David, I doubt you would be criticized for including sources! And most of the listings for general information (i.e. cemeteries, census, etc.) that were transcribed by someone don't necessarily need to be noted as to who transcribed the info. The website file is the source in this instance, not the person who did the work. I think there are many people who are new to genealogy that do not understand the time and effort that some have put into their work. For instance, my mother started over 25 years ago when the only sources were the National Archives and a few small libraries here and there. I spent many hours hand cranking microfilm readers to help!! This is basically a form of plagiarism. I have info from other people as well as my own research. If I run across an opportunity to share the info, I ALWAYS contact the researcher to make sure they are willing to share. In most cases they are more than happy to. As I confirm their research with my own, I then feel free to share without asking because I now have proved their research. I have added a lot to my family this way, but still feel protective of the sources because they are the ones who actually did the original work. This brings up the fact that people think anything in print is available to be used as they wish. They should sit down and read the copy write laws sometime. Technically, this e-mail is copywrited - just because I wrote it! Because of this, we are hesitant to publish a family history book that we have been working on for 3 years. We are afraid that the moment it comes out in paper, it will shortly appear transcribed for all to view on the interenet! So what do we do with all the research we have put into this book? I doubt this problem will ever clear up but maybe we can make more people aware that good manners and courtesy are part of the genealogy community and should not be forgotten. Laurie Blackshear 2305 Jackson Ln League City, TX 77573-3405 [email protected] Why Wait? Move to EarthLink. > [Original Message] > From: <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Date: 2/3/2003 10:39:44 AM > Subject: [ALCONECU] Credit Given > > I think I understand where a genealogist is coming from when they complain of > someone else taking credit for their hard work and expensive research. Being > a relative latecomer to genealogy, I am amazed at the work some people have > done in the world of genealogy. I have gotten most of my information off of > the Internet and am thankful that so many people have made that information > available to people like me. How do I give credit to everyone who deserves > it without bogging down and filling up my computer with credits, not to > mention the time it takes to include the credits in their proper form. The > person who spends days in a cemetery writing down all of the headstone > information, then going home and inputting it into a data base and then some > group posting it on the internet should all be recognized for their efforts. > I honestly do not know how to do it to everyone's satisfaction. I have > not posted my own information on the Internet and sometimes feel guilty > because that is my primary source of information. Information on the > Internet is growing in leaps and bounds and thousands of people deserve > credit. I really believe that I would receive more criticism for faulty > credits given than for no credit given at all. Also, I am getting a good > deal of information recently from ancestors in their 80's and 90's and that > information will not be around much longer. I, like most genealogists, > regret that I started too late after my parents and grandparents had passed > away with all of their memories and stories. So now we have genealogists who > are going to covet their research and not share it. Where do you think that > research will be after they are gone? The same place all of those old family > pictures and newspaper clippings went to, in the trash and gone forever. I > should and will go back and write an introduction to my genealogy and try to > give credit to those individuals who shared their information with me. I > don't see how I can give credit for each item of information in my genealogy, > some items maybe, but not all of them. I really feel that a genealogist has > to just bite their lip and share by giving and receiving information and > credit others the best they can and not worry about what everybody else is > doing. I am subject to changing my mind about this though after hearing your > thoughts on the matter. As I read over this, I am thinking that if I list > the people who helped me by name, and they are still alive, I will get > criticized for that! > > David Reinhardt > 2309 Greenbriar Boulevard > Pensacola, Florida 32514 > > [email protected] > > > ==== ALCONECU Mailing List ==== > List manager Rhonda Smith > [email protected] > Please do not post off topic or virus messages to the list. > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237