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Descendants of GUILLEBERT MARCIL AND PEYRONNE CLAIREBOUT

 

From: HVCrist@aol.com
To: Brian Oster
Subject: Philomene Alice Mercille and Descendants
Date: Monday, March 20, 2000 3:23 PM

Dear Brian, Your web site is very nice, and I know you have spent a lot of time on it. You are to be commended for your efforts. However, I see that you felt free to use on the net, without asking me, the genealogical information that I sent you a few years back regarding Philomene Alice Mercille Valle and her descendants. The reason I know that the information you used is that which I sent you is because you only list one of Alice's descendants, my grandfather, when there were, in fact, eight children. The only descendant of my grandfather, Louis Valle, that you list is my father, when, in fact, there were 2 others. The only place you could have obtained some of those birthdates is from me, because they are not public record. When I sent the information to you, it was for your personal enlightenment, not for you to give to the world as your own. Now you are taking credit on the net for research that you did not do. The genealogical internet is a new and useful tool for many, but common courtesy still applies. First one should ask if one may use another person's information on his web page, then he should acknowledge the source of that information. You have neglected to do both. It is, perhaps, a small thing to you, but for serious genealogists, these breaches of ethics and etiquette have far-reaching ramifications regarding a willingness to share with others in the future. This is the second time we have had a disagreement. May I recommend to you a course through NGS or some other organization on the correct use of the internet as regards genealogy. There are several good courses available at their annual meetings. Non-members are always invited to attend. No doubt, you would probably like to recommend a course in Dale Carnegie to me. But I think I raise a valid point to those who have web pages. Helen Valle Crist

I apologize to Helen Crist for giving the impression that her research was my own.  She and hundreds of other researchers have shared information with me over the years, freely and in most cases I have reciprocated equally.  I am grateful for their generosity and felt secure in offering these compilations on the net to help other researchers.  I am not an expert on all of these lines, and do not claim to be.

Helen and hundreds of others are listed on a general page of credits, but this does not equate to having asked permission of each and every person I with whom I have exchanged data or with whom I corresponded.  Frankly, I could not begin to guess what part of the Mercil genealogy can be credited to Helen or any of the others who contributed.  I have placed this page where Helen cites my transgression.

To Helen and all others, I apologize and will attempt to make amends.

Brian J. Oster Brian_Oster@vienici.com