Adding names to site [Archive]

herky

09-03-09, 16:43

This is a really daft question but I will ask it anyway.
Can I add my family names without using the gedcom system?
Is there a way of selecting a few names and just type them in to your listings?

There, I said it was a daft question but I would like to find out.
Apologies.
herky:o:o:o

Elaine ..Spain

09-03-09, 16:46

Not a daft question at all!

You can add them to the Surname Directory in the Wiki - Surname Directory (http://www.familytreeforum.com/wiki/index.php/Surname_Directory)

If you want to try it yourself then the instructions are here. (http://www.familytreeforum.com/wiki/index.php/Surname_Help)

If you want someone to do it for you then leave the names here. (http://www.familytreeforum.com/wiki-community-board/62792-surnames-wiki.html)

Have a go and if you get stuck send me a pm (personal message) and I'll help out.

herky

09-03-09, 16:49

That was quick!!
Many thanks Elaine - I am away to have a wee look see.
herky:):):)

Grampa Jim

09-03-09, 19:35

I just had a quick look and selected a name at random. Neale is in the Surname list, but Neal isn't even though several of us are researching it. Is there no way that the names on Gecom can be included in the Surname Directory and Vice Versa without the members laboriously adding each one personally?

Elaine ..Spain

09-03-09, 19:47

The only way to enter names in the Surname Directory is to laboriously add them manually!

The new format has only just been introduced and we were lucky that Tim offered to set it up - I´m not sure how many new pages he created (manually!) but I think it was in excess of 2000.

If every member takes a few minutes to create a few new pages where necessary then the list will grow! :)

KiteRunner

09-03-09, 23:12

I just had a quick look and selected a name at random. Neale is in the Surname list, but Neal isn't even though several of us are researching it. Is there no way that the names on Gecom can be included in the Surname Directory and Vice Versa without the members laboriously adding each one personally?

I wouldn't want most of the surnames from my GEDCOM put into the Surname Directory with my username against them to say I'm researching those surnames - a lot of the surnames in my tree are very common ones so I wouldn't want to be contacted by someone on the offchance, only if they had found a match against a first name, year and place as well.

Grimsqueaker

10-03-09, 10:03

The only way to enter names in the Surname Directory is to laboriously add them manually!

The new format has only just been introduced and we were lucky that Tim offered to set it up - I´m not sure how many new pages he created (manually!) but I think it was in excess of 2000.

If every member takes a few minutes to create a few new pages where necessary then the list will grow! :)

2381 Elaine, felt like more :rolleyes:

Jessbowbag

10-03-09, 10:15

I just had a quick look and selected a name at random. Neale is in the Surname list, but Neal isn't even though several of us are researching it. Is there no way that the names on Gecom can be included in the Surname Directory and Vice Versa without the members laboriously adding each one personally?

If you want to just add names, and dont particually want to do it yourself, those of us that are familiar -ish with doing it , will add them for you

**Runs and hides given she knows Jims tree is humungous**

Grimsqueaker

10-03-09, 10:20

I just had a quick look and selected a name at random. Neale is in the Surname list, but Neal isn't even though several of us are researching it. Is there no way that the names on Gecom can be included in the Surname Directory and Vice Versa without the members laboriously adding each one personally?

No such thing as a free lunch Jim, you can only reap what you sow..

It is not possible to autogenerate either forum posts or wiki pages from the GEDCOM database, so doing it manually in the same fashion that we did the surname pages would involve a starting point of 438355 pages prior to sorting down to individual surnames and researching members...

Not to mention that everyone who has contributed to the GEDCOM would need to be contacted to seek permission to publish that data via the wiki... THEN you need to work out how to manage names that are removed from the GEDCOM by members when they upload a new file....

Now if you feel like volunteering to give it a go, then i'm behind you every step of the way and will be more than happy to help...

Darksecretz

10-03-09, 10:43

This is a really daft question but I will ask it anyway.
Can I add my family names without using the gedcom system?
Is there a way of selecting a few names and just type them in to your listings?

There, I said it was a daft question but I would like to find out.
Apologies.
herky:o:o:o

Herky,

you can also put your surnames you are reseaching into your 'signature' so that everytime you post a reply your surnames are displayed. alot of members do this.

some have links to their own websites, (like me) others have links to their Wikiuser page where members can create there own page with names they are researching.

http://www.familytreeforum.com/showthread.php?t=27986

hope it helps

herky

10-03-09, 17:09

Thanks Darksecretz.
I had noticed that about the signature and I do think that is a very good idea, especially with the more uncommon names or the main line ones. I wouldn't want a huge list.
I will have to think about that. The good thing about it also is you can change your names in the signature to an area you want to concentrate on at a particular time.

Hmmm - lots of food for thought.
Thanks to all. What a helpful bunch you all are.:):):)
herky

Darksecretz

10-03-09, 20:58

Herky,

not a problem, :) i'm not as techy as some, but my OH is abit more technical than me... (Grimsqueaker, on here)

we do all try and help each other, is what I love about this site... and no backbiting/nastiness :)

one big family tree forum

Hugo

11-03-09, 08:46

I think it should be possible to get the surname and location from a GEDCOM file. I would expect the surname to be fairly easy; the dificult part would be deciding the location.

I remember seeing the data structure of a GEDCOM file, unfortunately I cannot remember where.

This could be a nice project. It has certainly given me something to think about.

Thank you for this.

Hugo

KiteRunner

11-03-09, 08:50

But do bear in mind that people might not want all the surnames in their tree listed as surnames that they are researching anyway!

Hugo

11-03-09, 09:08

KiteRunner, good point. Noted.

Hugo

Grimsqueaker

11-03-09, 09:17

I think it should be possible to get the surname and location from a GEDCOM file. I would expect the surname to be fairly easy; the dificult part would be deciding the location.

I remember seeing the data structure of a GEDCOM file, unfortunately I cannot remember where.

This could be a nice project. It has certainly given me something to think about.

Thank you for this.

Hugo

Extracting the data is the easy part Hugo..

Where the concept falls over is in regard to how that data is used...
At no point during the GEDCOM upload procedure does it state that the data will be used anywhere else on the site, and members are not asked whether they agree to FTF using that data anywhere else on site...
Therefore, any data entered into the GEDCOM database must remain there.

Any content published in the Wiki is under the Gnu Free Documentation Licence (GFDL) which effectively makes it freely copyable (with some caveats)..
Members inputting their data into the wiki are made aware of this at the time of entry..

herky

11-03-09, 12:56

Hi Darksecretz,
I have taken your advice and added some names to the signature thingy.
Good idea and thanks for your help.

Hugo

12-03-09, 07:54

I think it should be possible to get the surname and location from a GEDCOM file. I would expect the surname to be fairly easy; the dificult part would be deciding the location.

I remember seeing the data structure of a GEDCOM file, unfortunately I cannot remember where.

This could be a nice project. It has certainly given me something to think about.

Thank you for this.

Hugo

I have some fun thinking about this. However, I rapidly came to the conclusion that there would be a need for some choices by the owner of a tree e.g. the identification of which names they wanted listing. If there are only a few names to be listed then it would probably be quicker to type them in manually.

All this before deciding which location(s) to allocate - another choice by the owner.

I had not got round to thinking about the points raised by Grimsqueaker.

Hugo