Dear Fellow CC's, I need some advice, and maybe some encouragement. Last night I typed an obit for a Clark Co Civil War veteran from a 1911 newspaper onto the Clark Co messageboard. Nothing unusual there, I like to help surrounding counties' boards and cc's as you all know. This morning I was alerted that the Clark Co mailing list administrator had seen fit to block my post from the automatic relay to the mailing list but had instead copied and pasted my contribution into a mailing list message as though she herself had typed it. (Complete with my typos, and if you would like a copy of the mailing list message just contact me) I've been taught it is dishonest to claim someone else's work as your own and it is right to give credit where it is due. So I wrote to the mailing list admin and rootsweb help desk about the apparent 'oversight'. The Clark Co mailing list moderator has not responded to my message sent last night. I asked to have this 'oversight' corrected with another message to the mailing list listing myself as the original contributor or that the item be deleted from the mailing list archives. I also wrote to rootsweb's help desk with my concerns and asked how to avoid this problem in the future. The response from rootsweb has me wondering if I, and all of us, are maybe being taken advantage of and played as fools. Here is the response: "The obit was published in 1911, so is now public domain. It can be appropriated by anyone and attribution is not required. Discovery does not entitle you or anyone to ownership (copyright)." Rootsweb thus far refuses to become involved in correcting this "mistake" of the mailing list moderator not naming the original contributor. The tone of the messages from helpdesk have not been friendly or helpful. So far I have been told about copyright law and they suggest I ask to have the Moody obit deleted form the Clark Co messageboard...which would conveniently remove evidence that I had been the original contributor. I asked if this copyright/public domain opinion meant rootsweb/ancestry/myfamily.com (whomever!) could come along and take what is on our websites and messageboards. Note that I have no objection if Sally Smith finds Grandpa's obit but I do have a problem with others harvesting our work for their own financial gain now or down the road. No one at the helpdesk has addressed my questions about the ownership/copyright of what we have worked and paid to compile on our GenWeb sites. Now I understand that USGenWeb is supposedly independent, yet somewhat dependent of rootsweb. But if rootsweb says if the item is in public domain, "it can be appropriated by anyone" just where does that leave all of us volunteer coordinators who have done the work and paid for computers, books, cd's, photocopies, etc.? To me the silence on this question says more than words can, and it sounds as though the only copyright we have is the arrangement of the information on our websites, graphics, etc; the information itself is "free for the taking." Suggestions and comments are welcome whether sent privately or to the list. Thanks all, Joan Adams and Marquette CC's

Hi Joan, Nice to see you writing to the list again. Sorry to see it is under such circumstances. After reading your letter, it seems to me that you have had problems with the mailing list admin for Clark county in the past, haven't you? If not, please forgive my memory. Personally I think Tina should step in and say something about this, based on the trouble I believe you have had in the past with this person. If the person is refusing to reply to you and work this out in private and is doing such things, perhaps Tina could find out what her problem is with you and why she does this. Just my thoughts and I hope Tina will step in and assist you with this, Hopefully you can get some form of resolve to this soon, Good Luck, Debie Blindauer Calumet & Sheboygan Counties

Hi Joan, As a mailing list and message board administrator, my first thought would be that something happened and the message did not post like it should have, and by default, the message went back to the list or message board administrator. I don't think there is anyway to block a message going thru unless you would have some sort of block on the posters email. <puzzled> Is it possible that she/he just sent the message on to the list? I have done that on many occasions, but, do add a note that whatever the query was, listers should respond back to the researcher. Lately, I have taken to writing the poster, as when I do that people seem to respond to me instead of the researcher. Argh! Guess, I'm thinking that it could be very innocent, but, I would have thought this person would have written you back. Then again maybe they aren't online. If, in fact, this person some how did this on purpose, I would consider it very tacky and wouldn't post to the message boards any more. I'd just send the info on to the Clark County Coordinator, which is Tina right now, as the site is up for adoption. Just my thoughts on the subject, Jan ----- Original Message ----- From: "joan benner" <[email protected]> > Dear Fellow CC's, > > I need some advice, and maybe some encouragement. > > Last night I typed an obit for a Clark Co Civil War veteran from a 1911 > newspaper onto the Clark Co messageboard. Nothing unusual there, I like to > help surrounding counties' boards and cc's as you all know. This morning I > was alerted that the Clark Co mailing list administrator had seen fit to > block my post from the automatic relay to the mailing list but had instead > copied and pasted my contribution into a mailing list message as though she > herself had typed it. (Complete with my typos, and if you would like a copy > of the mailing list message just contact me) > > I've been taught it is dishonest to claim someone else's work as your own > and it is right to give credit where it is due. So I wrote to the mailing > list admin and rootsweb help desk about the apparent 'oversight'. The Clark > Co mailing list moderator has not responded to my message sent last night. > I asked to have this 'oversight' corrected with another message to the > mailing list listing myself as the original contributor or that the item be > deleted from the mailing list archives. > > I also wrote to rootsweb's help desk with my concerns and asked how to > avoid this problem in the future. The response from rootsweb has me > wondering if I, and all of us, are maybe being taken advantage of and > played as fools. Here is the response: > > "The obit was published in 1911, so is now public domain. It can be > appropriated by anyone and attribution is not required. Discovery does not > entitle you > or anyone to ownership (copyright)." > > Rootsweb thus far refuses to become involved in correcting this "mistake" > of the mailing list moderator not naming the original contributor. The tone > of the messages from helpdesk have not been friendly or helpful. So far I > have been told about copyright law and they suggest I ask to have the Moody > obit deleted form the Clark Co messageboard...which would conveniently > remove evidence that I had been the original contributor. > > I asked if this copyright/public domain opinion meant > rootsweb/ancestry/myfamily.com (whomever!) could come along and take what > is on our websites and messageboards. Note that I have no objection if > Sally Smith finds Grandpa's obit but I do have a problem with others > harvesting our work for their own financial gain now or down the road. No > one at the helpdesk has addressed my questions about the > ownership/copyright of what we have worked and paid to compile on our > GenWeb sites. Now I understand that USGenWeb is supposedly independent, yet > somewhat dependent of rootsweb. But if rootsweb says if the item is in > public domain, "it can be appropriated by anyone" just where does that > leave all of us volunteer coordinators who have done the work and paid for > computers, books, cd's, photocopies, etc.? > > To me the silence on this question says more than words can, and it sounds > as though the only copyright we have is the arrangement of the information > on our websites, graphics, etc; the information itself is "free for the > taking." Suggestions and comments are welcome whether sent privately or to > the list. > > Thanks all, > > > Joan > Adams and Marquette CC's > > > ==== WIGEN Mailing List ==== > Celebrate Wisconsin! > Visit the Waushara County WIGenWeb Project Pages > http://www.rootsweb.com/~wiwausha/wsctweb.html > Visit the Wood County WIGenWeb Project Pages > http://www.rootsweb.com/~wiwood/ > >