Family Historian User Group

I've spent the last days using approx. 100 live records to learn how to use the system. I've now dumped that, started a new project and will start working live from the beginning.

Along the way, I've defined new Title & Image Title templates (mostly based 95% on the tutorials which I found to be very helpful) that suit my way of working. Hopefully I've learned a bit about how the program works. I've even created a custom query (again based on an existing one), and looked at custom reports.

I've noticed however that the Knowledge Base pages for Auto-Text templates for Burials, Birth & Death have no entries. I just want to make sure before I start with live data that this is intentional, and that there are no tips there that I might want to incorporate.

Thanks for everyone's help getting me to this stage.

Colin

Colin, I have moved this to the Ancestral Sources Forum.

AS itself has several Auto-Text Templates for the most common BMD source documents.

There are several downloads in fhugdownloads:ancestralsources|> Downloads and Links ~ Ancestral Sources.

Sorry for wrong forum.

Yes I found those auto templates, but these ones contain no text

fhugdownloads:contents:template_burial_autotext|> Ancestral Sources Template ~ Burial Auto-Text

fhugdownloads:contents:template_death_autotext|> Ancestral Sources Template ~ Death Auto-Text

fhugdownloads:contents:template_birth_autotext|> Ancestral Sources Template ~ Birth Auto-Text

I just wanted to know if they should have any content


Colin

Yes, they are just place-holders should anyone feel the need to add any.

BTW:
I find the AS Auto-Text Template for Census is not a full transcript of a Census page.
It only provides the Census Grid for the household and not any details of registration district, address, etc.
See fhugdownloads:contents:template_census_autotext|> Ancestral Sources Template ~ Census Auto-Text for ideas.

Excellent. Thanks

Colin

BTW: You can create 'better' [kb]|[/kb] links by following the advice in info:forums|> Forums Usage Tips.

OK I see that article.

It almost certainly is a better way for regular users who know this board and the KB inside out.

However for new users, you risk making the whole area just a little too complex and off-putting if there are too many rules and regulations. Most users are knowledgeable about cutting and pasting URL's, and the Link button works perfectly. To learn new methods for (potentially) every different forum a user looks at is likely to confuse.

This is added to when the definition is not quite as easy to understand TO A NEW USER. One of the problems with computing can be the precise use of language. Where help files are in-accurate it does put the casual user off. I suspect (no, I KNOW) I am relatively unusual in a new user in that I read help files. I try to find answers for myself.

I read the article you linked to

info:forums#posting_topics|> Posting Topics

and couldn't see the TRACE:: breadcrumb trail , so the Asterisk was also not spotted straight away. I was looking for the double colons, with an asterisk next to it. I didn't see it. I eventually spotted the TRACE:: at the left of the screen and the asterisk at the extreme right. Now I'm sure that as regular users, you guys all knew exactly where to look. I'm not a regular user (I build my own PC's for family and friends so I am very computer literate). I missed it initially.

What I'm trying to say is that most users will not read help files. They need a bit of TLC .

You guys have all been helpful beyond belief. the speed and quality of response I've had here is way way way beyond anything I've seen in almost any other forum I've used (and I do use a lot). Even the board itself looks professional and well laid out.

But I have felt a bit like a naughty child at times!


Colin

Sorry ~ There is no intention to make anyone feel like a naughty child.

I work on the premise that users don't know what they don't know.
So I drop hints about things they might want to know about.
Remember the threads are read by many, not just those who are posting, so the hints have a wider audience.

Feedback on the difficulty of find the TRACE:: and asterisk is noted.

Please don't get me wrong.

Help is much appreciated, and you are right, users (especially new ones, don't know what they don't know - and sometimes the existing users are worse.)

But the reality is that most (perhaps 99.9% of your readers) will not look at instructions on how to post.

BUT. I really do appreciate the help I'm getting.

Colin