The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

Adam Brown · Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2011 10:30 pm Post subject:

Just looking at the example given of what they'd do for their record-linkage.

http://www.scottishpoliticalarchive.org.uk/wb/pages/abercromby.php?searchresult=1&sstring=abercromby#wb_36

Can they use the BMD images like that?

Adam

kinnethmont · Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1649 Location: Aberdeenshire

David McNay · Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 8:08 am Post subject:

The 1911 census page they use states at the top that it is for personal use only. I suppose their use is non-commercial, but is that allowed? I didn't think it was.

kinnethmont · Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1649 Location: Aberdeenshire

I would expect personal to mean use by an individual for their own private, not public display use, as here. Is this not an organisation?
Ask GROS.
_________________
Jim

If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

www.kinnethmont.co.uk

apanderson · Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 10:26 am Post subject:

From Scotland's People:

"PERMITTED USE

Birth, Death, Marriage and Census records/Wills and Testaments/LogoVisitors to this website are granted permission to access this material, to download and copy such material on to electronic, magnetic, optical or similar storage media and to make printed copies of any such downloaded material, provided that such activities and copies are for non-commercial private study and research only.

RESTRICTED USE

Birth, Death, Marriage and Census records

Visitors to this website may not copy, distribute, sell or publish any of the Crown copyright material downloaded or copies from this website. For the avoidance of doubt, no permission is given for the transfer of any of this material to an open internet site. Such use of the material requires the formal permission of the Queen's Printer for Scotland. "

spoons · Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 10:37 am Post subject:

This thread is certainly the first I have heard of this. I would think that the hard core of war memorials researchers and documenters are here so where are the new kids on the block going to get their manpower? Our lack of formal organisation and charity status certainly does not help us get the instant recognition we should have. Also the words project and forum no longer fully describe what we are which is really an online database although in an unconventional form of a forum.

I wish them luck and would always resist conflicts with well minded people but I wonder if their efforts could not be better directed to an area which complements existing projects rather than (apparently) duplicating them.

\Paul

dhubthaigh · Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 10:58 am Post subject:

I don't think there is any suggestion that anyone wants conflict with those of the LSF project just surprise at the way they have went about their business. I would be astonished if they could complete their project by 2018. As has been discussed previously, if we can obtain consensus and take the SWMP to 'another level' lets go forward and try and achieve this.

spoons · Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 11:05 am Post subject:

When I used the word conflict, I had in mind what happened with the war graves photographic project (not sure of the exact name). I certainly hope all concerned will try and avoid anything like that.

\Paul

dhubthaigh · Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 11:12 am Post subject:

Adam Brown · Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 10:54 pm Post subject:

The use of the BMD images and their very poor attempt at a search on the UKNIWM, along with the fact they think we are a discussion forum, and have not mentioned gravestones as a source of memorialisation all leads to to suspect they have not really done very much background work on this project before launching into it.

For the record I did the same search they did on the UKNIWM. They came up with 93 entries. Mine was, well I'll just paste what came up...

"Your search for memorials located in "Scotland" (country) returned 2791 results."

Only 2,700 out!

(Still over 1,000 fewer than us.)

kinnethmont · Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1649 Location: Aberdeenshire

David McNay · Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2011 8:23 am Post subject:

We might use the format of a discussion forum, but we are very much more than that.

BJL · Joined: 03 Nov 2008 Posts: 10

I hope you don’t mind commenting as I’m not an active member, but I read this with interest as the whole scenario is somewhat familiar to me since I’m also involved in an “amateur” history project. I use “amateur” solely in the sense that the projects are self-funded, and not associated with any official bodies. I think everything you do goes far beyond that designation and you have created a brilliant resource that I use regularly and am very grateful for. However I don’t think the “professionals” in the “official groups” have the same perception and are somewhat blinded by a feeling that academia knows best. I find the almost deliberate ignorance from official projects on what is already available a big area of concern. This makes me wary that the fruits of your voluntary work will be used to give the official project a substantial leg-up without any real acknowledgement, but maybe that’s just me being cynical.

Also, it appears their funding is £5500
http://www.externalrelations.stir.ac.uk/publication/stirling-now/articles/2011/07/ResearchJuly2011.php

Lindsay

Jim · Joined: 30 May 2008 Posts: 195

The £5.5k is for the one year pilot project. That sum wouldn't pay the coffee bill for a 7 year project.

dhubthaigh · Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2011 10:57 am Post subject:

5.5 k is a tidy sum for the pilot with more to come as the project progresses?
I appreciate things are never as easy but in hindsight perhaps we should have taken the project forward as had been discussed. I fear we've missed an opportunity here.