----- Original Message ----- From: Patsy H Weikart <qmgen@juno.com> To: <WVPIONEERS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, October 28, 2000 8:32 PM Subject: [WVPioneers] Interesting article on researching on-line. > > > Genealogy in Time > > The November 2000 issue of TIME DIGITAL has a great cover story about > doing > on-line genealogy research. Author Curtis Rist describes his somewhat > naive > introduction to on-line genealogy. He groped around a bit, probably like > millions of > others. However, as a staff writer for Time, he had an option that many > beginners do not have: he could ask for assistance from experts. He did > so. > In the article he frequently quotes Elizabeth Shown Mills, editor of the > National Genealogical Society Quarterly and president of the American > Society > of Genealogists, and David > Lambert, a reference librarian with the New England Historic Genealogical > > Society in Boston. He also mentions a number of other people who helped > his > efforts. > > At the beginning of the article, Mr. Rist describes his first on-line > search, > where he uncovered all sorts of potential relatives living in upper-class > > communities. Rist writes, "The only problem is, of course, that all of > this > is a fiction. Without regard to > nettlesome documents such as birth certificates and marriage records, I > simply typed the family name into a few Internet search engines, did a > search > of records on some paid genealogy web sites .... - and voilà, an instant > heritage. I don't have any proof of my connection to these far-flung > Rists, > but neither do most people who trace their roots on-line." > > He also quotes David Lambert: "There used to be companies that would send > you > postcards in the mail saying, 'We have the family tree for all your > relatives > in the county; just send $29.95.' And what you would end up with was > essentially a glorified telephone directory," he says. "Well, essentially > > these glorified phone books have now migrated to the World Wide Web." > > Rist describes some of the Web sites and the sellers of CD-ROM disks > containing millions of names that seem to promise instant genealogy by > saying, "...they're giving people exactly what they want: easy-to-access > information, such as marriage listings and ship-passenger registries, > without > worrying much about details like verification." > > Rist goes on to describe how to do genealogy properly. He encourages > people > to use these same on-line resources, but to use them as clues, not as > facts. > He tells why these mass sources are not useable in their present form and > > then encourages the reader to find the truth. He does advise people to > use > on-line resources, but also cautions them to always double-check > everything. > > You have to read this article. If you have a friend or neighbor or > relative > who is just starting to research a family tree, make sure you also tell > him > or her to read it. Go to: > > http://www.time.com/time/digital/feature/0,2955,56764,00.html

Not Blankenship Related, but..... I currently use "Family Tree Maker" and am thinking of going to "Master Genealogist" software....any comments? Byron K. Blankenship Researching: Blankenship (OK, AL, AR, ), Bicknell (OK, AL, TN, VA, PA), Woodam (OK, AL), Jones (AL), Coxwell, Graves (AL), Handley, Dean, Hoskins, Cash (VA), Walker (VA), Landrum (TN), Walker (VA) Christensen (OR, Denmark), Petersen (OR, Denmark), Sorenson (Denmark), Therkilsen/Thrlkensen/Tarkildsen (Denmark) Gifford (Alberta, ID, Utah), Moreland (OR, KS), Petereson, Mahaffe (ID, PA) Thompson (Denmark), Reed (KS), Gensler (PA), Newton, Jensen, Pointer, Rector, Swartz, Shribner, Wing, Bowerman Lewis (OR, IA), Jones (OR, MT, Wales) ----- Original Message ----- From: <BKAYMEL@aol.com> To: <BLANKENSHIP-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, October 29, 2000 5:29 AM Subject: [BLANKENSHIP] On-line Gen research > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Patsy H Weikart <qmgen@juno.com> > To: <WVPIONEERS-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Saturday, October 28, 2000 8:32 PM > Subject: [WVPioneers] Interesting article on researching on-line. > > > > > > > > Genealogy in Time > > > > The November 2000 issue of TIME DIGITAL has a great cover story about > > doing > > on-line genealogy research. Author Curtis Rist describes his somewhat > > naive > > introduction to on-line genealogy. He groped around a bit, probably like > > millions of > > others. However, as a staff writer for Time, he had an option that many > > beginners do not have: he could ask for assistance from experts. He did > > so. > > In the article he frequently quotes Elizabeth Shown Mills, editor of the > > National Genealogical Society Quarterly and president of the American > > Society > > of Genealogists, and David > > Lambert, a reference librarian with the New England Historic Genealogical > > > > Society in Boston. He also mentions a number of other people who helped > > his > > efforts. > > > > At the beginning of the article, Mr. Rist describes his first on-line > > search, > > where he uncovered all sorts of potential relatives living in upper-class > > > > communities. Rist writes, "The only problem is, of course, that all of > > this > > is a fiction. Without regard to > > nettlesome documents such as birth certificates and marriage records, I > > simply typed the family name into a few Internet search engines, did a > > search > > of records on some paid genealogy web sites .... - and voilà, an instant > > heritage. I don't have any proof of my connection to these far-flung > > Rists, > > but neither do most people who trace their roots on-line." > > > > He also quotes David Lambert: "There used to be companies that would send > > you > > postcards in the mail saying, 'We have the family tree for all your > > relatives > > in the county; just send $29.95.' And what you would end up with was > > essentially a glorified telephone directory," he says. "Well, essentially > > > > these glorified phone books have now migrated to the World Wide Web." > > > > Rist describes some of the Web sites and the sellers of CD-ROM disks > > containing millions of names that seem to promise instant genealogy by > > saying, "...they're giving people exactly what they want: easy-to-access > > information, such as marriage listings and ship-passenger registries, > > without > > worrying much about details like verification." > > > > Rist goes on to describe how to do genealogy properly. He encourages > > people > > to use these same on-line resources, but to use them as clues, not as > > facts. > > He tells why these mass sources are not useable in their present form and > > > > then encourages the reader to find the truth. He does advise people to > > use > > on-line resources, but also cautions them to always double-check > > everything. > > > > You have to read this article. If you have a friend or neighbor or > > relative > > who is just starting to research a family tree, make sure you also tell > > him > > or her to read it. Go to: > > > > http://www.time.com/time/digital/feature/0,2955,56764,00.html > > > ==== BLANKENSHIP Mailing List ==== > Check out Jack Woodward's wesite: http://members.tripod.com/jdwoodward >