Record Submission Forms FAQ:

Q. Can I rename the file?

    A. Yes. We do not recommend it however. This system is powered by a database
       and this system knows that file is created and what the file name is. For future
       purposes we recommend that the file names remain as they are created.
           *Please note that on photos which are posted through the forms, the link to that
            file is created in the text file and emails. If you rename that file or place
            it in another directory,, you will need to make corrections in the text file
            for the new location. Also keep in mind if it goes out to a mailing list, it
            will then be a dead link.*

Q. Do I have to use the forms?

    A. No. However if someone uses the forms from another page and sends it for your county
       you will receive that file in your email account. The file is then yours you can edit it,
       rename it, etc.

Q. Do I have to put a link to the forms on all of my TOC's and do I have to use the link
   which is recommended?
    A. No to both. It is recommended that you do place a link on all of the pages because
       the more accessible the forms are, the more likely contributors will use it. You can
       create the link to the forms however you wish to create them. The address is
           http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/  It is recommended that you let the contributor know
       they can contact you directly through your email address.

Q. The forms are great but I still get a lot of files from people directly through email, how
   can I make contributors use the forms?
    A. You can not MAKE the contributors use the forms, there will always be those who
           like to send their records by email, in excel, word documents etc. We can only
           provide the link to the forms and suggest they might try them. Fortunately on
        most of the forms you can copy/paste into the content area and often, it is
       easier to do this with files from Word, etc, rather than trying to reformat
       the file.

Q. The files which are posted for my county do not appear on that county mailing list, is there
   something wrong?
    A. No. The mailing list option is totally dependant on whether the list administrator wants
           copies to be included on their list. Permission has to be obtained from the list administrator
           then it can be set up for that list. All files which do not go to a county list will appear
           on the GADATA-L@rootsweb.com mail list.

Q. What is the size limit and format of photos posted through the forms?
    A. The photos uploaded through the forms must be smaller than 300 kb and they
           must be in .gif or .jpg format. The forms will reject anything larger or in
           a different format. In those cases the submitter will need to email the file
           directly to the file manager.


Q. If the file is automatically uploaded why do I still get it sent to my email address?
    A. While the automation is working very successfully, it is not error proof. You
           get a copy of the files to ensure that should the ftp not go through for any
           reason you would have a copy of those files which you could then upload. This
           also gives you a chance to look at the files, correct any errors, make changes,
           or know whether the file is appropriate or not. If changes were needed you can
           make the changes and just reload it to the rootsweb servers. This also alerts
           you to the fact that a file has been uploaded and it would be wise to verify that
           it is in that directory. You can do this by using the link created in the text file
           if for some reason the link doesn't work, you would then need to check the directory.
           Once you're certain the files are there and you've created your links to the files
           on your toc you can then delete the email and attachment or save them if you keep
           backup files.

Q. Why do I get a text file and an image file when people submit photos?
    A. All images have to be placed in the archive_html directory. Due to this even though
           you may have a link to that photo on your TOC, rootsweb search engines do not search
           the html directory. For this reason a text file should be in the ftp directory for
           any relating photo images so that they can be found by the search engines.

          
Q. I received a photo image of a headstone but it's not in my archive_html/county/photos/ folder,
   where is it?
    A. Tombstone photos have been set up to go to a subdirectory and the image would be uploaded to
           archive_html/county/photos/tombstones/
           the text would be uploaded to archive_ftp/county/photos/tombstones/

Q. I have a contributor who wants to post a Jury List yet on the courts page it asks for a single name,
   where can he post this?
    A. We try to have forms to cover most record types but it's not always possible. There are two
           options available. The court form asks for two names but it doesn't care what they are so the
           submitter can enter "Jury" as first name and List as 2nd name.
           The other option is to use the History form which is set up in such a way to take most documents.
           Those files will come to you as ms files and you'll need to check those to discover
           exactly what kind of record it is and where it needs to be posted. Keep in mind, with auto upload
           if you move the file, you will need to correct all the links.

Q. I received a cemetery file which has "partial more to come" and only had a few names on it, what do I do?
    A. The cemetery, census and marriage book forms are different in that they allow the user the chance
           to stop and come back in later to add more or finish up. If you use auto upload for your county
           the file will be automatically uploaded and when you get another post for that record with more
           information just change the link on your toc to reflect the new file you may want to reflect (partial)
           on your toc until you receive the file listed as "no more to come", you can then delete the
           old file from the ftp folders. If you do not use auto upload you can just hold the file until
           you receive the final "no more to come" file. If you do that, please let the contributor
           know that you will be waiting to post it when it is completed.
      
Q. I received a file which was just a name and single date, what do I do?
     A. The archives are for "transcribed" records, except in the case of headstones which may not
           have more than one name and date. You as the archives manager can contact the person who
           submitted the file and ask them if they could give you more information for the file. There
           will be times when you need to use your own judgement on which files are simply not appropriate
           and at these times you'll need to try and work with the contributor for a solution.

Q.  I just got an e-mail about a posting and can't locate it in the directory. How can I find it?
    A. Look at the heading created --- it will say example:
           Johnson County GaArchives History .....Pension Records from CSA September 13 1901
       Even though the person should have used the Military form, they chose the History form instead.
       This is a case where you may want to move it from "history"
           to johnson/military/civilwar/pensions/  and correct the links.

Q. Someone posted a cemetery/marriage book/census record to the forms and chose "partial more to come", now
   they tell me they can not get back in to add more, what happened?
    A. When they submit the record as partial more to come, to restart the record they will have
           to enter the exact name, email address and title as they entered it the first time.
           You can get this information from the previous file posted and send the information to
           them. If they still can not get in, send an email to Debra or David Crosby and they will
           try to find a solution.
Q. Someone started a census record and entered "partial more to come", they went back in and restarted the
     census but while working on it got the message that they had to complete the survey, though they had
     much more to add,, what happened?
    A. The census form is set for a total of 325 lines and it will warn them at 300 that they need to complete the
         cemetery. This is done so that the cemeteries are not added all as one enormous file but to keep them manageable.
         They simply submit the census as complete, no more to come. Then start it again as a new census and
         continue adding to that one where they left off of the previous one.



If you have other questions, comments, or suggestions please contact  Debra or David Crosby