ETHICS-IN-GENEALOGY-L Archives

From: Fridrik Skulason <>
Subject: Re: [Ethics] Mailing Lists and Web Sites
Date: Sat, 15 May 2004 14:11:09 +0000
References: <000a01c439c7$422e9240$05b0aa43@NEPTUNE> <003001c43a59$179d4660$137f1ec4@oemcomputer>
In-Reply-To: <003001c43a59$179d4660$137f1ec4@oemcomputer>

The way I see it, there are really two issues here.

One involves the practice of using/distributing material without
mentioning and/or crediting the source. Depending on the situation
and/or type of information, this is either sloppy work or unethical
practice.

I have a genealogy web site myself, containing information
on a pretty large number of individuals, some of which are alive
but others are not. Every entry has a list of sources and references,
usually alllowing others to go straight to the original source.
The exception is of course personal correspondence - I have a large
collection of letters and e-mails with information, and in those
cases the web entry may include "personal correspondence", which
unfortunately implies that any third party individual cannot go
and check the information source.

The second issue involves using information without the knowledge or
permission of the people involved. My opinion on the ethical side of
that basically boils down to a question of whether the information
is "public" or "private". For example, let's say that a couple gets
married. If they put a note about that in the local newspaper, I
consider the information public, and have no problems with including
it in my database or asking their permission. If they had instead
been married in a private ceremony, with only a few guests attending,
and one of them would happen to mention the wedding to me, I would
not feel entitled to use the information, as they have not, as far
I know chosen to make the information public.

The same applies to other public/private information. I do not
know personally more than a small fraction of the people in my
database - in most cases I have never met or corresponded with
them. All the information I am entitled to use is "public"
information - if they contact me, I can add any "private"
information they care to give me.

--
Fridrik Skulason Frisk Software International phone: +354-540-7400

This thread:

• Is Anyone on the List ? by "Valda Napier" <>
  • Re: [Ethics] Is Anyone on the List ? by Valorie Zimmerman <>
  • RE: [Ethics] Is Anyone on the List ? by "Chris Eddy" <>