Most of us have posted to or read the genealogy boards on Ancestry and Genealogy.com. They’re a great source for leads, furthering our lines… and the prolific and endless spreading of false information. Here are some tips on using them correctly and harmlessly.
When asking a question DO include as much information as you can cram into the subject line. How many times have we seen the subject line say only, “Smith”. It’s already in the Smith surname board. We’re pretty sure it’s going to be Smith you’re looking for unless you’re searching a line connected to the Smiths. Only saying “Smith” tells us nothing. People in a hurry will breeze right over it and one of them might have been the very person to get you back several generations. But since you didn’t give any more information in the subject, they didn’t look to see what else you had to say. There might be magic in your fingers, but it won’t go through the radio waves and capture the attention of the person reading the name “Smith”.
Bad:
Smith
Still bad:
John Smith
Getting better:
John Smith b. 1872 d. 1903
Better still:
John Smith 1872-1903, Bucks Co. Pennsylvania
Or:
John Smith 1872-1903, Pa>NC>GA>FL
Or:
John Smith 1872-1903 Bucks Co., PA married to Hannah Jones
Or:
Need death date for John Smith b. 1872 in Bucks Co., Pennsylvania
Starting to get the picture?
When asking or answering a question, DO include your sources. Please. This is so important! I have countless bits of information that say things like John Smith was married to Hannah Jones 1-1-1894 with no verification. Where were they married? How does the poster know this? Are they taking someone’s word for it? Did they find the marriage certificate themselves? Where? Or was it written in a family Bible? Where’s that Bible? Can I get a copy? How do I know this is true? I’ve searched and searched and can’t find the marriage on record anywhere. How do I know they didn’t find a record of a John Smith and a Hannah Jones all the way across the country in a place my John and Mary never even dreamed of going? You say we can always ask, but that information might have been posted 8 years ago and the original poster never reads the boards any more. This is how the wrong information gets perpetuated. It’s always happened, but the internet causes it to spread like wildfire.
If you’ve posted or answered a question, DO choose settings that will allow follow-ups to come to your email. (And keep your email up to date on the site.) This way, if someone has more information or questions you can answer and not have the question hang in limbo forever more.
If you’re looking for your male ancestor, we’ll use Smith again, don’t forget to post your question to surname board of his wife’s maiden name and. Someone who is researching that line might have loads of information on the Smith line. Same goes if you’re researching the wife’s line, post to her married surname as well.
Remember, the surname boards aren’t the only boards out there. Also think about the locations. Choose the location your ancestors lived and ask your question there. Local genealogists hang around the boards of the areas they research and what a wealth of information they can be!
So please be a responsible query poster, good luck and happy hunting!
