MeganN
LostCousins Member
Like Peter, I was long accustomed to finding the transcript of a record and its source citation in the same place on Ancestry. Using the Print button I could then obtain a single PDF that had both. Which I would in turn name with the same PDF filename as I gave to a JPG from a download (or screenshot) of the corresponding image if one were there. This pair of files then went into a working folder where I could return later to review that information and put it on a tree on my own computer, doing my own transcription from the image as necessary.
I developed this practice in the days when I was accessing Ancestry on their library edition, before having the luxury of a personal Ancestry subscription. That is still the case for many, especially beginners. As a volunteer at my local FHS it's all too frequent to find a newbie who excitedly wants to grab a newfound image, completely neglecting the source. Encouraging them to take home a paired JPG and PDF as above meant they had the image for later consideration, plus the source, along with Ancestry's transcription (dog's breakfast though it sometimes is) to remind them of the part of the record that's of interest.
Now that Ancestry has separated the source citation from the transcript, three files are required rather than two. For a beginner, that can be a bridge too far. I know that a "find" can be recorded on a personal Ancestry tree but you can't do that in a library edition. And notwithstanding, even if you have your own Ancestry tree, what if it's not the right record? Far better to keep it with working files rather than plop it on a tree where it may mislead (the exception being a private unsearchable Q & D tree).
Do others have opinions about this change? Am I missing something and someone can see an easy way around it? I know that most LC members aren't beginners but it's nice to help those who are to observe good practices from the outset.
I developed this practice in the days when I was accessing Ancestry on their library edition, before having the luxury of a personal Ancestry subscription. That is still the case for many, especially beginners. As a volunteer at my local FHS it's all too frequent to find a newbie who excitedly wants to grab a newfound image, completely neglecting the source. Encouraging them to take home a paired JPG and PDF as above meant they had the image for later consideration, plus the source, along with Ancestry's transcription (dog's breakfast though it sometimes is) to remind them of the part of the record that's of interest.
Now that Ancestry has separated the source citation from the transcript, three files are required rather than two. For a beginner, that can be a bridge too far. I know that a "find" can be recorded on a personal Ancestry tree but you can't do that in a library edition. And notwithstanding, even if you have your own Ancestry tree, what if it's not the right record? Far better to keep it with working files rather than plop it on a tree where it may mislead (the exception being a private unsearchable Q & D tree).
Do others have opinions about this change? Am I missing something and someone can see an easy way around it? I know that most LC members aren't beginners but it's nice to help those who are to observe good practices from the outset.