TMG-L Archives

Archiver > TMG > 2001-04 > 0986142637


From: "Pam Gibbs" <>
Subject: Re: [TMG] TMG for Dummies?
Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2001 11:31:02 -0500
References: <003601c0ba52$da64d620$eba993cb@HansBraaksma> <5.0.2.1.2.20010401013024.00a14510@pop-server> <3AC74167.118EA600@reigelridge.com>


Hello,

I've been using TMG for about six weeks now...Best advice I can give you is
to work through the tutoral with the sample file, and then create your own
small file of your own data to play with and work through the tutoral again.

Also go to the various user sites, like Lee Hoffman's, and browse the
material there-- and do it often. As you use the program more of the
language will start to make sense.

Good luck!

Pam GIbbs
----- Original Message -----
From: "Terry Reigel" <>
To: <>
Sent: Sunday, April 01, 2001 9:55 AM
Subject: Re: [TMG] TMG for Dummies?


> Welcome aboard, Jo.
>
> jo harper wrote:
>
> > So now I've just installed TMG 4.0d(?) I think, on the theory that even
> > from my limited experience, this will have the greatest flexibility and
> > completeness.
>
> I think you are exactly right!
>
> > I've been reading selections from this list for a week or
> > so, too, and now that I'm ready to start, I find myself more than a
little
> > intimidated by all the options and the "computer-ese" that I'll need to
> > learn to make TMG work for me.
> >
> > So I wonder, is there a TMG for Dummies list? A list for rank, crank
> > beginners?
>
> This question comes up from time to time, and the answer seems to be, this
is
> it. Of course, as you've seen this list is also occupied by users all over
the
> spectrum, so you will see lots of stuff here doesn't make any sense to you
> right now. I think the best suggestion is generous use of the delete key.
If
> you find you later care about one of those subjects, either go to the
archives,
> or ask here and someone will be happy to cover it again.
>
> > I have a vague notion what a sys.ini file is, but haven't a
> > clue where to find it and would be scared spitless to touch it if I
> > could. As I read on some of the messages and see the kinds of variables
> > I'll have to learn about ... well, if you can think back to your own TMG
> > childhood, perhaps you'll get a sense of my hesitancy.
>
> I think the best advice is, you don't have to do any of that, at least at
> first. I expect, since you were looking for a program with "the greatest
> flexibility and completeness" you will want to use some of those features
over
> time. But you can learn about them one-by-one as you find them useful, and
> people here will be glad to help with all the detail you need.
>
> > For instance, I've brought some of my data from several of the other
> > programs I've tried into TMG, and was wanting to "merge" them, so to
have
> > one complete set of each family line. But then I saw something that
seemed
> > to say merging wouldn't check for duplicates. So that makes me think
I'd
> > only do more harm. But now I've got all these databases, and hate to
think
> > of dealing with them all all over again by hand, as it were.
>
> TMG takes a very careful tack with your data, and therefore does not
delete
> anything without your OK. That means, when you merge two individuals,
there
> will be, for example, two name tags, one from each person that you merged.
> There may be different source notes in the two, or there may be different
> spellings. So, unlike other programs that I've used, TMG does not just
throw
> away one of them, but waits for you to tell it to. If you are sure there
is
> nothing useful in one of the tags, you can tell TMG not to include it in
the
> merge. More commonly, people include both tags, then transfer any useful
> information to the tag they want to keep, and delete the other. The same
> applies to each tag you have for the merged person.
>
> So, you don't have to do it all over by hand, but you do have to decide
what to
> keep and tell TMG what you decide. If you would like more detail on how to
do
> this, please ask.
>
> Also, read over Lee Hoffman's TMG tips website - http://www.tmgtips.com -
he's
> got some good tips for starting out. Also check out the other sites whose
links
> Lee has posted. But remember, you don't have to understand everything
that's on
> any of those sites. Read the articles of interest, and ignore the others
until
> (if ever) they matter to you.
>
> Terry Reigel
>

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