User:Dcragun

I am a church service missionary at the Family History Library in Salt Lake. I have been doing genealogy for 4 years and am eager to learn more about the research process so I can help myself and the patrons who visit the library.

Missionary Wiki Projects

29 Jul 2010

Met with David Dilts. He showed me how to find non-copyrighted images by going to Creative Commons and flickr. Before using one of their images, I need to check the creative use license. I can submit my own photos as long as I give permission for use. I was showed how to do that and David loaded some legal jargon onto my flash under Wiki and Images. After choosing a photo, I click on it to make it the biggest file size then save as to the computer. Then on the Wiki page I choose "Upload file", browse and find it and open. Fill out the form that pops up, I can use the legal jargon to help me.

We choose a new project for me. I'm going to help out in the state of Tennessee. I'll be clicking onto each county from the navigation bar at the bottom and checking the footnotes for that county. If there are books, check to make sure the book titles are linked to World Cat. Put the title in Italics and add a FHL if there is one. To edit a footnote, I first click on the up arrow before the citation. Then I click on edit at the top of the page. Click the &lt;R&gt; in the text and then the &lt;R&gt; at the top. This brings up an edit box showing the footnote. Paste the url before the title and add space after URL "[url (space) title]" If it needs to be italizied add 2 ' before title and 2 after. When copying a URL, copy all the information before the &amp;. &amp; cause big problems in Wiki. I can even cut out some of the codes in the URL to make it smaller and neater. http://worldcat/oclc#  That's all I need.

I started the project so I could remember what I'd been taught. Discovered that most of the counties didn't have Handy Book linked to World Cat. So I'm going through all the counties and doing their Handy Book links. Then I'll start over and look at all the books in each county. By doing it this way I save time because I don't have to keep copying the URL. Next time, copy this URL

[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/50140092

and finish with those counties after Davidson. Make sure the World Cat is 10th ed. -- add a space after the URL and add the last ] after the title, but before the , [ ]'',   Remember to make sure title in italics. ''

Another tip: When copying down the URL, copy the whole thing. Then take care of deleting the "&amp; stuff" after I've pasted it in the edit box. It's easier to delete what I don't want, then try and copy only part of a URL from its home page.

30 July 2010

The page has a new look today. I like the squares to check for editing. I did some at home. Next time, start on McNairy Co. Tip: Use the navigation bar to go to the next co. after checking the link.

3 Aug 2010

Today our advanced class talked about the wiki projects. Loved what we learned about the Tabs on the top of the screen. I did 10 counties in Tennessee, adding Linkpendium links. I'm excited to be working on these projects. I think the missionaries in the back had a hard time. I'll have to keep my ears and eyes open if they need help understanding. Working with David Diltz has helped me catch on to these projects quicker.

I'm trying to do project #3. It's very complicated and has taken me about 30 minutes to figure it out. I understood everything but steps J and K. Why are we highlighting the words and pressing END? I went to the TN Cemetery Records site and discovered that it doesn't have databases on all of the counties. If that's so, why not just remove the link? When I followed the instructions, it turned the link red and when I click on it, it tells me that page hasn't been created yet. VERY CONFUSING! I was able to go to Tombstone Transcription Project and find the Scott county page, so added it, instead of doing the END thing. I think I'll finish the 5 counties, doing all but J and K then ask about it tomorrow. I can always go back and finish those steps when I understand.

Worked on footnotes. Had to start over because I forgot to put URL after the ' ' Noticed something in my contributions. The time is off. It states I worked at midnight, but my clock on the computer states 6 p.m

5 Aug 2010

Talked to Joan and pointed out problems with #3. I think I'll add accessgen. link. And take away the TN site that is incomplete if I can't find a county page. She will be talking to Marilyn, so I might get different instructions.

Went back to all the TN co footnotes and improved the Handy Book citation. Didn't put the edition in italics, after checking the Source Book for the correct way to put the ed. Don't add it as part of the title. Then, took the Handy Book and added pages to all the co. matching the reference. FINISHED THEM!!! Next time, start with the first county and add World cat links to the rest of the books in each. That will take forever!!

Went to Project #3 and added access genealogy to Sequatchie co. Took away the TN link that didn't have Sequatchie co. Next time, go back to Scott co and put in access gen. (Look at Sequ. to see how I worded it.

6 Aug 2010

Started on the counties. Noticed that every county seems to be linked to Guide to Vital Statistics. So I think I'll do the same thing. Go through each of the counties and link to that book. I found it in world cat. Use this link. Copy all and replace with this. Make sure it will work for other states. No page seems to be mentioned, so maybe it will.

Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: The Tennessee Historical Records Survey (W.P.A.), 1941; "Earliest County Records," Tennessee State Library and Archives.

7 Aug 2010

Finished all the counties with the Guide...link. Listened to LDS Radio while doing so, made the time go faster. Noticed that several counties had the Robert McBride reference book. So next time I find one, copy this link. Remember to notice and change the page #.

Robert M. McBride, Tennessee County Data (Nashville, Tennessee: Tennessee States Library and Archives, 1966), 13.

AHHHHH! I just noticed that I've been working on the beta page!!!! Yet, when I try to just work on normal wiki, it automatically reverts to the Beta page!!!! I've tried different internet engines, Explorer and Firefox, and it just takes me to the Beta wiki page. I shall not do any more wiki, at home, until I notify someone of what's happening. I hope I haven't lost everything.

10 Aug 2010

I didn't mess up and go to beta. It didn't say beta in the URL box, so I was safe, even though it said beta on the home page. If I click any of the tabs on the home page, it will take me into beta. Marilyn showed me what she meant by clicking end. I add the county name at the end of the link. (J and K) Started in Smith + 5 counties and finished Smith and Stewart.

Finished up to Warren Co. It went fast.

12 Aug 2010 Finished adding all the McBride references to the TN counties. Now will go back county by county. Joan told me that she'd been instructed that we needed to aim for more consistency in what put in. I've noticed that sometimes things are refered to Wilson county and Wilson County. Which was correct? We looked up in the Source and Red Book. When a county is refered to be it's name and the word county, both are capitalized. EX. Warren County. I need to make sure that's the way we write it on the county pages.

Quite a few Mary Curtis references. Do the same thing, copy this URL

Mary Barnett Curtis, Early East Tennessee Tax Lists: a compiled list of residents of the area covered in 22 east Tennessee counties for which there is (sic) no census records prior to 1830 (Fort Worth, Texas: Arrow Printing, 1964).

Finished all the Curtis references. There were around 12. Have noticed that there are several books that are in the FHL but no FHL reference, like Handy Book and Carter Co, Guide Book. Should I include the FHL? If so, I need to ask Dilts how to do that. Tried it, but was kind of confused. NEXT TIME: Start checking Chester Co. for World Cat books.

Did two counties for the Advanced class. Start on Weakley next time.

I need to add FHL links to Handy book and others in the FHL. To do this I edit the footnote and add [] That adds a FHL link to the page. It has to be done a special way because they're changing the catalogue links. Cooke co. won't accept the FHL on the county page, even though it's in the footnote template. And Carter Co. keeps wiping out the footnote reference at the end of the page when I add the FHL link. I need to show David Dilts. Next time, go to Anderson Co and copy the link info for Handy Book there. Dilts did that one. He wants me to add the 10th ed. as part of the title. Use it for all the others. Make sure I check the page numbers.

19 Aug 2010

Nathan asked me not to work in Tennesee, so there wouldn't be problems during the conference. Dilts wasn't in to get another assignment, so talked with Joan. She told me to do cemeteries in Kentucky, but I think they are all done, even though the project list isn't filled out. I randomly picked counties, about every 3rd or 5th. So Joan told me to start in Illinois. I started at the end and moved my way up to and finishing Union Co. I need to ask Marilyn to make a project list for Illinois cemeteries. It's raining cats and dogs outside. Sure hope it stops before 4:00, as that's when we're leaving and we didn't bring coats or umbrellas. Next Time, Check with Dilts about his project for me, and tell him about the problems that happened on Aug. 12. Keep working in Ill. for the advanced class.

25 Aug 2010

Talked with Nathan abt Tenn. He has a special template he's working on for the cemeteries. I need to check with Marilyn and show her Anderson, Tenn as a sample. Meanwhile, I shall delete all the random acts of kindness links in Ill. They are changing that to a nice little box.

Talked with Marilyn and told her I was taking off the random acts of kindness sentence. We decided I'd put Done in the box, as I do this to each county. I'm also changing an ending comma to a period and adding a period after the word county so it is consistent. It looks like most of the counties in Illinois have been linked, but they still have the random acts sentence on them.

9 Sept 2010

Finished taking all the random acts off of the Illinois counties and added Done to the project list. Then noticed that I'd forgotten to fix the punctuation while I was in each county. So with a silent scream in my heart, I started over and went into today's counties and changed the punctuation. It's now done. For next time, I'll talk with Marilyn and see where she wants me to go, then I'll go back into Tenn. now the conference is over, and continue linking to World Cat for Dilts.

13 Sept 2010

Inserting World Cat links into Tenn. Noticed lots of WPA references, found the link on WC and went county by county to add it. I had a hard time at first because I forgot how to do it. Luckily I wrote it down. Finally able to remember what I'd done.

I've been trying to add a wc link to #7 in Bledsoe co. But when I finish and save the page, it wipes out the #7 reference altogether. I went to history and selected undo, brought the page back to normal. Tried again, 2 different times, but it keeps doing the same thing. Will have to ask and find out why. Tried other counties, same thing. This link is causing the problem:

http://www.worldcat.org/title/british-aliens-in-the-united-states-during-the-war-of-1812/oclc/5711802

30 Sept 2010

Somehow I lost a bunch of writings. Oh, Well. I'm doing the Civil War Project with Marilyn. Chose Minnesota. Have 2 questions: When an article mentions muster times for diff companies, do we need that? How do I figure out length of service? approx years, months, months and days? I finished adding all the muster info but not length of service.

Tried to reload the Bledsoe Co, British and Aliens back in. Still wiped out the whole footnote, so had to undo. Decided that instead of checking all the rest of the Tenn. references for World Cat Books, which is very complicated and sometimes I can't tell, I went into Illinois and started doing Handy Book links to World Cat. Next time start in Jersey County.

Oct 7, 2010

It's back to Tennessee!! David Dilts told me they have redone the footnote for the Handybook. An update. He made me a template in Adams Co. Illinois. Use it. Make sure I include a page # if there is one. Takes the link off the title and puts it at the end so users don't think it's linking to an online version of the book. He also taught me how to link to the FHL so the link will still work after the beta change. Instead of coping the whole URL, just copy the title number. write out the word item. I'll need to use that when I work in the Civil War Regiment links to FHL. Right now I'm going back to Tenn. and redo all the Handybooks. So here goes........

Tennessee has page numbers and I'm not sure where the number goes, before the links or at the end. I'll work on Tennessee next week, after asking David's advice. Don't want to do back and redo. Today I'll keep working on Illinois. No page numbers.