diary- how to protect the names of the living?

[mrstucci]

Good morning fellow family historians! I am wondering how best to handle this account I have of my in-laws experience on a cruise ship that sunk back in 1980. My father-in-law wrote this 'diary' which includes Coast Guard info, names of people that were on the ship, etc., many of whom are still living. I, of course, would like to include it in the Histories portion of TNG but first my husband wants to go through and edit out the names of the living. What is the best way to do that? Just use a first initial? I look forward to some ideas from the vast TNG audience!! Thanks so much, Judy

[Ken Roy]

Judy,

If you link the diary to a Living person in Histories, then the diary is only available to registered users who have access to that branch of the tree where they can view that particular living person.

Ken

[arnold]

1. It seems to me if the Coast Guard provided information to your father-in-law, then it is already in the public domain and concerns of privacy are long gone. If there is a complete list of those on-board, then that may have come from the ship's manifest or the Coast Guard. If there are newspaper accounts of the sinking, then the names are out there in yet another way.

2. Without meaning to stir up a hornets' nest of activity, I am not sure what a history of a ship's sinking has to do with genealogy. All of us, certainly if we include our relatives and in-laws, have near-misses in our lives which we happily survived.

3. You were asking for input from "family historians." My response better reflects the views of an amateur "family genealogist."

[mrstucci]

1. Good point.

2. Well, of the relatives that I have, none have survived a sinking ship which makes the account interesting to family members. Maybe no one else but this is something that they lived through and my dear father-in-law spent alot of his time writing this account.

3. Family historians, family genealogists, et al.

[Dave the Scot]

2. Very Good point. Tracing your family is one thing, but by adding stories you provide a glimpse of someones life. I think this makes it far more interesting

[JustTheFax]

If you are only adding names of people who were on the ship, and who are alive, I see no harm

John Smith of Baltimore,

Dave Jones of Baltimore

Martha Jones of Baltimore

Etc

While the name may be there, other information is not, Does the notes include more identifying info, dates of birth, parents names?

Just having a list of names is not private information, and the list of names could already be public record.

[mrstucci]

I think you are right since it's just names, not personal information. My husband was reluctant for some reason- will have to delve deeper with him about why..... Thanks, take care, Judy