-----Original Message----- From: Karen Moss <[email protected]> To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Date: Friday, May 26, 2000 10:57 AM Subject: [ATWOOD] Fwd: {not a subscriber} Something to think about >A recent message to the list got me to thinking. > >unfortunately, the old gentleman passed on before any real info could be >exchanged. ...... they were not the least bit interested in genealogy, and as >such, didn't want to be bothered with preserving his information. > >Perhaps it is something we should think about, where our hard-worked-for >information will go in the event of our passing. Hello, My children could care less about my research. They will probably pay someone with a dumpster to clean out my house when I am gone. I had trouble finding a lot of the data. I don't want future (interested) generations having to get as frustrated as I have. That is why I am so willing to share - the more people who have copies of the fruit of my labor the better. However, a couple of (well meaning, but skittish) people have tied my hands by asking that the data I got from them not be published on the Web. As they were (and still are) extremely helpful to me, I am trying to respect their wishes. It isn't easy, as I really would like to just plain hand out anything I have to anyone who is interested. A couple of others have really crippled my desire to preserve my data by claiming that (THEIR feelings! NOT MINE! Please don't start a flame war over this!) the "Mormons" baptize everyone in every GedCom that is sent to them & they don't want that to happen to them or their relatives. So, if I donate my work to the "Mormons", these helpful people will cease to share their research with me. One person feels that people are "stealing" the data that she easily finds in public records & passes around to a select group that she trusts. I LIKE the RootsWeb setup - it will allow the living to be included until they are gone without violating their privacy while they are alive. It is not a religious organization & won't irritate the ones who distrust religions other than their own. I can easily trim off the small portion that the one person doesn't want "stolen". I think that Brad has the right idea in his approach. When I get some time, I will put my data up on RootsWeb in a searchable form like his. It is clear, concise, easy to use & shouldn't irritate most of my helpers. Please excuse my rambling - a couple of recent messages really got me thinking about this & I had it all bottled up inside & had to release my feelings to someone who would care. You people are great! Allen E. Humphries Saugus, MA USA