Maureen Reed has compiled some "tips" for converting various formats into text. Go to the TIPS Page.

FTP Site:

NOTE: USGenWeb Archives file managers (archivists) will use the two directories:

archives_html - for images, graphics, scanned documents, tocs (tables of content), zipped files
archives_ftp - for the actual text files

1. Include a HEADER/HEADLINE on the FIRST line of every text file, describing the file. For example:
LUNENBURG COUNTY, VIRGINIA - 1850 U.S. CENSUS
The search engine returns the "header" and this will help researchers navigate and browse the files of their choice.

1a. Use lowercase (i.e. no CAPS) alphanumeric characters only. Spell out county name without the word county, no special characters, and no spaces (e.g. harrison, princegeorges).

- Directories/folders/file categories. These should be one word and should not contain any non-alphanumeric characters nor spaces. (e.g. wills, marriages).
- File names. Use names that are descriptive of the document contents and all lower case alphanumeric characters. Use dashes to separate words in a file name, never use underlines (e.g. smith01.txt, agassi-graf.txt).

1b. Upload non-text files as binary. Never upload a text file as "binary."

1c. Include the submitter/submitters' name and e-mail address unless they request it not be included.

2. Do not create sub-directories unless there is a file to be located there.

3. Under county, use subdirectories established by USGenWeb Archives (e.g. wills, deeds, vitals, census, misc). For example:
usgenweb/ma/berkshire/wills/[filename].

Acceptable sub-directories include:

/bibles/
/bios/
/cemeteries/
/census/

/year/

/churches/
/court/  (this also includes immigration/declarations of intent)
/deeds/
/history/

/books/
/letters/
/other/
/schools/

/military/

/civilwar/

/letters/
/pensions/
/other>

/revwar/

/letters/
/pensions/
/other>

/warof1812/
/ww1/
/ww2/

/letters/
/pensions/
/other>

/newspapers/
/obits/

/a/
/b/
/c/


/photos/

/tombstones/

/cemeteryname/

/taxlists/
/vitals/

/births/
/deaths/
/marriages/
/other/   (social security, etc)

/wills/

4. For states where towns are political entities, a sub-directory may be used under the county directory. For example, usgenweb/ct/tolland/towns/mansfield/wills. In states where cities are independent, a sub-directory can be created. For example, usgenweb/va/jamestown/census.

5. No GEDCOMs, Family Group Sheets, or other genealogy program reports.

6. The USGenWeb Archives are not a replacement for state and/or county websites (XXGenWeb). Therefore, links to files on other sites are not to be placed on the state tocs of the Archives. Linking to files other than those located in the USGenWeb Archives should be placed on the appropriate state or county website.

File Names:

1. Within a given directory, all filenames must be unique.

2. File names should not contain more than 16 (sixteen) characters. (e.g. cens1900ed5pg01a.txt). Remember to always use lower case.

3. Suggestions for naming files:

• a. Since the files will be located in sub-sub-directories under each county sub-directory, the first characters should be descriptive, such as "1880cens.txt". If the file contains information on several surnames, use standard abbreviations such as will, deed, vita, cens, chur, bapt. Use freestyle abbreviations when appropriate.
• b. The three characters at the end may be .txt indicating text, .zip indicating zipped file, etc. Zipped files should also be available uncompressed. NOTE: Put zipped files in the archive_html directory, not in the archive_ftp directory.

  Examples of file names

  usgenweb/tn/lincoln/history/books/pion001.txt
  (publications) Lincoln Co TN Pioneers, volume 1

  usgenweb/tn/lincoln/churches/bethel.txt
  (church records) Bethel Church records
  

  usgenweb/ky/pulaski/cemeteries/nancy.txt
  (cemetery records) Cemeteries of Nancy, Pulaski Co KY
  

  usgenweb/sd/jerauld/obits/alverson25gob.txt
  Alverson obituary from Jerauld C SD, file #4.

State archive file managers must follow the rules established for the USGenWeb Archives. The archive committee will have "owner" access to all state directories.

BACK UP your FILES! We have backups of the files, too.

After you add a data file, update the state table of contents page (toc), which is stored on the web side in HTML format so that visitors can click and download the file of their choice, if they choose not to search the ftp site. There should be some type of communication between the Archive file managers and the XXGenWeb state and county coordinators for announcements of newly uploaded files. County coordinators should be familiar with their county's directory of the USGenWeb Archives:
http://files.usgwarchives.net/ss/cccccc

Never upload a file without a submitter's permission.

All state table of contents pages will remain at usgwarchives.net and linked from the US table of contents. - www.usgwarchives.net/xx/xxfiles.htm

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