I agree, this is why I have always been anti-Family Tree Maker. I don't know if they still do it, but they used to have an option where you could "backup" your family tree- but what they were really doing was taking everyone's "backed up" trees, burning them all to CD's and selling them. Then not only are they pretty much stealing your stuff, but the CD's are passed off as being real data when they're really just someone else's research and oftentimes not very accurate. Rootsweb does offer free server space to anyone who wants to put their info online. You can get your own space with your own log-in and password and then you can still share your stuff but it's not quite so public. > Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2007 00:00:42 -0400 > From: "William Boswell" <whboswell@verizon.net> > Subject: Re: [WashDC] Free Vital Records Storage > To: <washingtondc@rootsweb.com> > > I prefer my own DVDs. You never know what some > companies will do with your > information. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Shape Yahoo! in your own image. Join our Network Research Panel today! http://surveylink.yahoo.com/gmrs/yahoo_panel_invite.asp?a=7

FTM's "option" you are referring to was their offer of one year of the backup service free with the purchase of their software, after which they charge for the use of the backup system. However, they did not burn and sell this information. You are confusing the backup service with their World Family Tree. When that was first started, they asked researchers to donate their trees with the understanding that FTM would burn the data to CDs which they would sell. The idea was so people could meet up with other same line researchers. It was never done "secretly" or illegally, and FTM made it clear that these were other people's research and should only be used as a beginning point. The problem came because of all the people buying the CDs who used them as though they were primary sources, then spread that data around as though it was proven fact. Sue ----- Original Message ----- From: Lena C. To: washingtondc@rootsweb.com Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2007 9:16 AM Subject: Re: [WashDC] Free Vital Records Storage I agree, this is why I have always been anti-Family Tree Maker. I don't know if they still do it, but they used to have an option where you could "backup" your family tree- but what they were really doing was taking everyone's "backed up" trees, burning them all to CD's and selling them. Then not only are they pretty much stealing your stuff, but the CD's are passed off as being real data when they're really just someone else's research and oftentimes not very accurate. Rootsweb does offer free server space to anyone who wants to put their info online. You can get your own space with your own log-in and password and then you can still share your stuff but it's not quite so public. > Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2007 00:00:42 -0400 > From: "William Boswell" <whboswell@verizon.net> > Subject: Re: [WashDC] Free Vital Records Storage > To: <washingtondc@rootsweb.com> > > I prefer my own DVDs. You never know what some > companies will do with your > information. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Shape Yahoo! in your own image. Join our Network Research Panel today! http://surveylink.yahoo.com/gmrs/yahoo_panel_invite.asp?a=7 ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to WASHINGTONDC-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

I've complained to the makers of Family Tree Maker for years that they are selling our data for their own profit. They always come up with a lame excuse that they are providing a service to all genealogists by sharing the information for the price of a CD. Not true! In recent years, they've offered those same family trees to be downloaded from their site, but they charge a whopping fee to do so. I've tried pulling many family trees from both RootsWeb and Ancestry years ago, mainly because they had errors in them and also because I didn't want my information sold after I've spent thousands of dollars researching my family. I plan one day to publish my own stuff and either give it away to family members or sell it. You lose control of your own data when you post to these so called "free" sites. I also agree that many of these family trees contain nothing but errors, no source information to prove anything, and most of it is crap people got off the internet. I prefer the old fashion way of going to libraries, cemeteries, and other places to actually see the source material. Books and online data are also a help if it is genuine. Bill -----Original Message----- From: washingtondc-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:washingtondc-bounces@rootsweb.com]On Behalf Of Lena C. Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2007 9:17 AM To: washingtondc@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [WashDC] Free Vital Records Storage I agree, this is why I have always been anti-Family Tree Maker. I don't know if they still do it, but they used to have an option where you could "backup" your family tree- but what they were really doing was taking everyone's "backed up" trees, burning them all to CD's and selling them. Then not only are they pretty much stealing your stuff, but the CD's are passed off as being real data when they're really just someone else's research and oftentimes not very accurate. Rootsweb does offer free server space to anyone who wants to put their info online. You can get your own space with your own log-in and password and then you can still share your stuff but it's not quite so public. > Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2007 00:00:42 -0400 > From: "William Boswell" <whboswell@verizon.net> > Subject: Re: [WashDC] Free Vital Records Storage > To: <washingtondc@rootsweb.com> > > I prefer my own DVDs. You never know what some > companies will do with your > information. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________ Shape Yahoo! in your own image. Join our Network Research Panel today! http://surveylink.yahoo.com/gmrs/yahoo_panel_invite.asp?a=7 ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to WASHINGTONDC-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

AMEN!! I only use the genealogy program to organize the data I've spent lots of time and money researching - NEVER do I pass on anything to them. Nor do I give others permission to do so when I share our information. The sort of error which ends up online (aside from those from FTM): I had a great great uncle who was married in St. Louis in February 1849. I have a copy of the St. Louis record. The marriage was picked up by a New York newspaper at the time, so the marriage is listed online in New York marriages, either on a CD or in someone's compilation of marriages from New York papers. So, that's another reason to be really careful what you use as a source. Betty Torno St. Louis, MO ---- William Boswell <whboswell@verizon.net> wrote: > I've complained to the makers of Family Tree Maker for years that they are > selling our data for their own profit. They always come up with a lame > excuse that they are providing a service to all genealogists by sharing the > information for the price of a CD. Not true! In recent years, they've > offered those same family trees to be downloaded from their site, but they > charge a whopping fee to do so. > > I've tried pulling many family trees from both RootsWeb and Ancestry years > ago, mainly because they had errors in them and also because I didn't want > my information sold after I've spent thousands of dollars researching my > family. I plan one day to publish my own stuff and either give it away to > family members or sell it. You lose control of your own data when you post > to these so called "free" sites. > > I also agree that many of these family trees contain nothing but errors, no > source information to prove anything, and most of it is crap people got off > the internet. I prefer the old fashion way of going to libraries, > cemeteries, and other places to actually see the source material. Books and > online data are also a help if it is genuine. > > Bill > > -----Original Message----- > From: washingtondc-bounces@rootsweb.com > [mailto:washingtondc-bounces@rootsweb.com]On Behalf Of Lena C. > Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2007 9:17 AM > To: washingtondc@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [WashDC] Free Vital Records Storage > > > I agree, this is why I have always been anti-Family > Tree Maker. I don't know if they still do it, but they > used to have an option where you could "backup" your > family tree- but what they were really doing was > taking everyone's "backed up" trees, burning them all > to CD's and selling them. Then not only are they > pretty much stealing your stuff, but the CD's are > passed off as being real data when they're really just > someone else's research and oftentimes not very > accurate. Rootsweb does offer free server space to > anyone who wants to put their info online. You can get > your own space with your own log-in and password and > then you can still share your stuff but it's not quite > so public. > > > Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2007 00:00:42 -0400 > > From: "William Boswell" <whboswell@verizon.net> > > Subject: Re: [WashDC] Free Vital Records Storage > > To: <washingtondc@rootsweb.com> > > > > I prefer my own DVDs. You never know what some > > companies will do with your > > information. > > > > ______________________________________________________________________ > ______________ > Shape Yahoo! in your own image. Join our Network Research Panel today! > http://surveylink.yahoo.com/gmrs/yahoo_panel_invite.asp?a=7 > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > WASHINGTONDC-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to WASHINGTONDC-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message