Setting The Record Straight: Episode 24 - Click and Collect...

This video was inspired by something I saw recently on the FamilySearch website. Something that chilled me to the core...
The big genealogical websites seem to be increasingly adopting a 'Click and Collect' approach to finding our ancestors. It may sound like an attractive idea but it's not the way that historical research works. If we want to have any hope of breaking down our toughest brickwalls, we need to carry out rigorous, evidence-based research.
Find records without searching? I don't think so...

[SerenaWoodcock]

It’s much more fulfilling to know you’ve proved your research using evidence rather than just picking up someone else’s research anyway.
We all need to encourage the companies who promote hints to change their language and encourage the evidence based research. Thanks for encouraging your listeners to do the right thing!

[Uksoapfan]

John Davies is similar to my 2xgreat grandmother whose place of birth was always said to be London, Stoke Newington in 1881, 1891, 1901, 1911 and 1921 census. The 1871 census said she was born in "Sussex". Turns out she was actually born in rural Sussex in December 1863 and registered under her mother's maiden name. Her mother soon married in London in July 1864, in Stoke Newington and the baby took the new husband's name who was likely the father as the baby was baptised in the same church in Nov 1864 as if she was his child. Unless he was being generous and saving face. But he was married until shortly before the birth of the 2nd wife's child, and his first wife had been ill for a long time.

[grandmeg]

Dave, thank you for speaking out on this. It's being made increasingly easy for the unwary to rely on suggested records and relationships rather than to dig these out from scratch. Let alone to apply critical thought to what comes forth. "Hints" rely on AI and all the admonishment in the world to check the reliability/validity of what is offered is unlikely to find favour with those seeking a fast easy path. Nor with the "name-collectors" whose giant trees provide excellent fodder for yet more AI analysis. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against AI. It's here to stay and grow. But I don't see it doing anytime soon what you did with the John William brickwall. Besides which, that would take away the fun of the "aha" moment, would it not?

[JamesAlexanderKnighton]

This is only going to get worse as genealogy websites fully climb on to the AI bandwagon and release a slurry of gimmicky AI tools that will do little but confuse and distract the average user and get in the way of those trying to do serious research.

Having said that, I am excited for how AI will eventually develop useful and accurate handwriting recognition that will eventually allow companies to digitise and index records at a much faster rate than ever before. Access to records is the most important part of genealogy, everything else is just window dressing.

[pennyallen]

Thank you for another interesting video Dave. I have to say that I was constantly having to make a correlation between what I was hearing as Davis although the record was clearly spelled Davies. !?