Censuses, births/marriages/deaths etc etc

[*Sandra*]

I suspect that new member "Peter Sanders" is just stirring.

Two very odd posts from a new member rings alarm bells for me. 

It makes you wonder doesn't it - like JenB .......also lost for words..........................

Sandra

[ScouseBoy]

Why hasn't all the information available been computerised and connected ... there is no reason why ALL family trees are not readily available ... it is illogical that everybody has to research their own ancestry when a simple computer program could correlate everything !?

     For how   many years   have you been employed as a Computer Programmer, I wonder?

Which two census years   would   you analyse first?

[Vance Mead]

It's hard to tell if this is a serious question or not, but here goes.

There are some "universal" trees online, like wikitree and others, but they are only as good as the information in them. Some of this information is good, some is the usual rubbish such as children born when their parents are 8 or 108.

As to why all the census, parish, probate, tax, legal, etc records aren't readily available. There are many millions of records in Britain, billions if one includes all of Europe and all English speaking countries. Transcribing, indexing and putting this information online requires an immense amount of work, millions of hours of it, some of it done by volunteers, some of it done by companies who charge for it.

Why hasn't this all been done? (Stamps foot impatiently.)

[Vance Mead]

(Repeat of message above.)

[ScouseBoy]

Why hasn't all the information available been computerised and connected ... there is no reason why ALL family trees are not readily available ... it is illogical that everybody has to research their own ancestry when a simple computer program could correlate everything !?

Have you done a feasibility study?

[lizdb]

To me it is very simple:

Computer programmes follow logic
Real life doesn't



E.g -  Fred Bloggs appears on 1881 census as being born 1850 in Liverpool

Computer will "decide" he is the same person as a Fred Bloggs bn 1850 Liverpool on 1851 census with his parents John and Mary.  Relying on "computer" you follow the lines back from John and Mary.

Real research reveals that the Fred Bloggs on 1851's dad died just after the census and Mary remarried quickly to Mr Jones whilst Fred was still a baby. Fred remembered no other father than Mr Jones, and was brought up with the surname Jones that he used for the rest of his life. So this Fred appears on the 1881 as Fred Jones.

However, the Fred on the 1881, is actually living in Cornwall in that census. He gave his pob as Liverpool as that was the nearest big town. He was actually born in a village in the Liverpool area and appears on all previous censuses , incl the 1851, with that village as his pob. His parents on 1851 are George and Ann. 

So - if you are descended from the 1881 Fred, bn 1850 in Liverpool, and follow the computer, you will follow the wrong line entirely.

OK - fictitious scenarios. But I am sure all of us who have been researching for any length of time will identify with this sort of scenario. And know therefore that "computer" matching of data has severe limitations. 

Therefore a "simple computer programme" could not correlate everything - even if every record WAS online and WAS correctly transcribed. A computer programme could not adapt for the human aspect, and lack of logic that real life displays.

Hope that has helped answer your question Peter.

[ScouseBoy]

Why hasn't all the information available been computerised and connected ... there is no reason why ALL family trees are not readily available ... it is illogical that everybody has to research their own ancestry when a simple computer program could correlate everything !?

      Which town   do you propose  should be the Pilot    for your Project?

[ScouseBoy]

I suspect that new member "Peter Sanders" is just stirring.

Two very odd posts from a new member rings alarm bells for me. 

   Perhaps he is a teenager  doing A Levels,  or at University   studying  Computers?

[Lostris]

I suspect that new member "Peter Sanders" is just stirring.

Two very odd posts from a new member rings alarm bells for me. 

   Perhaps he is a teenager  doing A Levels,  or at University   studying  Computers?

Yep classic windup merchant ..... remember - dont feed the Troll