No, Brian, my posting was not the result of a hoax, nor hearsay. After 15 continual years on Ancestry, and a professional degree in research methodology, I know the difference between what is officially considered "public information" and what is not. Ancestry invaded my privacy, and it is not exemplified in "family trees," but accessible via their research engines. These happen to be RC records. My elderly then living parents [mid 80s y/o] had personal data posted thru Ancestry and not through trees. I don't and won't post my 37 years of genealogical research or tree online, and I do not store it in a cloud. Why? You cannot trust how your individual work will be altered or misrepresented. Add to that that Ancestry keeps changing hands...it was once owned by the LDS church that at least had some scruples about the privacy oif the living...now it is just business, and profit makng business...folks that don't understand [or care?] about adhering to basic genealogical principles Several million U.S. federal employees just had their personnel files compromised by a hacker because these records are computerized, but because they are accessible online. I rest my case, Barb -----Original Message----- From: Brian J Densmore via <nywestch@rootsweb.com> > If a tree is posted as "private," does it remain private? Yes. Furthermore, I don't know where mizscarlett is getting this fear about private information being posted by Ancestry comes from. No one can see information on living people in Ancestry trees unless you grant them that right. Nothing has changed. I suspect mizscarlett is the victim of some hoax email spreading FUD. Please. Please! Pretty Please with sugar and cherries on top!!! Before posting on the Internet about the lastest EVIL plots and happenings you hear about on the Internet, make sure to verify the truth of it before littering the Internet with hoaxes. Just because it came from a friend or relative of yours doesn't mean it isn't a big, stinking, pile of bull excrement. Thank you, Brian

> > Ancestry keeps changing hands...it was once owned by the LDS church that Ancestry has never been owned by the LDS Church. It began as a privately held company. It then went public without changing hands, and was picked up later by a company that specializes in hostile takeovers, and they are now in the process of selling it. Regards, Brian