A MEETING by the Winchester group of the Hampshire Genealogical Society saw a presentation which championed family history.

The October meeting of the Winchester group of the Hampshire Genealogical Society received a presentation from its honorary president, the TV genealogist Dr Nick Barratt.

Dr Barratt was the original genealogical consultant and on-screen expert for BBC's 'Who Do You Think You Are?' He is currently the Executive Director of Student Journey at Royal Holloway University of London.

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Speaking to the Winchester group about 'Family History in the Digital Age,' Dr Barratt said there should be a focus on "the tools to pass forward and considering what is real and what is not!"

In the past there was an inherent elitism with links to the Royal Family. Richard III, founded the College of Arms in the late 15th century, which caused a seismic change in society.

By the 1920s, the Society of Genealogists was formed with the release of  census records and education. Now there has been an uncontrolled pace of change with Zoom helping to reach global audiences both pre and post pandemic.

Due to the pandemic the data market came from the Banking Crisis and decisions on staff in “leisure” services needing to raise income. People stopped going to archives tailed off with the assumption that “everything was online."

Other concerns were noted too, such as the lack of a 1931 census and the destruction of the 1941. The next release will be in 2052 when the 1951 census is revealed.

This means the data market has no income source and the thought that everything is checked but in truth there is no check for accuracy, validity or legality.

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The concern about photographs is that no permission is sought from the photo taker, nor are there any filters on user generated content.

Dr Barratt spoke about algorithms and AI, with more AI being used to create algorithms that cannot be validated.

The next meeting will be on Thursday November 21 when Gill Blanchard will talk about 'Tracing the History of the House' and will be on Zoom.