I delete all social security numbers, don't include sources unless I really know this person, and tell them I do not want my information posted online.
I had this experience recently with a distant cousin I never met. He belongs to the LDS church and he told me he doesn't use genealogy software and would be posting it to FamilySearch. I told him I didn't want all my research put there and if I did I'd put it there myself. My thought was since I did all the research, why should he get credit for my work so I didn't send him my entire file like he requested. Not happening. Instead I sent him a very scaled down version of my direct lines with just information his mother sent to me years ago (she died a couple of months ago) and some new information. I didn't include the sources or any images. I figure if they are really interested in the sources, they can request them later. If they don't, it's a strong possibility they aren't interested in researching to verify your data. This could also mean they are just going to post it online so they can have a massive number of names in their tree. Have Legacy remove living people and ones you're not sure are dead. You may have to manually go through the index of individuals to see who doesn't have a death date. If they were born in the 19th century, there's a great possibility they are dead. If you do include sources, I would delete any text attached to it. I know this is a big job, but I've done it for online trees. You've worked hard on your family tree. Don't give it all away just because someone, related or not, is too lazy to do the research themselves. My tree has information I researched pre-Ancestry.com and the old-fashioned way. I see too many people online want the research done for them. I had a guy who claimed to be a well-known writer (Googled him and came up with nothing) who wanted all my information, photos, etc. on one particular line. I wouldn't give it to him because he refused to credit myself and other cousins who provided the information. He emailed me recently saying his book was coming out soon and he needed a better photo than one he found online. I told him I didn't have one and I was using the same photo he had. One thing I considered is when his book is copyrighted, it will include my information. That means if I want to write a book, I can't copyright that same information again because he did it already and now he owns my information. I know of one tree on Ancestry that is copyrighted which is why I won't submit my photos to it. You never know what someone's intentions are so it might be better to quiz this "trusted" family member a little more before sharing. Find out what they have to offer in return or if they know anything about the family lines they are requesting. I tell all the fakes I've worked hard on my research and it didn't all come from Ancestry or other online providers. If they have nothing to offer in return then they are probably newbies. This is not always a bad thing unless they can't share anything about their side of the family. Some of my newbie third cousins, who I've never met, were a big help because they shared photos and information I didn't have which led me to new discoveries. Sometimes, like me, you have to be a Scrooge with your data otherwise it will end up on someone else's tree where it doesn't belong. I'm very over protective of my data and you do have to worry about identity theft. I've been a victim of it several times and I worry that someone can use identifiable information against myself or other family members. Even dead people are at risk. One thing you can do. Instead of sending a GEDCOM just create a private online tree at Ancestry and give them guest access. The only ones who get a GEDCOM from me are cousins I've been working with for years and who we both have a trusting relationship. Sorry for the bloated email. Bill Boswell From: Ed Ladendorf [mailto:edladend...@yahoo.com] Sent: Sunday, January 19, 2014 7:39 AM To: LegacyUserGroup@LegacyUsers.com Subject: [LegacyUG] Identity theft I would like to share my files with a trusted family member (or friend). But I'm hesitant to include much information on living people, even though this can be suppressed by whomever gets the file. It's entirely possible that they could enter this information online (whether intentional or not), or share it through another medium. This has been a concern of mine, and I wonder how others handle it. Genealogy could be a gold mine for unscrupulous people. 1. How much information do you enter, if any, about your children or other living family members, and do you include sources? 2. Do you enter sources for yourself? You don't need them, but others might in the future. Thanks for any direction in this matter. Ed Legacy User Group guidelines: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp Archived messages after Nov. 21 2009: http://www.mail-archive.com/legacyusergroup@legacyusers.com/ Archived messages from old mail server - before Nov. 21 2009: http://www.mail-archive.com/legacyusergroup@legacyfamilytree.com/ Online technical support: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Help.asp Follow Legacy on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/LegacyFamilyTree) and on our blog (http://news.LegacyFamilyTree.com). To unsubscribe: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/LegacyLists.asp
