TMG-L Archives

Archiver > TMG > 2000-05 > 0957223743


From: Lee Hoffman/KY <>
Subject: [TMG-L:] Re: TMG-L: Beginner's Problems - demo
Date: Mon, 01 May 2000 19:29:03 -0400
In-Reply-To: <e2.3d4dc89.263ef894@aol.com>


wrote:
>One of the themes I have seen in this list, as someone fairly new to TMG, is
>that new folks think there is some sort of hallowed way that TMG thinks you
>ought to do something. The strength of the program is that it gives one so
>many different ways to do something and there is no one way that will suit
>everyone. Let me give you one way that I might do to solve what you indicate
>is a problem. I use the "memo" field when I want to enter information when I
>am not quite sure of a better way to enter the info. That allows me as a
>newbies to get on with storing information in the system without stopping to
>take the time to learn everything there is to know about TMG itself. Later if
>I figure out a better way to enter the data I can always change things. You
>will probably see in this list a dozen other better suggestions for ways to
>handle your problem but the memo field is one way-Dale

Dale, I agree with you to some extent that the idea of "entering it
somewhare and changing it later to a better place" has a lot of merit. And
it is something that I use from time to time even if I know of a better
place at the time.

But the downside is having to deal with something twice which is a bit
inefficient it best and possibly error-prone (the more you handle data for
entry the grater the possibility of error). And if a lot of data is
entered just "wherever", some of it could possibly remain there forever
having been forgotten. Then just at the wrong time, it is found. It may
be a simple thing to correct (just as you are printing that report for the
family reunion five minutes before you leave to catch the plane) or it may
be something that will take some time. It may be something that looks fine
in the report (although it could look better) or it may look awful and
spoils the entire report.

I have a few dozen persons for whom I have entered anecdotal sketches "as
is" in a Notes tag Memo field. It works, but most look bad in reports and
they need a lot of cleanup. But it was a quick way to enter the data.
However, that was six months ago and I still haven't gotten around to doing
the cleanup for more that a very few.


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Lee Hoffman/KY
E-mail:
TMG Tips: <http://www.tmgtips.com>;
My website: <http://www.tmgtips.com/lhoffman>;
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A user of the best genealogy program, The Master Genealogist (TMG)

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