Comments on: Publish Or Withhold, What To Do? http://www.kenspangler.com/blog/2007/07/31/publish-or-withhold-what-to-do/ In genealogy, the line between truth and fiction is sometimes vague! Wed, 07 Jan 2009 04:31:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Jasia http://www.kenspangler.com/blog/2007/07/31/publish-or-withhold-what-to-do/comment-page-1/#comment-161 Jasia Fri, 03 Aug 2007 03:53:35 +0000 http://www.kenspangler.com/blog/?p=67#comment-161 Here's an idea to consider though it may be impractical if you plan to include a lot of living relatives. Print out the information you'd like to print on each living person and ask them to sign off on it (giving their approval, or not). If they don't sign off on your information don't print it. And if anyone asks you why you withheld information about someone else just tell them you weren't given permission to include it. That way you're off the hook for withholding information and others can trust that you will print whatever you can but no more. Here’s an idea to consider though it may be impractical if you plan to include a lot of living relatives. Print out the information you’d like to print on each living person and ask them to sign off on it (giving their approval, or not). If they don’t sign off on your information don’t print it. And if anyone asks you why you withheld information about someone else just tell them you weren’t given permission to include it. That way you’re off the hook for withholding information and others can trust that you will print whatever you can but no more.

]]> By: kenopoly http://www.kenspangler.com/blog/2007/07/31/publish-or-withhold-what-to-do/comment-page-1/#comment-107 kenopoly Thu, 02 Aug 2007 13:17:56 +0000 http://www.kenspangler.com/blog/?p=67#comment-107 Janice, Thanks so much for the comment. I understand where you are coming from. I try not to publish information about the living also. My dilemma is regarding when I write up information for family members who are wanting to know about the others in the family. The info in question will never be published online, however I would love to do a book or such for the family. I guess the answer, even in this situation, would be to not publish info about the living. After all, if they truly want to know about the person in question they can just ask them! Once again, thanks for the comment. Ken Janice,

Thanks so much for the comment. I understand where you are coming from. I try not to publish information about the living also. My dilemma is regarding when I write up information for family members who are wanting to know about the others in the family. The info in question will never be published online, however I would love to do a book or such for the family. I guess the answer, even in this situation, would be to not publish info about the living. After all, if they truly want to know about the person in question they can just ask them!
Once again, thanks for the comment.
Ken

]]> By: Janice Brown http://www.kenspangler.com/blog/2007/07/31/publish-or-withhold-what-to-do/comment-page-1/#comment-99 Janice Brown Thu, 02 Aug 2007 11:47:18 +0000 http://www.kenspangler.com/blog/?p=67#comment-99 Ken, I empathize with your dilemma. I have several instances in my own family where certain "facts" are being purposefully hidden from their families. A good rule of thumb is not to publish or share information about people who are living. That would handle the problem you mention. We have to find a fine balance between telling the truth and hurting someone's feelings. My personal rule of thumb is that if publishing something in genealogy would hurt or alienate living family, I won't publish or distribute it. We are not, after all, the genealogy police. Janice Ken,
I empathize with your dilemma. I have several instances in my own family where certain “facts” are being purposefully hidden from their families. A good rule of thumb is not to publish or share information about people who are living. That would handle the problem you mention. We have to find a fine balance between telling the truth and hurting someone’s feelings. My personal rule of thumb is that if publishing something in genealogy would hurt or alienate living family, I won’t publish or distribute it. We are not, after all, the genealogy police.

Janice

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