There was recently a discussion on another list that I was on that I found very interesting, but the listowners nipped it in the bud before it really go off the ground. I am posting the two emails here that started the discussion, and invite comments from those of you on the list. I too feel that this is going to become an issue in the future for online researchers. Please keep in mind, that someone else having your name and birthdate, marriage date, etc in their files is perfectly legal and as it stands now, there is nothing you can do about it. Having said that, please read on: "Most of us who have been on the web for awhile know that it is considered bad form to post information on living individuals to internet webpages, forums, etc. While it may be legal, it may not be ethical. So how do you feel about researchers who access information in the courthouses on living individuals,and then take the info home to add to their databases? How would you feel if you found out someone had accessed YOUR marriage licence, abstracted the data, and entered you into their family tree without your knowledge? How would you feel if someone looked up your father's will and abstracted family info from it? BTW, this is all perfectly legal and within an individual's rights, and I have done research this way many, many times. There seems to be a movement afoot of certain folks who believe that NO information whatsoever on living individuals should be entered into anyone's database-- no names OR dates. They feel access to these courthouse records should be restricted. I think that this would have a serious detrimental effect on genealogy, but I can kind of see both sides of this issue, and I am having trouble forming an opinion. I am interested in what others have to say." "If someone e-mailed you and DEMANDED to be removed from your genealogy database, would you do it? Should you do it? Has this ever happened to any of you? What did you do? Do you feel that births listed in the newspaper are also "fair game" and advocate adding these to a database? How about survivor listings in an obituary? Engagement announcements? Marriage announcements? All of these resources used by genealogists, and yet all of them dealing with living people. One woman in a forum that I was reading said it should be a law that a signed permission slip should be obtained from every living person in an individual's database. The logistics of this little gem of wisdom are staggering. I would quickly pack up my family group sheets and retire from genealogy if this ever came to pass."