CONNECTING/NON CONNECTING FILES
Have you ever recieved a piece of data, that
although it doesn't quite fit into your line..
it seems as if it "could" or "should". But
since it didn't you tossed it?
But, then regular as clockwork about 2 weeks- a month later, you
are saying to yourself "now
I know I had something on that person, where did I put it?"
Only to find out, that is the
piece that you threw away. (Fact of Genealogy: You NEVER need it
till you throw it away.)
I had always just hung onto pieces of info that "never quite
fit in" although it seemed as if they should have.
I now have a file on Non-Connecting (and this can also be a
notebook) and use it as follows:
If I receive something that seems as if it fits but there are a
few generations missing, or it sounds correct but not enough to
place in my family file.
I stick these in the Non Connecting and with some frequency I go
through it to see if anything fits yet.
You would be surprised at something that seemingly didn't fit
last week or last month now fits.
I began doing this as the result of saying way too many
times,"I had something on that, now where did I put
it?"
So now I save things JUST IN CASE.
If it still doesn't fit after a reasonable amount of time I
recheck it and it really doesn't fit after all I discard it.
I do try to make sure I have past the point on a line that the
questionable info would cover.
Maybe this isn't the best of systems but it saves loosing items
that later become useful.
Don't misunderstand I don't do all my research on floppys, or
CD's. I do also maintain a notebook of Family
sheets,pedigrees,etc. I want just one more back up if I were to
loose all on the computer.