Dealing with Privacy
For the most part, I have found everyone very willing to help with family information, and also to be very willing to help me track down tid bits of data to help make these records complete.
However, I have heard concerns from some individuals about privacy and identity theft. We are all entitled to our privacy. And nobody needs the agravation of identify theft. Fear not with this information. Although I may ask you over the phone or through email for dates and places. Non of that information is published or publically viewable. That information is kept in private files.
Keep in mind that social norm over the years also requires that certain information be of public record, we cannot live in complete anonymity. Birth, death, and marriage dates are all public information quite often freely obtainable through public office. My records here publish no personal information. There are already many sites (i.e. - phone company) on the internet that publish your name, address, postal/zip code, and phone number. Some of these sites even offer maps to your specific address. Now THAT is personal information far beyond what I publish!
Out of respect for privacy for living persons, I have set the software to withhold specific information. This is now automatic. If the software does not see a death date, it will assume that the person is still living.
If you feel uncomfortable with your name being published as part of my data collection, I encourage you to contact myself. I am more than willing to alter your name to one of the common internet genealogy phrases. Usage of "living SURNAME", is one of most common that you see. Other variations can be "living G.SURNAME" giving just a first initial but no given name. This allows individuality within the database, but still offers some privacy. Most often you will see no other information. I would prefer, if possible when someone would like their name withheld (or non-published as the phone company refers to) to at least use a birth year, not a birth date. This way someone might be referred to as G.SURNAME - 1953. This is very basic and does not give away anything, and yet allows someone doing genealogy research the ability to identify one individual from another.
If you have not contacted me in the past with additional information because of publishing and privacy fears, please contact me now. I would like your information in my private files, and I will not publish what you don't want me to.