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Archiver > SOUTH-AFRICA > 1998-12 > 0912551059


From: van Rensburg <>
Subject: Re: PLACING INFORMATION ON THE WEB
Date: Wed, 02 Dec 1998 09:24:19 +1100


I think the questions that Pat raises are interesting and needs to be answered by an
expert and not a novice like me. I will make comment on some of the other matters:1.
The problem of publishing ones research, and the matter of finding new information in
the future, is no problem with the web since you update as you go. The printed media
does not allow for this flexibility.
2. The matter of giving and receiving credit for years of research and analysis is also
a problem in the printed media. Even with copyright in the print media, if someone
violates copyright how many person are going to fight legal cases all over the world?
3. The internet does provide both greater access to information and also greater
opportunities for unscrupulous individuals
4. The fear of plagiarism hopefully will not drive us to our genealogical closets and
make all our research only benefit silverfish
Well that is my two shillings worth,
Andre van Rensburg

> Hi listers,
> The whole idea is good BUT.. who has the copyright of what is on the web?
> For instance
> 1. I have masses of information all in proposed book form which I have not
> yet had published. If I give it to web with my permission then does
> Delia/web have the copyright?
> 2. I am not sure that I want all my research published on internet until I
> am ready to publish the book form. Dog in the manger perhaps?
> 3. I am interested too to know if anyone can take 'swapped' family
> history/trees etc and publish this under their own name or web site?
> 4. I have sent histories of some of my ancestors to museums/libraries (eg.
> Albany) where librarians have some control of accessioning and indexing. On
> most of these I have put a copyright. This was not because I was stingy
> minded but because the relevant chapters have since been drastically
> updated and are therefore more informative. (Actually I wonder if I ever
> will reach a stage where I am happy to publish. I continually find new
> information.)
> - I am truly and deeply indebted to all those who have shared their
> research with me and to date I have been scrupulous in acknowledging their
> input. They in turn have had much from me given unstintingly to those
> researching the same lines. In the hard copy form of my histories I have
> been at pains to get written permission to use information. The
> consequences of not doing so are too awful to think about.
> I recall one experience of a friend who sent all she had to someone in
> America who had been in touch. Not a word of thanks and to her horror her
> entire input was used and published under the receiver's name. Couldn't
> this happen on internet more easily?
>
> Very interested in this aspect.
> Many thanks to all listers who are really a very friendly and helpful bunch
> Pat Frykberg
> Havelock North
> New Zealand

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