Michel John Neill, a regular columnist for Ancestry Daily News, a worthwhile
daily newsletter that discusses research techniques, has this to say today,
Oct. 8:

Two (most important). I must use these online sources as clues (clues,
clues, clues) to further research-not as facts to put in my files. In the
course of my surfing for this article, I found one message board posting
that incorrectly speculated on a parentage of one of the ancestors of
Marie-a parentage that is already well documented. There were at least two
responses of "thanks, I'll add that parentage to my database." These GEDCOM
files and message board postings are an excellent way for me to get clues,
but they provide me with clues, not facts. The quality of the postings can
vary greatly. And in one case, they would have led me down the wrong path,
had I assumed the posting was correct.

So even those employeed by ancestry.com, promote good basic research
techniques before incorporating or downloading anything one reads into a
family genealogy.  I've seen incorrect genealogy printed in both old and new
books, on DAR appl. and other sources usually considered reliable.  And from
personal experience, I know that it is difficult to change misleading and/or
wrong info once it is published in any source or convince someone that what
they read and so believe, could be misconception.  Barb

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