Recently the news has been besieged by false notifications of many celebrity deaths. As people have rushed to learn more about these star passings, more and more they are finding conflicting information and outright untruths. What a waste of time and money and resources! On July 1, 2009 John Sutter of CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/07/01/celebrity.death.pranks/index.html) wrote:

“The situation is calling attention to the changing state of the news media: As information online moves faster and comes from more sources, it's more difficult to verify what's true and what may be shockingly false.

Some have downplayed the situation, saying the rumors are not harmful. Others find the situation offensive in light of the actual deaths last week.

Internet-savvy readers can tell the difference between fake news and real information that has been verified by a trusted blogger or mainstream news reporter, said Gabriel Snyder, managing editor at Gawker, a celebrity news and gossip blog not associated with the rumors.”

This sounds a lot like the current day situation in genealogy found on the Internet. Because we live in a day of self-styled professionalism for genealogy research, education, information, technology and materials, and citizen genealogy blogging, the consumer is having a very tough time finding trustworthy sites in their quest for accurate and trustworthy results and advice. And with the plethoration of Internet sources and resources, and lack of true professional authority, it is becoming even more difficult for the truth to be distinguished from all that is there, and even to find trusted professionals. There is a lot of fake genealogy to wade through online to find real genealogical information and qualified competent professional help. The consumer needs to have authoritative credentialed sources for genealogy results, data, information, technology, instruction, speaking, writing, and blogging. Such professionalism would enhance the credibility of both public and private domain family trees, blogs and genealogical materials and information now found on the Internet and in turn, benefit the consumer, the practitioner, and the emerging profession in Professional Genealogy Research Services.

We here at www.Heirlines.com support the establishment of such a profession in Professional Genealogy Research Services, with autonomous regulation by a professional organization composed of qualified members-only practitioners who can do professional genealogical research. and teach, write, and mentor for clients, students, professionals, governments, and private and public organizations on and off the Internet about professional genealogy. Here consumers will find qualified professionals with profession-regulated and recognized credentials capable of producing trusted verifiable professional genealogy research and authenticated information in all formats in research results, education, technology, and advice. Professionalization will help the savvy consumer find trustworthy practitioners and trusted results, sources, technology, blogging, teaching, writing, speaking, and all things genealogical.

Submitted by

Mary E. Petty, B.A. (History), B.A. (Genealogy)
==============================================================
Ancestors are the People of History. Do you know who yours are?
Let the Professionals at HEIRLINES FAMILY HISTORY & GENEALOGY find your ancestry!
1-800-570-4049 ▪ www.heirlines.com ▪ PO Box 893 ▪ Salt Lake City, UT 84110

© 2009, Heirlines Family History & Genealogy, Inc. All rights reserved.

The potential client needs to be advised and educated. As professional genealogists we have an obligation to educate our clients, or our own reputations can be damaged. There need be no fear of hurting anyone’s feelings by questioning their genealogy; that’s why they come to us.

Permit me to share a case involving a purported "accurate" Royal lineage found the Internet.

A client wanted to verify a lineage tracing his family line back to Edward IV, King of England, and the possibility of joining a lineage society. His information came from a questionable on-line database. I talked with him about his goals, and the reality of genealogy research, noting that membership in any society requires detailed documentation of every generation on a line, and the events of each generation. Even accurate genealogy is often impossible to fully document for such organizations. But more importantly, I told him that if he used, shared, published, or passed on a weak, incorrect, or possibly false genealogy lineage, it could damage his reputation, and perhaps eventually the family memory of him because that false pedigree might go out under his name.

He was still anxious to learn the truth about his lineage, and we agreed to evaluate the nineteen generations back to Edward IV, with the stipulation that we would work from both ends of the pedigree, because the likelihood of false information is most likely in the early generations, and the probability of undocumented ancestors is common in recent generations. We agreed, and all of our agreements were put in writing and signed, that if any aspects of the lineage were discredited, we would stop that search and explain why. Alternative goals were established regarding ancestors of interest in modern times, and research was to turn to those goals if the lineage goal failed. He gave us ten hours to find whatever we could.

In the first five hours we determined that generations 5-10 back from the client had been put together based on supposition and theory, but without any proper documentation. We also found that grandchildren had been credited to Edward IV’s lineage that were not historically accurate, and the lineage fell apart from there. We dropped the lineage evaluation after five hours, and devoted the remaining time to discovering details and family history about known recent ancestors. The client was thrilled with what was found, and understanding about learning the truth of his historical past. We made this into a win-win for both of us. We have a client who isn’t chasing dream clouds, and who has confidence in us as professionals in our field to come back for further assistance.

James W. Petty, AG®, CG (SM), B.A. (History), B.S. (Genealogy)
Ancestors are the People of History. Do you know who yours are?
Let the Professionals at HEIRLINES Family History & Genealogy find your Ancestry!
1-800-570-4049 ▪ www.heirlines.com ▪ PO Box 893 ▪ Salt Lake City, UT 84110
© 2009, Heirlines Family History & Genealogy, Inc. All rights reserved.

My Fellow Professional Genealogists,

I have a dream for 2020. I see a fully organized profession, Professional Genealogy, for career professional genealogy researchers complete with formal education, training, experience, qualified membership requirements, credentialing, competency, re-certification/re-accreditation, continuing education, compliance, and standardized ethics, methodology, and best practices. These are the hallmarks of a true profession. Here quality and accountability matter for the benefit of the profession, the practitioner and the consumer because competency is certified for trusted results by qualified professionals. Consumers need it. Professional Genealogists need it. The career occupation of professional genealogy research services needs it.

Forces in the marketplace are now aligning that are not all in the best interests of the profession, the practitioner, and the consumer. Are we as practitioners going to just let the tidal wave come or are we going to lead out and shape our own destiny? Most assuredly, today’s actions or inactivity, will affect the future growth and development of professional genealogy research services as a viable career and commercial enterprise, and have direct impact on the quality and accuracy of private and public domain family trees and family history. Clearly, there is a great need to professionalize the career of professional genealogy research services.

Where will Professional Genealogy be in 2020? Will professional genealogy research services be a career profession composed of qualified practitioners? Or will the term professional continue merely an adjective, with no basis in a profession? Is a profession possible?

To answer these questions, I am seeking fellow practitioners: #1 who want a profession organized for Professional Genealogy; and #2 are willing to commit time and effort to its institution on a formal basis. If you are interested in this future for the full-time career of professional genealogy researcher, please contact me, Mary E. Petty. Lets start building today for 2020.

Mary E. Petty
mary@heirlines.com
801.572.4049

Sincerely yours,

Mary E. Petty, B.A. (History), B.A. (Genealogy)
==============================================================
Ancestors are the People of History. Do you know who yours are?
Let the Professionals at HEIRLINES FAMILY HISTORY & GENEALOGY find your ancestry!
1-800-570-4049 ▪ www.heirlines.com ▪ PO Box 893 ▪ Salt Lake City, UT 84110

© 2009, Heirlines Family History & Genealogy, Inc. All rights reserved.

We've just heard the fantastic news about our fellow Salt Lake Professional Genealogist, David Rencher, AG, CG. We are thrilled to learn of his accomplishments and new position as FamilySearch's Chief Genealogical Officer. Great Choice!!!! A top-drawer professional has been chosen to lead-out and continue the expansion and growth that is to come at FamilySearch. David Rencher's appointment is a strong statement about the standards and growth of the public domain family tree.

David is a great example for all who wish a viable career in Professional Genealogy. He is a full-time professional genealogist who has earned the professional designation. He has had a rich and diversified career experience, rooted in;
#1- Genealogical Research
#2 - Member of the Premier Genealogy organization and library in the world - FHL
#3 - Technology-based Genealogy for FamilySearch.org
#4 - Instructor, Teacher, Lecturer.

These are some of the professional career path hallmarks of his 28 year career in Professional Genealogy:

Formal Education: BA, Family and Local History, Brigham Young University, 1980
Formal Training: BYU and Family History Library
Formal Employment: Vice President of Genealogical Society of Utah and Chief Genealogical Officer of FAMILYSEARCH.
Formal Credentials: AG, CG
Formal Continuing Education - As Instructor and Participant - multitude of national and international institutes, conferences and seminars - including Samford's IGHR, Salt Lake Institute, NGS, FGS
Formal Pro Bono Publico - served as President of UGA

This is Professional Genealogy in the 21st Century!
(Deseret News Mormon Times 05/15/09 http://tinyurl.com/qryh63)

Submitted by:

James W. Petty, AG, CG,
B.A. (History), B.S. (Genealogy)
Member APG - Salt Lake Chapter

Mary E. Petty, B.A.(History), B.A. (Genealogy)
Member APG - Salt Lake Chapter
==============================================================
Ancestors are the People of History. Do you know who yours are? Let the Professionals at HEIRLINES Family History & Genealogy find your ancestry!
1-800-570-4049; www.heirlines.com; PO Box 893, Salt Lake City, UT 84110
© 2009, Heirlines Family History & Genealogy, Inc. All rights reserved.

The way things are today in professional genealogy research services is that professional genealogists get to define themselves and what they do. It truly is a buyer's beware marketplace, whether the so-called professional is doing genealogy personally, volunteering, pro bono publico, or commercially. Without the constraints of a profession, it is anything that is wanted and can be sold to the consumer.

As a practitioner in professional genealogy research services at Heirlines (www.heirlines.com), I have a commitment to formal professionalism and to the profession, to my fellow practitioners, to future practitioners, to the consumer, and to the public domain family tree. This is my standard. It is the philosophical motivation of my practice. I share my views on this list in anticipation of that future day when others will likewise desire a real formalized profession in genealogy research services. This is in the best interests of all stakeholders.

As a side note, in reviewing the website for the qualified members-only career organization for 150,000 psychologists, American Psychological Association www.apa.org , I found some very useful information in my study of professionalism. I learned about their eligibility requirements and the career focus of this professional organization. I look forward to the day when Professional Genealogy Research Services has a similar membership of 150,000 professional genealogists who are qualified to practice genealogy and thereby raise the quality of results on the private and public domain family tree. And as such, are authorized experts to educate, teach, write, speak, lecture, and talk to the public, the consumer, future practitioners, and their fellow practitioners about their career work in family history and genealogy: pro bono publico and commercially for a fee.

Submitted by Mary E. Petty, BA (History), BA (Genealogy)

Ancestors are the People of History.● Do you know who yours are? ● Let the Professionals at HEIRLINES FAMILY HISTORY & GENEALOGY find your ancestry! ●1-800-570-4049 ● www.heirlines.com ● PO Box 893 ● Salt Lake City, UT 84110

© 2009, Heirlines Family History & Genealogy, Inc. All rights reserved.