Genealogy Wise

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Dangerous temptations in genealogical research

What do you do with genealogical information you find on the Internet? Do you quickly download and add the information to your family file? If you've ever been tempted, read on....

The Internet is booming with user-contributed lineage-linked databases. These databases are often the first place researchers look, and for good reason. Before performing original research, we should find out if someone else has already published information on the family. But what should we do with the information we find?

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Comment by Diana Ericson on August 19, 2009 at 7:34pm
I agree with Patsy, what you find online only a guide where you might go looking.

Right now there is so much undocumented sharing going on we have to remember that until you see some to substantiated it is just a story/legend. And I think it is getting worse. I never take any Ancestry family tree hints anymore. I will look at the data and see what there is, and maybe there is a new place for me to go check, but accepting shared trees anymore is out.
Comment by Jennifer Hutmire on August 19, 2009 at 7:27pm
An additional problem that I just ran into with ancestry.com is that your own information, now downloaded by another member unbeknownst to you, can appear as a potential match for information in your tree. The problem with this is that if you had the wrong information in your tree, you may be more likely to miss it because of the apparent corroboration with the matching information from the other person's tree, when in reality it is your own mistaken information coming back at you.
Comment by patsy adkins on August 19, 2009 at 2:22pm
I always use it as a guide when i find it online. Then I go out looking to make sure its correct and confirming that its true.
I've ran across information that is wrong on the net and you let the person know its wrong they get upset by it.

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