1911 census transcripts - waste of money ?

[kerryb]

I must be lucky then, no mistranscriptions amongst my lot and I never bothered with the 10 credit transcriptions from the start.  I wanted the images so it seemed a duplicate to get transcript as well. 

Kerry

[Nick29]

You must be lucky.   Had I not known my grandfather's address from my mother's marriage certificate, I would not have found the family using the name search facility.  Fortunately they have an address search too.

[kerryb]

You're right, address searches are very useful.  The only surprises I had were that my great grandfather was onboard a ship as a Boy Class in the Navy.  Nobody knew!  And the family of one of my other great grandfather's had 5 more children than I knew about all born and died between census records.  Terribly useful thing that question about how many children the marriage had produced.

Kerry

[Necromancer]

I think the contract between FindMyPast and the National Archives runs until 2011, so Ancestry won't be doing it until then.

where was that from ?

[davidft]

In my opinion transcripts are not a waste of money but I do feel they should only be bought when you are uncertain you have the right family. If you are sure you have the right family then, if you can afford it, I would say you are always better off getting the actual record for the extra information it contains.

I know there are mistranscriptions on the 1911 but lets be honest there are on all censuses whoever transcribes them and most people seem to agree tha of all the major providers ancestry has by far the worse transcriptions.

I think how people react to FindMyPast determines whether they will take on transcription errors or not. Personally the transcription errors I have requested have been done and I have also been refunded the cost of abortive transcripts bought because of their mistakes.

I thing it is wrong to transcribe the people who transcribe the records as "stupid" and worse. The transcriptions were done as I understand it in the Phillipines. I wonder how people here would get on transcribing Phillipino records.

Finally I think a lot of the descent will subside once the 1911 is available on subscription.

[Nick29]

I thing it is wrong to transcribe the people who transcribe the records as "stupid" and worse.

Good job nobody did then !     I said that the people were dim to have made so many stupid errors. 

The transcriptions were done as I understand it in the Phillipines. I wonder how people here would get on transcribing Phillipino records.

That is truly irrelevant !  They shouldn't employ people who are not up to the task.  They're charging full whack for this service..... I want value for money !

Finally I think a lot of the descent will subside once the 1911 is available on subscription.

Well, maybe it will - but it won't make the people any easier to find.

I previously posted a link to a FOI request (deleted for some reason) about FindMyPast / BrightSolids contract with the National Archives & 'exclusivity' - basically, the Nat Archives dont enter into such arrangements, and when BS complete and return the raw data, 1911 is up for grabs for other commercial parties....

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/contract_with_find_my_past_limit


as Ricky shows in his correspondence with Ancestry, they have other priorities at present - so only time will tell ....

The reply was rather misleading - at first glance it appears that Brightsolid's images would be made available to all - or did they just mean that the actual documents will be available to anyone who wants to go through the whole photography, transcription and database process again ?  If it's the latter, I'm not surprised that Ancestry don't want to touch it yet.  Ancestry have probably realised that they can make more out of the digitisation of the LMA records anyway, because the 1911 census has limited appeal.  I've just about run out of people to look up on it.

[kerryb]

I agree that the 1911 has limited appeal, how many people didn't manage to spend all their ppvs?

Kerry

[Necromancer]

The reply was rather misleading - at first glance it appears that Brightsolid's images would be made available to all - or did they just mean that the actual documents will be available to anyone who wants to go through the whole photography, transcription and database process again ?

not misleading at all, seems perfectly clear.

However, all National Archives digitisation licenses are non-exclusive, and once the raw document images are deposited with The National Archives they will be available for re-sale to other genealogy publishers.

[Necromancer]

I think the contract between FindMyPast and the National Archives runs until 2011, so Ancestry won't be doing it until then.

where was that from ?

asking again, as it seems to contradict the FOI info .....