GENBOX-L Archives

Archiver > GENBOX > 2004-10 > 1097247140


From: Kathy Lenerz <>
Subject: Re: [GENBOX] How do I do this?
Date: Fri, 08 Oct 2004 10:52:34 -0400
References: <HLENKFAGJBOMJKOMBBPJCEMEDEAA.paulharris@nc.rr.com>
In-Reply-To: <HLENKFAGJBOMJKOMBBPJCEMEDEAA.paulharris@nc.rr.com>


Paul J. Harris wrote:
> However, I recall using this linking capability when a singe source level
> simply did not have enough appropriate data fields for the information I
> wanted to record. Linking a Doc in Source to a Higher Source can provide
> additional 'capacity.' <g>

Cheri Casper wrote:
> Paul - As far as I'm concerned, your listed use is the only purpose for
> which I use multi-level sourcing at all, to give me extra data fields.
> Personally I see no point in using a multi-level sourcing structure for
> any other purpose.

The programming solution to not enough data fields would seem to be to
add more fields, not to add a level of complexity.

I really don't know the original intent behind multi-level sourcing,
although the concept seems intuitive and appealing. But of course, the
reason each of us uses this feature and the reason it exists, are two
different things. We need to be aware of the temptation to turn
descriptive information into prescriptive (or proscriptive).

I use multi-levels for sources from which I extract a lot of different
entries, such as newspapers and some church and vital records sources. For
some of these sources I have dozens to hundreds of extracts, each of which
ranges from a paragraph to a page or more in length. These extracts are
hard to scroll through when they're all entered in the same Evidence-Source
Text field and require some sort of notation to distinguish one from
another. The latter basically involves entering a CD as a note in the
Extract field, which seems like duplicate data entry. For these reasons, I
find it easier to make the newspaper the higher source and the article the
lower source.

The lack of the ability to search for higher sources is the second instance
I found recently where using mulit-level sources created a serious
limitation. (In another Alzheimer's moment, I can't remember the first.)
The fact is that multi-level sourcing exists, and the use of this feature
shouldn't limit our other uses of the program. And we shouldn't turn our
own circumscribed uses of this feature into proscriptions (or
prescriptions) on others' uses of it. If the feature exists, it should be
fully functional and integrated with other aspects of the program.

KQL




This thread: