My friends - As we round out the first week of postings in 2000, I am going to just visit with you for a moment or two, rather than sending a formal item from the "Tips" series per se. We have a number of excellent researchers on the JP List, and they pass along ideas to me from time to time about shortcuts or tips which they have learned through years of research experience or Internet wanderings. One small axiom that I often mention to folks in private e-mails who seem to be perhaps a bit overly impressed by the Internet and the genealogical information that it seems to hold is this: "The Internet has wonderful indexes - as well as tens of thousands of peoples' opinions on their ancestry." What that tries to convey is the fact that we can find absolutely great indexes(and similar research aids)on the 'Net, which are well done and well sourced. But when we look at the genealogical lineages which are appearing in growing numbers each day on the 'Net, what we see is rarely backed up with source citations, or only partially so. As a result, anything which we see in that form should be checked for accuracy and the source of the data properly cited for our own records. The same is true for any data posts which I make - if one of them connects with your ancestor, and the post is, for example, from the 1830 census of Graves County, make a note of it and then, on your next visit to the library and FHC that you use, check the accuracy of what I posted. There is no question whatever that, in the 20 years or so that I have been transcribing records, I have made numerous errors, no matter how hard I have tried not to do so. It is just the nature of work. Our friend Dave Ray has reminded me in the past few days about the RootsWeb WorldConnect Project. Some of you may already be familiar with it. It is an offering by RootsWeb that allows an individual to post their lineage without having to set up a webpage. It has numerous features associated with it. It can be accessed through the RootsWeb main page at www.rootsweb.com Another of our List friends, Vicky Drake, has been keeping me apprised of her methodical research on the Housden family of TN and Graves Co., KY. She recently had the experience of finding one of her Housden men listed with the name *Houston*, which one would not normally believe to be a variation of the surname Housden. So it is wise to try to think of every possible variation in spelling - even those which seem unlikely - because we never know how the ancestor may have spoken his name, and that is generally the way that the census taker or court clerk would spell it. I have mentioned here before about the Marshall County minister with the name William McGregor - he was of Scotch stock, and we often find his name spelled as "McGreiger". If one thinks of how someone with a slight Scotch brogue would pronounce "McGregor" - something along the lines of "Ma-GRI-ger", it is easy to see how the clerk would spell it. Vicky also reinforces my mention above about using transcripts as a starting point, but always return to the original for final verification. It is really surprising how much is lost by improper transcription. As usual, there will be no data posts per se over the weekend, but I do intend to return with at least one file that I have nearly converted and ready to offer, and I have a unique additional narrative file comprised of the writings of a slave who described her one and only visit to a JP county courthouse in the late 1850's. This African-American woman lived to the age of 108, and I had the honor of interviewing one of her daughters(who was 102 when I talked with her and still mentally sharp)in the 1960's. It was a fascinating two hours that I spent with her, and it was from her that I received this narrative, written by her mother. I think you may find it interesting - and perhaps a little surprising. -B ============================================================