NEW-GEN-URL-L Archives

Archiver > NEW-GEN-URL > 1999-05 > 0925586319


From: "Chris & Tom Tinney, Sr." <>
Subject: Re: [NEW-GEN-URL-L] GenealogyPortal.com Privacy Practices
Date: Sat, 01 May 1999 12:18:39 -0700


Matthew,

In your signature block below:
"Co-Author, Genealogy Online For Dummies
(http://bookstore.genealogytoolbox.com/dummies)";,
comes up:

"Not Found

The requested object does not exist on this server.
The link you followed is either outdated, inaccurate,
or the server has been instructed not to let you have it."

Since I have you listed at:
Archives and Library Resources at:
http://www.dcn.davis.ca.us/~vctinney/archives.htm
I know this must be some kind of error.

You may wish to correct it.

Respectfully yours,

Tom Tinney, Sr.
http://www.dcn.davis.ca.us/~vctinney/
Listed in: Who's Who In The West, 1998/1999
Who's Who In Genealogy and Heraldry,
[both editions]
-----------------------------------------------
Matthew Helm wrote:

> Recently I was forwarded a note from a person expressing concern about the
> following note posted on the NEW-GEN-URL-L list. Normally I would respond
> to this person individually; however, as she questioned our privacy
> practices in a public forum, I would like to answer in the same public
> forum, even though I realize that usually this would be an inappropriate
> topic for this list.
>
> Here is the text of the note posted to this list and my response follows--
>
> "I am responding to the suggestion for the new genealogy search engine
> recomended by a subscriber: GeneaologyPortal. I checked it out and did not
> see a privacy policy stated. This site may be useful to many, but I
> caution about sites without privacy policies for the reason that many are
> tools to collect direct and target marketing lists.
> I work at the Federal Trade Commission where we regularly monitor this kind
> of activity on behalf of consumers. So anyone who thinks this message is
> being sent by a competitor is just absolutely wrong.
> Sheila Anthony"
>
> I have placed a privacy statement on our site this morning. You can view it
> at http://www.genealogyportal.com/privacy.html. We had not posted one
> before because we DO NOT require the disclosure of any personal information
> from our users. We do not ask for a person's name, address, SSN, or
> financial information. The only "personal information" that we request is
> an email address so that we can contact the individual submitting a URL or
> reporting a problem with our site (and even this is just a request--not a
> requirement to post a URL or problem). We only contact individuals if we
> cannot diagnose the problem or the URL does not work.
>
> The GenealogyPortal.com site is maintained by Matthew Helm and Steve Wood.
> Both of us have been running free, public genealogical web services since
> 1994--long before there were commercial genealogical web endeavors. Not
> once during that five year period has anyone accused us of selling
> information about our users, primarily because we don't do so. I expect
> anyone who wants to make such an assertion to do their homework and make
> specific allegations to the concerned parties before placing them in a
> public forum.
>
> Again I apologize for the necessity of posting this on this mailing list.
> However, I cannot allow unfounded allegations to go by without a chance to
> defend myself and my sites.
>
> Thanks for your time.
>
> Matthew Helm
> Creator, Helm's Genealogy Toolbox (http://www.genealogytoolbox.com)
> Publisher, Journal of Online Genealogy (http://www.onlinegenealogy.com)
> Co-Creator, GenealogyPortal.com (http://www.genealogyportal.com)
> Co-Author, Genealogy Online For Dummies
> (http://bookstore.genealogytoolbox.com/dummies)
> Co-Managing Editor, Genealogical Computing
> (http://www2.viaweb.com/ancestry/gencom.html)
>
> ==== NEW-GEN-URL Mailing List ====
> .

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