This new project (Geni as Illusion?) is one of the most exciting I've seen. When I was invited to join, I jumped at the chance because I think it will give us an opportunity to think about what we are doing when we are doing genealogy.
Everyone knows there is huge, really huge, tension on Geni between reality and fantasy. Some users want to cut all the fake lines. Their argument is that Geni should be a "respectable" site where the information has been vetted. But other users want to keep those lines. Their argument is that we can all tell the difference between real and fake so it doesn't really matter.
Because of my interest in (possible) descents from antiquity I often get caught up in these discussions, both publicly and privately. Personally, I have a strong bias for factual accuracy, but the truth is I"m sympathetic to both sides of the debate. Is the project right when it says maybe Geni is just an elaborate interactive game?
I like the history of genealogy as much as I like genealogy. And, genealogical invention is as old as recorded history. I don't think there's ever been a culture until modern times where the people didn't believe they were descendants of First Man and First Woman, and often also of their gods. Every genealogist who loves history probably also loves seeing what our ancestors believed about their ancestors, but at the same time most serious genealogists -- at least the ones I know -- are bothered when they see fiction mixed with fact in their own genealogy.
So what do you think? Does the myth on Geni bother you? And more to the point -- do you ever think about the line between fantasy and reality in genealogy?