Genealogy Wise

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The WorldHistory venture looks promising but it does have weaknesses. Although it relies on sources such as Wikipedia, and is imprecise as it creates its timelines, perhaps its worst shortcoming will be its emphasis on “popular”. Hopefully the features of the famous and infamous will be overwhelmed by contributions from family history researchers. Those researchers, that is, who know how to select appropriate historical documents, and who can evaluate the evidence in those documents, and who then apply the results to their pedigree.
So you may think I am a Why Man or even a Skeptic Woman when it comes to today’s technological marvels. Whether you are doing ancestral or descendant research, I hope you will take the time to use oral, written, and material traces to cement your pedigree in a meaningful historical context. That may mean going from an online tip, or an online name file, to traditional sources which need to be utilized as much as they need to be preserved.

What good would it be to automate all of the world’s phone directories with all of the surnames of the world when there is no linkage into families and no documentation of their lives?

Is the purpose to prove we are BlueBoods and somehow our life is better because Charlemagne may or may not have fathered our mythological great-great-someone?

Is the pursuit to gather as many names as possible, related or not, linked or not, accurate or not?

Is the pursuit to gain a deeper appreciation for all generations past, present, and future? Is it “fanfare for the common man”?

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Replies to This Discussion

Thanks.
Genealogists may not care as much, but family historians will certainly want to see their story in context. The more timelines the better, especially if I can delete the celebs and overrated events from them.
Great message Russell!

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