[NR] People who are not period but say they are

[Marc Carlson]

>From: "willowjonbardc at juno.com" <willowjonbardc at juno.com>
>It is a personal problem of mine also. We learn in the SCA by sharing
>with others. While I do not believe that we need written documentation
>for everything we do and wear we need to know if it is proper or not.
>If we claim something is period and it is not others may be lead
>astray and get into trouble. A Master of the Laurel told me once that
>Gilligan's island was a period tune. I believed him and for 15 years
>used it as an example of a period tune that had too much modern favor.
>He then told me he was BSing. The way I wear my belts on my dresses is
>wrong. When I started the research allowed it but now further
>knowledge has made it questionable. I tell people that I am in a gray
>area when I talk about costuming. I am thinking about getting a T-
>shirt that says "I am not a costuming Laurel." We need to understand
>there is a lot of bad research out there and you or the person that
>you are talking to may just be wrong because the research is wrong. I
>think we need to talk more about good and bad reference books.

I'm not sure that it's as simple as bad and good reference books, but I'm 
not sure I have a better suggestion.  Research changes, and evolves over 
time.  The Internet has helped and hindered that process greatly, by 
allowing people who wouldn't otherwise be able to communicate and share 
information.  OTOH, it also allows bad information to take hold and dig in 
solid.  But even without it, people spread some seriously weird 
mythinformation.  And sometimes people just make stuff up (I'm still waiting 
to have some of my stranger jokes come back to haunt me).

I will say that I do believe though that yes, most of the time, most people 
repeat what they believe to be true.  What they believe, or have learned, or 
thinks comes from a credible source.

All we can do is try to figure the best ways to address mythinformation as 
it comes up. But there isn't going to be one easy answer.

Marc/Diarmaid