Is it just me, or has Ancestry gone crazy?
Is anybody else getting some of the worst, most outlandish hints lately on ancestors?
I think one that takes the cake is someone — not actually my ancestor, but Nathan LEWIS (b. abt 1800, m. Sidney JONES) had hints for his parents. When I clicked on them, it suggested his father was a man from County Clare, Ireland, of all places! Nevermind the prevalence of Lewises around Beaufort and Craven Counties for generations by the time Nathan was born. It suggested his mother was born in Wilkes County.
What!? So how does a County Clare man meet a Wilkes County woman, and then they end up in the Craven/Beaufort County area with their children, for goodness' sake!?
Hey, I just got one about 5th great-grandfather, John Edward Bennett, who died in Craven County in 1817. According to this hint, he was living in Australia in 1910!
I thought all of Ancestry's hints were largely based on someone on Ancestry formerly adding said information to their tree, and not Ancestry itself? The system Ancestry has set up to suggest hints that were accepted into other's trees is quite the easy way for false information to spread.
Quote from Becky Sumrell on January 19, 2019, 5:17 amHey, I just got one about 5th great-grandfather, John Edward Bennett, who died in Craven County in 1817. According to this hint, he was living in Australia in 1910!
That's just crazy, @bsumrell! What on earth would attract someone from the land Down Under to Craven County in 1817!? 😆
Quote from Edwin Averette on January 19, 2019, 3:47 pmI thought all of Ancestry's hints were largely based on someone on Ancestry formerly adding said information to their tree, and not Ancestry itself? The system Ancestry has set up to suggest hints that were accepted into other's trees is quite the easy way for false information to spread.
I think you're right, @ed_ave, so maybe what's happening is there's just a whole new pool of genealogy novices who have taken the AncestryDNA test and now they've been turned loose in the general population of genealogists, but for better or worse, no one is required to be licensed to practice family tree research, so there is bound to be some reckless ancestor-adding going on!
I do wish Ancestry would create away to let the system know if a hint is totally off-base. Maybe rejecting those hints like that is enough. Who knows?
