To all researchers, gatherers, and users of net sites and GEDCOM files: I am hearing concerns voiced about personal, private information being placed on the internet for all to see. Concern # 1 People are seeing their own carefully researched information being posted without permission or notification on others' personal internet sites. Researchers spend many hours carefully researching connections, piece by piece. There is not much more disheartening than discovering that a new connection to the family has been posted the next week on someone's internet site for the whole world to grab for free, for nothing, and for no thanks. People once willing to share are becoming shy about sharing. I do not blame them. Concern # 2 People feel that their privacy is being invaded. LDS Family Search Site requires that every bit of information placed in their file be placed there WITH express and written permission from each living person. This is how they say it: You warrant that you have obtained any permissions necessary from the holder of such rights to submit the information included in your GEDCOM file and to authorize use of the information as described in this agreement; specifically, you warrant that you have obtained permission ********************************** from any living persons included in your GEDCOM file to submit their information and authorize its use as described in this agreement. We must allow people who are still alive to maintain their privacy. I, myself, will no longer send GEDCOM files with living persons' information (birthdates, marriage dates, childrens' full names) in them, because, once information leaves my hands, I can no longer guarantee that the information will be treated respectfully. I believe that WE Must show some restraint as to what we put in our gedcom files and on our web pages. We SHOULD voluntarily do so. Let's please police ourselves before someone MUST begin to police us. Thomas Niswonger President, Newton County Historical Society