tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641680.post1525512069515813568..comments2024-03-13T21:06:16.936-04:00Comments on Olive Tree Genealogy Blog: Internet Genealogy - Friend or Foe?Olive Tree Genealogyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02381110998759242462noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641680.post-11859762376705213772012-03-15T04:32:12.541-04:002012-03-15T04:32:12.541-04:00Lorine, I feel strongly about the need to go Beyon...Lorine, I feel strongly about the need to go Beyond the Internet and this year I've been posting a weekly topic on this theme. It's on www.cassmob.wordpress.com<br /><br />I too love the internet and feel isolated without it, but I still love the challenge of tracking original documents. I don't entirely agree with Russ that it's possible to get a more complete picture of an Cassmob (Pauleen)https://www.blogger.com/profile/18397134336319778519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641680.post-40608611449173772602012-03-11T11:02:29.083-04:002012-03-11T11:02:29.083-04:00When I began my searches, I definitely went for or...When I began my searches, I definitely went for original records by traveling to Historical Societies, State, City & County Archives, Colleges, Churches, cemeteries etc, to name a few. It was a challenge, but I enjoyed every minute of it. Now its easy to copy from someone else's work or from other records online. It only takes one person to make an error. When others copy the info, it canAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641680.post-57192869201530004582012-03-09T12:31:42.807-05:002012-03-09T12:31:42.807-05:00There are so many excellent points made in these c...There are so many excellent points made in these comments! <br /><br /><b>Michelle</b>, love your comment about discipline and resolve. Very important to remember that, thanks for reminding us<br /><br /><br /><b>Tim</b>, very true. Thomas MacEntee said something similiar on Facebook where he saw this post. He commented that we can't blame the technology we should blame the user. Good point!<Olive Tree Genealogyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02381110998759242462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641680.post-40763906537080616952012-03-09T12:05:29.307-05:002012-03-09T12:05:29.307-05:00Internet genealogy is fantastic and personally I&#...Internet genealogy is fantastic and personally I've found records of my family that it would have been very difficult for me to find any other way, for example people recorded under a surname I wouldn't have known to look for (but could find by searching for first names only).<br /><br />However, as someone who began tracing their family when the records available online were very limitedKirsty F Wilkinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05558508787388848119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641680.post-65164573375638425052012-03-08T10:58:51.579-05:002012-03-08T10:58:51.579-05:00Great post Lorine! I love Mariann's analogy to...Great post Lorine! I love Mariann's analogy to a fruit tree. After all, we are building trees! I was in Mexico when I started so access to records on line was extremely vital. I think what I accomplished from Mexico would have been impossible without the internet. I agree with Tim's comment about the "publisher" of the poorly researched information is the culprit, not the Smadarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09765946753514711483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641680.post-38370242988068606702012-03-07T23:24:26.651-05:002012-03-07T23:24:26.651-05:00Good post .. can't be repeated often enough :)...Good post .. can't be repeated often enough :)<br />A corollary is the immediate awareness one must cultivate about the information found on online family "trees." Sharing is good. Duplicating dubious, unsourced information is bad. :)BDMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13798944688122545676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641680.post-62858765829494620492012-03-07T19:17:05.070-05:002012-03-07T19:17:05.070-05:00It's very interesting that you bring this up b...It's very interesting that you bring this up because I recently had a similar thought process from a slightly different perspective. I began my genealogy quest online but because I was new and didn't have money to burn, I found many free resources and got quite a bit of information compiled initially. But eventually I ran into roadblocks - some information that couldn't be found (or CallieKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04991717349717389292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641680.post-76931836516368749602012-03-07T18:57:22.613-05:002012-03-07T18:57:22.613-05:00The Internet, as I see it, is both a friend and fo...The Internet, as I see it, is both a friend and foe for Genealogy. It has been amazing in helping me as I'm not able to visit Archives & Libraries across the Country as much as I'd like to and I wouldn't have been able to do as much of my Family History without it but as well I believe you have to use it with caution as not everything you find is accurate and there are records Martin Lewis O'Neill-Marchhttp://www.oneill-march-family-history.co.uk/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641680.post-68368007918074590832012-03-07T18:56:15.170-05:002012-03-07T18:56:15.170-05:00You have written a well-balanced analysis. The res...You have written a well-balanced analysis. The research on the Internet is like low-hanging fruit. You almost have to visit there first, to get a sense of the breadth of the area you're researching. The information is so available as to be irresistible. But nothing can replace face-to-face research, such as taking oral histories, talking with relatives who know old stories, visiting the sitesMariann Reganhttp://bit.ly/w6qQdwnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641680.post-2228273248772408362012-03-07T13:28:05.974-05:002012-03-07T13:28:05.974-05:00I would add that the cause of superficial genealog...I would add that the cause of superficial genealogies is due to the publisher not being thorough, not the Internet's, not that I think that is what your were implying. <br /><br />I would also add that I've only been at this for about 13 years, and have not yet made it out the door so to speak. I have found that one of the many advantages of publishing a well documented genealogy is Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04850497982348789390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641680.post-42178435731440226082012-03-07T12:44:14.611-05:002012-03-07T12:44:14.611-05:00I like Russ's point about the internet helping...I like Russ's point about the internet helping you become more prepared for onsite research. So true.<br /><br />In the foe column, I find there is so much stuff rapidly accessible that it take quite a bit of discipline and resolve to go through the information, correlate and analyze. It's easy to fall into the hunter gather mode.Michelle Goodrumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03427355155193196767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641680.post-88242349426675952072012-03-07T12:05:10.338-05:002012-03-07T12:05:10.338-05:00Agree totally with "Anonymous" who said ...Agree totally with "Anonymous" who said "Treat it as a starting point" <br /><br />I think the negative aspect though is that some (many?) genealogists treat it as the end point! <br /><br /><b>Russ</b> your point about the internet making it much easier to get a complete picture of an ancestor is a good one. And yes, it allows you to prepare for an offline hunt. That's aOlive Tree Genealogyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02381110998759242462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641680.post-33254509949552969602012-03-07T11:27:24.238-05:002012-03-07T11:27:24.238-05:00Great article Lorine! I love the internet for gene...Great article Lorine! I love the internet for genealogy but I'm also aware of its shortcomings. I started researching 20 years ago using microfilm at the Family History centre near me. It has made me appreciate all the wonderful databases that are now online. I see people eagerly upload their info at Ancestry but what happens when they no longer subscribe to the service? I also see them make Annette Fulfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11917837169496502052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641680.post-64804011882021938182012-03-07T11:25:22.482-05:002012-03-07T11:25:22.482-05:00Lorine,
Great post with lots to consider.
I thin...Lorine,<br /><br />Great post with lots to consider.<br /><br />I think that because we have access to more "stuff", I have found that I can get a more complete view of my ancestor. I don't have to go to 5 places to get that picture.<br /><br />BUT, I have found that I am more prepared to visit a repository to get those original documents, or a better handle on what I am missing andCousin Russhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00326890362591254874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641680.post-17209232179543256292012-03-07T10:56:51.005-05:002012-03-07T10:56:51.005-05:00Internet genealogy is a good friend if you treat i...Internet genealogy is a good friend if you treat it as a starting point. Sometimes it is better to start with something rather than nothing if only to use the resource to disprove a theory. Would recommend looking at original documents wherever possible to ensure transcription errors have not infiltrated a family tree that you have copied from the internet. Transcribers often do not have the Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com