[MR] A (Probably Ridiculous) Heraldic Suggestion (fwd)

[Craig Levin]

Charles:

> Agreed! 
> 
> We already have a member database, and also the O&A.  Scanning is hard
> enough. Heaven forbid that we should re-key all that information to identify
> each scanned image!  Better to attach the scan to the existing record.  That
> way, there is NO change to a person's heraldry, just a link from the
> database to the actual picture.

Membership is not a requirement for submission. Thus, we have
lots of stuff in the Big Book of Arms (tm) that's unconnected to
a membership number. Also, if you let your membership lapse, and
then renew, you'll get a new number, but the heralds are mandated
to keep items registered until the person to whom they're
registered (or his heir) wants them out of the BBofA.
 
> Having been through the OCR wars, I didn't even suggest reading the
> hen-scratch on the form.  Instead, I thought perhaps we could stick a big,
> uniform number on one corner that would be the key to our existing records.
> 
> Of course, if the scanning effort is already well along then it's too late
> to set up OCR fields.

Pretty well. The CDs go up to the early 1990's.

> "Wow!  Leisure sure is hard work!"

Too right!

Pedro