I will say one thing, this is the first time I've ever felt I've been spammed. Almost every mailing list I'm on was hit, I had 87 messages in my mail, was only about 12 real messages, all the rest were repeats...anyway, my two cents ---------- > I think that it is up to each person to verify the information in books, > WFT, LDS ancestral files and by all means the net. Eronious information > started way before the net, in books and before that by word of mouth. It > up to each individual to verify, correct, and continue their research. We > have enough rules already. It is not time to burn the books, take down the > web sites, get rid of Ancestral file, etc. That would be Genealogical > Suicide. Sharing information and correcting the eronious information is > the answer for me. Just my opinion. This is correct. What the internet offers is communication. Information, correct or not, can travel fast and far. The nature of our research hasn't changed, just the ability to access other people and resources. I have been inother hobbies, shortwave radio listening for one. You think you know a lot when you're working in a vacuum. Once you get out into the world, and participate in a community doing the same work, you find out about what you don't know, that there's a whole world of people out there who can share their knowledge and experience. Instead of a weekly newsletter in the mailbox, I get email. I have learned much about research and caution from those I've emailed over the last year. I'm a Guthrie descendant. In 1933, "American Guthries and Allied Families" wasa written, and has my grandfather in it. If I were to simply find it in the library, and had not talked to others, I would have thought this was the greatest thing and copied it all done. Now as time passes, I get a chance to collaborate research with people all over the country and the world, each with their own resources (some have wills, some have census, etc) we've been able to piece together the Guthrie families in western PA, and find the the book has made several key errors. Never could have corrected the record so quick without the internet. I only have relatives in my main file, all related, all linked, it's still large. If I have a common ancestor with another researcher, why can't we share our data? The internet has only made it more convenient And lastly, if you are sending you're files out, and there's data you're not sure of, or has conflicting versions, lay it all out in your notes. I've been going back lately thru all my ancestors, putting lots of research notes. When someone gets that portion of my file, they will be able to read all the questions and what ifs. Brian Cartwright