HACKETT-L Archives

Archiver > HACKETT > 1998-05 > 0896077332


From: Erin Bradford <>
Subject: [HACKETT-L] from the listowner..a warning note about GenForum
Date: Sun, 24 May 1998 23:22:12


At 09:04 AM 5/24/98 -0500, Cindy wrote:
>Hi Folks!
>In case you haven't found it yet, wanted to share a Surname Query
>resource. Try out Genforum... http://www.genforum.com/
>I've found this query system very active and helpful, they even added a
>BEE Family Forum when I requested one. Happy Huntin'! :o)

GenForum right now is a very hot debate with other listowners at this very
moment, this was a timely post. Although GenForum definetely has its plus
points, I do want to make list members aware of its negative points.

First and foremost, GenForum, about a year or so ago, caused the RootsWeb
server to temporarily crash (from my understanding) by sending spam to
every list on RootsWeb. Here is a small excerpt of a message on the
listowners list about this:

"On August 6, 1997, in a very short period of time, Cliff Shaw 'announced'
the creation of GenForum to a large number of the mailing lists. The
instantaneous load of trying to post so many messages to the lists'
subscribers was too much. It was a spam attack so severe that the
RootsWeb server crashed."

The next problem is that also about a year ago, Cliff Shaw, the creator of
GenForum, ran into serious copyright infringements by stealing other
genealogists hard work that they put forth and the internet.

The third is that GenForum does NOT guarentee that they will not give your
email address to spammers if you post a message on GenForum. (from my
understanding)

I personally have used GenForum myself and have liked it, but users of
GenForum, please be aware of it's *potential* problems. The only problem
I, myself, have had with it is that after my first post to GenForum, I
received 5 spam messages on this email account in one night and I had this
account about 2 years before this happened and never received a spam
message on it until that night. Of course I have no way to say one way or
the other it was because of GenForum, it is just assumption on my part.
Basically what I am saying is that if you decide to use GenForum, just be
cautious and it may be a good idea that if you post a message, do not
include your email address if possible. I just want to make everyone aware
of its *potential* problems. Also, because of there copyright problems
they have had and because of the fact that I have been told (but again no
proof) that if you submit vital information, they sometimes have stolen the
info and sold it to others, be cautious in the type of information you
submit. I think if you just give basic info like "Looking for the
ancestors of Peter Black b. abt 1720 in France and came to Perry Co., OH"
there wouldn't be a problem. In reality, these same rules should apply to
any website your are personally not familiar with or not sure if you should
trust for one reason or another...and not just genealogy. Ok, I'm done
now:) Good luck everyone in your searching.

Erin Bradford

Listowner for Barringer, Black, Bradford, Coventry, Eller, Hackett, and Kern
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/6106/genlinks.html (+800
genealogy links)
http://www.angelfire.com/mt/listdex/index.html (Homepage for surname lists
above)

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