I am so glad I had a childhood before technology took over

[iluleah]

A friend said yesterday " I am so glad I had a childhood before technology took over" ME TOO and I am also pleased I learned to research my FH before then too.

Technology is great BUT many newbies fall into the trap of the misleading TV advertising and have never learned to do real  research, many assume everything is online and everything is true and real.

How do you feel

[Barbara.H]

My kids (youngest 15) have grown up with technology and they know a lot of online content is bogus, just as my generation (baby boomer) know you can't always believe what you read in newspapers.

So I think their generation will be fine, it's those of us who've done a bit of online and offline research/living/dating/whatever else that have the most difficulties!

  Barbara

[aghadowey]

Ah, the good old days...

Visits to libraries- card catalogues, looking up newspapers, directories, maps, reading reference books
Visits to LDS libraries- viewing microfiche before internet resources, ordering microfilmed church records
Visits to archives- vital records, deeds, wills, yellowed documents
Visits to cemeteries & graveyards, doing grave rubbings
Writing letters (and actually getting replies)
Taking photographs & waiting to get the film developed
Interviewing relatives in person & looking at old family photographs

... no corrupted online trees, people expecting instant answers to their queries & unpleasant responses when you point out errors.

Definately glad I started researching so long ago 

[iluleah]

Ah, the good old days...

 

I wasn't really thinking the good old days, but I take your point I was just so pleased that I had the opportunity  without the influence of technology and as you say instant results not only did I have to learn how to research but also what records are available and when.

I started young,  and it helped me understand what research meant making my degree research so much easier, teaching me to be more patient, what to do when I came up against the brick walls ( in FH and life) as well I learn to be more patient and people that know me say I am ) and to appreciate eventually what is found.

[pinefamily]

A friend said yesterday " I am so glad I had a childhood before technology took over" ME TOO and I am also pleased I learned to research my FH before then too.

Technology is great BUT many newbies fall into the trap of the misleading TV advertising and have never learned to do real  research, many assume everything is online and everything is true and real.

How do you feel

I fully agree, Iluleah. So many "newcomers" to our hobby are misled by the commercial websites. So many times I have heard, "There is no record, I couldn't find it on (insert commercial site here)".

[pinefamily]

Ah, the good old days...

Visits to libraries- card catalogues, looking up newspapers, directories, maps, reading reference books
Visits to LDS libraries- viewing microfiche before internet resources, ordering microfilmed church records
Visits to archives- vital records, deeds, wills, yellowed documents
Visits to cemeteries & graveyards, doing grave rubbings
Writing letters (and actually getting replies)
Taking photographs & waiting to get the film developed
Interviewing relatives in person & looking at old family photographs

... no corrupted online trees, people expecting instant answers to their queries & unpleasant responses when you point out errors.

Definately glad I started researching so long ago 

Can't agree more, Aghadowey. You can't beat the feel of an archive or library, or the sense of anticipation when you finally get that elusive record in front of you. Even using the LDS microfilm system seems to have died a death, at least here in Australia. The casual conversations, and a group understanding, were things I used to look forward to whenever I got the call that my film was in. The last couple of times I have used their service, I was the only one there.

[Treetotal]

Oh yes....I remember it well.....borrowing the LDS 1881 census discs from the library to wade through at home on very basic computer.....you met real people then at the libraries who shared a common interest and helped each other out....and the fight with a dated microfiche reader.
Now they come on here and say they are researching their Family History with often only bare facts of who their Ancestors were and want it all doing for them....but don't want to spend any money!!!!
Carol

[Annette7]

I guess I'm in the minority because when I look back now I hated all the time spent ploughing through microfiche that I couldn't read half the time, up and down like a yoyo looking up the next fiche I needed only to find someone else had nipped into my booked seat and had to eject them.  My 'need to know' kept me going and yes, those moments when you find what you've been looking for are great but I still get that feeling even now when it's found online.   

I moved to Essex when I married but we had monthly weekend visits to my parents.   I always had a place booked in Ipswich Record Office for the whole of Saturday and would arrive with my list of things to look up.   Oh the frustration of having spent all day on this and coming away with absolutely nothing!   LDS 1881 Census discs - bought my own set.

The media advertising now makes it all sound so easy - these newbies soon find out it isn't.   However, like Treetotal, I find it so strange that so many expect to find out everything online on the free sites and are not prepared to pay out any money.   

Annette

[Kaybron]

I am a teacher at a secondary school in South Australia. One subject that students in their last year have to do and pass is a subject called the Research Project. They pick any topic they want, put it in the form of a question, conduct varied research and then put this into a suitable format. The last thing they do is complete an evaluation of the research processes they have used.

One student last year was not working particularly well in the lesson we were having in the library and was complaining that he could not use the internet for his research as he had exceeded his internet allowance for the month. My reply to the student was along the lines of "That's okay Fred. We are in the library. You don't have to use the internet for your research. There are some books over there. I'm sure you will find some relevant information. Why don't you go over there and have a look for some information that is in the books and take some notes?"

His reply:  "Books, you expect me to use books!!!!!"

Kaybron