Moral question, torn on what to do.

[Hærfest Leah]

This question relates to my genealogy and an unethical individual who has contacted me, and I am torn on how to if at all respond.

The reason that I feel I need outside opinions on this is because a few factors are involved.

First some background information:
I received an email two days ago from someone requesting my collaboration to help them on a line we share that they said they were having problems with. So I replied and said of course. In this email I mentioned a friend Susan's site which was the place online for our main line of this surname and that it had to be shut down because a guy a year ago spent days on the site copying info and then posted it all elsewhere as his own research not giving credit. Day 2 (yesterday) I get a reply from him that that's why he keeps all his info in an invitation only private tree which he sent me an invite for. So I go on and right off start recognizing text and pictures from my friend Susan's site. So I start thinking what was that guys name who stole her site info, anyway I figured it out after some searching and this is him.

I emailed my friend and she is really mad and I am to not let on that I know who he is for now. She wants to know how much he stole so I have been checking out his tree and documents. In this process I see part of my line he has on there which (he failed to steal all of) and I have found some things that are incorrect.

My problem here is that part of me wants to leave comments correcting the wrong information. Now I do not really what to help this guy out at all because of what he did and his acting like he was not familiar with the story about what happened to Susan's site. He has a list of 20-25 or so other people invited to the tree and I do not want them seeing wrong information and continuing to pass it on.

Should I not care and let it stay wrong since only a small group pf people can view it anyway?
Should I point out the incorrect information and only leave general directions on where he can search for the correct info? I'm not going to hand it to him.
Should I contact them each and tell them whom their associating with? (although I don't really have the time)


I asked him how he descended from our common ancestor and he has still never told me. I'm going to look today and figure it out for myself. I also am curious why he has Hugh Hefner in his tree. He asked in that 2nd email if I was still interested in collaborating but I have not responded yet.

My husband thinks he's too fishy, to let him just be wrong.

Now this is the Vice President of Marketing at the Wachovia Corporation I'm talking about here.

[*GrumpButt*]

Well if you want the rigt info to get to the ppl, I say let him know it's wrong and then point and say *over in that direction somewhere* But don't help to much :P

[Hærfest Leah]

It seems like such an obvious answer doesn't it. Thank you for your input, I appreciate it.

[Know Your Rights]

I agree with what WhiteDragon said. Tell them the info is wrong, and vaguely (very vaguely) point them into a place in which they could find the right information. Beyond that, I say, let 'im hang... figuratively.

[Teresa]

I was going to point out that two wrongs do not necessarily make a right and that later on your conscience may bother you if you do not do the thing that is right for you personally. The people above have given you good advice. I admire what you have done and the site! :thumbsup:

[Philosophia]

I agree with the others. Maybe tell him the information is wrong, give him a vague overview/summary of where he can find it, and than let it go. :hugz:

[Hærfest Leah]

Thank you three for the input.

What you all are saying is indeed my gut feeling of what to do. Correct the file for the sake of others who may see it but only enough to point them in the right direction to the correct information.

After that I am done.

[la tortuga]

Thank you three for the input.

What you all are saying is indeed my gut feeling of what to do. Correct the file for the sake of others who may see it but only enough to point them in the right direction to the correct information.

After that I am done.

Sounds like a good plan.

Is there any way you could get this guy for possible copyright infringement?

[Hærfest Leah]

Is there any way you could get this guy for possible copyright infringement?

Genealogy research is a collection of facts which are public record. Facts are not subject to copyright. However, the idea that ones collected research is copyright-able up for debate.

Heres an article: Some Thoughts About Publishing Your Genealogy Data (http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2007/05/some_thoughts_a.html)

It takes a lot of time and money to do any good amount of research and when people do not cite where they take information from it can be down right frustrating. If you publish an actual genealogy book of collected research, you can claim copyright. Too many people think that if it's online though that it's free for the taking and that the same rules don't apply. BUT THEY DO! It is proper genealogy etiquette to give credit where credit is due.