My entire life my parents would drive to certain cemeteries to place flowers on the graves of our family that has gone before us. Grave-markers on some were maybe non-committal, and only that my parents knew where the spot was and then they honored it quietly with us 'hanging' around or in the car on the road in the cemetery. This was 'the only way' people learned about their family members that had gone on before them. My mom eventually got brave enough to begin to order birth certificates of nearest relatives, her mother who'd died when she was three, etc. Those would remain in a lock box or someplace safe.
Now we have the internet, and people who are very enthusiastic about a pastime that brings grave-markers to person who may not be able to travel to their location. And then there is the advent of this great source, Wikitree, and other genealogy programs.
I am really familiar with many of my family from myself back about four or five generations, but cousins and their children, Aunts or Uncles, well only do I recognize them from the resource such as FAG or more and more articles and others who've created a family tree, a living breathing source specially when modified frequently.
There is historical data pouring out of small towns, villages, rural groups everywhere. The only place I haven't seen any of this yet is Africa or South America, and various others, such as Iran and Pakistan, which I, after taking a DNA test see I have genetics that lead me to the middle east north of Saudia Arabia. Who knew?! Not me.
I work with Norway Heritage and also have used Danish Family, the persons who respond to me are very quick in their response and really very knowledgeable. Correct and guide me when I veer off.
I think as more of us have our own family tree created 7 - 10 generations out, we've worked with the tree enough where confidently we know what is expected from us and have more confidence to enter information and know what not to put in the bio.
Sometimes when working on a profile initially, I'll put information in the bio area and go back and find others have edited it and made it 'pretty' (my dad's way of saying), That is good. Collaborative effort!
It is important to know a person whether they are famous or not. Did they languish joyously at home near their kitchen table smoking a cigeratte and shooting the breeze? Is that going to be known to anyone other than immediate family? Maybe that is the best thing they did in their lives, be in the house near the kitchen table and all of the family knew where that person was. Sometimes that is everything to a person and what a good thing that is. But where would that be documented.
Good to help new persons pick through data, and make sure of accuracy's. For famous people, such as Abe Lincoln, isn't all of the famous profiles created? Is there any left to start up? I imagine the persons who first began them and how that must have been for everyone. Exciting and daunting!