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Archiver > TMG > 2003-01 > 1041545072


From: Richard Brogger <>
Subject: Re: [TMG] General tags or VERY specific tags?
Date: Thu, 02 Jan 2003 16:04:32 -0600
References: <3E1453E0.1080507@reigelridge.com><5.1.0.14.2.20030102100514.02194498@pop3.citlink.net><5.1.0.14.2.20030102131838.05b74d20@mail.whollygenes.com>


> Richard said:
>
> >If modifiers are interpreted as inclusive of the specified time, then
> >these statements about a 1975 event are ALL correct.
> >
> >The Independance Day picnic was held before 4 July 1975.
> >The Independance Day picnic was held on 4 July 1975.
> >The Independance Day picnic was held after 4 July 1975.

Bob Velke wrote:

> That distorts the issue.

I think that it illustrates one side of the issue. The other side can
be shown by a death tag date of '14 Jun 1781' and a burial tag date of
'after 14 Jun 1781'. Is it possible that death and burial occured on
the same day? Of course it is and that means that after 'after 14 Jun
1781' could be wrong unless the modifier is inclusive of the specified
time. If modifiers were not inclusive, the burial date would have to
be 'after 13 Jun 1781' to allow for the fact that the burial could
have been on the 14th. That would be strange.

My dictionary does not as much as hint that before or after are
inclusive and that is how I use the terms. Mathematicians and lawyers
seem to be able to find modifiers that are more specific: 'on or
after', 'equal to or greater than'. It seems that genealogy needs to
find or invent terms that are more specific. I would find it easier to
explain that 'Oob' means 'On or before', than to explain that 'before'
doesn't really mean before.

Richard Brogger

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