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Why can't I type the ' on a name when indexing?

Lori Galvez
Lori Galvez ✭
December 24, 2021 in Indexing

This batch M9LN-76T, reference 177202. Has a name O'Donoghue but it doesn't let me type in the '. I would suggest it allow the ' as that is their name. It only allows it to be typed as ODonoghue. Thanks for considering this feedback.

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Answers

  • Colin Yamamoto_1
    Colin Yamamoto_1 ✭✭✭
    December 24, 2021

    Ive heard that it depends on how the owners of the batch ( such as the Courthouse, Census Center, or Hospital) wants it done.

    I personally have never come across a batch which doesnt allow an apostrophe but there have been some people here who have had the issue on other batches that they do.

    I wouldnt worry about it too much as long as the letters can be indexed and submitted.

    2
  • John Empoliti
    John Empoliti ✭✭✭✭✭
    December 24, 2021 edited December 24, 2021

    @Lori Galvez

    Just index ODonoghue instead. This is a known "issue" that has arisen during several weeks with some projects—for example, check out the conversation at the link below.

    https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/112052/cant-enter-an-apostrophe


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  • nanlwar
    nanlwar ✭✭
    January 8, 2022

    I leave a space between the O and Donoghue when it won't accept the apostrophe. Is that wrong?

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  • Marian McDonald_1
    Marian McDonald_1 ✭✭✭
    January 8, 2022

    Hi nanlwar. As @Colin Yamamoto_1 explained it really depends on what the owners of the project want and their instructions. You can find an answer, usually, in the field instructions that can be accessed when you begin a project or when you see the purple question mark at the top of the field you're about to index.

    Thank you for helping to index these records.

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  • John Empoliti
    John Empoliti ✭✭✭✭✭
    January 8, 2022 edited January 8, 2022

    I don't think it will matter. The system seems to ignore spaces in names.

    This Project: US, Missouri—County Marriages, 1806–1969 [Part O] has this apostrophe problem, and it must be a bug that the Project Managers should address. I say it's a bug because this Project also has the following instruction:

    Under the "How to Index Names" subsection of the "What to Remember About This Project" section of the Project Instructions: "When typing a name that has an apostrophe, such as "O'Connor," do not include a space before or after the apostrophe." So, the instructions want you to handle surnames with apostrophes in a specific way (the normal way) for some reason known to the data owners and Project Managers (maybe the data owner’s software). So the Project expects apostrophes. Still, the Surname field won't accept an apostrophe - a bug.

    So absent the ability to do it correctly per the instruction, index ODonoghue or O Donoghue. I believe that either will be accepted by our system and not trigger a "correction" red curvy arrow if a Reviewer changes one to the other. I.e., spaces don't count as "errors."

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