     
               TINY TAFELS and the TAFEL MATCHING SYSTEM (TMS)
                                   By Andrew Koppenhaver  1 Dec 95

Introduction:
     What is a Tiny Tafel?  How do we generate a Tiny Tafel?  What can
we do with a Tiny Tafel?  What is the Tafel Matching system?  How do
we use the Tafel Matching System?  These are some questions we plan to
explore and answer in this paper.

What is a Tiny Tafel (TT)?
     A Tiny Tafel was first suggested by Paul Andereck in Genealogical
Computing.  It is a concise listing of Surnames in a specified format
for genealogy data exchange.  A TT is a concise description of your
genealogical research interests.  It contains general information
about family lines, but it is not intended to be a source of
genealogical data. The TT provides a way to indicate if others share
your research interests. 
     COMMSOFT has developed a Tiny Tafel specification.  It provides a
compact way of describing a family database so that the information
can be scanned visually or by computer.  The August 1989 ABT-PAF
contains a copy of the Commsoft specification.
     The TT contains header lines to give the name (N), address(A) and
telephone number (T) of the person creating the TT.
     Following the N, A and T lines are other optional lines (S, B, C,
D, F, and R) giving information about the individual and/or his
system, communication Service, BBS, Communications, Diskette format,
Files format and Remarks.  This is followed by the required (Z) line
which gives the number of data lines.  The TT data lines follow which
each consist of:
     Soundex code for Surname     (4 characters)
     Space delimiter              (1 space)
     Earliest Ancestor Birth year (4 numbers YYYY)
     Ancestor interest flag       (1 character...see below)
     Latest Descendant Birth year (4 numbers YYYY)
     Descendant interest flag     (1 character...see below)
     Surname                      (variable length)
     \Ancestor Birth place        (variable length)
     /Descendant Birth place      (variable length)
     
     Interest flags consist of:    
          [space] No interest (level 0)
             .    Low interest (level 1)
             :    Moderate interest (level 2)
             *    Highest interest (level 3)

Each TT data line must be less than 80 characters long! Use
abbreviations for birth place to shorten as necessary.

The last line (required) is (W) giving the date (DD MMM YYYY) when
this TT was generated. 



How to prepare a TT.
A TT can be prepared in several ways. There are programs available to
help you generate your TT.
     1. Manually prepare a TT using a text editor.  You must know the
specification format of the TT!  Tom Douglas has a program (TTGEN201)
that can be used to edit and modify a TT.  This program also helps you
get the TT into the proper (specified) format.  TTGEN201 is in the
CPAFUG disk library, on Vol 13.
     2. Prepare a gedcom file from your PAF data using GIE, then use
GED2TT to prepare the TT from the gedcom file.  GED2TT is in the
CPAFUG disk library, on Vol 13.
     3. There now is a program available to create a TT directly from
your PAF data (PAFTT by William Geissinger).  PAFTT.ZIP is on CPAFUG
BBS, file area 3.

     We will discuss the second method (PAF data to a gedcom file -
use GED2TT to create TT from gedcom file.
GED2TT lets you describe where your gedcom file is located,and to
where you want to save the TT.
You are also prompted to enter the optional data.
The GED2TT program will ask you a few more questions after the names
have been selected from the gedcom file.  i.e.
  Which names do you want to delete?  Enter names (separated by $), or
  Do you want to delete names that were in gedcom file only once,
twice or three times?  Remember that all names in your gedcom file
(created from your PAF data) which have an associated birthdate will
be counted.  Names with no birthdate (death dates are not used) are
ignored.
  You can identify what the interest level is for any or all the
names.
  You can abbreviate state names?
  The place of birth for ancestor and descendant of names is required. 
If it was not given in the gedcom file, GED2TT will ask you to insert
a place.  Anything will be accepted - like PA,USA or just USA.
  After the TT is completed, GED2TT will tell you if any lines are
greater than 80 characters long.   Long lines must be shortened (with
your text editor, or TTGEN) before you use the TT.     


Now that we have a TT, What can we do with a TT?
     You should submit your TT to the local BBS (CPAFUG BBS).
     Submit to the TAFEL MATCHING SYSTEM (TMS).
     Other electronic bulletin board systems collecting TT's.

By collecting many different TTs, a computer can build a database
against which to compare each new submission and report any matches.  
Each TT added to the database improves the odds that you will be able
to connect with someone who has information you want.  The success of
the TT database depends on you.


What is the Tafel Matching System?
     The TMS is a national network of BBS's which are linked together
to search TT's for matches.  The TMS has three main functions:
     1. Allow the submission to, and management of TTs in, the local
TMS database.
     2. Provide an Instant Match so the local database can be searched
on line.
     3. Provide a batch search so the contents of your TT can be used
to search for matches throughout the TMS national/international
network.

A TMS User's guide, prepared by COMMSOFT, Inc., version 2, dated April
1, 1991 is available on the CPAFUG BBS as TMSUSER.ZIP, and in the
CPAFUG disk library Volume 13.

How to Use the TMS
     The first step is to log-on to a BBS.  The CPAFUG BBS main menu
looks like this:

/---------------------------------------------------------------------
MAIN:
Message Areas     File Areas         Change Setup    Goodbye (log off)
Statistics        UserList           Version of BBS  Bulletins        
Off-line reader   Tafel Match. Sys.  >System Stats   ?help            

Select: T
---------------------------------------------------------------------\

Selecting T will get you to the TMS.
The first time you log on to the TMS you will be given the opportunity
to submit a TT.  If you upload a TT, the next time you logon, the TMS
TOP MENU will look like this:

/---------------------------------------------------------------------
Commsoft Tiny-Tafel Query System V1.25
Copyright 1986, 1987 , 1990 by Commsoft, Inc.

Welcome to COMMSOFT's Tafel Matching System (TMS). There are 309
Tiny-Tafel files containing 8413 lines of data in the TMS database.
This is
access number 5863.

Tiny-Tafel file for Andrew Koppenhaver:
        Number of data lines:              59
        Date created:                      11 Nov 1991
        Date submitted:                    13 Nov 1991  5:57 PM EDT
        Users given your contact info:     92

D   Delete your Tiny-Tafel file
S   Scan your Tiny-Tafel file
M   Match query off-line.
I   Instant match.
R   Replace your Tiny-Tafel file
Q   Quit TMS and return to BB System

Enter choice (d s m i r q): 
---------------------------------------------------------------------\

     You have the capability to look at -scan- (S) the TT you
submitted, Delete (D) it, or replace (R) it.  You are allowed to have
only one TT in the system at any time.
     If you select (I) Instant match, you scan the local TTs for
information.  An example to search for Williams follows:


/-------------------------------------------------------------------
INSTANT MATCH. Search for family names in this TMS database.
Enter surname or soundex code to match: Williams
There are 47 entries with soundex code W452 in this database.
 Line Count   Surname
   1     2    WALLING
   2     1    WILENSKY
   3     1    WILLEMSE
* 37    34    WILLIAMS
  45     8    WILLIAMSON
  46     1    WILLINGHAM
ENTER Line number of desired surname, or
      A to include All lines, or
      Q to quit
Enter choice (# a q or ? for help) <37>: a
ENTER year that is of interest to you: 1800
ENTER minimum interest level to match: 0
ENTER a date (dd mmm yyyy) of your choice.
Tiny-Tafels uploaded before that date will be ignored.
15 May 1990
ENTER a number of years tolerance for the date compares: 35

Searching for W452 bracketing 1800 to within 35 years
in TTS uploaded since Tue May 15 00:00:00 1990
1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9   10   11   12   13   14  15 
LINE     USER                     DATA
0 Ralph Terry         1768 1768 WALLING\,Grayson,VA/,Grayson,VA
1 George Porterfield  1817:1817 WILLEMSE\Rossum Holland/Rossum Holland
2 John Powell         1814 1814 Williams\,London,England/, London,Eng.
3 Elizabeth Cox       1834*1882*WILLIAMS\ALABAMA/MARENGO COUNTY, AL
4 Elizabeth Cox       1834*1882*WILLIAMS\GEORGIA/MARENGO COUNTY, AL
5 Walter Vanness      1824 1824 Williams
6 Walter Vanness      1831 1831 Williams
7 John Penney         1830:1895:WILLIAMS\Wales, U.K./Fulton, MO ?
8 Barbara Stevenson   1822:1822 WILLIAMS\POSSIBLY MS/POSSIBLY MS
9 Kim Williamson      1826:1826 WILLIAMS\North Carolina/North Carolina
10 John Stephenson    1818*1818 WILLIAMS\Eastern Shore,MD/E. Shore, MD
11 Bob Shandrew    1760*1922 WILLIAMSON\Scotland/Lexington,KY/Brown,IL
12 Lewis Robertson     1800:1845 WILLIAMSON
13 Walter Anderson     1833 1872 WILLIAMSON\Bedford Co,VA/Wilson Co,KS
14 Carl Lambert        1816:1816:WILLIAMSON\PA/PA

To obtain contact data on one of the above items, enter the line
number: 14
N Carl Lambert
A 3425 Stoneybrae Drive   
A FALLS CHURCH,VA 22044,   
T 703 354-3222   
B CPAFUG.BBS/703 698 7046   
C 9600/B/X   
D 3,MS-DOS,1.4/IBM/1.4   
F PAF 2.2   
R Pre Rev War pioneers   
R Grouped on WV Indian frontier 1700s   
R Migrated to SE OH early 1800s   
---------------------------------------------------------------------\

So now you have a contact who has an interest in Williamson which may
be of interest to you too.  You need to make contact via E-mail, phone
or letter if you want to get that persons information on the name you
are interested in.


If you select (M) Match query off-line you can submit a query to be
circulated automatically to all the BBS on the TMS.  It would be done
like this:
/---------------------------------------------------------------------
These are the questions you must answer for a Match query off-line.
You may request a report containing the results of matching your query
against all Tiny-Tafels in the system. This processing occurs once per
day and a report will be available within a few days.
  You may enter up to 4 queries at this time.
  Reply Q to quit at any prompt.
  As always you may reply ? at any prompt to get additional help.
  Enter Query 1 or Q to quit.
  Enter surname or soundex code to match: K151
  ENTER year that is of interest to you: 1800
  ENTER minimum interest level to match: 0
  ENTER a date (dd mmm yyyy) of your choice.
  Tiny-Tafels uploaded before that date will be ignored.
  15 May  1991
  Enter Query 2 or Q to quit.
  Enter surname or soundex code to match: q
  Query Soundex Year        Surname             Uploaded  Interest
    ===   ====  ==== ======================== =========== ===
      1   K151  1800                          15 May 1991  0
  Is the above information correct? 
  ENTER Y to accept, or
        N to not accept, or
        Q to Quit                  Y
  ENTER a number of years tolerance for the date compares: 25
  Query logged. Thank you.
------------------------------------------------------------------\

In a few days or weeks TMS reports will come back to CPAFUG BBS. When
you log on to the BBS you will have a message that a TMS report is
waiting for you.
The report will identify which node of the TMS is reporting and give
information on the person having information on the names you are
interested in.   It will be up to you to make contact with that person
to get information you want.   Each BBS in the TMS network is given a
four letter code identified as follows. 


The four letter codes tell which node contributed the following
lines to your report.  A list of the current nodes is given below.

This report is a result of the collective effort of all participating
bulletin boards.  Be sure to pass along your appreciation on the
National Genealogy Conference.

Additional reports may come in over the next week or so.  Be sure to
check back for more possible contacts!


                            TMS NODE LIST 01/22/94
                            ----------------------
Node         BBS name                            SysOp              Phone
------------ ----------------------------------- ------------------ ------------
104/330.AAAA Root Cellar Too!!, Littleton, CO    Charles Simpkinson 303-770-3217
103/151.ABAA World Tree, Stanton, CA             David Ahia         714-827-3814
363/18.ADCA  Cornucopia TBBS, WinterPark, FL     Jim Howard         407-645-4929
114/22.ADDA  Rare Readers, Tempe, AZ             Ron Stalzer        602-756-2855
125/30.BAAA  Roots(SF!) San Francisco, CA        Brian Mavrogeorge  415-584-0697
213/742.BBAA Library Com, Reno, NV               Randal Putnam      702-785-4191
271/300.CAAA Relatively Speak', Williamsburg, VA Hershel Kreis      804-566-0219
209/720.CBAA The Gene Splicers BBS, Las Vegas NV John Le Duc        702-731-9453
105/212.CDAA Northwest Genealogy BBS Tualatin OR Gary Roth          503-692-0927
105/222.CDBA N.W. Family Hist., Oregon City, OR  Wayne Silsbee      503-657-6578
370/70.CEAA  Options Unlimited, Athens, GA       Ben Bedell         706-543-5468
112/8.CFAA   River City Roots, Jacksonville, FL  John Boots         904-384-1407
106/117.DAAA PasTracks Genealogy, La Porte, TX   Edward Hayden      713-470-8657
106/270.DBAA TRACE!, Houston, TX                 Susan King         713-862-6400
106/71.DCAA  Bayou Bend, Houston, TX             Petra Wright       713-894-0574
109/422.DFAA CPAFUG, Columbia, MD                Walter Anderson    301-989-8960
264/152.DFBA Intercity BBS, Richmond, VA         Tyronne Foy        804-353-4160
274/33.DFCA  RamsGateWest, Fredericksburg, VA    Gary T. Moore      703-898-4821
3639/16.DFDA Visions_Past and Pr. Spartanburg,SC Mike Champion      803-587-9133
3647/3.DFEA  Vangaard Keep, Sumter, SC           Derek Cosby        803-469-3184
109/465.DFFA The Relative Connection,            Chuck Haine        301-762-6813
280/9.EAAA   So of the River BBS, Overland P, KS John Schnake       913-642-7907
282/4030.EBAA Genealogy Central, Cloquet, MN     Robert Hunt        218-879-9658
159/525.FAAA Colonial Family Rsrch, Lansing, MI  Bill Korroch       517-882-0717
234/29.FBAA  Northwest Ohio Roots, Vanlue, OH    Bob Wells          419-387-7393
250/414.FCAA OGS/Kintracers, Toronto, Ont.       Ray Whidden        416-932-9781
154/501.FDAA City - Flags Genealogy, OakCreek WI John Robins-Wells  414-761-2582
124/1107.FEAA Mainframe Exchange, Dallas, TX     Doug Light         214-221-8931
124/7007.FEBA Xanadu, Grand Prairie, TX          Don Wills          214-647-8125
221/177.FFAA K-W Amateur Radio, Kitchener, Ont.  Fred Hicks         519-578-9314
108/107.FGAA The Mountain Top BBS, Cincinnati OH Gerald Ellison     513-921-5568
226/130.FHAA Genealogy Hotline!, New Albany, OH  Carol Montrose     614-855-0955
252/406.FIAA Sunset Years BBS, Victoria Harb. ON Earl Robichaud     705-534-6359
347/3.HAAA   The Idaho Root Cellar, Boise ID     Don Haacke         208-362-1441
342/67.HBAA  Zarahemla (genealogy), Onoway, AB   John McCaslin      403-967-3642
340/85.HCAA  Metchosin Central, Victoria, BC     Jessica Veinot     604-478-7678
440/50.IAAA  Roots (UK)!, Guildford, England     Mike Fisher        44-483579631
800/807.IOAB PC Media Access, Morphett, Australia Ken Richards      1-8-326-2843
285/152.NAAA Walburght, Zwijndrecht, Netherlands Bastiaan Bosman    31-78-129670
512/130.NABA Gendata, Son, Netherlands           Willem Lanfermeier 31-499077612
280/603.NAEA GensData, Alkmaar, Netherlands      Johan Robert Poot  31-72-643533
500/44.NBAA  HCC Delft 1, Delft, Netherlands     Paul Scholte       31-15-624590
500/14.NBBA  Eindhoven, Eindhoven, Netherlands   Hans van Melis     31-40-481792
292/867.NCAA Roots(B), Antwerp, Belgium          Harry Goegebeur    32-3-2268648
2405/24.NEAA Comp-Gen.Box, Darmstadt, Germany    Dieter Zwinger     496151424941
7104/7.RSAA  Diakonos, Herold, South Africa      Deon Strydom       27-441-81652

