I have noticed that people in the US love themselves quite a lot with their bigger than life personalities, but many seem to have separation anxiety issues from Europe and strive to pursue their connection to Englands elite, because it is another thing to brag about.
This separation issue to many either by intent or by being lazy in their research does lead to many false ancestries littering the internet.
..... I do need to say that many in the US are willing to take information at face value without stopping to think and question 'is that is correct?'
Yeah, those Americans and their lazy assumptions, eh? Why can't they be more like us?
I am not exactly sure how to read this message, but to clarify nobody is demanding American's be more like us it is just a well researched observation of a trait that has come out of that part of the world and it is not to say that other people around the world are also culprits. By "us" I am not sure of the intent as I am not British assuming you are "in Cumbria". Every culture has pros and cons (as you will learn if you have studied tourism), but this when people are trying to undertake real research it comes across as very annoying having to filter through un-researched and unsourced family trees. There are even some in the US who I have collaborated with who are getting tired of the sheer quantity of fake ancestry coming out of that country. It seems to be a trend that volume = truth, however we should know better and check as critical self-aware thinking is a great trait to our species.
If the above message wasn't a jab, now worries, but if it was a jab about assumptions, nothing about what I have written is an assumption for I have spend many hours, days and months collaborating with others through this minefield of misinformation and the biggest issue on the main family tree sites I come across on a near daily basis is the false ancestry of many apparent gateway ancestors in the US. Many of these people are unaware of books (both old and new and where to find them) along with up to date research and formality application of any defined gateway ancestor.
A post by a user in the US about being related to Rob Roy macGregor summed this situation up perfectly: "I am related to Rob Roy macGregor, but how do I prove it". The elephant in the room is how can somebody know this as a fact without any proof. Sure ol' granny may have spun a yarn or two about some family rumour, but they key to any claim are sources and corroborating sources.
If anybody doubts what is said, I challenge them to look online at the family tree websites Ancestry.com, My Heritage, Family Tree, etc. and see it all in motion. I have recorded and calculated that about 80% of trees that I have encountered are false and I have barely touched the surface to all the trees on that site and the majority of these incorrect trees are from users in the US. If you look at the site Family Search you will see on many profiles of nobility and royalty users have added research notes like "my 12ggf". It is easy to check their lineage and all I have checked are from where? The USA. So in supporting my statement "the US love themselves quite a lot", yes this is true and they want everyone to know it. On another note most of these users who add the notes have false ancestry from an 'immigrant' who they claim a gateway ancestor without providing any sources and not even a detailed explanation to justify it. The latest I have researched tried to hitch an ancestor to a family in Scotland against formal parish records held on the site Scotlands People. Checking the records, it proved not only did the couple not have a son of that name, but the "source" given was a baptism 20 years later in Liverpool! This is by far not a one off, but a plague.
Also a shout out to username "Erato", you would be the first of my subservient minions. But while you may have been registered to this site for many years, I am relatively new and trust me when I say that finding a unique username that nobody has taken took some time! Oh and just a reminder, it is "Lord Vader".
