I have had several successful corrections on info found on the net.
Examples:
1) I was desperately searching for any scrap of info on an ancestor and low
and behold there on the net was a source for me to go get a copy of.
Unfortunately, after ordering it through interlibrary loan, it was not on the
page stated. So I contacted the Ancestry.com Tree contact and his reply:
"I apologize. I entered the wrong cite. Here is the right one." And it
was.
2) When I was a newbie an online ancestry.com contact gave me the best
advice I ever got. Verify, Verify, Verify. He had been doing this some 28 years
and most of his info was impecable for that reason. Then one day I ran
across a source doc that disproved our connection. I was unhappy of course,
that he was not family. But in the meantime I had made a great friend. So I
emailed and he immediately checked it out and corrected his tree, as I did
mine. The George Reid we thought connected us with daughter Phebe age 24
1850 census was actually not my Phebe Reid age 24 1850 Census. As it so
happens George was my Phebe's uncle and he named his daughter Phebe also. There
were a gazzillion Phebe's in this family. In 1860 one was in IL the other in
MO with her husband and children on the 1860 Censuses, So mistakes happen.
Me, I type 60 mistakes a minute !!! and although I try to proof read
as well as I can, and Family tree maker alerts me when I put people in 100
years off, one or 2 things have slipped through. People have contacted me
and when I do that and I am always happy to make corrections with common
sense such as the 100 year mistake. Or with source docs for any other oops!
My problem with Ancestry.com's current combined trees without my
permission or even knowledge with other contributors' trees contribute to some
of that "inextricably mixed" lines that don't belong together. So I went to
Rootsweb.com where my tree stays my tree. Well, it did. I am concerned
lately, as I see some signs it is getting more and more like ancestry. Don't
get me wrong. I love Ancestry.com for it's source docs. But the trees are
there, for me anyway, only for clues. I have done my share of time in dusty
courthouses, State Libraries, and gen soc & in front of microfilm. But it
certainly helps to know what state at least, and hopefully, which county to
begin the search.
VERIFY VERIFY VERIFY.
Maylene
In a message dated 5/19/2010 11:54:14 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
Lou I couldn't agree more - The internet is like a huge magnet, enticing
stupid people to do stupid things. Facebook and all the other social
networks that are readily available is an excellent example. Many years ago I
tried my darnedest to get all the miss-information about various family
surnames either changed or taken off Ancestry and the LDS site. Of more than a
couple a dozen emails I sent out to the addresses that were available only
one bothered to reply and that knuckle Head just said "Who the H__ cares."
With that kind of mind set there isn't much one can do except to avoid
the donated material all together. I have been following this discussion
since it started and as yet I haven't read one person say they have had a
totally acceptable experience. Some were willing to take the information as is
so they could check it out - HELLO - wouldn't it be better to do your own
research?
At least you would know what information was REALLY questionable.
So much information has been loaded onto the internet in the past few
years a person might think he or she can go all the way back to Adam and Eve
with no problem at all. But it is so much more fun to get a little dirty and
dusty and visit some musty old Court Houses - Libraries - Historical
Societies and tramp through a few cemeteries(don't forget your digital). You
wont find everything sitting on your butt all day in front of your computer.
Have a good one guys, Fern
www.bufordfamilies.com
From: Lou Poole
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 8:32 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [VA-ROOTS] reliable sources
I have been following this discussion closely, and though I have quite
a number of comments I could make, I'll confine myself to the one
overriding question I'd like an answer for, or to...
Why does someone post family information, usually asserted as truth by
omission of any discussion or caveats, when they do not know it to be
reasonably correct?
In the past when I've encountered such incorrect information I've
thought I was doing the person who posted the information, and the
people who might encounter it, a favor by trying to contact them with
a reasoned, factual rebuttal and/or correction that includes primary
source documentation. My experience:
1) about half the time I can find no way to contact the person who
posted the information
2) about half the time that I can find a contact address, I get no
response when I attempt to contact them
3) about half the time that I do get a response, the response comes
across as somewhere between disbelief and outrage that I should even
be questioning the incorrect data.
4) and finally, about half the time I do get a chance to make my case,
it is ignored, with no explanation as to why.
(and bless the remaining less than 10% of the people who post, who do
respond, and who are willing to discuss the issue(s) with an open and
objective mind.)
So, again, I ask why do people feel compelled to post information if
they want no feed-back, no discussion, no corrections, or even the
opportunity to correct my interpretation if I'm wrong? Am I wrong if
I tentatively conclude that such postings have nothing to do with
genealogy and everything to do with ego on the part of the poster?
Lou Poole
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