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  • New society for surname study ..

    Just come across this on another site - The Surname Society
    I think they are looking for feedback at the moment so if you are interested there is a short questionnaire on their website.

    There's very little info given at the moment on their webpage but the thing that appeals to me is the collaboration aspect. I've often looked at the GOONS directory and a number of my surnames have already been taken - and the ones that haven't are quite common names so I don't think I would want to tackle them alone!
    Elaine








  • #2
    Surname Society - official launch today ... for anyone interested in doing a surname study.
    Elaine







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    • #3
      Sorry to sound negative but I am worried by the lack of "rules"!

      I have in the past collaborated in a similar scheme where loads of us input data into a shared tree. It has been an absolute disaster because we all had different levels of research skills and different research standards, shall I say! I withdrew some years ago.

      I shall watch this new site with interest.

      OC

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      • #4
        Elaine

        Members of the Guild of One-Name Studies already do work collaboratively on surnames. If someone has registered a surname you are interested in why not get in touch with the Guild member and see how you can work together? Only one person can register a surname but you do not have to register a surname to join the Guild. There are plans to put such collaborations on a more formal footing with the adoption of study associates. There also many other benefits of Guild membership as you can see in this press release:



        There are many common surnames registered with the Guild (for example, Smith (http://one-name.org/name_profile/smith) and Phillips (http://one-name.org/name_profile/Phillips)

        This new Society only seems to offer listings of surnames. There are plenty of sites that allow you to list your surname interests free of charge.

        Comment


        • #5
          In response to the latest two posts, I would just like to say that the new society has been set up properly as a not-for-profit organisation, and works to a Constitution with a correctly formed Committee. If we were to make a long list of rules, then people would shy away from it and would say that there are too many rules! You can't please all of the people...etc.

          The Surname Society allows more than one person to register a surname, which is different to any other single-surname entity. It promotes and encourages collaborative study. The new society certainly offers more than listings of surnames - presumably the person who stated this has not joined the new society and therefore is not best placed to say what is on offer.

          Also, please remember that all organisations and websites have to start somewhere. It's impossible to have everything available on day one, and the new society will evolve over time.

          It is a shame that there are negative comments - although I'm pleased to see that some will follow the new site with interest - as there have been many more positive and encouraging comments. It is also a shame that a press release for another single-name organisation has been posted on a thread that is about the new society - and rather a coincidence that the said press release, containing new ideas, has appeared at the launch of the new society.

          In any branch of genealogy research, there is no need for one website to have the monopoly, there is room for choice. The new society is giving people a choice, and there is also no need for 'either/or'. Many of the new society's members belong to other single-name entities. Do all of you just use one website for researching BMD records? No, I'm sure you use FindMyPast, Ancestry, FreeBMD, The Genealogist, etc, etc.

          I would suggest if you have any queries or comments that you have a look at the new site, and contact any of the Committee members (or info@surname-society.org) and they will be very happy to help.
          Mandy

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          • #6
            Mandy

            I'm not concerned with the setting up of a committee and a constitution etc, I am concerned with how information will be collated and who will monitor whether that information is absolutely accurate or just something their granny told them. (Lack of accuracy was what went wrong on the previous collaborative project I was involved with.)

            Yes, I use all kinds of different internet resources and I know by experience which ones are generally reliable and which ones are flights of romantic fantasy. I know that GOONs works to a simple set of rules and I can judge accuracy within those parameters.

            As I said, I shall watch the development of the site with interest.

            OC

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            • #7
              OC

              I don't think the new society could come under the category of flights of romantic fantasy. It has been set up by six experienced genealogists (one of whom is also a genealogical author and worldwide lecturer), so it's all been very carefully thought out and a huge amount of work has been done over the last few months. The Guild of One-Name Studies does not actually monitor shared information, so you could still get granny's old wives' tales with their members and there will always be differing opinions on their rules. I am a member of both societies, by the way, so I am keen not to let this thread degenerate into an 'us and them' situation.

              If the new society finds that members, or even non-members, wish to make valid suggestions then these will be considered. As I said, the new society is in its early stages and Rome wasn't built in a day.
              Mandy

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              • #8
                The 'surname society' I belong to is a properly contituted society for that one surname ONLY. We encourage members to contribute their trees and research but we have a 'research manager' who keeps an overall check on everything collected.

                I also do a private surname study and will probably start another one too. Just because I enjoy it! The surnames are rare enought that nearly everyone with it is a bllod relative of mine. My point is that you don't have to register with anyone to conduct you own study! I will probably release my research onto the www before I pop my clogs.

                Anne

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                • #9
                  Anne, I agree - there is nothing stopping anyone from conducting their own very successful single-surname research without joining any organisation. There are quite a few societies like yours that are solely for that one name. There are also a lot of websites for single names; I haven't yet launched a website for my own study but it is definitely something that I will be doing in the future.

                  It's all down to choice. Some people like to belong to an organisation where they can discuss issues regarding their individual research, lodge their research for future generations, etc, etc, and others - like yourself - are happy to belong to the organisation that is just for their name of interest.
                  Mandy

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