For Research Too Much Information? HOW Research Gnomes Work

[Guest Rick Research]

Having been offline for over 3 years, perhaps some background for our newer members is in order as to HOW Research Gnomes CAN identify medal bars, photographs etc from nothing but the object itself.

We occasionally may seem to go on and on (when what is wanted is just the cut-to-the-chase "answer") but there are several reasons WHY we go to such details--

1) It is NOT an easy process, and often involves a huge amount of our time and Trans-Atlantic cooperation. That must always be made clear. If we were getting paid "billable hours" (insane laughter, subterranean organ music, thunder and lightning and the howling of wolves in the dark....) NO ONE COULD AFFORD US. It often takes just as huge amounts of time with NO results as it can to get an answer.

2) Identifying anonymous "Original People" is NOT magic--it is a systematic and frankly tedious forensic process that we TRY to explain so that people may understand why it works sometimes and not other times. There is NO "single source," and many times we find errors IN original sources!

3) There is an appalling amount of disinformation and male-cow excrement Out There, particularly from dealers. "This and this is rare" or "must have been a high ranking diplomat or... obviously an aviator." We back up what our documentation is, period. Anyone who does not or can not ... cannot be relied upon without verification!

4) Success depends upon SOURCES. We have, collectively, the most massively accumulated libraries and data Out There. But there remain far too many data voids, lost Rolls, sources not yet transcribed, et cetera. We have to HAVE what is needed to get results.

5) Non-officers are virtually impossible to identify in most cases. All of us (and there are not enough of us, nor enough years in human lifespans) have been concentrating on MILITARY recipients of awards. NCOs and enlisted men are all but impossible to research, with rare exceptions. Civilians COULD be--if somebody was to sit there for years transcribing every entry in the Orders Almanac and every Court and State Handbook that the Imperial German federal states produced. Reserve and Landwehr/Seewehr officers provide cross-overs between the military and civilian sources and so may be identified with the right combinations of factors mentioned.

There are a few other things to bear in mind:

6) None of us "have" to DO any of this. We like to. It amuses and satisfies us in ways only fellow Research Gnomes can perhaps fully understand... BUT... we do not HAVE to do this.

7) It is a joy to help out fellow GMIC collectors. We refuse to do research for anyone simply profiteering off us. There is a One Strike agreement: if your bar/photo immediately turns up on eCrap (etc) putting unearned money in your pocket--you are BANNED from future research efforts. The internet is a tiny place. You will be caught. And there are no other "us" to run to for your next con-job.

8) I will not identify groups in the possession of unknown third parties. Ever. Our efforts here are for active, nice GMIC members, not eBay sellers. Don't ask for IDs of items being sold elsewhere or that have been sold elsewhere to God-knows-who. We do this for YOU, not "somebody." Let THEM come and actively play nicely with others HERE.

9) We expect nice scans. I can speak for a number of my colleagues to say that we loathe slap-across images. "Collection of" blah blah. Buy your own libraries and spend decades of our lives doing this yourselves. See 7). We're old, we're cranky. This takes too long. RG rules.

10) It never hurts to ASK. We don't mind having to tell you why your specific whatever CAN'T be identified. Better to post (individually PLEASE, not buried in endless threads) and know that than think something isn't possible when maybe... maybe it IS!

[IrishGunner]

It's truly impressive and appreciated by even those of us that do not own such bars/photos... It's great reading "unpublished" histories. And usually we learn other tidbits of information about the medals or units that are helpful in other endeavors not related to the specific item at hand. Allow me to say thank you even though I've never submitted anything to the Gnomes.

PS: But you still can't convince me that below isn't the real process...

Edited August 27, 2013 by IrishGunner

[paul wood]

I am sure I woke up to the left hand one this morning.

Paul

[Guest Rick Research]

Who's been spying on us?????? Have you got ANY idea how much eye-of-newt goes for lately? And FORGET the whole virgin-sacrifice deal, these days.

I actually forgot to mention:

11) ALWAYS show the back of the bar!!!!!!!

[IrishGunner]

Come on now... Now I know you are exaggerating. If virgin sacrifices were part of the job, we'd all sign up to be gnomes...

[Les]

The back of the bar?

[IrishGunner]

Well done, Les!

[Chris Boonzaier]

My hats off to the Gnomes.... it is detective work that would make me rip my hair out....

[Hoyden R.]

I am beginning to appreciate books, paper records etc. more and understand why Rick likes them. I have a freakish memory. I can remember WHERE I saw something if I saw it in a book, a newspaper, a record book, a log, etc. if I held it in my hand and read it. I can almost always remember where to find that information later, at the very least he location of the source of information, but most times I can go right to the chapter in the book. (Never argue with me in person, I will be able to remember everything verbatim if you ever wear the same shirt or shirt and pants again. Even if it's 5 years later.)

But online research? Unless there are some pretty graphics in that damn web header so my associative memory can pin the two together, forget it. I have to go hunting for it again unless I had the foresight to bookmark the link in a folder and hope to hell that my computer doesn't crash and loose my treasure trove of bookmarks.

Edited September 13, 2013 by Hoyden R.

[Guest Rick Research]

Probably different for kids who know no Time Before Computers. I even dream in black and white, since never had color TV until I was in college.