I owe a great debt to the many researchers who documented every
generation as they went.  However, I owe a lot to the masses who posted
what they knew or what they thought that they knew.  It is from those
"undocumented" researchers that I have found those little clues that
might never have shown up if that poster had waited for the proper
documentation.  Hints like a Will that named a grandchild that I may
never have found otherwise.
    
The new technology has made the research ever easier and ever better.
Add this forum to that list.  County web sites, digitized documents and
Googlebooks all add to the TOOLS.

The old ways were not perfect.  My ancestor James Adams has about 50
descendants in the DAR who use him as their patriot ancestor.  10 or so
of those use his son Robert in their line.  James did NOT have a son
Robert.  This Robert was from SC.  James was from VA.  But the
documented research was apparently there at some point.
  
Many of the OLD "Books" that I have seen cited as documentation for
Jamestowne Society and Colonial Wars have proved to be very wrong.

I believe that the new generation of researchers has disproved about as
many formerly "documented" lines as it has made up.

Although frustrating at times, I am very thankful to have Ancestry,
Genforum and all of their kin.  They are TOOLS to be used.

Al Adams

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