Well I don't normally reply to emails of this sort but this one really hit it on the nose for me. I agree TOTALLY with Sharon.... I am not in this for profit, and yes I would be upset if someone SOLD my information as I have worked very hard to compile it, but it IS public information. I admit that when I first started doing this in 1986 I was not very knowledgeable about what to do and at that time I did not reference my sources as well as I wish I had. I do document all my information now as to where I got the information from. If it came from some one via email, I put their name and email address as the source and hopefully that person has also provided source information which I document. If info came from a web site, I literally copy the URL address as the source information. Not only are we not fool proof and we come up with differing information, but those who originally compiled the information (i.e., birth records, death records, obituaries, census - these documents many times have incorrect information, misspellings, etc.) I also not only document my direct lines, but the sibling lines too as this information has led me to many other connections. When a relative - regardless how far removed they are - requests information I gladly provide it, but request and expect that person to reciprocate. If their info does not match what I have I still document it, as theirs could be the correct information or a combination there of. I do post my database to pages like ancestry.com, gencircles.com and I'm sure my information has shown up on many other sites. If it does I am happy that it is there because that posting may just lead to that one person who may contact me with a missing link. One thing though that I am very careful about though is that when I do post, I am very careful to privitize my information for those personnel who are still living to protect their privacy. I know I am rambling, but I just had to post my two cents worth. I am copying this to some of the other sites that I subscribe to because I do believe it is very interesting in what everyones opinion is regarding the sharing of information. I apologize to those of you who also subscribe to the same list and will get multiple copies of this. MJ --- brickner@fiax.net wrote: > If when we share is it not so that others may use the information, after all we to not > own the information it is public domain. I guess everyone is not in this for the same > reason I am. Family is important to me and if I find someone 10 generations removed I > still get excited. > > As for needed corrections, contact the person at their home page address. Even if > something is wrong it gives us a clue to check out. I check every name some one posts > on this and other sites to see if they could possibly be in my tree and give that > information to them asking them to let me know. If they do not so what, they could be > like me and be disorganize and have stacks of responses to get done. > Sharon brickner@fiaxnet > > > ==== PAYORK Mailing List ==== > To subscribe or unsubscribe send your message to: PAYORK-L-request@rootsweb.com or > PAYORK-D-request@rootsweb.com (L for mail mode and D for digest) > > ============================== > 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 > ===== Marie Judes mrsjudes@yahoo.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send FREE video emails in Yahoo! Mail! http://promo.yahoo.com/videomail/