I started doing Family Search Indexing a few weeks ago. I'm still in the learning curve but I'm plodding along, about 900 records so far. I was wondering why so many names are "not on the authority list?" Most of these are recorded in clear easy to read script and are actually fairly common names. Each time of course the name must be accepted then the indexer has to return to "field help" in order to continue. My first thought is I'm doing something wrong. My second thought is that the authority list is sort of a waste of time. Type the name as it appears or if it is unreadable, blank the field and carry on. I have written to the help desk folks regarding this issue. No reply yet. Has anyone had similar experiences? Joeb

That list just has some common names mostly for spelling. Or, it will help a person..who is trying to figure out a name. Sometimes, you can make out a few letters of the name, but not all. It might be a name you arent familiar with...but if you saw it in print, you would be able to figure out what the name is.

Because something is not on that list, does not mean its not correct...you just have to accept it at the end. You are correct in saying, there are some pretty simple names left off the list. I cant figure out why...but, its no big deal. If what you see on the document..is not on the list..just accept it at the end.

Ancestry has an even larger list..and there is a gizmo that auto fills for you. It has its good and bad points..sometimes, it auto fills a name that has more letters at the end, if the name you are trying to type, isnt there. Like lets say the name was "samp" and that isnt on their list, but sampson is..it will stick the sampson in and you have to back out the additional letters. (Now that I think of it, I am not sure the FHL doesnt have the same thing, I have only been arbitrating, for the past few months, because they had a backlog).

Thanks Eleven, I'm more confident now than I was an hour ago. I'll just keep plugging away. It's sort of enjoyable actually.

Joe

Joe, dont worry about anything. 3 people see the same record before it goes in a pile so they can do whatever else it is they do with them, before they put them online.

My thoughts on keyers is..no matter how bad they are, or how many mistakes them make..they are still getting one off the pile, to be matched with someone elses and go to the arbitrator.

The FHL people are very nice..and grateful for everyones help, no matter if they make errors or not. And believe me, a lot of errors are made..it cant be helped. Nobody can read a lot of that stuff.

So..just relax and enjoy yourself. Take guesses, if you dont know what something is. A guess really helps the arbitrator...when they have to guess, too..lol

Pragmatism, it should be the 11th commandment. Thanks...