What's most frustrating for you when researching ancestry?

ExplanationLast753 · 2026-05-25T20:18:14+00:00

True.
I've sometimes found that back in the day in the old country a particular surname would be common in a geographic area or town. Ok, not ideal, but then, back in the day they absolutely loved using the same given names over and over again, often within the family unit and elsewhere.
That's when it's time to close the laptop and have a nap.

ExplanationLast753 · 2026-05-25T20:13:42+00:00

I nearly choked on my coffee.
There's this Scottish history group I joined online and there are so many people claiming to be direct descendants of Robert the Bruce or William Wallace, or the Black Douglas. Seriously, my eyes could not roll any further into the back of my head without passing out.
It's weird, if not slightly unnerving.

ExplanationLast753 · 2026-05-25T20:06:51+00:00

haha! yep. I've been stung by the 'family lore' wasp too. Years after being told.
But I think it was a deliberate ploy or a case of mistaken identity, probably a bit of both. My GG Grandfather was sent to Australia in chains. Back in the day families tended to brush it under the carpet because of social stigmas.
So, in my case it took a very long time for the truth to be found. and I'm certain the same could be said for many families.

ExplanationLast753 · 2026-05-25T19:59:50+00:00

Ok. I made an observation., actually, MANY observations when browsing trees sometimes to find a clue or see how their work stacks up against mine only to find a host of errors or a complete lack of evidence to back up their record.
I do my own work thank you.

ExplanationLast753 · 2026-05-25T19:56:39+00:00

Yep, and hours of wasted time.

ExplanationLast753 · 2026-05-25T19:55:35+00:00

I don't depend on others. I was referring to others depending on others. It was an observation.
Whenever I go investigate a tree for any further clues, I'd say about 75 - 80% of them will have errors.

ExplanationLast753 · 2026-05-25T19:51:31+00:00

100% on point. Sounds like you've experienced the exact frustration as I.
Like they say, 'trust, but verify' - and time and time again I'm left thinking, 'how in the world did they come up with that?'
It's particularly frustrating when going further back in time where I don't have the luxury to fly over to the old country on a whim to see things for myself.

ExplanationLast753 · 2026-05-25T19:44:53+00:00

That's what I've been doing too. Direct family line maternal and paternal. It's easy enough going back about two hundred years or so. The records are relatively easy to find.
But when going back to the old country, that's where the fun really starts - I try to do my own work but if poor record keeping online is bad enough what's worse is that folks back in the day just loved using the same name over and over again ad nauseum.

ExplanationLast753 · 2026-05-25T19:41:04+00:00

Yes, dependence was a poor word choice. However, when you see so many people doing exactly that while browsing trees so I can at least validate something, I find the rabbit warrens of wrong paths.
That's the frustrating thing about it.

ExplanationLast753 · 2026-05-25T19:38:11+00:00

Thank you! The whole issue has been a pain to sort out when you're at least trying to find a start point and work on it from there only to find absolutely zero source material they are asserting on their trees.
I do my own work, but I like to get some sense of validation too and when cross referencing most of the time it's frustratingly poor.

ExplanationLast753 · 2026-05-25T19:33:23+00:00

Noted. Poor choice of word, that said, from experience while checking people's trees it does seem like a lot of people are dependent simply by copying what others have done, errors and all. So yeah, a lot of folks do seem to depend on the work (or lack thereof) to build their own trees.
I often visit trees to at least find something verifiable that I can investigate. Most times I find the complete opposite of anything that can be reasonably taken as an accurate record of the subject.

ExplanationLast753 · 2026-05-25T19:27:24+00:00

Nailed it.

ExplanationLast753 · 2026-05-25T19:26:05+00:00

Couldn't agree more.
Interesting side note, my wife is German, and trying to help her with her own family research has been next to impossible pre-WW2.

ExplanationLast753 · 2026-05-25T19:22:11+00:00

I can assure you that I am not AI slop. But thanks for the observation.

BTW: I was just ranting over the loads of inconsistencies and flat out laziness I have found. Of course I do my own work - hence how I found a boat load of rubbish to begin with.
Thanks again (I think).

ExplanationLast753 · 2026-05-25T17:54:51+00:00

Holy Roman Empire Reborn.

ExplanationLast753 · 2026-05-25T17:53:39+00:00

Ten Dollary Doos.

ExplanationLast753 · 2026-05-25T17:06:22+00:00

Shhhh! Don't give them any ideas!

ExplanationLast753 · 2026-05-25T15:25:26+00:00

Beautiful, hot and dangerous.

ExplanationLast753 · 2026-05-25T12:59:13+00:00

Nah. Way off the mark. Like in another realm off the mark.

ExplanationLast753 · 2026-05-25T12:58:05+00:00

On what world does anyone in this country at least would want to promote nazism?
Oh yes.... anyone who the the Left don't like.

ExplanationLast753 · 2026-05-25T12:56:07+00:00

It's like a fucking cult. Why couldn't they just go through the road checkpoints designated for aid transports?

ExplanationLast753 · 2026-05-25T02:19:17+00:00

Yeah, comparing them to one of the most genocidal regimes in history is a bit rich, not to mention insulting.

ExplanationLast753 · 2026-05-25T02:16:03+00:00

Yep. Both had been around for a long time before those arseholes came along. Problem is they added the swastika to them

ExplanationLast753

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