Dear Marie,

I think many of us understand completely.  We all have had problems;
worse than sloppy in-family researchers, there are actually people out
there who plunder others' work and then "publish" it on the web for
families with which they themselves have no connection!  On the other
hand, if you just "lurk" a little while, you can usually spot such
problems before they take you over.

There are also some common sense routines.  Because much of "my" data
is founded on the work of a dear internet friend ,  I (with his
permission) will only give out specific data, credited to him, in
response to direct questions.  But I will work to find something, even
if it means considerable new work, to answer any good faith inquiry.
With 98% of the web-folks, if you simply put something in your cover
note about crediting yourself or someone else you benefitted from if
the material is re-published, it will be done.  Innocent forgetfulness
is probably more of a problem than any deliberate plaigarism.  You can
also help the situation by passing on warnings (e.g. about folks who
suddenly publish 5 works on unrelated families), to your nicest
co-researchers, whose first inclination is probably to open up to
everyone.

The web has been very very good to me, primarily by, after just a
couple of years, putting me in touch with others whose labors I need
not repeat and whose material, with a narrower focus, I can usually
enhance.  With just a little care, it should work as well for everyone.

Jack Fallin
Walnut Creek, CA


On Nov 19, 2004, at 9:00 PM, Automatic digest processor wrote:

> There is one message totalling 48 lines in this issue.
>
> Topics of the day:
>
>   1. Lessons Learned
>
> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the
> instructions at
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> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Date:    Fri, 19 Nov 2004 21:06:31 -0500
> From:    Marie McKinney <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Lessons Learned
>
> Just a few notes to allow myself the opportunity of relieving a little
> frustration.
>
> 1) Am I the only person who takes offense when I share documentation
> with
> someone, and that person posts the documentation as his own, offering
> no
> credit to the source of that documentation?
>
> 2)  Am I the only person who feels cheated when another person offers
> to
> share information, and after that person is provided the documents they
> needed, he or she sends nothing in return (much less a thank you)?
>
> 3)  Am I the only person who believes that multiple people researching
> within the same family line might be more efficient, effective,
> productive, and accurate if they worked in tandem?
>
> I know I'm no the only person who has been lied to, taken advantage
> of, or
> excluded in some manner.  I have invested a great deal of time, effort,
> and expense in efforts of identifying my ancestry.  I have also been
> very
> free in sharing the documentation I have compiled.  However, I nearly
> blew
> a gasket when, tonight, I came across a posting by a former "associate"
> making reference to a will and death certificate in our line.  These
> particular documents were obtained by me through a great deal of
> research
> and persistence, and shared with the above mentioned individual in
> hopes
> that he might benefit in his research.  Did he credit his source of
> information?  NOT ON YOUR LIFE!!!  Not only did he fail to credit his
> source, he also inaccurately transcribed the death certificate into his
> site.  What a waste!
>
> I have a PAF on my PC to assist me in fleshing out my line.  I refuse
> to
> post a Gedcom for one reason only -- I am not satisfied that my lineage
> and supporting documentation is 100% accurate at this moment in time.
> I
> have been led down too many dead ends & wrong turns by alleged
> researchers
> and their presumptive postings.  I would hate to be responsible for
> wasting another person's time and energy with faulty information.
>
> Rest assured, when my Gedcom goes "live", you will be able to bank on
> it.
>
> Marie McKinney
>
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> instructions at
> http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html
>
> ------------------------------
>
> End of VA-ROOTS Digest - 18 Nov 2004 to 19 Nov 2004 (#2004-238)
> ***************************************************************
>

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