I'll second George's response. I have a little over 6,000 and they were all researched by me. You can use the GEDCOMs online as clues. If and when you add those "3 or 4 people" who are of interest to you, just be sure to source them, mark their Surety Level at a 0 or 1, and provide the name of the Family Tree or GEDCOM where you got that person's name from on the web or by email. (You will want to be able to check back sometimes.)
I do research spouses' families up and down and 3rd/4th cousins, looking for clues and always hoping that someone will be researching the line I am most interested in. But I started out with just my main relatives/ancestors, and that's a very good place to start. As you get more advanced, and want to break down more brick walls, that's when you'll start finding yourself needing to expand beyond your main lines. [And you never know when someone from one of those oddball lines will send you a photograph of one of your late relatives!] Susan On 1/12/08, George Davidson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Claire, > > > > There is nothing wrong with your thinking, everyone to their own choice as > to how many limbs you want to go out on your tree. > > > > I am one of those who have extended my 3d and 4th cousins lines past any > direct connection. I do this because I enjoy > looking up the family histories and some of these distant links have lead > back to direct line family members that I was > having trouble finding info. > > A small database is ok based on your own preferences. > > Keep on digging, > > George in Arizona > > > ________________________________ > > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of Claire Spinelli > Sent: Saturday, January 12, 2008 9:49 AM > To: LegacyUserGroup@legacyfamilytree.com > Subject: [LegacyUG] Criteria you use to add an individual to Legacy? > > > > > I often read of people who have thousands and thousands of people in their > database. Today I read of one over 100,000. I have trouble envisioning > where all these people come from J I feel like a slouch - my best branch > (paternal grandfather) only has about 400 people in it and I thought I was > doing pretty well. I add direct line ancestors, of course, their siblings, > all spouses and children involved. I also include the parents of any > spouses, though, and generally just make a note of their siblings. For > instance, the wife of my great-uncle would be included, as would her > parents, but that would be the end of her line. (I hope I'm explaining this > so it can be understood.) I read questions about downloading gedcoms found > online. Perhaps I'm not as fortunate as others, but the gedcoms I've found > have only included 3 or 4 people that would be relevant to me. In that > case, I import the gedcom into its own file, and only enter into my main > database the 3 or 4 people. To do otherwise would, to me, create useless > clutter. > > Is there something wrong with my thinking? > > Claire > > > Legacy User Group guidelines: > http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp > Archived messages: > > http://www.mail-archive.com/legacyusergroup@legacyfamilytree.com/ > Online technical support: > http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Help.asp > To unsubscribe: > http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/LegacyLists.asp > > Legacy User Group guidelines: > http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp > Archived messages: > > http://www.mail-archive.com/legacyusergroup@legacyfamilytree.com/ > Online technical support: > http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Help.asp > To unsubscribe: > http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/LegacyLists.asp Legacy User Group guidelines: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp Archived messages: http://www.mail-archive.com/legacyusergroup@legacyfamilytree.com/ Online technical support: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Help.asp To unsubscribe: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/LegacyLists.asp
