You are using the incorrect term here. It is not GENEALOGICAL SUICIDE, it in reality is GENEALOGICAL GENOCIDE. This is especially true when you have people who come along and say that you do not have the right to information that is rightfully yours. If in the process of preparing my family tree I come upon a name of an ancester, so I decide to go and get a copy of his/her birth certificate for the information that is required for this individual. Oh, no some politician somewhere along the line has decided that I can not have that information. If it is not available, WHAT ARE THEY MAINTAINING THIS INFORMATION FOR IN THE FIRST PLACE. It must have been started for some under handed reason on their part. Well these wrong doing people are long gone so make information available for those that request it. This Genocide is being promoted and exercised by people like WFT and Genserv. If you would realy like to further the usefulness of the internet and genealogy enter the census for your county for a particular year on your counties web site. Look at the Mercer County web page for the 1850 census for that county. I ordinarily do not write on these lists very often but this subject definately rubs me the wrong way. Most of you people do not realy see the forest because there are too many dead trees in the way. Clean up your acts and give the real problems some logical thought then do something about it, not just reterick. -----Original Message----- From: David H. Smith, Sr. <dsmith@servtech.com> To: CIVIL-WAR@rootsweb.com <CIVIL-WAR@rootsweb.com>; ohio-valley-l@rootsweb.com <ohio-valley-l@rootsweb.com>; paallegh-l@rootsweb.com <paallegh-l@rootsweb.com>; paallegh-memories-l@rootsweb.com <paallegh-memories-l@rootsweb.com>; paarmstr-l@rootsweb.com <paarmstr-l@rootsweb.com>; pabeaver-l@rootsweb.com <pabeaver-l@rootsweb.com>; pabedfor-l@rootsweb.com <pabedfor-l@rootsweb.com>; paberks-l@rootsweb.com <paberks-l@rootsweb.com>; pablair-l@rootsweb.com <pablair-l@rootsweb.com>; pabucks-l@rootsweb.com <pabucks-l@rootsweb.com>; pabutler-l@rootsweb.com <pabutler-l@rootsweb.com>; pacambri-l@rootsweb.com <pacambri-l@rootsweb.com>; pacatholics@gcm.org <pacatholics@gcm.org>; pacheste-l@rootsweb.com <pacheste-l@rootsweb.com>; paclario-l@rootsweb.com <paclario-l@rootsweb.com>; paclearf-l@rootsweb.com <paclearf-l@rootsweb.com>; pacrawfo-l@rootsweb.com <pacrawfo-l@rootsweb.com>; pacumber-l@rootsweb.com <pacumber-l@rootsweb.com>; padauphi-l@rootsweb.com <padauphi-l@rootsweb.com>; padauphi-history-l@rootsweb.com <padauphi-history-l@rootsweb.com>; padelawa-l@rootsweb.com <padelawa-l@rootsweb.com>; paerie-l@rootsweb.com <paerie-l@rootsweb.com>; pafayett-l@rootsweb.com <pafayett-l@rootsweb.com>; paforest-l@rootsweb.com <paforest-l@rootsweb.com>; pagreene-l@rootsweb.com <pagreene-l@rootsweb.com>; PAHUNTIN-L@rootsweb.com <PAHUNTIN-L@rootsweb.com>; paindian-l@rootsweb.com <paindian-l@rootsweb.com>; pajeffer-l@rootsweb.com <pajeffer-l@rootsweb.com>; pajuniat-l@rootsweb.com <pajuniat-l@rootsweb.com>; palackaw-l@rootsweb.com <palackaw-l@rootsweb.com>; palancas-l@rootsweb.com <palancas-l@rootsweb.com>; palancas-history-l@rootsweb.com <palancas-history-l@rootsweb.com>; palehigh-l@rootsweb.com <palehigh-l@rootsweb.com>; paluzern-l@rootsweb.com <paluzern-l@rootsweb.com>; pamercer-l@rootsweb.com <pamercer-l@rootsweb.com>; pamiffli-l@rootsweb.com <pamiffli-l@rootsweb.com>; pamonroe-l@rootsweb.com <pamonroe-l@rootsweb.com>; pamontgo-l@rootsweb.com <pamontgo-l@rootsweb.com>; panortha-l@rootsweb.com <panortha-l@rootsweb.com>; panorthu-l@rootsweb.com <panorthu-l@rootsweb.com>; paperry-l@rootsweb.com <paperry-l@rootsweb.com>; paschuyl-l@rootsweb.com <paschuyl-l@rootsweb.com>; pasnyder-l@rootsweb.com <pasnyder-l@rootsweb.com>; pavenang-l@rootsweb.com <pavenang-l@rootsweb.com>; pawashin-l@rootsweb.com <pawashin-l@rootsweb.com>; pawayne-l@rootsweb.com <pawayne-l@rootsweb.com>; pawestmo-l@rootsweb.com <pawestmo-l@rootsweb.com>; pawyomin-l@rootsweb.com <pawyomin-l@rootsweb.com>; penna-dutch-l@rootsweb.com <penna-dutch-l@rootsweb.com>; pennsylvania-roots-l@listserv.indiana.edu <pennsylvania-roots-l@listserv.indiana.edu>; philly-roots-l@rootsweb.com <philly-roots-l@rootsweb.com>; quaker-roots@rootsweb.com <quaker-roots@rootsweb.com>; roots-l@rootsweb.com <roots-l@rootsweb.com>; somgen-l@rootsweb.com <somgen-l@rootsweb.com> Date: Saturday, April 11, 1998 9:43 AM Subject: [PAMERCER-L] GENEALOGICAL SUICIDE >To all genealogists, > > I have been very concerned lately about the destruction of our hobby. The >fate of genealogy is being written as we speak and it is in your hands to >stop it. > >WHY THIS SUDDEN ALARM? > > Our data is being destroyed by two cancers known as "CUT AND PASTE" and >"MERGE". > >ONLINE GENEALOGY > > I began my online genealogy in 1981, the reason for purchase of my first >computer. Soon after I reasoned that if I could just afford that 3MB hard >drive at Radio Shack for only $5000.00 my problems would be over, now at >6GB I am running out of space. I used to prowl around courthouse attics and >weed covered graveyards to uncover a choice treasure now and then with >great anticipation and joy. Now I can get a hundred times more info in an >hour or two. So much so I haven't even had the time to read most of it, let >alone put it into my own database. Which leads me to my point. > >CUT AND PASTE > > Being involved in keeping a Family Website, I get many requests for >information, and some criticism as well. There are two camps. One thinks >every fact needs to be on the Two Tablets Moses brought down from the >mountains. The other thinks that if it is in ASCII it's proof enough. I >have submitted my own tree to the WFT Project, most of which was my own >work. Hoping to find corroborating works I check other trees often, only to >discover my own work pasted into someone else's tree. > >THIS PRACTICE IS DESTROYING ONLINE GENEALOGY. > >FIRST, it gives undue validity. When one piece of erroneous information >becomes 1000 pieces of the same erroneous information, it takes on a life >of it's own and an enearned "truth". >SECOND, it clutters up the internet search engines with hundreds of links >to the same bogus info. When someone does try to verify a fact, they can't >wade through the countless references. >THIRD, file sizes are increased to the point of unmanageablility with the >same, tired, redundant information, even when true. This makes sharing >impractical. >FOURTH, it discourages people with genuinely obtained first generation info >from releasing it. >FIFTH, if carried to it's logical conclusion, everyone will have the same >file. All of them wrong. >SIXTH, it makes compiling huge trees all too easy. >SEVENTH, it makes it impossible to tell whether you are seeing a >corroborating opinion of your data or a repeat of it. > >EXAMPLES > >Great database services, like GENSERV and the World Family Tree project, >although well conceived and of great potential, are being ruined by well >meaning genealogists who seed them with redundant information gathered from >those very same databases. > >Private websites, including my own, have been swamped by large file sizes >which are largely repeat information. (This was a result of my own policy, >which I have rethought, so no criticism intended) > >Believe it or not I have been offered "Family Trees" in excess of 75 MB and >over 125,000 names. I foolishly submitted some trees to add to this pile of >spaghetti. > >WHAT CAN WE DO? > > I propose creating a guide for online genealogists. A compilation of >voluntary "rules of the road". Netiquette for the Genealogist. > > To this end I am offering a few sample suggestions of my own to get the >ball rolling. Please send your comments, criticisms, suggestions, pros and >cons to me personally. (I do not subscribe to ALL the lists above) After >compilation of the ideas, I will submit them for a vote. Success will be >determined by the level of participation. Please submit ideas by April 24th. > >SUGGESTIONS > > If you have undocumented info to share, state that it is speculation. If >you receive that information, paste it into your own file if you choose, >but DO NOT redistribute it with your file. Instead, keep it as a separate >entity. > > As a general rule, do not combine other people's data with your own files >that you redistribute. Keep a file for your eyes only and another for >distribution. Distribute only work which you have done yourself from >primary sources, or have independently verified from primary sources. Do >not simply pass along someone else's data because they have it documented >either. > > Do everyone a favor and pass along transcripts of primary documents. > > If you find documents or trees on a website, download and keep it because >it may evaporate unexpectedly, but do not redistribute it. Instead, if >someone asks for it, check on it's availability and send them a link. > >SAMPLE SUBJECTS AND CATEGORIES > > Etiquette; File contamination avoidance; Source Documentation; Passing on >other's data under what conditions; Submission to databases; Merging trees; >Merging scraps of data; Requesting info; Providing info; Submissions to >redundant websites or databases; Should we pass secondary info at all or >just the source?; How about an unlinked but searchable family group sheet >database, each submitted sheet required to be nearly complete and well >sourced, and containing parents and children of the husband and wife? Any >interest in an online index of primary documents with the cost of >membership being to submit one? > >SEND ME YOUR IDEAS > >Thank you for your time, >Dave > >THE KEYSTONE PROJECT - A PENNSYLVANIA CARD CATALOG of GENEALOGY FILES >In it's infancy, please help! http://www.stonecabin.com/keystone >__________________________________________________________________________ >David H. Smith, Sr. Bensinger Family Genealogy >dsmith@stonecabin.com http://www.stonecabin.com/bensinger > > >==== PAMERCER Mailing List ==== > >Any questions/problems regarding the Mercer County, Pennsylvania list, >contact the listowner, Michael L. Hebert mailto:mhebert@geocities.com > >Visit the Mercer County, Pennsylvania Genealogy web site at: >http://www.rootsweb.com/~pamercer/ >