into April or later..............

What I do know for certain is that the digitisation of the images has taken place, the indexing is complete, and all the quality control procedures have been completed to the satisfaction of GROS (and that doesn't mean totally error free!), so that the only remaining steps are for the data files to be transferred to ScotlandonLine to add to the ScotlandsPeople web site ........

Given the comments made by the members of the SP User Group in relation to previous, repeated failures of GROS to meet previously promised release dates, the **** would really hit the fan if such precise promises in relation to 1851 and 1841 weren't met .............  and that's in the context of the UG minutes not always fully reflecting the very "robust"  nature of UG meeting discussions on this very aspect.

Now, without wishing to sound like a prophet of doom, if ScotlandonLine were to go bankrupt in the next few weeks, that could change the situation  , or, perish the thought, a plane on approach to Dundee airport about a mile away, or taking off for that matter, crashed on the Technology Park where SoL are based .........   

But, otherwise, unless GROS/SoL are selling a distinctly unlikely hostage to fortune, then I just have to believe that these dates will be met ..............

Long, hard experience with GROS and ScotsOrigins and ScotlandonLine over the past 6 or 7 years has, most unfortunately, taught me to be very cynical 

....... in anticipation of 1851 available in a few weeks time, with 1841 to follow not too many weeks thereafter, but note my warning in the original post in this thread in relation to the quality of the 1851 images ............

ibi

[Boongie Pam]

For regular users of Scotlandspeople you will have received their update in the last day or so.  For those who haven't there is an exciting paragraph....

2005 has been a busy year for ScotlandsPeople with the 1871 Census launch
in April, the new site launch (including the addition of the Wills &
Testaments) in June and the 1861 Census made available in October. We plan to launch the Census data for 1851 and 1841 as early as possible in the
New Year (Jan and Feb respectively). Look out for announcements regarding the addition of other new data sets and enhancements to the site,
including the OPR images, as the New Year progresses.

In anticipation, wishing all Scottish researchers a lucky and satisfying 2006.

Pam
 

[jillruss]

Have we got any update on the appearance of the 1851 Scottish census on Scotlands People? After all, it IS 31st January!!!

I'm sure they're working their socks off trying to bring it to us - I'm just impatient!!!

Jill

[Burrow Digger]

I have been waiting for 1841 & 1851 census for a very long time. 

My scottish ancestors left Scotland in 1856, so any later census have been of absolutely no interest to me at all.

Looking forward to checking out the 1841 & 1851 census.

BD

[Alexandrina]

Well Surprise surprise...one doesn't need the 'sight' to see that it is now February 2nd almost the 3rd and still no 1851 census as promised.....ho hum!

 

[bonjedward]

They'll never learn - a little openness and honesty would go a long way reducing their customers's frustration, and would cost them nothing.  They may well be working their socks off, but we have no way of knowing.

[JAP]

Hi David,

Certainly a little awareness on SP's part of the angst caused to us paying customers (so many many times in the past, and now yet again) when a deadline passes and nothing whatever is posted on the SP site would certainly help and (as you say) would cost them nothing (just a matter of minutes or even seconds putting a notice on their site to tell us what's happening - and I think we are all reasonable people and would more than understand that problems do occur).  But, as you say, "they'll never learn".

Even if they believe they'll have the 1851 online by today/tomorrow, it would still have been much appreciated had they posted on 31 Jan (at the very latest) an update and apology.

And one might also think that they would have learned by now not to state optimistic deadlines but instead to state "political" deadlines ((we paying customers certainly have learned by bitter experience to disbelieve any and all SP timelines)!  How much better we'd all feel had they stated (giving themselves leeway for unexpected problems) that the 1851 would be online by June - then suddenly advised (say in Feb/March) that the process had gone more smoothly than expected and the 1851 was now available!!

It really is a shame particularly as SP is so far ahead in online availability of civil records.

JAP