Group,
Recently there was a posting on the Callicott e-mail discussion
list which came from Genforum. It appears they are trying to
use files sent in by people and then sell the same genealogical
information for a profit. My sources say to not participate in
Genforum because of this and also for the reason outlined
below.
Thanks,
Glenn Gohr
ggohr01(a)mail.orion.org
(A Calico descendant; also Listowner for the following
surnames managed through Rootsweb: Ballinger, Beard, Bond,
Dodson, Garvin, Hanks, Neville, Pyron, and Wolverton)
_____________________________________
<Forwarded Message>
PLEASE READ:
The Genforum genealogy site is currently having a legal dispute with
rootsweb over copyright infringement. Cliff Shaw seems to think that
anything that he can find on the internet is free for the taking, just
remove the copyright information.
Genforum is run by Cliff Shaw. There has been a lot of discussion lately
on the listowners mailing list about GenForum. Basically, the "GenForum
Staff" is alleged to have plagiarized the web pages of John Fuller
"http://users.aol.com/johnf14246/gen_mail.html"
to develop the GenForum web site.
Note: John Fuller is co-author of Genealogy Resources on the Internet and
works in close connection with Rootsweb. John's work is legitimate, but
not GenForum.
At the time GenForum site went on the web, there was significant evidence
to their "theft" on the GenForum web site. The proof was that virtually
every surname from John's site was listed on GenForum, including all of
the
variations or lack of variations as listed at John's site. This includes
the variation of SHOCKEY that I gave John permission to use and leaves out
similar but unrelated names such as SCHOCKEY and SHOCKLEY.
This Cliff Shaw removes any postings that mention how to subscribe to
mailing lists for surname or county/state mailing lists. He contacts your
ISP and asks that they stop providing service to you for your using of
profanity if you use either the words "mailing list" or "RootsWeb" in
any
postings made at Genforum.
Overnight, Genforum SPAMMED the RootsWeb servers causing them to be shut
down for repairs and the loss or delay in many postings to over 1000
lists.
I sincerely hope that he loses the legal battles that he is facing. Theft
of copyrighted materials will ruin genealogy on the internet if not
stopped
quickly.
Les
------
Les Shockey email address = lshockey(a)emwv.com
RootsWeb Listowner for the SHOCKEY family discussion group.