Damn it people. It’s not 1980.
Saying “I heard” and then referencing a fact simply does not cut it any more. There are ways to discover if what you “heard” (and that’s questionable) is true or not.
So don’t say “I heard the Hamilton County, Ohio courthouse burned” and then state a year. Find out from a reputable online source first before you share any such comments or “facts.” And then, include that source in your reference to the fat.
Don’t say “I heard the birth certificates for Dawson County, Nebraska, start in xxx year” without checking first.
When I started research over 40 years ago, the ability to quickly confirm basic facts was not nearly as easy as it is today…particularly if a library with a significant reference collection was not nearby.
“Hearing” is different from “knowing.” Even if you know, it doesn’t hurt to perform a quick check to make certain your knowledge is correct. Memories can be incorrect.
It’s time to stop sharing facts you ‘“heard” and start sharing facts you can back up.
There’s a difference between saying “I heard my Grandma had a baby with the neighbor and I heard the county charges $16.00 for a death certificate.”
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