BOARDS-ADMINS-L Archives

Archiver > BOARDS-ADMINS > 2002-04 > 1018038960


From: "Tilman Brandl" <>
Subject: Re: [BD-ADM] Adoption Queries
Date: Fri, 5 Apr 2002 22:36:00 +0200
References: <006201c1db7a$a897d3a0$4200a8c0@gowen.homeip.net>


Hi,

there hasn't been any living-parents-search message on the list/or
board I admin sofar. Nevertheless I wonder what I would do if this
happened one day...

During the ongoing (and rather considerate) discussion some
interesting aspects were brought up. Some were obviously more
convincing than others.

Personally I think it's obvious, that
- boards/ lists are but one of several means people do try in their
quest for their family. Like telephone directories, online resources
(like other message boards or newsgroups), agencies that would do a
search for money etc., etc.
*Conclusion: If they are determined (and we have reason to believe
that they are) we will not really succeed in protecting anybody's
privacy by not allowing such postings.
- whether we allow or disallow queries for birth parents - we are
actors in this. The results of our action may be favourable, but in
some cases they could be devastating, no doubt.
* Conclusion: 1. Since we don't know what the outcome of our action
will be, we can't say we allow it bcs. it's something good, or prevent
it bcs. it would lead to disaster. We simply don't know and can't
know! 2. It also doesn't help to say 'I have no idea where this leads
to, therefore I say NO' - both ways it's a decision of our's wich may
have consequences we can't predict.

My answer to all this? Don't really know before I see the first
message of that kind <g>. Generally speaking though, I tend to follow
the reasoning somebody has presented earlier: Let them find their
living family members instead of their obituaries. I can only hope all
involved will be able to make something (good) of it.

Just my 2 cent's worth

Tilman

----- Original Message -----
From: "Susan Gowen" <>
To: <>
Sent: Thursday, April 04, 2002 3:47 AM
Subject: [BD-ADM] Adoption Queries


> Good evening,
> I had a message posted on a county board yesterday. It was from a
lady, born
> in 1974, looking for her birth family....mother was 15.... father
was in the
> military. Because of the year of birth and nature of the message, I
felt the
> post inappropriate for the genealogy board. I moved the message to
the
> Adoption Queries Board. I sent the young lady an email, (as a
courtesy)
> letting her know where her post was moved to and let her know there
were
> more adoption related boards at rootsweb, as well, that she may be
> interested in.
>
> I did not get a reply, but today she has posted on the county board
> again...this time though not mentioning the adoption, but naming the
town,
> surname, Mr. **** wife's name, where the wife was from, how many
kids they
> had, etc and that she is looking for the whereabouts of this part of
her
> family.
>
> Although I understand her quest, I feel there are privacy issues
here that
> are inappropriate for a genealogy board.
> Any comments?


This thread: