In engineering, noise is defined as a signal that interferes
with the detection of or quality of another signal. Noise can
also be defined as "acoustic signals which can negatively affect
the physiological or psychological well-being of an individual."
See Kryter, Karl D. The Handbook of Hearing and the Effects of
Noise: Physiology, Psychology, and Public Health. San Diego:
Academic Press, 1994. Basically, in genealogy, noise is anything
in your environment that is unwanted. Unwanted noise can
effectively reduce both the quality of your work and your
enjoyment. As genealogists we put up with all of the normal
sources of noise pollution in our complex society, but we have
our own brand of noise pollution that is becoming more and more
pervasive and intrusive; unwanted incorrect and/or inaccurate
data from well meaning co-workers in genealogy. This is another
commentary on New FamilySearch and all the unwanted data in that
program, this particular issue comes up much more insidiously.
Frequently, I get E-mails