Author Topic: SIT: Suggestion Box  (Read 60629 times)

Offline ryan

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Re: SIT: Suggestion Box
« Reply #18 on: Monday 28 March 05 16:53 BST (UK) »
I'm finding it a bit frustrating that some people are repeatedly neglecting to enter any comments like locations or dates, etc. Not entering comments with your surname interests defeats the purpose of the SIT. Bob, my motion for change is that the Comments field should be declared as NOT optional, but mandatory.

By the way, I'm loving the "Ten Most-Wanted" feature!!

Congrats, on a job well-done.

Ryan.

:)
HILL/BURKE/BELCHER/BIGNELL/BADHAM/COX/BLAKE/YELDHAM in London
HOPKINS/HART/MATTHEWS/MUNSON/FARLEY in Exeter & Mid Devon
FEREDAY in The Potteries & Tipton
ADAMS/MUSCUTT/ELSBY/BRIDGENS/BURKE/BELL/RAINBOW in The Potteries
O’CALLAGHAN/O’BRIEN in Cork
BURKE/FITZPATRICK in Birmingham
HOPKINS in Shaftesbury
YELDHAM/RAVEN/MUNSON/BIGNELL in Essex
BLAKE/CHANDLER in Wickham Market, Suffolk

Offline Berlin-Bob

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Re: SIT: Suggestion Box
« Reply #19 on: Monday 28 March 05 17:49 BST (UK) »
Hi LynnWIngs,

YES !!!!   EDIT will be the next big update, once I figure out a safe method, i.e. without deleting the record first   ;D

Hi Ryan,

Frustrating, isn't it !! 
I am not sure how far we can "force" people to add comments, without losing any existing data  ???

Glad you like the "Ten most wanted", that was a bit of light relief from the serious work  ;D


Hi Everybody,

1) Any comments on Ryan's idea ???

2) Tomorrow I am re-activating the test for "Access only through RootsChat button".
Some Chatters had problems before, so if they could let me know, how it goes, I will try and fix any remaining problems.

And then ........ Boo-Boom ..... we go Live !!

Bob
Any UK Census Data included in this post is Crown Copyright (see: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk)

Offline ryan

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Re: SIT: Suggestion Box
« Reply #20 on: Monday 28 March 05 18:14 BST (UK) »
Hi Bob,
I'm glad that you sympathize with my frustration. I understand that we cannot force people to enter comments, but perhaps the word 'Optional' below the comments field could be tweaked into being more persuasive? A replacement could be 'Comments Required' or even 'Comments Prefered'. But then, people may still take no notice, or simply miss it ::) I would greatly appreciate some more feedback from other SIT users on this matter.

Ryan.

:)
HILL/BURKE/BELCHER/BIGNELL/BADHAM/COX/BLAKE/YELDHAM in London
HOPKINS/HART/MATTHEWS/MUNSON/FARLEY in Exeter & Mid Devon
FEREDAY in The Potteries & Tipton
ADAMS/MUSCUTT/ELSBY/BRIDGENS/BURKE/BELL/RAINBOW in The Potteries
O’CALLAGHAN/O’BRIEN in Cork
BURKE/FITZPATRICK in Birmingham
HOPKINS in Shaftesbury
YELDHAM/RAVEN/MUNSON/BIGNELL in Essex
BLAKE/CHANDLER in Wickham Market, Suffolk

Offline NigelG

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Re: SIT: Suggestion Box
« Reply #21 on: Monday 28 March 05 18:14 BST (UK) »
I agree there should be comments but thinking it through - I've just added the counties or locations I am interested in - no dates. Do we need to record dates or should we have the option to record dates - not sure?

Whilst allowing free format comments is an excellent idea would something more structured be preferable to ensure that everyone records their data in the same way?

Something like "enter name - enter location - enter dates applicable" - would standardise the format of all comments?

Up to you guys - I very impressed with it as it is!!  :)
Davies, Edwards, Evans, Griffiths, Hughes, James, Jones, Morgan, Nicholas, Powell, Prytherch, Rees, Williams in Glamorgan, Brecon, PEM, CMN & MGY

Biddle, Budd, Clark/e, Davis/Davies, Elliott, Emery, Harper, Harris, Lloyd, Parsons, Phillips, Pitt, Reed/Reid/Read/Rhead, Rogers, Scandrett, Smith, Tyler & Waldron in Staffs, Worcs, Hef, Cheshire, Shrops., Middlesex & Surrey.

Cooghan/Coogan/Cogan - Castleblaney, Co Monaghan

Census Information is Crown Copyright www.nationalarchives.gov.uk


Offline Berlin-Bob

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Re: SIT: Suggestion Box
« Reply #22 on: Monday 28 March 05 18:25 BST (UK) »
This is similar to something Rian (No, not you, Ryan, Rian !) said earlier on this thread.

Even going on-line for half an hour, I notice the number of entries grows, and the access is still a bit hidden, so when it is just a button on the main page, we will be getting thousands of entries ... and we will be needing other ways of sorting and comparing.

The main thing is:
All data is in a database, so if we decide later to change the formats and possibilities, apart from a few really "wild" ideas, it should be do-able !!

So think about it, let it grow, and think again, and share your thoughts with us !

Any UK Census Data included in this post is Crown Copyright (see: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk)

Offline ryan

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Re: SIT: Suggestion Box
« Reply #23 on: Monday 28 March 05 18:31 BST (UK) »
Hi Nigel,
Thanks for your reply. I too have only added counties or locations, as I judged that the locations were what mattered the most, and also because my dates of research regularly change. Having a more structured arrangement to the SIT would be nice, but I think some freedom of movement would be good as well - so perhaps people can put what they want (as they are doing right now) in the 'Comments' field, like locations and/or dates. I simply believe that, for the benefit of ALL SIT users, that the 'Comments' field should be mandatory.

Furthermore I completely agree with, and support your point of view, Bob.

Ryan & Rian - quite the coincidence. But what's more a coincidence is that we are the only two people at the moment researching HOPKINS on the SIT!!

Ryan.

:)
HILL/BURKE/BELCHER/BIGNELL/BADHAM/COX/BLAKE/YELDHAM in London
HOPKINS/HART/MATTHEWS/MUNSON/FARLEY in Exeter & Mid Devon
FEREDAY in The Potteries & Tipton
ADAMS/MUSCUTT/ELSBY/BRIDGENS/BURKE/BELL/RAINBOW in The Potteries
O’CALLAGHAN/O’BRIEN in Cork
BURKE/FITZPATRICK in Birmingham
HOPKINS in Shaftesbury
YELDHAM/RAVEN/MUNSON/BIGNELL in Essex
BLAKE/CHANDLER in Wickham Market, Suffolk

Offline dinkey

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Re: SIT: Suggestion Box
« Reply #24 on: Monday 28 March 05 19:03 BST (UK) »
I started to put dates in the comments when the test site was in its initial stages. However, I found that the number of characters allowed meant I could not show all my areas of interest. I removed the dates thinking the areas were more important

I agreee with Ryan there should be mandatory fields for the dates but it will need to be structured and the number of characters extended to allow for the dates to be entered.

dinkey
TRAVIS/ROCHDALE-OLDHAM-TODMORDEN-ASHTON-U-LYNE-BURY AREAS
DALTON/WIDNES- CHESHIRE-THORNTON-FLEETWOOD

Offline SS from The Rhondda

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Re: SIT: Suggestion Box
« Reply #25 on: Monday 28 March 05 20:00 BST (UK) »
Bob,
What about demonstrating how entries for surname & optional comments should be structured on the actual input page...

ie:
Surname Interest: [---------------------]
(max 25 chars.)
eg SMITH

Comments:    [-----------------------]
(max 40 chars.)
eg Somerset & Dorset - all,
or Kent before 1850, etc

Offline Berlin-Bob

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Re: SIT: Suggestion Box
« Reply #26 on: Monday 28 March 05 20:14 BST (UK) »
Ryan & Rian - quite the coincidence. But what's more a coincidence is that we are the only two people at the moment researching HOPKINS on the SIT!!

Like,  WHOW !!!!  Could it be that the SIT has already confirmed it's "raison d'étre"  and discovered a previously unknown relationship ???   ;D  ;D

Seriously though:

I'll think about the mandatory comments, maybe after the EDIT function is available, if I can "fill" all empty comments wth "X" and then change the field description to Mandatory. 

But until then, SS from the Rhondda, it's too late at night now, but first chance, I will gladly take your idea and change the form. Thanks.

Bob
Any UK Census Data included in this post is Crown Copyright (see: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk)