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

To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at
http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html