Hi Roger and Karen,

Thank you for taking the time to offer your opinions.

Personally I am more than happy for my details being online. In fact I have my life story online!! That is my whole point, people's personal details are there anyway.... you mention phone books as one major source which are all online as white pages of here or there as one example.

Having said that, the issue of respecting the wishes of those who specifically request that details not be posted is becoming more and more of a consideration

I published a family history back in 1984 where all the details were published, and that book is now online. I have never to this day had any objection to the information being published.The book is in libraries all over the world. And I know many many published family histories have all the details published and are listed in library catalogues online, so my effort is not unique. Is the internet publication really any different?

Yes I know circumstances have changed but one cannot unpublish something once it is in the public arena.

I would be interested in hearing opinions from a variety of points of view as I consider it an issue that will become more and more in the face of genealogists now and in the future.

I don't want to side with the publishing of all details (except where specifically requested) as being right or wrong, although I admit this has been my stand to date; nor do I wish to side with the "no publication" of details of those still living as being right or wrong.

I have just posted on this topic to open discussion on the subject with the view to read other peoples' way of handling this particular "new" problem.

How do others who have placed online in tree format or gedcom files or published in book form, all details of living people, feel about this issue?

Please keep the comments coming.

Thank you. I think this is very important.

Kind regards
Elizabeth