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Archiver > TMG > 2002-08 > 1028217392


From: "Cliff Soderback" <>
Subject: Re: [TMG] Source standards -- was Mills Source for Memorial?
Date: Thu, 1 Aug 2002 08:56:54 -0700
References: <5.1.0.14.2.20020731220425.0211f560@pop3.norton.antivirus> <5.1.0.14.2.20020801085300.030fdc40@pop3.norton.antivirus> <002601c23980$17e55da0$45cfd043@oemcomputer> <3D494D6A.A0644305@reigelridge.com>


snip


>
> In the meantime, it isn't really such a big deal (unless you intend to
publish in Ms. Mills'
> journal <g>). So do what makes sense to you with the tools you have,
making sure you include
> enough to find the source again and explain how you got from the evidence
in the source to
> your entry.
>
> My 2 cents <g>
>
> Terry Reigel
>

To me it doesn't make much sense to cite something that cannot be verified
at
a later time. With the advent of the Internet this becomes more relevant all
the
time. Since the Internet is always changing the likelihood of something
being in the
same place very long, is slim indeed. Of course the SSA database and the on
line censuses
will be stable and not change, all the other sites will change in time.
Although one
comment of the SSA database, the funeral homes supply the information to the
SSA
and many times they don't completely fill out the from, so the addresses are
lost
or incorrect. The birth date has been verified by the SSA to pay the
benefits,
so it can been taken with confidence that it is correct, also the death date
is
probably correct because the SSA needs proof to pay the benefit.

The other issue is private material, letters, Aunt Martha's bible and etc.
These
can never be verified because future folks will not have access to them. The
real
question is, that in the future will others be able to independently verify
the information.

My thoughts are that material that is publicly available(birth
certificates, death
certificates, obituaries, cemetery listings and etc.) should be cited, the
material that is
from private unverifiable sources, could be noted. In my experience much of
the
private material is in error and is no better than someone's opinion. I have
spent untold
hours chasing my tail, so to speak, trying to authenticate so called family
information,
that was just plain wrong. We should record truths was we can verify them
and record
the rest as rumor or opinion that cannot be verified. We should be very
careful to separate
fact from fiction, so to speak. Of course, if we only record the verifiable
facts and leave out
the rumor and opinions this will add to the credibility of our work.

Cliff Soderback

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