Is the internet being used too much by authors?

[sky Heaton]

I have been doing some media research and found a series of volumes of books called contemporary theatre, film and television. The description on these books states it gives you an insight into the world of media and professional that work within the industry. However I have found that this series of book has create a biography on one particular individual 3 times, each one stating a different middle name and birth year. When each birth year changes some of the biographies timeline of event are not consistent. When approaching the publisher to find out which of the 3 sets of information they have provide is correct they have come back say they do not know. The reason for this is because they have used a market research company to research their books, who have basically gather information off the internet. Rather than fact check documents to ensure the information is right, contemporary theatre film and television has 3 volumes numbers 43, 75 and 92 with 3 different set of information on one individual.

So if authors are just using the internet as research and reprint the information they find, do they have a purpose as people can gather information of the internet themselves, especially if the information they print is wrong. It would be interesting to get people thoughts.

 

[Conscious Bob]

So if authors are just using the internet as research and reprint the information they find, do they have a purpose as people can gather information of the internet themselves, especially if the information they print is wrong. It would be interesting to get people thoughts.

The internet provides genuine sources of factual information that can be easily cross referenced by proper researchers so if this is the answer the publisher has given you then it's very strange...

Is there a logical reason why this series of volumes provides triplicate information?

Odd.

 

[sky Heaton]

The internet provides genuine sources of factual information that can be easily cross referenced by proper researchers so if this is the answer the publisher has given you then it's very strange...

Is there a logical reason why this series of volumes provides triplicate information?

Odd.

No they publisher hasn't provide a logical reason, their main source of research seems to be from imdb, but even they have been very vague as to why they have changed this person personnel details about 5 times. When I asked the publisher how the detail of the 3 accounts they have provide on the individual had been fact checked, they did not provide a response.

 

[Conscious Bob]

Give us the name of the individual in question, by that I mean the individual with the different middle names and birth years.

 

[Gerwinnen Flecklecks]

To put one's name and date of birth on the internet is folly.
Any security concious person/firm will tell you this.
Cyber crime and identity theft is rife.

 

[Ell]

To put one's name and date of birth on the internet is folly.
Any security concious person/firm will tell you this.
Cyber crime and identity theft is rife.

I think he means the name and date of birth of the author that the OP was originally researching. Authors' names and dates of birth, along with many celebrities and public figures are already out there.

 

[Conscious Bob]

I think he means the name and date of birth of the author that the OP was originally researching. Authors' names and dates of birth, along with many celebrities and public figures are already out there.

Thank you Ell. Or to put in other words...

To put one's name and date of birth on the internet is folly.
Any security concious person/firm will tell you this.
Cyber crime and identity theft is rife.

Try reading the first post you clown.

 

[sky Heaton]

Give us the name of the individual in question, by that I mean the individual with the different middle names and birth years.

The individual names is Meredith Monroe

She has had three biographies created by author Thomas Riggs in the books Contemporary Theatre Film and Television. In the first version Thomas has listed her as Meredith Hoyt Monroe born 1977. In a later version by this author she is listed as Meredith Lee Monroe born in 1970. In his third version she is listed as Meredith Leigh Monroe born in 1968. I have recently discovered two other authors who have published biographies on this person Kathe Tibbs and Darren Crosdale who have created biographies where they have listed her birth year as 1976 but not give her a middle name.

In Kathe and Darren biographies the timeline of event work as the have create a time frame of her birth to education to first media role. In Thomas second and third bio versions, where he has listed her as born in 70 and 68 there seems to be a explained gaps in the timeline of events.

Even though three author have written books on Meredith they don't know which set of information is correct, which does not say much about how well publishers and authors fact check their work before it get published.

 

[Conscious Bob]

Had a look at this and I see your point. IMDB which is the go to site for entertainer information has Meredith born on 30 December 1970, however I also searched for Meredith Hoyt Munroe and she's listed on Film Reference as being born on 30 December 1977. Wikipedia has Meredith's middle name as Leigh and has her birth date listed as 30 December but no year heh.

I found a reply to a youtube clip which is quite interesting.

@toddsmitts I found 3 meredith monroe facebook sites, i think its a popular name. One has her pictures the other two don't. It difficult to tell if any of the sites are her's specially with the conflicting stories about her age and name. Some sites say she was born in 1968, 1970, 1974, 1976 or 1977 and sometimes she is know as meredith Hoyt Monroe or Meredith Leigh Monroe. What can I say she a mysterious woman.

I think this particular birth date may be quite difficult to get hold of but you are correct, if the publisher can't verify information from the internet or otherwise, there is no right to publish contradictory information as being correct. Clearly in this instance Thomas Riggs is as much in the dark as everyone else...

 

[sky Heaton]

Had a look at this and I see your point. IMDB which is the go to site for entertainer information has Meredith born on 30 December 1970, however I also searched for Meredith Hoyt Munroe and she's listed on Film Reference as being born on 30 December 1977. Wikipedia has Meredith's middle name as Leigh and has her birth date listed as 30 December but no year heh.

I found a reply to a youtube clip which is quite interesting.

@toddsmitts I found 3 meredith monroe facebook sites, i think its a popular name. One has her pictures the other two don't. It difficult to tell if any of the sites are her's specially with the conflicting stories about her age and name. Some sites say she was born in 1968, 1970, 1974, 1976 or 1977 and sometimes she is know as meredith Hoyt Monroe or Meredith Leigh Monroe. What can I say she a mysterious woman.

I think this particular birth date may be quite difficult to get hold of but you are correct, if the publisher can't verify information from the internet or otherwise, there is no right to publish contradictory information as being correct. Clearly in this instance Thomas Riggs is as much in the dark as everyone else...

Thanks this is very interesting, it seems that Thomas Riggs has not just done this with meredith Monroe but other film directors and artists as there are several entries where people have been repeat twice or details have been incorrect, it just in Meredith case she has been repeated three times yet all three entries could be wrong as imdb are now saying she is born in 1969. However it is not just Thomas Riggs but many self-published books sometimes contain facts which are wrong, and it seems odd that authors and publishers do not have regulators. Newspapers and magazine are regulated by the Press Complaints Commission to ensure they don't just print anything, so it seems odd there is nothing for books. So many publishers and authors rely on the internet to fact check information.

 

[Roxbrough]

I agree with the statement that personal information on the net is dangerous.
As only 25% of actors use their real names, it would also be best if authors all used fake names, for simple safety's sake.

 

[Conscious Bob]

I agree with the statement that personal information on the net is dangerous.
As only 25% of actors use their real names, it would also be best if authors all used fake names, for simple safety's sake.

Roxbrough/Member? Are you saying that actors use fake names to hide their true identities?