unclear instructions for City Directors
- Do not index occupations or business information with the principal's information.
- Some business names are listed with the entries in the residential listing. Please do not index them or any advertisements that include individual names.
So do they mean not to index the people within the organization or do they mean not to index the name of the organization?
Best Answer
-
The second instruction contradicts this:
Index each unique name. Some names may be duplicated. When names are exact duplicates, meaning that all required fields are the same, index only the first instance of the name listed. Skip the other exact duplicates and then index the next unique name. Unique names include names with different middle initials and different name spellings or where the other required fields are different.
I'm wondering the same as you. If we follow the second instruction, we are not supposed to index the names, but the third one says to index each unique name like Helen V. Stevens.
0
Answers
-
I know we don't index individuals within the company in advertisements (as per the second example) but in the listings I've been keeping them in if they're another person in the company. However, if a person's name is in the actual name of the company, I don't because that's the name of the company, not an individual. (as in Geo. Thomas & Sons Solicitors or H. Smith's Mercantile).
0 -
I agree with SherryGrabill. The instructions for this project are some what confusing and have become even more confusing as some of the new instructions have been added!
I am now following barbaragailsmith1 in my indexing method, but am by no means certain that I am correct.
😊
I am planning on calling the help line this afternoon to see what their interpretation of this set of instructions is like.
0 -
This instruction about not indexing names in business entries was added to Part B. Part A of the city directories had an example where the person was indexed; that example is now removed. I am taking it to mean just that--even when names are listed for the business (pres, v pres, etc.) that we don't index them. All of the people _will_ be indexed when they occur in alphabetical order, whether on the same batch or not--that's where they should be indexed.
0 -
SherryGrabill, Ok, I just got off the Family Search indexing help line. The advise that I was given:
If the name in the listing ends with the same last name as the listing I am dealing with, such as Goodrich Meat Co. (Everett R and Steph P Goodrich) I would not index those two, Everett and Steph, as they will be in the standard listing. If however the name would not necessarily be in the listing I am working on it should be Indexed. The example referred to was Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Joseph H Weiner Branch Mgr. In this case I was advised to index Joseph.
Does this help?🙂
0 -
Thank you all for your input and interpretation:
This might help clear up some of the questions we all had
- Index all residential directories.
Of course this was in the section: "What to Index" separate from "What to Look for while indexing" which is where we all probably were looking.
By indexing all residential directories, we should be picking up the names in the business listing when their name appears alphabetically for the residential people.
Larry: So while FS said to index the name of the manager, actually that name would not be indexed because it is not residential.
Examples showing these types of scenarios need to be updated but that will probably not happen for a while.
0 -
Clarity: We should not be indexing the names in the business listing as we would be indexing them if they appear in the residential alphabetical listing.
0 -
Another thing to be aware of is now the change in spousal information....I have found this portion is not being followed....
- A spouse's name, if listed, may have been recorded in parentheses after the name of the principal individual. The surname should be indexed for both individuals.
- If a spouse is listed as deceased by the words "wid" or "widow of," do not index the spouse.
I end up doing more indexing than reviewing...I know I should probably send it back but we may never get through this project!
0 -
Thank you for checking @LarryClark43. They should update the instructions with that information.
0 -
So, do not index any names within the name directory related to a business like:
- betty Jones, clerk, John Jones and company
- Betty Jones, clerk, Harts Bread Company, Bill Clark, president
Is this correct?
0 -
Smyth MJ;
You are correct. John Jones would be indexed later in the listing.
Additionally, Bill Clark would be listed on the pages of Clark.
Indexing each unique name is for Residential directory. Previously we had indexed everything...This time we are specific to residential names. Also note, we are not indexing the widow name as previously done in the past. And we are also indexing the surname of the spouse in the parenthesis that we didn't do in the past. A lot has changed, but if we keep in mind that we are looking to index Residential, this might help in our efforts.
2 -
@Smyth Mj: Your answer does clear up many questions I had, thank you. But I have seen the following entry more than once where the individuals name in the business was NOT listed on the associated page for the surname.
In this case I feel that "John Q Jones", would need to be indexed as it would meet the "unique name" criteria. And as stated before, "Bill Clark" would not be indexed as that would be in the 'Clark' page listing.
0 -
John Q Jones will not be indexed, since it would be in your batch.
0 -
I think the rule is, as explained by Sherry, that we wouldn't index John Q Jones because he'll be indexed elsewhere in the listing just as Bill Clark will, not necessarily in your batch. "Do not index occupations or business information with the principal's information." And "Some business names are listed with the entries in the residential listing. Please do not index them or any advertisements that include individual names." Officers within the company (besides the primary listed as the resident) are business information. Their names will be indexed alphabetically elsewhere in the listing.
"Index each unique name. Some names may be duplicated. When names are exact duplicates, meaning that all required fields are the same, index only the first instance of the name listed." This is simply saying that we don't repeat the same names.
1 -
I agree with advice given from Family Search to LarryClark43
example below: If I am looking for information on my relative "Henri J Ramseyer," sure, his info may come up in the residential listing later in the book as "Ramseyer, Henri J, hotel manager." Maybe they actually do list the name of the hotel with him but, maybe they won't. As a person researching my family, if there was another listing that has more information, like the name of the hotel included in the picture below, I'd like his name listed so I can find that reference. I'd be able to find out that only he was a hotel manager in the alphabetical directory part but I'd be able to find out that he actually worked at "The Courthouse Hotel" because someone made sure to index his name when they came to the hotel's name. We aren't listing their jobs, that is for the family to research, but we should list the names so the descendants can find the ancestor and their job, if possible.
Also, I can see why they said not to list those business listings with the name in the listing (ie "Goodrich Meat Co. (Everett R and Steph P Goodrich) I would not index those two, Everett and Steph, as they will be in the standard listing." Even if the other person is say, Everett R Robbins, we can assume that whatever information given in the Goodrich section will also be given in Robbins so not necessary to add Robbins.
0 -
Instructions state:
- Do not index occupations or business information with the principal's information.
- Some business names are listed with the entries in the residential listing. Please do not index them or any advertisements that include individual names.
If that name does not appear in the listing on the page you are working, it may appear in another section with that particular name. Also to consider, maybe that person does not reside in the city in which we are indexing. Maybe he/she is in the next town over...
I am afraid if I call FS for assistance, we could get another answer...no different than what we are coming up with in the communication.
1 -
It used to be we could contact Support and ask for the issue to be escalated, and it would go to the project manager or someone to get a correct and authoritative answer. We can't do that anymore. The reason different people get different answers from Support is because some Support missionaries are very new, some aren't very experienced in indexing or indexed the project asked about, and some read the instructions a certain way and others another. That's why I'll go by the written instructions, and I read them the way Sherry does. (I've changed how I'm doing them a bit.) I think it clearly says not to index names contained in the business information, whether ads or in a business listed in the directory.
1 -
All my indexing/reviewing colleagues:
I just finished a call with FS support regarding this increasingly questionable process. The verdict is in: FamilySearch wants this to be as simple as possible so we are only indexing residents-residential compared to the previous directory records that indexed everyone including advertisements, businesses, etc.
Only index those persons listed as a resident. This includes spouses, listed in parenthesis, and may include some children although I have not seen any of these yet.
DO NOT INDEX companies and any officers within that company even though their names may be in the same alphabetical name you are indexing. They would be listed in the current listing somewhere on the page, or a different page depending on the name, or may not have been a resident of that community you are indexing.
I asked for a sample of the above to show what would not be indexed for clarity, but was told FS would not show that kind of example. I did explain we had a previous communication from FS with different information, and since there seemed to be quite a lot of questions around this, the manager of the project explained to everyone the process (as seen in the 2nd & 3rd paragraph above).
Hopefully we can now go forward with more confidence (and speed) with getting this project completed as there are more coming. Thank you all for your imput and passion and diligence making records accurate.
3 -
Thank you so much, Sherry!
1
