[or-roots] The outcome of your letters to findagrave

[Stephenie Flora]

I wanted to share the final outcome and the results of your letters to
findagrave.  I have had several exchanges of emails with Jim Tipton, the
founder of findagrave.com and was able to express my concerns.  

 

The information for Salem Pioneer Cemetery has been removed from their site
and replaced with basic information on the cemetery and a link to Tracy
Saucy's web site.  My agreement with them on Lee Mission Cemetery was that
they could leave the basic listing to go with the photos if they agreed to
remove the obituaries and additional work that I had done.  That has also
been done.  My third request was that they issue some basic guidelines for
submitters in which they were reminded to credit sources that they used
beyond their own work and to refrain from plagiarising other people's
efforts.  Since I am not a contributor I have no idea if their procedures
have changed or not or if they will.  I was led to believe that there would
be some programming changes that would make it easier for a person
submitting information to add sources.  Some things take time so we will
see.

 

Most of us, at some point, have used information that we didn't source as
well as we should have.  My web site on Oregon Pioneers was first put online
in 1987.  The other night when I checked my tracking records I found that it
received right at 60,000 visitors last month alone.  I would venture to say
that most of those visitors downloaded some information.  Some will credit
me as a source; some will not.  As long as it is used in their family
research or as part of a school project (which I get a lot of) I lose no
sleep over it.  However, having someone download an entire site and claim it
as their own is a real eye opener.  I have always believed that you cannot
control morality and ethics via legislation but sometimes the court of
public opinion can make a difference.  You did and I will be eternally
grateful.  I am hoping that we were able to bring about some changes in the
system so that this type of thing doesn't keep happening.  

 

Thank you,

 

 

Stephenie Flora
www.oregonpioneers.com/ortrail.htm
My Families: Acuff, Bartruff, Bewley, Greene, Lewis, Modlin, Patty

 

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