Wednesday, November 2, 2016

A Look at RootsMagic WebHints for Rebecca (Spangler) Carringer

I wrote Comparing Search Results on Four Record Providers from FamilySearch Profile Page on 31 October.

Another way for RootsMagic genealogy software users to search some of the record providers is through WebHints.  When activated in RootsMagic, assuming that the user has a subscription to FamilySearch, Findmypast and MyHeritage, each person on the Pedigree, Family or Descendants View screen in RootsMagic may have a "light bulb" icon next to the person's name.

1)  Here is the Family View of David Jackson Carringer and Rebecca Spangler, my 2nd great-grandparents, with Rebecca highlighted.  On the screen below, I clicked on the "light bulb" icon, and the WebHints screen appeared (at the bottom of the screen above).

Do you see the yellowish light bulb to the right of her name?  That's the WebHints icon.  If the light bulb is yellow, that means there are Pending WebHints.  If the light bulb is clear, there are WebHints but none are pending:



I have 4 WebHints for Rebecca on Family Search, 2 on Findmypast, and 1 on MyHeritage.  There are four columns - for Total, Pending, Confirmed, and Rejected.  The blue numbers provide links to the different websites.

2)  I clicked on the 4 in the Total column for FamilySearch and saw:


I had already confirmed the 1880 U.S. Census for Rebecca Carringer.  I had already Rejected the 3 WebHints for other, wrong, persons named Rebecca Spangler from the 1850, 1860 and 1860 U.S. Census records.  When I clicked on the red X on the screen above, a new browser window opened and it showed me the rejected record.

3)  I clicked on the 2 in the Pending column for Findmypast, and a new window opened on my browser:


The WebHints found the 1880 U.S. Census for Rebecca Carringer, and the 1850 U.S. Census for Rebecca Spangler.  Both of these are correct, and I can confirm them to my Findmypast family tree.

4)  I clicked on the 1 in the Total column for MyHeritage, and a new browser window opened and showed the WebHint:


The WebHints found the 1880 U.S. Census record for Rebecca Carringer.  I had already accepted this Hint.

5)  I closed the WebHint screen in RootsMagic, then clicked on the light bulb again, and saw:



The FamilySearch and MyHeritage rows are still on the screen and show that there are no Pending Hints, but where did the Findmypast Hints go?  Why doesn't the screen show that there are two Hints and that they are Confirmed?

6)  From the earlier post, we know that there are 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 and 1900 U.S. census records for Rebecca (Spangler) Carringer, plus a Find A Grave record, an 1885 Colorado state census record, and family tree records for birth, marriage and death.  

While there are name variants for the 1860 census (Casinger or Caringer), the 1870 census (Current), and the 1900 census (Caringer), I was surprised that the WebHints did not find them.  

I was surprised that FamilySearch and MyHeritage did not find the 1850 U.S. Census record for Rebecca Spangler.  

My guess is that the searches are performed for the Exact name.  I don't know if the search is performed for both a maiden name and a married last name.  Frankly, it should be done for both last names for females.


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