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Archiver > APG > 2008-02 > 1204213049
From: <>
Subject: Re: [APG] "Joe Hobbyist" and the IGi
Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2008 07:37:29 -0800 (PST)
In-Reply-To: <mailman.388.1204183855.24074.apg@rootsweb.com>
Ohhhhh - how wrong you are there. It would be nice to think that all LDS individuals who are contributing to the IGI have been "schooled"... that would assume that all folks would listen to the advice and instruction of those who know what they are doing. Not so. They are 90% Joe Hobbyist.
While our church leaders have counseled to "be diligent in assuring the accuracy of all information submitted", there are those who still submit HUNDREDS of names a week. Wow. And I feel lucky to research and feel good about the accuracy of one or two a month!
I have volunteered at FHCs for a few years, and the rule is pretty much that while we can tell people what and how to submit, ultimately they are allowed to submit whatever they want, as long as it meets the minimum requirements.
The memories make my skin crawl. I remember one patron who would come in and say, "well John Jones must have had a father, and his name was probably John too, and he was probably 20 when his son was born, so lets submit him as John Jones Senior, 20 years older than his son. The name gets submitted, and appears shortly thereafter on the IGI.
I am very much LDS, but unfortunately cannot in any good conscience recommend that anyone accept the information on FamilySearch as anything more than a suggestion of what direction to look for your relative and prove it yourself. The exception is perhaps the extractions which I've been told only make up about half of the IGI. But again, all that is transcribed information, prone to error.
Even the transcribed 1880 census has faults. One patron came in completely incensed that his grandmother's occupation had been transcribed as "prostitute" at FamilySearch. We looked at the actual image online, and she was really a "proselytine" -- one who proselytizes -- a missionary!
FamilySearch is an excellent source for research helps, how-tos, and especially great is the ability to access the Salt Lake Library Catalog. But I can't see it as being a good source for serious genealogical research.
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