The belief by many that individuals make money selling their family genealogy is really a myth. This is SUCH an expensive hobby in terms of time and money. Even if one were to sell a family history book after years of research, they likely would have spent way more than they could sell a book for. Compiling a well researched family genealogy is a labor of love, never a money making proposition I can't conceive of anyone making money selling their research or any one else's. Perhaps you are referring to the material people submitted to the FTM people to have put on cds where the company would have made some money on the sale of the cds. Although I did not submit my data there, the company did let people know that the cds would be sold. But so what, if a person shared a few names with a fellow researcher and they submitted the file to FTM. Life is to short to worry about that. I have been the recipient of the kindnesses of others who freely shared their research. Most of us are likely not to be able to reciprocate for many of the people who helped us, particularly in the beginning, but we can help the next person down the road. There is probably such a thing as "smart sharing" and "stupid sharing". I have been aware of "a few" people on some lists that share nothing helpful but ask for my or other people's total gedcom files. I tell them they can find all my research on WorldConnect where I have everything but my living people. If they want to put in a little effort, they can acquire my submissions. I do limit the number of generations that people can download so that I do not find my ENTIRE database merged with someone else's and resubmitted. I like others make mistakes, and I want to be able to fix my mistakes when I find them. I don't respond to requests to "send me everything you have". But most any reasonable request results in my taking the extra mile to help. I love this hobby. It makes my day when I can provide someone with a tidbit of information that solves perhaps a 10 year search. So hopefully rolaruen will enjoy sharing. If you or anyone else does not want your entire file merged with someone else's database, share with a pedigree chart, a couple family groups sheets, reports of a few generations or submit your gedcom to WorldConnect and limit gedcom downloads; Limiting your help to specific issues can encourage people to do their own data entry and begin to realize how much work this hobby of ours entails if we do it the right way. It can also make us feel pleased that we were able to help. The initial help may bring out a dialog where both help each other even more. Margaret Scheffler ----- Original Message ----- From: "rolaruen" <rolauren@verizon.net> I am not in favor of giving away my families data to anyone I suspect is specifically intent on sell it, i.e.: has a business whose direct or specific intent is to make money on other peoples research and personal history.

I agree wholeheartedly with Margaret. ----- Original Message ----- From: "MScheffler" <mscheffl@twcny.rr.com> To: <NYOSWEGO-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, August 10, 2006 1:05 PM Subject: [NYOSWEGO] Perspective on selling and sharing > The belief by many that individuals make money selling their family > genealogy is really a myth. This is SUCH an expensive hobby in terms of > time and money. Even if one were to sell a family history book after > years of research, they likely would have spent way more than they could > sell a book for. Compiling a well researched family genealogy is a labor > of love, never a money making proposition > > I can't conceive of anyone making money selling their research or any > one else's. Perhaps you are referring to the material people submitted to > the FTM people to have put on cds where the company would have made some > money on the sale of the cds. Although I did not submit my data there, > the company did let people know that the cds would be sold. But so what, > if a person shared a few names with a fellow researcher and they submitted > the file to FTM. Life is to short to worry about that. > > I have been the recipient of the kindnesses of others who freely shared > their research. Most of us are likely not to be able to reciprocate for > many of the people who helped us, particularly in the beginning, but we > can help the next person down the road. > > There is probably such a thing as "smart sharing" and "stupid sharing". > I have been aware of "a few" people on some lists that share nothing > helpful but ask for my or other people's total gedcom files. I tell them > they can find all my research on WorldConnect where I have everything but > my living people. If they want to put in a little effort, they can acquire > my submissions. > > I do limit the number of generations that people can download so that > I do not find my ENTIRE database merged with someone else's and > resubmitted. I like others make mistakes, and I want to be able to fix my > mistakes when I find them. I don't respond to requests to "send me > everything you have". But most any reasonable request results in my taking > the extra mile to help. > > I love this hobby. It makes my day when I can provide someone with a > tidbit of information that solves perhaps a 10 year search. So hopefully > rolaruen will enjoy sharing. > > If you or anyone else does not want your entire file merged with > someone else's database, share with a pedigree chart, a couple family > groups sheets, reports of a few generations or submit your gedcom to > WorldConnect and limit gedcom downloads; > > Limiting your help to specific issues can encourage people to do their > own data entry and begin to realize how much work this hobby of ours > entails if we do it the right way. It can also make us feel pleased that > we were able to help. The initial help may bring out a dialog where both > help each other even more. > > Margaret Scheffler > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "rolaruen" <rolauren@verizon.net> > > I am not in favor of giving away my families data to anyone I suspect is > specifically intent on sell it, i.e.: has a business whose direct or > specific intent is to make money on other peoples research and personal > history. > > > > ==== NYOSWEGO Mailing List ==== > List Administrator Bonita Shafer > Northern New York Genealogy - http://www.nnygenealogy.com > sagemarie98@earthlink.net > > ============================== > Find your ancestors in the Birth, Marriage and Death Records. > New content added every business day. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13964/rd.ashx > >

I suspect that the theft of info refers to Ancestry.com stealing info and then charging others before they can see the info. Many people who are beginners sign up for their "subscriptions" ( which in themselves are totally aggravating since you get knocked off your page, sent where you don't want to be etc and even when you are on rootsweb you get sent to Ancestry's subscription site to sign up. I have experienced this at FHC and heard many complaints) not knowing that this is info stolen from web sites that were free. This is a totally disreputable company in my opinion. I have been researching for 35 years and have completed many of my lines through public records and in genealogy libraries. Now it is strictly a money making proposition sold to newbies and it is sad. I don't think anyone is stupid enough to think that they can make money selling their family genealogy. I think it is disingenuous to suggest that anyone believes that. Jess At 01:05 PM 8/10/2006, you wrote: > The belief by many that individuals make money selling their > family genealogy is really a myth. This is SUCH an expensive hobby > in terms of time and money. Even if one were to sell a family > history book after years of research, they likely would have spent > way more than they could sell a book for. Compiling a well > researched family genealogy is a labor of love, never a money > making proposition > > I can't conceive of anyone making money selling their research > or any one else's. Perhaps you are referring to the material > people submitted to the FTM people to have put on cds where the > company would have made some money on the sale of the > cds. Although I did not submit my data there, the company did let > people know that the cds would be sold. But so what, if a person > shared a few names with a fellow researcher and they submitted the > file to FTM. Life is to short to worry about that. > > I have been the recipient of the kindnesses of others who freely > shared their research. Most of us are likely not to be able to > reciprocate for many of the people who helped us, particularly in > the beginning, but we can help the next person down the road. > > There is probably such a thing as "smart sharing" and "stupid > sharing". I have been aware of "a few" people on some lists that > share nothing helpful but ask for my or other people's total gedcom > files. I tell them they can find all my research on WorldConnect > where I have everything but my living people. If they want to put > in a little effort, they can acquire my submissions. > > I do limit the number of generations that people can download > so that I do not find my ENTIRE database merged with someone else's > and resubmitted. I like others make mistakes, and I want to be > able to fix my mistakes when I find them. I don't respond to > requests to "send me everything you have". But most any reasonable > request results in my taking the extra mile to help. > > I love this hobby. It makes my day when I can provide someone > with a tidbit of information that solves perhaps a 10 year > search. So hopefully rolaruen will enjoy sharing. > > If you or anyone else does not want your entire file merged > with someone else's database, share with a pedigree chart, a > couple family groups sheets, reports of a few generations or submit > your gedcom to WorldConnect and limit gedcom downloads; > > Limiting your help to specific issues can encourage people to > do their own data entry and begin to realize how much work this > hobby of ours entails if we do it the right way. It can also make > us feel pleased that we were able to help. The initial help may > bring out a dialog where both help each other even more. > >Margaret Scheffler > >----- Original Message ----- From: "rolaruen" <rolauren@verizon.net> > >I am not in favor of giving away my families data to anyone I suspect is >specifically intent on sell it, i.e.: has a business whose direct or >specific intent is to make money on other peoples research and >personal history. > > > >==== NYOSWEGO Mailing List ==== >List Administrator Bonita Shafer >Northern New York Genealogy - http://www.nnygenealogy.com >sagemarie98@earthlink.net > >============================== >Find your ancestors in the Birth, Marriage and Death Records. >New content added every business day. Learn more: >http://www.ancestry.com/s13964/rd.ashx > > > > >-- >No virus found in this incoming message. >Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. >Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.10.8/413 - Release Date: 8/8/2006 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.10.8/413 - Release Date: 8/8/2006

I said individuals who are working for companies with the specific intent on grabbing data from sincere researchers so that 'they' can sell the data. I can't recall the name of a specific company that does this but I know they exits. They are scalpers. Share all you want I will share with people of my choosing who I have a strong hunch that they are genuine researchers not scalpers performing their daily wage for a company whose intent is to collect/scalp data that they can then sell... there books are available for sale and they often contain data that has not been authenticated yet buyers often assume that it is. -----Original Message----- From: MScheffler [mailto:mscheffl@twcny.rr.com] Sent: August 10, 2006 4:06 PM To: NYOSWEGO-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Perspective on selling and sharing The belief by many that individuals make money selling their family genealogy is really a myth. This is SUCH an expensive hobby in terms of time and money. Even if one were to sell a family history book after years of research, they likely would have spent way more than they could sell a book for. Compiling a well researched family genealogy is a labor of love, never a money making proposition I can't conceive of anyone making money selling their research or any one else's. Perhaps you are referring to the material people submitted to the FTM people to have put on cds where the company would have made some money on the sale of the cds. Although I did not submit my data there, the company did let people know that the cds would be sold. But so what, if a person shared a few names with a fellow researcher and they submitted the file to FTM. Life is to short to worry about that. I have been the recipient of the kindnesses of others who freely shared their research. Most of us are likely not to be able to reciprocate for many of the people who helped us, particularly in the beginning, but we can help the next person down the road. There is probably such a thing as "smart sharing" and "stupid sharing". I have been aware of "a few" people on some lists that share nothing helpful but ask for my or other people's total gedcom files. I tell them they can find all my research on WorldConnect where I have everything but my living people. If they want to put in a little effort, they can acquire my submissions. I do limit the number of generations that people can download so that I do not find my ENTIRE database merged with someone else's and resubmitted. I like others make mistakes, and I want to be able to fix my mistakes when I find them. I don't respond to requests to "send me everything you have". But most any reasonable request results in my taking the extra mile to help. I love this hobby. It makes my day when I can provide someone with a tidbit of information that solves perhaps a 10 year search. So hopefully rolaruen will enjoy sharing. If you or anyone else does not want your entire file merged with someone else's database, share with a pedigree chart, a couple family groups sheets, reports of a few generations or submit your gedcom to WorldConnect and limit gedcom downloads; Limiting your help to specific issues can encourage people to do their own data entry and begin to realize how much work this hobby of ours entails if we do it the right way. It can also make us feel pleased that we were able to help. The initial help may bring out a dialog where both help each other even more. Margaret Scheffler ----- Original Message ----- From: "rolaruen" <rolauren@verizon.net> I am not in favor of giving away my families data to anyone I suspect is specifically intent on sell it, i.e.: has a business whose direct or specific intent is to make money on other peoples research and personal history. ______________________________