 12 August 2009, Vol. 12, No. 8
Table of Contents
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By Joan Young Sending an Effective Bug Report to RootsWeb or Ancestry
Occasionally, you will encounter a Web page not displaying correctly at Ancestry or RootsWeb, or have problems with an e-mail (perhaps to a RootsWeb mailing list) that doesn't go through as it should. Possibly, search results don't return the responses you expect. Whatever the issue; how, where, and when to report a presumed "bug" will determine whether or not the issue can be promptly addressed and remedied. WHEN SHOULD YOU REPORT A BUG? 1) The first item to consider is whether the problem is reproducible. The Internet and e-mail can be quirky and have kinks at times. Temporary problems can make us think there is a bug in a program when, in fact, the Internet backbone or our e-mail or service provider is the source of the issue. Before reporting a bug, ensure that you are not merely experiencing a temporary issue. 2) Determine how wide-spread the problem is. Is it only one page or network (a single RootsWeb page or every page at RootsWeb), or are you unable to access any site on the Internet? The inability to connect with any Web site or send any e-mail is usually a temporary outage on the part of your service provider and not a bug in a program. 3) If you have trouble accessing a specific site, try another browser to determine whether the problem might be browser-related. Clear your browser’s cache to see if that helps and try refreshing a page that doesn't load or display properly the first time. Click the refresh button on your browser or hit the F5 key. In some cases, you may need to force a page to refresh by holding down the control key while refreshing. 4) If you can't send any e-mail, the issue is most likely on your end, but if problems exist sending to a specific address or addresses (such as subscribed RootsWeb lists) there could be a problem at RootsWeb. If you get a bounce notice after sending an e-mail, check the notice for the reason the e-mail bounced. Be sure to double-check the address to which you sent the e-mail for typos or spelling errors. Note: Occasionally, you may get a bounce when attempting to send an e-mail to a RootsWeb mailing list with the explanation that the message was blocked by SORBS. SORBS is a spam fighting tool used by RootsWeb and sometimes for a brief period of time a legitimate server at AOL, EarthLink, or elsewhere may be briefly blocked by SORBS. If you should receive a SORBS bounce, try resending your message until it goes through successfully. A SORBS block shouldn't be reported to RootsWeb as a bug. TO WHOM SHOULD YOU REPORT A BUG? Determine the source using the steps listed above before reporting a bug. If your ISP or e-mail program appears to be at fault, consult your service provider for assistance. If you are relatively certain the problem is not on your end and actually appears to be with a specific Web site or RootsWeb e-mail address, check the Help page, to see if there is an announcement regarding the issue. Please note the date of the announcement and the areas that are affected. If you encounter a legitimate error take the time to draft a proper bug report for RootsWeb's HelpDesk or Ancestry Customer Support based on the specific area giving you trouble. Rest assured that the developers at Ancestry and RootsWeb want to learn about (and fix) bugs. WHAT SHOULD YOU INCLUDE IN A BUG REPORT? Bug reports that say "I can't access RootsWeb" don't help much to clue the developers in on the issue at hand so that they can fix the problem. Be specific yet concise in your report. 1) Include information as to the operating system you use on your computer (Windows, Mac, Linux) and the version of the system. For example: Windows Vista Home Premium 64 bit. 2) If your problem relates to a Web page, include information as to the times and dates you encountered the problem, the exact URL (web site address) you were attempting to access, and the nature of the problem you encountered. Explain that the problem was repeatable. If the page displays an error report, copy the error message into your report. 3) If you already have made the usual corrective attempts such as clearing your browser cache and attempting access using a secondary browser, explain precisely what you have attempted and your results. 4) Put yourself on the receiving end of your bug report and ask yourself what information you would need to understand the problem. |
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By Mary Harrell-Sesniak How to Create Clickable Links
Sometimes Web applications allow linking, but do not produce clickable links when addresses are entered. Some of RootsWeb's free webpage users encounter this, so they use HTML, or hypertext markup language, the programming language of the Web. To create a link to WorldConnect, you would write this string: <a href="http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/">WorldConnect</a> When displayed on the web page, the HTML code isn't visible, just this clickable reference to WorldConnect. You don't need to be an HTML programmer, but it's easier if you understand how anchors, tags (formatting codes), attributes, and target URLs work.
To use this for other addresses, replace the URL and description with any of your choice! <a href="http://searches.rootsweb.ancestry.com/wap.html">World Archives Project</a> Users of RootsWeb's free web pages may find this tip useful. To request a free page, click here. For more ideas on webpages, see Maggie Stewart-Zimmerman's Free Webpage Tools. |
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Message Boards Make A Difference – 3 Examples
I would like to tell the whole world how much I appreciate several people who took time to come to my rescue. I have been looking for my son-in-law’s family for years. His father died when he was young and he does not have any information from the family. Three people answered the plea I posted on a message board and all went far beyond what I would ever have asked. They helped me find records and referred me to others who could also help. I am most grateful. Frances Muckelroy
I found a distant cousin on the RootsWeb message boards. We were looking for the same family. When we compared information on the Dobbs family we found that we were related. He lived in England and I in the United States. He first came to the U.S. for a visit and then I went to England and spent time with his family. They took me to all the places I had found for my ancestors. We found a grave marker in one churchyard as far back as 1739. We walked down the same aisle where my great grandfather and grandmother were married. I had the most wonderful time of my life. Mary Lee McCann
I live in Minnesota. For three years or more I have been trying to locate information on the wife and daughters of my great great uncle's son who was killed in a mining accident on November 4, 1887 in Maryland. His wife's name had various spellings and the only reference to her daughter, Mary Annie, was that she was living with her maternal grandparents in 1900 with another girl, named Leah. They were apparently sisters. I received a note from a very distant cousin from West Virginia, who has been working on the same family and had spotted another inquiry on a message board from a year earlier about a familiar family name from the same town in Maryland. The person who responded to that inquiry was contacted and we discovered that her husband was a direct descendant of Mary Annie and had the entire 20 page family tree of both daughters plus some photos. Without that message board inquiry and the person who graciously responded, I doubt I would ever have been able to locate the information I needed to complete the family history. Don
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Dates Are Important
When writing articles (or queries) that will be on the internet, it would be good to keep in mind that some of these things have a very long life. I have read many that had no date and no obvious way to determine when they were written. Let's all train ourselves to date whatever we create. Somebody down the road will thank us for it. Amy Martin Wilson |
Funeral Home Records Can Help
I immensely enjoyed the article on death certificates in the 11 March 2009 RootsWeb Review. I have just gone to work at a local mortuary. I've been shinnying up my own family tree for more than 30 years, so I've seen quite a number of death certificates with little or no information on them. We receive decedents from two adjoining states, so I've been learning the task of entering the information onto the official death record. Both states ask the relationship of the informant to the deceased. Only one asks where the parents were born. Name withheld |
Census Records Mystery Solved
I searched and searched for my husband’s Pombert ancestors in the census records for Kankakee County, Illinois. I knew the family was there and had been in the area for decades and yet they just didn’t show up. I decided to search by the first names of the wives Olivina (Olivine) and then Delia. And there they were. In the 1910 census Louis Pombert was listed as Louis Comber. In the 1880 census Edward Pombert is listed as Ed Pamber and in the 1900 census he is listed as Edward Pombo. It is important to not only try every spelling variation you can think of, but also sometimes search just using the first names. Bonnie Bergeron
Have a story, question, genealogy resource, or tip you'd like to share with RootsWeb Review readers? Send it to Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com. Editor's note: The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the editor or of RootsWeb.com. |
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GENEALOGY BRICKWALLS? Get Help ANCESTOR SEEKERS researchers at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City will search this vast collection of records from the United States, Canada, Germany, Italy, Ireland, England, Scotland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and other European countries. Friendly service, affordable prices. For a no-obligation research assessment visit AncestorSeekers.com. Or join us 21–26 FEBRUARY 2010 for our 14th Salt Lake City Research Trip – the dream genealogy vacation! Don't miss the Salt Lake Family History Expo This is not your grandma’s genealogy. Family History Expos.com reveals new techniques and technology that have turned family history research into a happening activity that attracts fans from nearly every walk of life. You just can’t believe what’s happening out there and Family History Expos is dedicated to bringing you classes on the latest developments, especially those associated with the Internet and how they are connecting people all over the world and bringing families together faster than anyone could have ever imagined. The Salt Lake Family History Expo will be held at the South Towne Expo Center, 9575 South State Street, Sandy, Utah 84070. Free parking is available at the event venue. Date: Aug. 28 and 29, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. At the door registration begins at 7 a.m. on Friday and 7:30 a.m. on Saturday. Paid registrants can sign up for two days chalk-full of classes on research techniques and new technology. Register online today at www.fhexpos.com. |
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New User-contributed Databases at RootsWeb
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New/Updated Freepages by Individuals
The New Zealand History pre-1846 Database of European Contacts database now contains about 20,000 names. If you have a new or substantially revised freepage at RootsWeb and would like to see it mentioned here, send the URL, the title, and a BRIEF description, including major surnames, to Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com. If your genealogy- or history-related site is located somewhere other than RootsWeb, you can add the link to RootsWeb here. |
New/Updated Freepages by Counties, States, and Historical Societies
CAR = Children of the American Revolution U.S.A.
International
Some of these Web pages might not be accessible yet. They are created
by volunteers, so if one that interests you isn't up yet, please
check again in a few days or next week. |
New Mailing Lists
New Surname Mailing Lists New Regional Mailing Lists
New Ethnic or Special Interest Mailing Lists
To find or subscribe to a mailing list, or to search archived posts to more than 30,000 RootsWeb-hosted genealogy mailing lists, go here. |
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 This picture may have been taken near Randolph County, Alabama, possibly at a tent revival, and may have originally been a tintype. I found this picture in a collection of genealogical information I inherited when my father died. The notation on the back of the picture reads: My mother’s maiden name was Reeves and I know that her parents (Warner Lemuel Reeves and Edna [Owensby] Reeves) are also buried in Greathouse Cemetery. Greathouse is noted as a historical site by the State of Texas. Dr. Gaunt is the father in law of Robert W. Traylor who is the son of the William Traylor shown in the picture. Robert was born in 1866. Thus the picture was probably taken between 1886 and 1894. Lamar Traylor For a chance to see your ancestor's photo in the RootsWeb Review, send it to Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com. Make sure to include your name and a brief description of the photograph. |
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An Unusual Death Record
Several years ago I was searching for the death record of a woman who had died in New York City. The records were arranged alphabetically by first letter of the last name, on a monthly basis. After having gone through several months of these I finally found what I thought was the woman's death record. However, the names of her parents were all wrong. According to this her mother had the same name as the deceased. Her father seemed to have the same name as her husband. I copied the record and went over it several times. Finally I saw what happened. The woman who had filled out the form had been this woman's daughter. The form asked for father's name and mother's name. Instead of putting her mothers parents names in, she put her own parents names. Sort of new twist on "I'm my own grandpa." Thanks to Vaughn L Simon in Palm Springs, California
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Bedtime Story
I guess every family has one, but how about this for an unusual first name? Unfortunately I've been unable to trace him on either the '61 or '71 census. He is probably there but, not surprisingly, wrongly transcribed, as he was on the '51. I did find a G. Mitchell in a workhouse in a likely area, but haven't been able to follow that up yet. Thanks to Sandy Mitchell in Waverley, Nova Scotia, Canada
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A Baking Censation
I friend of mine was looking through some Alabama census records. In one woman's entry, her occupation was listed as "tart." Thanks to Ron Joullian
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Rough and Ready
Here is a unique entry from the 1860 US Census for Bell Co., Texas. One of the 12 children was called "rough & ready." Thanks to Alice Taylor
Found a funny name or humorous tidbit in old records, or an amusing entry in census, parish, church, or other records? Send these and other genealogy-related humor/humour items to Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com. |
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