Godfrey Memorial Library's recent loss of HeritageQuest and FindUSA may be another example of how records are beginning to be closed to the public. We had better get what we can now, before it is too late! Linda Wagner Aptos > [Original Message] > From: <perrin@garlic.com> > To: <GEN-NYS-L@rootsweb.com> > Date: 2/28/2006 1:00:26 PM > Subject: California closures BUSH ACT Vital to all genealogists > > As a California resident who has had records closed in the past 24 months, > this is a big deal! > > At one time I could view the death certificate index for Santa Clara > County without restriction...allowing me to help MANY genealogists all > over the country...even the world. Using the index I could find records > for folks who only had limited information about their 'brick wall'. > Folks would give me a last name and possible first name and using the > index I could see if that person died in Santa Clara County...then > actually VIEW the death certificate and either confirm for the person > asking whether it was who they were looking for or not. I even did > transcriptions for lots of folks. The same was possible for marriage > certificates. Births were more difficult...and I didn't have a problem > with that since THAT'S where identity theft usually occurs...you had to > have the full name of the child and the mother's maiden name. > > I can still access death certs BUT NOT the index. So you have to have all > the information you might be looking for to be able to have the death cert > 'pop up' on the computer! This certainly doesn't help folks who are > looking for that elusive uncle that left NY State for the Gold Fields of > California and ended up in Santa Clara County!! > > In California there is no time limit...so the death index for folks who > DIED in 1908 is still closed! Amazing but true! > > The posting by SusiCP IS in my opinion something that all of us as > genealogists should be concerned about...just because the information came > from a left leaning publication shouldn't close our minds to the very real > possibility that information we and our ancestors have freely given will > not be available for our descendents! > > Identity theft is a very real concern, but let's punish those who do the > crime...NOT those of us who want to learn about our ancestors and document > appropriately! > > Perrin > > > > As an unbiased reader, the information that SusiCP posted pertains to > > genealogy and the potential threat to acquiring genealogical records, in > > various > > parts of the country. > > > > Author Terry J. Allen's tone is slanted against the present > > federal administration; this does not infer that SusiCP agrees with > > Allen's > > predisposition. > > > > Privacy changes are being considered by the federal administration, led by > > the present Commander in Chief, no matter what his political affiliation > > or name > > is. Whatever changes evolve, the present national leaders are responsible > > for them. > > It's as simple as that. > > > > It's amazing that folks impulsively start name calling and drawing lines > > over > > this, when our social security numbers have been required for the most > > inane > > reasons, and people cooperate in revealing theirs. > > > > It doesn't matter if you are one of those "blue folks" or one of those > > "red > > folks," as the media divisively labeled us in the recent presidential > > election, > > it isn't time to play the McCoys versus the Hatfields online. > > > > How about some common sense and manners here? > > Barbara > > [no personal responses necessary] > > > > > > In a message dated 2/27/2006 11:38:06 PM Eastern Standard Time, > > SusiCP@aol.com writes: > > > >> http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/2488 > >> > >> Please become aware of what is about to happen if we don't wake up. > >> > >> SusiCP > > > > > > > > > ==== GEN-NYS Mailing List ==== > Have you forgotten how to UNSUBSCRIBE? > Visit the GEN-NYS-L Frequently Asked Questions (And Answers!) web page: > http://www.rootsweb.com/~nozell/GEN-NYS-L/FAQ/GEN-NYS-L.txt >

http://www.heritagequest.com/ Heritage Quest is still up at this site. How is it (in what way) closed to the public? Don ----- Original Message ----- From: "Linda Wagner" <jennybear2@earthlink.net> To: <GEN-NYS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2006 1:40 PM Subject: RE: California closures BUSH ACT Vital to all genealogists > Godfrey Memorial Library's recent loss of HeritageQuest and FindUSA may be > another example of how records are beginning to be closed to the public. > We had better get what we can now, before it is too late! > > Linda Wagner > Aptos > >> [Original Message] >> From: <perrin@garlic.com> >> To: <GEN-NYS-L@rootsweb.com> >> Date: 2/28/2006 1:00:26 PM >> Subject: California closures BUSH ACT Vital to all genealogists >> >> As a California resident who has had records closed in the past 24 >> months, >> this is a big deal! >> >> At one time I could view the death certificate index for Santa Clara >> County without restriction...allowing me to help MANY genealogists all >> over the country...even the world. Using the index I could find records >> for folks who only had limited information about their 'brick wall'. >> Folks would give me a last name and possible first name and using the >> index I could see if that person died in Santa Clara County...then >> actually VIEW the death certificate and either confirm for the person >> asking whether it was who they were looking for or not. I even did >> transcriptions for lots of folks. The same was possible for marriage >> certificates. Births were more difficult...and I didn't have a problem >> with that since THAT'S where identity theft usually occurs...you had to >> have the full name of the child and the mother's maiden name. >> >> I can still access death certs BUT NOT the index. So you have to have >> all >> the information you might be looking for to be able to have the death >> cert >> 'pop up' on the computer! This certainly doesn't help folks who are >> looking for that elusive uncle that left NY State for the Gold Fields of >> California and ended up in Santa Clara County!! >> >> In California there is no time limit...so the death index for folks who >> DIED in 1908 is still closed! Amazing but true! >> >> The posting by SusiCP IS in my opinion something that all of us as >> genealogists should be concerned about...just because the information >> came >> from a left leaning publication shouldn't close our minds to the very >> real >> possibility that information we and our ancestors have freely given will >> not be available for our descendents! >> >> Identity theft is a very real concern, but let's punish those who do the >> crime...NOT those of us who want to learn about our ancestors and >> document >> appropriately! >> >> Perrin >> >> >> > As an unbiased reader, the information that SusiCP posted pertains to >> > genealogy and the potential threat to acquiring genealogical records, >> > in >> > various >> > parts of the country. >> > >> > Author Terry J. Allen's tone is slanted against the present >> > federal administration; this does not infer that SusiCP agrees with >> > Allen's >> > predisposition. >> > >> > Privacy changes are being considered by the federal administration, led > by >> > the present Commander in Chief, no matter what his political >> > affiliation >> > or name >> > is. Whatever changes evolve, the present national leaders are > responsible >> > for them. >> > It's as simple as that. >> > >> > It's amazing that folks impulsively start name calling and drawing >> > lines >> > over >> > this, when our social security numbers have been required for the most >> > inane >> > reasons, and people cooperate in revealing theirs. >> > >> > It doesn't matter if you are one of those "blue folks" or one of those >> > "red >> > folks," as the media divisively labeled us in the recent presidential >> > election, >> > it isn't time to play the McCoys versus the Hatfields online. >> > >> > How about some common sense and manners here? >> > Barbara >> > [no personal responses necessary] >> > >> > >> > In a message dated 2/27/2006 11:38:06 PM Eastern Standard Time, >> > SusiCP@aol.com writes: >> > >> >> http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/2488 >> >> >> >> Please become aware of what is about to happen if we don't wake up. >> >> >> >> SusiCP >> > >> > >> > >> >> >> ==== GEN-NYS Mailing List ==== >> Have you forgotten how to UNSUBSCRIBE? >> Visit the GEN-NYS-L Frequently Asked Questions (And Answers!) web page: >> http://www.rootsweb.com/~nozell/GEN-NYS-L/FAQ/GEN-NYS-L.txt >> > > > > ==== GEN-NYS Mailing List ==== > Visit the GEN-NYS-L web page: > http://www.rootsweb.com/~nozell/GEN-NYS-L/ > >