Linda,
I am like you, in that when I began my tree, almost 20 years ago, I did not
know enough to source adequately. And like you, I have added collateral
lines that I have not personally sourced. - Should we have our lines on the
Internet? Certainly! Yes, there may be some errors, but it may give
someone just the nudge they have been looking for.
You know, there are many books on family genealogies published earlier in
the century. Those have been a great source for me. But you know what I've
found...there are glaring errors in those books that are now found in
libraries and archives around the country. Should they be tossed? No.
They are still a great source.
There is a saying "let the buyer beware". So if anyone takes your tree for
gospel and doesn't check it out, that is their problem. And if someone
finds an error in your tree, then they may be able to help you.
Go for it! It represents a lot of work on your part and you should be
proud.
Jean Vaughn Hendricks
[email protected]
-----Original Message-----
From: Bebenjohn <[email protected]>
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>; [email protected]
<[email protected]>; [email protected] <[email protected]>;
[email protected] <[email protected]>; [email protected]
<[email protected]>; [email protected] <[email protected]>
Date: Monday, March 30, 1998 11:10 AM
Subject: Re: The online database dilema?
>
>In a message dated 3/30/98 12:32:53 PM, [email protected] wrote:
>
><<Recently I have seen some discussion about why you should not upload your
>
>"less than perfect" genealogy data to the internet. As a result, I have
>
>just taken my database offline temporarily while I mull this over. I was a
>
>COMPLETE novice when I started collecting genealogy data about 8 years
>
>ago... I didn't even know enough to write down the sources of my info for
>
>the first year! (Of course when I started this it was just for myself and I
>
>never imagined that anyone else would see it.) My present database
contains
>
>over 12,000 persons, not counting the royalty. I have worked almost daily
>
>for the last 4 years going back over each of my direct lines trying to find
>
>and record more info and better sources. But I have included info on
>
>siblings and their families and collateral lines which I have not, for the
>
>most part, tried to verify. I have not yet even had time, access to
>
>resources, or money to gather all the primary sources that I expect are
>
>available for every one of my direct ancestors. I do/did have a notice
>
>quite prominently on the homepage of my database warning to copy the data
at
>
>your own risk because it was not all verified by me. But now I am
wondering
>
>if that is enough. Should I not upload ANY genealogical info that has not
>
>been verified by me with a primary source at best or secondary source at
>
>least? I hate to have someone copy something from my data without them
>
>checking it further, but I will also miss out on the MANY people who have
>
>seen my data and written to give me more info or correct my errors or point
>
>me to other resources. I'm sure not everyone who has a less than perfect
>
>database is going to remove theirs from the web. But I don't want to have
>
>mine up there just because "everyone else is doing it"! Does anyone care
to
>
>discuss the pros and cons of this issue?
>
>
>
>Linda Cassidy Lewis
>
>[email protected]
>
>>>
>
>Hello Linda,
>
>If you indicate in some way that the information is questionable such as
>stating " Robert Jones was probably the husband of Jane Smith, that leaves
it
>to the researcher to make the choice. But any good researcher will use
what
>they get on the internet as a clue and will gather the documentation to
prove
>it them selves.
>
>John Fox
>WinstonSalem , NC
>
>