Is there any documented case where such information was obtained from the
Internet? I would think you would need addresses, that just names and dates
and parents are useless. And what about account numbers? Who posts them to
the Internet where a maiden name would come handy? Why is it OK to publish
genealogy of living people in books, which almost no one has a concern over,
but not the Internet?
I think people should NOT post data that is requested not to be posted.
However, I feel we go overboard in the name of security by not posting
living people who have given permission. In other words, I would follow what
ever rules you use for traditional books.
I have posted over 65,000 names and get at least one cousin a day thanking
me for finding their family on the Internet. I have had only one request to
remove data (someone sent me data and later decided to write a book and thus
felt it was proprietary, which I thus removed). Not once has anyone
complained over sensitive or unsecured data posted. I get about one
complaint a month asking why their family was not included (sometimes real
nasty complaints. As you say, go figure..).
So far, I have only seen theoretical cases where Internet genealogy could be
used fraudulently. I'm not saying it isn't possible, just there are easier
methods for fraud. I think we hear about it a lot because the Internet is a
relatively new medium, and thus has "sex appeal" in the press.
That's my two cents...
David L. Beckwith
-----Original Message-----
From: Jane Norton Powell [mailto:janep@pchnet.com]
Sent: Friday, June 26, 1998 2:58 PM
To: TNGEN-L(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: [TNGEN-L] 70 yr rule
I don't know anything about legalities. Do know that US Census only
releases one after 70 years.
And, recently, someone sent a notice to the list about con men and crooks
stealing names to obtain falsified ID's because they had access to the
birth date, place, and esp. the mother's maiden name that so many companies
use as a password. I promptly tried to get all living people off my
on-line genealogy lists ... which caused another problem ... doting
grandmothers emailing me wanting to know why their little darling wasn't
listed. Go figure!
Jane
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