I stumbled upon this graphic of GotGenealogy.com‘s “Golden Rules of Genealogy.” Great compilation of common-sense genealogy truths.
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Stay focused and happy while exploring your roots
Stay focused and happy while exploring your roots
I stumbled upon this graphic of GotGenealogy.com‘s “Golden Rules of Genealogy.” Great compilation of common-sense genealogy truths.
Thanks for sharing. Lots of good points . . . . especially about posting information on internet.
I agree! I thought the point about expecting what you post on the internet to be borrowed was a really good one.
It was all great until I read the last paragraph, ‘Get over it?’ Nah! How about doing the Baker’s dozen? 13: Respect other people’s work; observe copyright and data protection laws. Don’t steal! Don’t even encourage others to steal with words like, ‘Get over it.’ Grow up and be responsible and respectful, give recognition of other people’s work instead of stealing it! You’ve got a little box there, … just give us credit for them, okay? That’s soooo funny! Maybe reword 12: Always give credit – kill the beast!
I understand your perspective, Em. I didn’t write this compilation of golden rules and I agree with you that respecting other people’s work is important. But I think there is a reality that if you share your research publicly others will incorporate it into their own. I think this article was expressing that (right or wrong) it’s a good idea to expect that your research might end up in someone else’s tree and not get upset if you see that happen.
Actually, if my research can help someone else with theirs, all the better, even if they don’t site my hard work. Sure, I might find someone else has copied my work and not given me as the source, but I just smile and think to myself that the other person must have admired it enough to use it for themselves. It is so true that copying without giving credit is simply the reality of the internet. In an idealist’s world, people always do the right thing. But this is the real world, right or wrong, so we must simply deal with it as such.
Again, I agree! I think collaboration is really important and if I can be helpful, that’s great.
Whenever someone copies your work, they are trusting that your work is accurate. Or is it a matter of getting more stuff?????
I agree, Bill. This is why I never copy people’s work! I’ll look at sourced information in trees on Ancestry and then evaluate those sources on my own. But in truth, I seldom look at other people’s trees.
I have found that relying on the info in other people’s trees is a big mistake! I find gross errors and discrepancies where it’s painfully obvious, even at a glance, that no independent research was done on their part. For example, children being born to dead parents, children born to ancestors who were only 5 years old (or to female ancestors who were 75 or 80 years old), an ancestor having 2 or 3 wives or husbands at the same time, children being born to supposed ancestors who never actually had children, duplicates or triplicates of the same ancestor, etc. Either these people don’t have the time to check behind themselves (or others), they trust the sources too much, or they’re too lazy to bother checking.
I agree, Dixie. If I don’t have a source document for a fact, it doesn’t go in my tree. Other people’s trees provide clues, but not facts.
My name is Stephen Granville Rule my father A. [Albert] Golden Rule
I am the son of A. Golden Rule
Rest assured, your work/contributions WILL be used by anyone who finds it and thinks it will help them. Just accept that fact. You put it out on a public forum. Expect people to snag it. In addition, to those who use information found on the internet or in someone else’s family tree/database, don’t just accept that it’s ironclad. Verify the information … names, dates, etc., whatever you can. If you don’t want someone else taking your stuff, designate it private. If you leave it public, then accept the inevitable.
One more piece of advice … if you include information in your Tree that you can’t verify with legitimate sources, then include a disclaimer. State that it is your speculation but not documented fact.