History Books Data Mining (Was: La Antorcha Encendida)

["v.h.villarreal" <raices_regias@...>]

Joseph,

I've thought of something similar but instead of getting a group
together to simply comment about or review a history book, which is
very good, to take it one step further and together create a
searchable database with all the data of genealogical relevance.

Something similar to what we were doing with "The Colotlán Census"
from the Archivos Españoles where each team member gets assigned a
chapter or section of a book and as he/she is reading it enters the
who, when, where and what data into a previously agreed form.

When everybody gets their part done it would be a simple task to
concatenate all the parts into a single searchable database. Then we'd
select another book and do the same and so on.

The other part of the idea is to have a user interface that you can
access online where one would select a book's title from the database
and then be able to search for a person's name and get a list of all
the instances that the name appears and the associated events to it.
You would also be able to filter by dates and read all the persons
included in a selected period, some sort of timeline.

With an application like that we would not only learn about history
but we'd be accumulating data to be mined later with ease for our
genealogical purposes. I don't think any copyrights would be infringed
by extracting the "data" this way out of a book.

Of course there would have to be some criteria for the book's
selection process. We would have a list of "candidate" books and then
by consensus make a selection or maybe there could be several teams
working on their own selected book projects. "Sumaria Relación" is a
book that should be in such a list as well as many other history books
from colonial times. What do you think? I have already toyed around
with a possible database structure.

Victor


--- In ranchos@yahoogroups.com, Joseph Puentes <makas@n...> wrote:
> 
> Alicia Carrillo wrote:
> 
> > Victor and Ed,
> >  
> > The reason I chose to use this quote is because the topic was on 
> > historical novelas and or movies. My recollection was that in times 
> > past many movies and novelas were created with this thematic matter. 
> > It is not that I agree or disagree with it, my opinion is not of 
> > any relevance as it is not well informed either way. The two of you 
> > appear to have much better information and anecdotal data than I
do. I 
> > appreciate your inputs and comments and for my part enjoy when two 
> > diverging views are presented with facts or data to represent each 
> > point of view.
> >  
> > Please continue to enlighten us when ever possible. Since joining
this 
> > group I have been reading as much as possible on the history of
Mexico 
> > at different time periods.
> >  
> > That might be something we could do as a group, provide more names of 
> > books and texts that each of us feels would be enlightening to the 
> > group as it relates to our research. You know what they say, 
> > several people might read the same material and come away with 
> > differing opinions. I would love to belong to a Latino/Mexican 
> > literary group so that we could hold open discussions. I guess I am 
> > dreaming but if you don't have dreams you are not truly living.
> 
> dreams come through with action. here is how you do it. get together 
> with those Rancho Members right in your area and pick a book to read or 
> and get together quarterly to review the book. put a notice up in the 
> family history center you attend and the others in the SF bay area (you 
> could mail them to the others unless you want to make a visit).
> 
> just an idea.
> 
> joseph
> 
> >  
> > Take care,