Magazine article

An older relative phoned last night in an highly anxious state telling
me that I'd "broken the law" because I'd sent him our family tree and
it contained the names of living people. I assured him I hadn't and
that the information contained was freely available and as family
historians any omitted information would be easy for either of us to
find anyway, which he agreed was so. I told him that it was probably
relating to the information included on web sites and that it would
only have been advisory.

He said he'd read an article in a genealogical magazine which,
apparently, claimed it was actually illegal to include the names of
living people because of identity theft (calm down Roy ). The
magazine concerned was Family Tree. I haven't seen it but does anyone

roy.stockdill...

If it were illegal to publish the names of living people, every newspaper
in the world would be breaking the law a thousand times every day!

Charani...

This is in relation to family trees rather than newspapers. We'd be
back to the coy way that some novelists wrote about "Mr D________" and
"Miss S_________"

I cannot imagine any genealogical magazine publishing such nonsense,
unless it was a letter from a misguided reader. I don't recall it but you
might possibly find something at the ABM publishing website,

Charani...

I can't imagine it either, which is why I asked about the article. I
think my older relative misread what was being said, unless, as you
say, it was a letter. I'll have a look at the URL and see if I can
find out what it was all about. Thanks.

Really, people do get some extraordinary ideas...! I wonder if these folks
who think it's wrong to put the names of living people on their family tree
actually omit themselves from it ??? Now wouldn't that be the ultimate
irony !

Charani...

In this instance, yes, he has! It's easy enough to misread something,
esp if it wasn't very well worded in the first place.

Roy Stockdill
Newbies' Guide to Genealogy & Family History:

"There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about,
and that is not being talked about."
OSCAR WILDE

know what it was all about?