Bill, et al, We are faced with an awkward situation here. Please contribute to finding a favorable reaction rather than criticize those who are uncomfortable with it. We are probably not "big" enough to battle those who would "steal" our information, package it and sell it to others. I have posted one GEDCOM online and that was on RootsWeb's WorldConnect project. I have no idea if any of my work has been "stolen". I have been contacted by several persons who have "discovered" my posting and have then contacted me directly to continue with information exchange. I selected the option that RootsWeb offered to deny anyone the option of downloading my entire GEDCOM, with the hopes that interested researchers would instead contact me directly. So far, I have been pleased with the results of my effort and how RootsWeb has treated my information. I am not aware that GenForum has violated the confidentiality of a researcher's information posted on any of their media. It is, rather that groups like Genealgy.com/FTM and now even LDS has accumulated compilations and has packaged and offered them for sale. My reaction can only be voiced as a displeasure that they would commercialize what I have so long sought, and neither pay me for my work, or share their collections with me without charge in exchange. It is definitely a Win-Lose situation. They win, you and I lose. Oh, I can agree that their produced accumulations of the work of others might actually have some value to John Q. Public, but it can exist as only CLUES to what I am searching for if the data does not contain detailed source identification (at best) or at least the identification of the compiler so that he/she can be contacted for follow up. I want the names of my families posted wherever a kinsman can find them. There is not enough time for me to find all of them by myself! I consider it an inexpensive advertisement to post basic information, and anxiously await for someone to contact me once they have found it, so that we can commence some serious information swappin'. I do know persons who employ the "box theory", and believe me, they ARE remembered, but definitely not respected. A dedicated researcher can determine when and where the information became "lost" and he will definitely grumble a bit about the person who caused it to be "lost" to future generations! On Mon, 26 Mar 2001 00:12:00 -0800 "wefox" <wefox@ncats.net> writes: > If you are so worried about someone, or some organizations getting > and using your information, and don't want it distributed to others. > Then don't put it online in the first place. Just put it in a box > and hide it, and leave instructions that it be buried with you. That > way after you are long gone, no one will remember you at all. > Bill Fox > William A. "Bill" Harrison MRBIL1@JUNO.COM Chairman of the Coles Co, IL Genealogical Society's "Pioneer Certificate Project" Sponsor of the STONER and SCHNORF mailing lists on Rootsweb