Forwarding this very good reminder. Beware!! Renea Burkholder grburk@usit.net TNGenWeb Decatur Co., TN http://www.netease.net/decatur/ TNGenWeb Perry Co., TN http://www.netease.net/perry/ ----- Original Message ----- From: "j" <unicorn@sun-spot.com> To: <DanvilleCrossing-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, October 17, 2000 9:20 PM Subject: [DC] The big bad world... > There is a big bad world out there and here are a few things to look out > for in regard to sites: > > 1. Anyone at all with the know-how to create a website and upload it to > the net can self proclaim himself or herself a "family guru" or > "geographical guru" with all the answers. They can even be very helpful > (till you cross em thinking they are there for the same reasons you > are). Personally I know of at least one pretty site that has managed to > have my ancestry in a tangle...and refuses to change it, although I have > evidence to the contrary, and this self proclaimed guru has none. Claims > she "checks things before posting", then it is "set in concrete"...but she > can't find or remember where she got her "evidence"...well it conflicts > with the actual descendents of that line....hmmmm...call it a case of > stubborn ego I guess. But BEWARE of "pretty sites" unless they have hard > core evidence and documents to back the claims, OR admit they may have > mistakes and do so prominently on their site. > > 2. Beware sites that: a) want copyright on any material you send them, b) > have been known to sell material you send them in book format, etc. (if you > agree, ok...but if you don't? HMMMM), OR more common, c) get testy if you > post the same photos/info/etc. to multiple lists or sites. Now why would a > site legitimately in the biz of helping others do that? > > 3. Beware list-site owners that seem to be overly jealous or "nasty" about > others that deal with their geographical area, families, whatever, or that > seem prone to promoting offlist gossip about folks who work in the same > area, surnames, whatever. Hmmmm....what are we in this for? Helping or > power and full control? Believe what you KNOW to be true, folks. And as > my pop used to say, "a dog that will bring a bone will carry one." > > 4. Beware list-site owners that do not understand ethics and > copyright. Some examples I have seen include: a) you can't copyright a > list of folks in a cemetery , b) you should not post the living, c) you > can't "make" folks contribute only to your list or site, etc. etc. Know > this: most folks who put in the hours at this are doing it for one reason > only-they want to "give back" what they have been given. But now and then > you have someone with "a book in the back of their head", or you have one > who likes the ego trip real well and perceives it as a position of > power...UGH. > > Just be careful out there....don't play in the street and don't get mowed > down by a Mac truck, ok? After all ANY of us, and ANYONE out there, can do > this anytime we want to learn to make a website! You don't get "screened" > by a panel of ethics and values judges and your content is not screened by > an editor. "Let the viewer beware".