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

[Leslie Chapman]

Stephanie;

I had received a note from Mr. Tipton which essentially stated that since
the information on the original headstones was public record, the fact that
someone spent however much time and effort recording, organizing and posting
on web site said information didn't give them any rights to that
information. Seems to me like I could use the same logic to say that since
the engilsh language is a matter of "public record" just because Robert
Frost happens to take certain words from it and organizes them in a special
way doesn't give him the right to copyright them so I should be able to use
them as my own!

Ah well, so it goes. I just did a check and under the title "Oregon in 1843"
I have 48 citations from that particular web page of yours, I thought the
Salem Cemetery would have more, and in fact I am sure it does, but under
"Salem Cemetry" I only find 4 citations. For the life of me I have no idea
what the heck I referenced for the rest of them??

My biggest problem with sources is working on one line, say my Fosters and
the allies; Hatch, Pickett, Bogart, Cross (I knew there was one I hadn't
finished!!) Deckers and so on with four or five different archival files
open from on my computer and three online VR indexes and ten web sites and
in the middle of plugging that most recent spouse and her parents and the
sibling that married another cousin in one of the other lines I run across a
reference I've never seen before that looks like it's got a Wisner or a
Melvin in it I need and I go haring off after that for four hours and by the
time I realize I have about an hour to button it up and get the dishes done
and some dinner on the stove before the wife gets home I am so lost on what
I have put into my family file and what I have saved in this or that archive
or new book or whatever and "did I remember to cite that for great uncle
"fill in the blank" and the answer too often is NO!  I am constantly running
into factoids with no source cited, even in things I have just done because
I get sidetracked so easily.

Les C


-----Original Message-----
From: Stephenie Flora
Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2009 10:29 PM

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.

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