In a message dated 5/21/00 1:03:38 PM Pacific Daylight Time, eden4@bellsouth.net writes: << a bad idea. It facilitates "Identity Theft" which is becoming very popular these days and causing a lot of people a lot of trouble. I suggest the birth indexes be limited to those who are no longer living. > > >> Doyle is correct, identify theft is a major problem and the risk of publishing information about living people far outweigh any benefits you might gain by having a birth index for living people. The index will disappear from the web as soon as the risk management people in the Texas State government realize what they have done. Texas is posting information but the U. S. government has a website about Identify Theft and I suggest you read it. <A HREF="http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft">Click here: Identity Theft</A> http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/ I don't understand why what Doyle wrote inflamed your wrath but if you have been on this list for long you would know he is one of the people who freely shares the data he has. I don't think either of you have the right to publicly question the motives of someone who is trying to protect innocent -- and living -- people. Now get back to research and stop wasting your time being critical of others. Grant W. Johnston