I must admit I share Gareth's outlook. I recall coming across people anxious NOT to share their data on commercial sites lest the owners of those sites claim ownership of their data. Personally, I can't even work out what that might mean. No-one can really take the knowledge you have developed away from you, so why not share it as liberally and transparently as you can. That way you maximise your chance of learning something when someone comes across it and contacts you. I have had particular success in tracing forward (finding living relatives) through sharing data on sites like Genes Reunited (though I resent paying a fee). I have had some happy reunions with second cousins as a result. I have never had any adverse consequences from sharing my info. and cannot imagine how anything could go terribly wrong. If anything gets confected from my information then it will not be demonstrably true and will probably be demonstrably wrong or tenuous, so I shan't worry! And as for your 'bedside manner' Gareth, we have all observed that over the years and 'blessed be the peacemakers', I say! David Canberra On 20/03/2012, at 10:05 AM, Gareth wrote: > > > I'm genuinely surprised anyone should feel the need to hide behind a > pseudonym as some form of protection, from ......... ? > Being honest is quite normal behaviour, I assume that the ' brutal ' aspect > you allude to is being overly blunt, or pointed, in your comments. > Over the life of this list I've developed a 'bed side manner' (survival > technique?) which is to soften a contradictory response in some way without > lessening its meaning - it usually works, has it ? > > <I have removed my Ancestry from all the various websites where it was once > posted, as I found that so many, would take a name from my tree, and ascribe > descendants that fitted their <requirement, but which were factually > inaccurate.Sharing information, is one thing, contributing to the > dissemination of misinformation by those, who appear to be more interested > in <numbers than accuracy, which is replicated ad-infinitum is another. > > I subscribe to the opposite approach and have maintained comprehensive > family trees online for a dozen or so years without becoming aware of the > problems you describe. > Perhaps I'm being naive. > > Go on Achwr, reveal yourself, you know you want to really :-) > > Gareth >