I just received my December issue of Der Kurier , the quarterly publication of the Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society. This past fall, John T. Humphrey was elected president. He is well known in genealogy circles for his publications and for his support of organizations. The mid-Atlantic region covered by MAGS is said to consist of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. The Germanna Colonies would fall within the geographical area that they cover.
John Humphrey writes in the last issue of Der Kurier about “Change and Genealogy”. Those of you who have been active for a number of years will recognize that changes have taken place. Some of them are good, and some of them are bad.
As John points out, and we are generally aware, information is more readily available now than it was a few years ago. Not only can we access files that were undreamed of twenty years ago, we have almost instantaneous access, and often at a minimal cost. Communication with fellow researchers is more extensive and faster.
There has been a negative impact on genealogical societies, or the ethnic, local, and regional organizations which had been in the mainstream for providing research channels and information. At the same time, the number of people who are actively pursuing their “roots” has risen dramatically. Some of these newcomers, in a few evenings work, have compiled impressive ancestries.
Should we be impressed with the quantities of names that people compile? No, we should not! I believe the more important question is, “What is the quality of the data?” I also believe that the quality of the data has gone down.
People are not asking "what are the sources" of statements that they read. People are not verifying the information. In the past year, I have corrected facts that I had helped correct years ago. These failures are not to be blamed entirely on the electronic distribution methods that we use today. In a just-published book, I have read that the dates for Hans Thomas Blanckenbuhler were abt. 16461763. (I could wish that my ancestors had the genes to live so long.) This type of reporting is just sloppy work.
As we go into the New Year, maybe we should make it our resolve to improve the quality of what we do. Please remember that the notes that I write here are meant for entertainment, and for pointing you in a direction that might be helpful. When I read a citation of one of these notes, I cringe just a bit as I ask myself how carefully were the facts researched. Just because they came from me does not make them true, though I would hope that is the case.
(02 Jan 02)
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.