In a message dated 1/12/00 1:19:14 PM, [email protected] writes: >Hi, Michael. I just wanted to tell you that it looks as if we have found >a > >whole branch of relatives. Cousin Kevin had had a lead to Margaret Lord > >Birmingham (not on our tree yet) that he hadn't followed up due to her > >health. I tried her sons listed in her obituary and hit paydirt. We > >haven't connected the branch by paper yet, but it shouldn't be hard with >the > >names and addresses we got. I can't give the RootsWeb credit for this >but I > >thought you might be interested. Yes! I am interested. Glad to hear you found something. It's exciting isn't it. > >Anyway, what Kevin and I are discussing is how to post our GENCOM without > >living persons and without its being used without our knowledge. As for the living persons... you might want to export a GedCom (of the persons you want to send me) from your database. Then open a new family file and import that GedCom. Then go through it and insert 'private' in all the date fields for the living persons. Next export a GedCom of the new file and send it to me. As for it's being used without your knowledge, that's a tough one. And I just don't see how we can prevent that entirely. I know for a fact that one of my early GedComs was downloaded from AOL and is now being used by that infamous 'Kindred Konnections' company. I know it was mine because I originally had a ggg-grandmother's maiden name spelled wrong. And there it is in their database. They have denied it, of course. I guess I shouldn't complain about 'KK' too much because we have gotten a few new members to our RAGAN-ROOTS discussion group from them. People have contacted me with comments like "I got your name from Kindred Konnections and ...." So they didn't swipe my database ... Uh-huh, sure. It just upsets me that someone will swipe others work and sell it for profit. It does happen though. Maybe I'm just jealous because I spend all this time on this project and don't make a dime. Oh well. >As I > >emailed you before, it is my understanding that we do not own the > >information, only the means of arranging it. Kevin and I are concerned > >about commercial use once we have completed our part. We are indebted >to > >several aunts and cousins who are now dead and we do not want to seem to > >have used their research without giving credit. > >Would you have any advice? You can give credit in any of your note fields (which can be exported in the GedCom).. I'm sure she wouldn't mind your passing on her info. That's why she did all the research, to preserve her family history. (At least that's why I do it.) Once I'm gone I hope this RAGAN-ROOTS database is preserved somewhere for others to follow up on, add to, and use for their own research. I certainly don't want it to disappear after my demise. >Or perhaps a forum URL where we might read >a discussion about this? Don't know of any discussion groups right off the top of my head. But you might look through the Roots-Web site. There may be some discussion lists there that could help. In fact the ROOTS-L discussion list (the grand-daddy of all genealogy lists) might be a place to try. They'll discuss anything that pertains to genealogy. Just throw out a question to the group and see what happens. > >Thank you again for all that you do. > >JoAnn R. You're certainly welcome JoAnn. Best wishes to you and good luck with your search. Michael W. RAGAN ============ RAGAN-ROOTS List Moderator =========== I take my wife everywhere, but she keeps finding her way back. ===========