Re: Genealogical evidence and data model

On Sat, 02 Feb 2008 22:00:02 -0800, Dennis Lee Bieber
<wlfraed@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in soc.genealogy.computing:

>	I believe the hypothesis is one grandchild; two people who could be
>the father, but no evidence is available to isolate to one of the two.
>All we know is that one of the two (Father A1 or Father A2) IS the
>father.

And how do you know ???

I mean even when something looks like simple, it can be something
else.

In this case, it is possible that A1 and A2 and the same guy.  It
is possible that the father is actually a mother, i.e. born out of
weblock and taking the name of her mother since the biological 
father is known.  It is possible the father is a 3rd son for which
you have not found the birth record (it was destroyed or there is
no birth record for that era), or other evidence proving he exists.

I think the problem with the data model is that you want it to fit
any possible case but there is always something else that is possible.
And then you extend your model.  So that the model is then too large
and can't be managed.


Denis

P.S.  I had recently a case where a child was adopted by an uncle.
The aunt had the same family name as the child so I presumed the
aunt was the sister of the father.  But I found later that the
biological parents had the same family name.  So I was completely
wrong before I found enough evidences to catch the truth.

-- 
    0    Denis Beauregard - 
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