From roots-in@roots-l.rootsweb.com Mon Mar 20 21:07:35 2006 Received: from mail.rootsweb.com (mail.rootsweb.com [192.168.65.34]) by admin.rootsweb.com (8.12.8/8.12.8) with ESMTP id k2L47Zjb020099; Mon, 20 Mar 2006 21:07:35 -0700 Received: from roots-l.rootsweb.com (roots-l.rootsweb.com [66.43.16.22]) by mail.rootsweb.com (8.13.4/8.13.4) with ESMTP id k2L47Y9F022203 for ; Mon, 20 Mar 2006 21:07:34 -0700 Received: from roots-l.rootsweb.com (roots-l [127.0.0.1]) by roots-l.rootsweb.com (8.12.10/8.12.10) with ESMTP id k2L1afFI026269 for ; Mon, 20 Mar 2006 20:36:41 -0500 Received: (from roots-in@localhost) by roots-l.rootsweb.com (8.12.10/8.12.8/Submit) id k2L1afHE026268 for roots-approved@rootsweb.com; Mon, 20 Mar 2006 20:36:41 -0500 Received: from lists5.rootsweb.com (lists5.rootsweb.com [66.43.27.41]) by roots-l.rootsweb.com (8.12.10/8.12.10) with SMTP id k2KNwJFI026019 for ; Mon, 20 Mar 2006 18:58:19 -0500 Received: (from slist@localhost) by lists5.rootsweb.com (8.12.8/8.12.8) id k2L2T1PJ021918 for roots-in@roots-l.rootsweb.com; Mon, 20 Mar 2006 19:29:01 -0700 X-Envelope-From: mscheffl@twcny.rr.com Mon Mar 20 19:29:01 2006 Received: from mail.rootsweb.com (mail.rootsweb.com [192.168.65.34]) by admin.rootsweb.com (8.12.8/8.12.8) with ESMTP id k2L2T1jb021909 for ; Mon, 20 Mar 2006 19:29:01 -0700 Received: from ms-smtp-03.nyroc.rr.com (ms-smtp-03.nyroc.rr.com [24.24.2.57]) by mail.rootsweb.com (8.13.4/8.13.4) with ESMTP id k2L2T0O7001105 for ; Mon, 20 Mar 2006 19:29:01 -0700 Received: from 1070n (cpe-24-92-248-107.twcny.res.rr.com [24.92.248.107]) by ms-smtp-03.nyroc.rr.com (8.13.4/8.13.4) with SMTP id k2L2Sw1x014624; Mon, 20 Mar 2006 21:29:00 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <00f401c64c8f$341d2f40$6601a8c0@1070n> From: "MScheffler" To: , References: <285.7b43bb5.31504e4c@aol.com> Subject: Re: [ROOTS-L] Limiting research to what relationship? Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2006 21:28:55 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.2180 X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2180 X-Virus-Scanned: Symantec AntiVirus Scan Engine X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.52 on 192.168.65.34 X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.52 on 192.168.65.34 Sender: roots-in@roots-l.rootsweb.com Hi Jo, When I started out I was reluctant to add people to my database, not knowing if and how they were related to me, so when names looked interesting that I found on a genealogy trip, I would make notes and photocopies, bring them home and file them away. Many of these copies and notes are still in the original folders which I likely have not opened for 10 years. This material is taking up space and helping no one. Over the years I have been searching I have changed my tactics. I know have most of my major lines pretty well done except the brick walls which perhaps some day I will break down. But I love searching just as much as ever. So I put most everything I look up (even for others) in my one database and post it periodically at WorldConnect. Along the way I have helped some others and gained some new information, some of which did tie in with some of my early families. But had I not taken time to add it to the database, I might never have made the connections that later proved to be so interesting. I do try to write interesting narrative for people in my direct line. But well researched/documented trees without narrative can be very helpful to others, and they can later write their own narrative after finding some of those elusive links. So, my recommendation is to keep adding information that is of interest to you until you tire of it and post it occasionally where others can make use of it. One never knows where any one line of research will lead. We learn something about history in the process. Most of our genealogy programs can hold literally millions of names, and the unlinked ones or the ones we don't want to print out right now, will not affect the reports of closely related people we print out to share with interested relatives. For me the fun is in the chase -- Can I find something that someone else seemingly is unable to solve? It's really fun to see a posting that someone has been looking for something for years, to find some of what that person needs in my own database. Some people can say they have finished their work and call it quits. Many of us will keep at it till the day we die. An aside not related to Jo's posting, my family is not of the Mormon faith, but some ancestors lived in Chenango and Broome Co. NY at the time Joseph Smith lived and preached there. A fellow researcher has been going through my ggg grandfather's diary and put together the line "Mr. Smith baptized my children" as a reference to THE Joseph Smith. I had assumed the reference was to a Methodist circuit rider. There were other references as well which tie into what they know of Joseph Smith's life.. I shared my relative's diary and now the other researcher and myself have some new insights into this interesting religious person that neither one of us would have happened upon. So Jo, if you are able to draw a line and stop you are unusual. Most of us are too addicted to do that I will await the responses your questions brings in. Margaret Scheffler ----- Original Message ----- From: To: Sent: Monday, March 20, 2006 1:28 PM Subject: [ROOTS-L] Limiting research to what relationship? > Hello all. > I have a question that I expect to get many different responses for, but > that will be very helpful. > > When my database reached 15,000 individuals I decided that I just had to > draw a line for myself as to what is reasonable to research. At that > point I > decided that I would stop with 4th cousins. However, this was anyone > that was > 4th cousin X removed, it didn't matter. > Now I am up to almost 20,000 and I realize that even this is ridiculous, > for > most of those people all I am doing is collecting names, dates, and places > and not history. They are not close relatives by any stretch of the > imagination. > I suppose I can start by limiting the "times removed". But then I need > to > determine an "equivalent" for 3rd cousin X removed. And do I do it for > second > cousins and first cousins. After all, my 8th great grandfather's second > cousin is pretty distant from me. > > So my question to listers is: Where do you draw the line? At what point > do > you personally say, "these people are too far distant from my family line > and I am not going to add them". > > Obviously there is no right or wrong answer, I need some suggestions so > that > I can weigh the merits and make a decision before I lose my mind > researching > all these people that are more closely related to you than to me > probably. > <> > > Thanks for any help > Jo H