02 January 2015

The Oracle Google on Genealogists

According to Google, "Genealogists are...":
- shy creatures, prone to looking fragile and dazed if exposed to daylight or lots of (living) people at the same time
- often too engrossed in the collection of names without regard to the cliché that “just because it is in print, doesn't make it so"
- past masters at deceit
- one of the largest patron groups for archival repositories keen users of libraries and online resources

According to Google, Being a genealogist is...
- more than just subscribing to Ancestry
- great fun
- difficult but challenging, not for wimps
- really cool

According to Google, Genealogists should...
- attend family history conferences
- not guarantee to find the specific information you want
- treat the source with caution
- be reading and participating

According to Google, How do genealogists..
- know when they have sufficiently proved something?
- learn to balance the microhistory of the family tree with the bigger picture
- die? They hit brick walls.

According to Google, Genealogists can't...
- provide answers when the sources aren't there!
- help but talk about themselves and their own issues
- imagine NOT having DNA available as a tool.

According to Google, Why do genealogists...
- spend endless days and nights obsessing over someone else's life?
- need a special citation manual?
- eagerly embrace DNA testing in a family history search?
- expect free software and free access to records?

According to Google, Genealogists Need To...
- watch transcription errors.
- watch copyright law
- think digital
- speak out
- be aware of the limits and advantages of autosomal DNA testing for ancestry.

According to Google, Genealogists enjoy...
- traveling to the place where their families came from
- life in the past lane
- digging out roots


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