Linda -- Thanks, that sounds very sensible to me. I have notes I took
last month that I cant decipher and which are incomplete and I know
better now and can download from the net more easily. (sometimes).
<snip>
Patricia,
My opinion, for what it's worth as a non-lawyer and family history
hobbyist with much to learn...is that we have to admit that we're human.
In the course of tracing family history most of us end up with a jungle
of paper & notes...hopefully noting where the info came from but in
reality (being human) sometimes forgetting to take good notes even on
our own research in primary records, much less the endless papers &
notes we copied "in case this is useful someday".
Especially in your example of a limited listing of
names/dates/places--how does the original poster benefit in any way from
that data *not* being shared? It was pretty much a recital of "facts"
with no particular "creative arrangement". We know if we want to
document our lines we need to find the primary records ourselves...your
example could give another researcher outstanding clues as to where to
look for those primary records. I'd post the info and simply say
This sounds like a good way of putting it.
"source not recorded or unknown".
To the question of "what if I find the data myself" (I
guess meaning you
have used the data as clues to find the original records)...if you can
then quote the source knowing it's accurate...of course I'd say where
others could find the data for themselves.
Yes, we certainly do depend on others' work
If *noone* could ever use anyone else's research in any
way-shape-or
form there would be little point in anyone writing a family history.
In no way do I mean "pretend someone's extensive data is the results of
your own individual research", "lift" info from someone's still
copyrighted book, etc...(personally I'm baffled by the "import gedcoms
of hundreds of people just to have more names" style of genealogy but to
each his own).
If we can't share "fact-type" info---ie, "I have notes that
such-and-such a census showed thus & so", crediting where we can and
saying we don't know the source when we can't---we can just go back to
our own research, period. The mailing lists and newsgroups and bulletin
boards and websites have exploded because most people want to *share*
their resources, not hoard them.
That's my two cents worth. <g>
Linda Carman
Good to have your good thoughts
Regards,
Patricia