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Puzzled, write letters, error correction, digest,



Cousins,
    I continue to be puzzled about the charge that personal messages
dominate this discussion group.  If those concentrating on their search for
their immediate roots think that most  messages addressed to a certain
person means it is just for them, then they are being short sighted.
    These clusters of messages usually start with someone sharing a bit of
information about their family in a specific place or time.  This generates
more messages that people hope will fill in yet more of the gaps about
migrations, customs, political pressures, geography, etc.  You can not view
your ancestry in a vacuum.  All of these and more elements affected the
lives and decisions of marriage, land ownership, migration and could help to
lead someone in the same situation to related present-day relatives or to
where records might be, or to the right book to purchase.  Yes, just as in
any hobby, you need to spend some money for the tools==books, census
records, phone calls, and 100s of letters to people yet living that have
that critical piece of information that you will never get from the
internet.
    Also some messages are generated to correct errors in the historical
record concerning ancestors.  I hope you would not want to copy incorrect
information into your charts just for the sake of filling in all the blanks.
    Genealogy is a tedious hobby.  Those who set out to find their ancestors
cannot expect results in a month, a year or sometimes a decade.  I fear
those that have fallen by the wayside are in only for the quick fix.  If
your time is limited, and whose isn't, I advise that you return every 6
months and present your query again.  By that time maybe just the right
person has been added to our group or else you may have found that added bit
of information that we can recognize so we can connect you to the great
Sinclair Family tree.
      Also be aware that there are people deep into research that will be
publishing their results.  If you leave us for good, you will never know
someday about that wonderful book that will have your whole line.  The
digest that has been set up by John could be a happy medium for you, so
please don't stray too far away.
Laurel Fechner
Historian, Clan Sinclair USA