Probably the second in a minor
cranky-rant series. The first one has
relevance (discreetly linked below).
The rash of "quickie guides"
for every genealogical subject on the planet shows no sign of
abating. Soon there will be a quickie guide for choosing your
personally-applicable quickie guides.
The popularity of Elizabeth Shown
Mill's cogent, analytic QuickSheets has spawned a growing
B-list of would-be success items. No topic will be too obscure to
escape glossy encapsulation. Perhaps serving as reminders for serious
family historians, you say? More likely they cater to the formidable
ADD penchant for sound bytes and instant gratification, including its
death grip on all things Internet.
The concept of essential learning in
traditional texts and courses--methodology, evidence analysis,
demonstrated arguments--flicks away as junior genealogists greet the
arrival of the shiny, condensed, time-saving items. And they take way
less space on the library shelf. If personal libraries have a future.
Short cuts lead to poor research and
hasty presentation, as experienced educators have been known to
lament as the wobbly TWATAFT unfolds.
Chalk it up to the general ennui
of the Shopping Season, or congenital sarcasm; at the risk of
thorough damnation here's my take: The dollar store has less
expensive laminated place mats.
Express your outrage at me here.
©
2012 Brenda Dougall Merriman
2 comments:
I am a poster child for ADD and even I know there are no short cuts if you want to be certain the information you're collecting is as accurate as possible. I have not seen any of these quickie guides that you refer to,but it's probably just as well.
You could have fooled me, Callie, all the work you do in another field. I just think the genealogy world needs more awareness of evaluating sources and analyzing evidence.
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