When I'm browsing the archives of other lists and forums, I often see references about not mentioning details of living people or giving information on anyone who might still be alive. However, some people let loose all kinds of personal information about themselves and their close families on the internet. By putting two or three words into Google, you can get all kinds of details about some people. Even those who think they are experienced with e-mail might not realize just how much they have divulged over the years. Last year, I heard on the news that in future people may change their names to escape what is recorded about them on the internet or because of what they'd written on the internet in their youth. -- Josephine Jeremiah www.ianandjo.dsl.pipex.com

On 6 Feb 2011 at 18:13, Josephine Jeremiah wrote: > When I'm browsing the archives of other lists and forums, I often see > references about not mentioning details of living people or giving > information on anyone who might still be alive. > > However, some people let loose all kinds of personal information about > themselves and their close families on the internet. By putting two or > three words into Google, you can get all kinds of details about some > people. Even those who think they are experienced with e-mail might > not realize just how much they have divulged over the years. > > Last year, I heard on the news that in future people may change their > names to escape what is recorded about them on the internet or because > of what they'd written on the internet in their youth. > This is a most interesting topic, Josephine, and one in which I am hugely interested myself. I also believe it ought to be debated widely, since it affects ALL genealogists and family historians. Indeed, there are fewer topics of greater concern to us all. Personally, I think the Rootsweb rules concerning living persons are archaic, over- zealous and verging on the paranoid. The notion that in 2011 no-one should be allowed to mention the name of a living person is clearly utter nonsense when so much detail can be quite easily discovered, as you rightly point out, about just about everyone alive! Newspapers and broadcasting media publish the names of hundreds of living people every day. If they didn't, the media wouldn't exist! Living persons appear in telephone directories and myriad other records, which are found all over the Internet. Moreover, all of us who contribute to the Rootsweb lists are "living persons" too. We also wish to communicate with other living persons who are kin we may not even know about but the Rootsweb rules would appear to preclude this. Listowners seem to operate some kind of dictatorial and anti-democratic policies in their interpretation of Rootsweb's rules, though there are considerable differences in application from list to list. Some Listowners are more tolerant and flexible, allowing posts concerning living people where a modicum of common sense is applied. -- Roy Stockdill Genealogical researcher, writer & lecturer Newbies' Guide to Genealogy & Family History: www.genuki.org.uk/gs/Newbie.html "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." OSCAR WILDE