I have come into this discussion late and it as far as the people who posted are concerned it may be done and dusted.
I have read what has been said and it is implied that compromise is necessary because the powers to be at Family Tree Maker are either overworked or can’t be bothered (maybe both) fixing (in many cases) the root of the problem; updating the “Place Names Authority”.
If some of the examples given by the people posting are followed, users will end up with a very messy and inconsistent places data.
A place is either:
i. A place approved and gazetted given validity by the relevant government authority,
ii. A place that did exist in times past but does so no longer for a number of reasons; it was renamed, it became a ghost town and was removed from the official record by the relevant government authority, etc.,
iii. A place that someone without any official sanction decided to name for some reason or other.
I refuse to split a place name into two when it is a valid and gazetted place. I will not have an option for “ii” and “iii” above, and will split the place name and provide explanation in the description field. Splitting the place name works where there is the name of a cemetery, church, hospital, etc. preceding a approved and gazetted place.
An example and this really exasperates me is, North Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. This is a place that was gazetted in the 1830’s and included in the City of Adelaide’s original survey by Colonel William Light, but it is not in the Place Name Authority. I reported this to FTM years ago and it is still not corrected.
I suggest, as I have done, that the names that are in your tree that fall into “i” above be forwarded to Family Tree Maker via this link http://ancestry.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_er4cyPjj5BJKIZf so that they can be added to the Place Name Authority. Keep onto them until they confirm they have updated the Place Name Authority.
I have read what has been said and it is implied that compromise is necessary because the powers to be at Family Tree Maker are either overworked or can’t be bothered (maybe both) fixing (in many cases) the root of the problem; updating the “Place Names Authority”.
If some of the examples given by the people posting are followed, users will end up with a very messy and inconsistent places data.
A place is either:
i. A place approved and gazetted given validity by the relevant government authority,
ii. A place that did exist in times past but does so no longer for a number of reasons; it was renamed, it became a ghost town and was removed from the official record by the relevant government authority, etc.,
iii. A place that someone without any official sanction decided to name for some reason or other.
I refuse to split a place name into two when it is a valid and gazetted place. I will not have an option for “ii” and “iii” above, and will split the place name and provide explanation in the description field. Splitting the place name works where there is the name of a cemetery, church, hospital, etc. preceding a approved and gazetted place.
An example and this really exasperates me is, North Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. This is a place that was gazetted in the 1830’s and included in the City of Adelaide’s original survey by Colonel William Light, but it is not in the Place Name Authority. I reported this to FTM years ago and it is still not corrected.
I suggest, as I have done, that the names that are in your tree that fall into “i” above be forwarded to Family Tree Maker via this link http://ancestry.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_er4cyPjj5BJKIZf so that they can be added to the Place Name Authority. Keep onto them until they confirm they have updated the Place Name Authority.