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Archiver > GENBOX > 2005-03 > 1111708635


From: "E.Rodier" <>
Subject: word processor required?
Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2005 16:57:15 -0700
References: <7425589.1111703416893.JavaMail.root@wamui09.slb.atl.earthlink.net>


Just an opinion from the sidelines. Some researchers run out of time and do
not share any of their work.

A family historian needs a readable (unedited) family report to share with
relatives, direct printout or PDF with automatic pictures for a
book-in-progress. Older individuals are more likely to read paper reports
than computer screens. Listed details are easier to edit than facts, events
or tags joined together in repetitive sentences with repeated city, county,
state, country repeated for every item.

Some of the desktop publishing experts have spent years editing a family
book in a word processor but the numbering has to be fixed manually before
publication. Descendants of cousin marriages are sometimes listed under the
mother's branch or repeated under each parent depending on available report
options.

It isn't practical to edit every lengthy descendant report in a word
processor when the children in some families change birth order from one
source to another. I'm working on one file with 6500 names that has more
than 43 identified intermarriages. Very few sources prior to 1871 census.
Many same-name relatives who might be attached to the wrong parents. Some
individuals were counted twice in the same census and others were missed.

Family books collected since 1967 all have had mistakes added during
*professional* editing. My relatives need a database they can edit with more
details about their own branches, not a perfectly punctuated report about my
branches. Very sad to find typos and more serious mistakes in a hard cover
book.

----- Original Message -----
> Personally I've never seen any report from any genie program that is
> satisfactory to print directly from within the program. Every report I've
> generated requires tweaking in a word processor. -- CheriC


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