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Archiver > CORNISH > 1998-11 > 0909978368


From: John Zimmerman <>
Subject: Re: Fw: Report on CFHS AGM, please!!
Date: Sun, 01 Nov 1998 20:46:08 -0700


Hi, Kathleen,

I agree with you. I encourage any organization to which I contribute
information to make that information available via electronic media.
Those that don't all too often see what they have so diligently
'protected' destroyed by some calamity, and no one benefits from that.
Unfortunately, the worst offenders are governments, and similar
bureaucracies. Why gather information, only to horde it? That's a
rhetorical question.

Why does any family history organizations exist, to perpetuate itself,
or to perpetuate the family histories they gather? That's not a
rhetorical question. I think some FH organizations truly believe their
organization is what's important, not the histories. Fortunately there
are many organizations that realize the records are what is important,
and that their best chance of preserving those records lies in
disseminating them as widely as possible.

That philosophy applies to individuals too. How often have we read of
people who spend their lives gathering information, or photographs, only
to have them destroyed by someone who does not see the value in what has
been gathered? What each of us has gathered has value! Give away
copies at every opportunity. Even to those self-centered
orgainizations. Who knows, that copy may be the only one that survives
a calamity to your records horde.

Now I'll step off the box and give someone else a chance.

Very best regards,

John

--
John Zimmerman, C.I.P.
Mesa, Arizona
ICQ # 12220677
Researching: B U Z Z A, C O S T E L L O, D A V I S, Z I M M E R M A N
Ignorance is its own reward ;^)

kathleen wrote:
>
> At the risk of another arguement, I really have to agree. I can
> understand no money or no staff, but no interest? I won't be joining
> again unless something changes. Every request I have made as a member
> has been answered with an exceedingly polite request for money and the
> statement that they do not do individual research. I don't think
> asking only for specific names on a *supposed computer data base* is
> individual research but I may not understand their definition of the
> term. Someone wrote to the List saying what great help she received.
> Maybe she just got to a *good* volunteer? Frankly I could do with
> fewer "warmest regards" and a little more information.
>
> I put this on the List only to see if I am the only one with a skewed
> view or if others have had the same difficulties. How were these
> problems resolved? I'd like to support Cornish history, but with my
> exceedingly limited resources, I'd also like to get information back
> from my investment!!
> ...Kathleen

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