Tony You are right in your evaluation, and if the world was just, things would work that way, but they don't. I have a website I've always been willing to share any information with anyone that wants it. However, on the front page of my website, I've got a LARGE disclaimer that states: 1. Some of the information is from others, and I always try to credit them. 2. I do NOT want my work, or the work of others, to be taken and used on sites that then put the information on CDs and sell it. In spite of this, I've had people take all the information from my site, even when there's only a slight collateral connection, and put it with their information on other sites, especially Ancestry.com. They didn't even have the decencey to credit where they got all that information. Thus, I used to put my proofs along with the information. I have stopped doing this. I have also stopped updating a lot of it. I figure if someone is interested enough, they'll get in touch with me and I can then update any information and proofs. I am still willing to share but I'm just not going to make it easier for the information thieves to take my work. Oh. One such example. I had a family story posted on one page. The next thing I know, some man took the story, verbatim, and put it in his on-line magazine, WITHOUT any credits at all. I contacted him, and told him this was wrong. He basically flipped me off saying it was on the web and he could therefore do whatever he wanted. He still has it on his webpage but I don't. I've removed the family stories also. I feel bad about this because I think they should be shared. But blatant thievery is just more than I can bear. So, if anyone runs across my webpages, and wants more information, contact me. I'm more than happy to share as long as you don't publish it without credit, or put it on sites that resell it. By the way. When I do put someone else's information on my webpages, it is with their permission. Barbara R. [email protected] wrote: >In a message dated 4/16/2006 2:53:35 AM Eastern Daylight Time, >[email protected] writes: > > >>Working on allied lines to geT at the big picture!!- I hope you retain >>credit for your work.. >> >> >> >Frankly, in this electronic information age, I'm not sure how one does this. >The simplest solution is not to put it when others can "steal" it. But this >begs the issue. Unless one has been a total purist all his genealogical >career, we are all indebted to the work of others. > I have seen people lift other people's work bodily from a web site, add >some stuff of their own, and then complain when someone has "stolen" their work. > They take wrong information, make it wronger, and offer a poor rendition of >this, with poor or no citations for a serious researcher to be able to >evaluate the validity of the work. > It is simply a case of intellectual honesty and rigor. One should admit >they used the work of others. One should provide enough information for others >to evaluate the work. We should have learned this in college, or in the >scientific community. > >Tony > > >==== PACUMBER Mailing List ==== > A quick link to the complete list of PA USGenWeb County sites. > http://www.pagenweb.org/ > >============================== >New! Family Tree Maker 2005. Build your tree and search for your ancestors at the same time. Share your tree with family and friends. Learn more: http://landing.ancestry.com/familytreemaker/2005/tour.aspx?sourceid=14599&targetid=5429 > > > > >