Archive for May, 2010
Not How-to but Why-do?
Monday, May 31st, 2010Quite a few of my posts of late have been of the how-to type. This time I’m feeling a bit more philosophical, more questioning than answering. Perhaps the biggest question that exists is “Why?” Three letters and a question mark, no more, and it can be asked without any particular point or direction. Narrowing it [...]
A Brief History of Oops
Sunday, May 23rd, 2010I just had a little run in with a new kind of error while checking something for a client. The error came from an index and because of the way in which it probably appeared, that error has gotten me thinking about how the technology we use affects the errors we make and, therefore, the [...]
A Genealogist in Mathmagic Land Part 2
Monday, May 17th, 2010A couple weeks ago I posted the first part of these thoughts about genealogy and mathematics. Thinking that too much math might not feel so magic to everyone, I decided to break what I wanted to write in two. So, once again, with apologies to Donald Duck and his journey through Mathmagic Land, I thought [...]
Judging a Book by its Innards
Sunday, May 9th, 2010Years ago my grandfather ordered a few copies of a book that covered some research into his surname. After he died, my mother asked if I wanted a copy but added that the book wasn’t any good. I wondered how my mom, who is not a family historian, was able to make such a judgment. [...]
A Genealogist in Mathmagic Land
Monday, May 3rd, 2010I always loved the film Donald Duck in Mathmagic Land when I was a child. With a few vignettes, it showed how mathematics was everywhere—in music, architecture, nature, games, sports… Funny that they never mentioned genealogy. There is quiet a bit of math lurking within genealogy. Here are a few of my favorite bits of [...]