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Ben:
Is it any wonder diplomacy is out the window here? Only two days after my offer to help others that are trying to find information on Bowen marriages in the southern states, you have to post your two cents’ worth! I have no personal need for Bowen marriages down south, but I know others do, and it isn’t always that easy to find. Maybe someone could have used information that I don’t need. Then again, you just might have convinced me otherwise?
BEFORE the days of home computers – you know, back when some of us really did have to get out and research – I was taught that you had to work backwards from one generation to the next. Part of the challenge, maybe even the fun, was PROVING your lineage as you traveled back in time. Yes, our standards seem to have been different from those of today: document, document, and document some more! “Assume nothing, and always be willing to be proven wrong.”
Unfortunately, along with the computer came misinformation; and assumption has become the standard of the day. The goal here IS NOT to create a lineage, then sit back and wait for someone else to disprove it! If it were, I’d have no brick walls to worry about. Even a half-hearted researcher should be able to agree with that!
The computer is a great asset to everyone, when used properly. But putting forth unsubstantiated information as though it were fact carries with it the stench of dishonesty and irresponsibility. As more and more people become interested in genealogy, many tend to look for the ‘quick fix’ on message boards. Less time and effort is spent gathering legitimate evidence, because it is automatically assumed information online is accurate. The question then becomes, “Are the younger/newer researchers misguided, or are the older/more experienced researchers misleading?” We all end up with egg on our faces and nobody benefits!
A theory is just that – a theory. Claim what you will, but what will you have in the end, without proof? The goal is to PROVE, not for someone else to DISPROVE! If you think challenging someone to prove a claim that cannot be proven is chastising them, then I guess anything and everything must be acceptable to you! My cousins and I challenge each other all the time, and we often end up forming our own little research groups to tackle the question at hand.
As far as ‘blowing any gaskets’ arguing with people I don’t know is concerned, I’ve handled letters, e-mails, referrals from the library, and personal visits from long distance cousins long enough not to worry about people on message boards! I hadn’t even thought of marriage yet when I first started. Now, I have grandchildren. I’d say that’s long enough to say I’ve got a tad bit of experience at what I’m doing! My reputation is well-established where, and with whom, it matters; why would I blow a gasket over you???
Craig
[Remember, too, the Bowen family name is supposed to be known for integrity!]
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