Wanda wrote:

courteous researchers should have no problem omitting any portion of the "online" GEDCOMs when asked from the original research provider.

Joan replied:

That depends on what you are asking them to remove. If you are asking them to remove original notes you supplied or detailed information on living people--then, yes, it might be courteous for them to remove what you ask them to remove.

However, if you are asking someone to remove data from their tree that is public domain information--such as vital record type information and/or information about people who are no longer living--then there is no reason anyone would have to do so just because you asked them to. In fact, even if they obtained information from you, they may well have verified that information for themselves, and they have every much as much right to use it in their files as you did in yours.

We don't own the people in our files--we don't own our ancestors. If we could find the information about them then others can do so as well.

Also, with regard to OWT -- no notes or sources are being used by OWT -- only public domain type info.

Joan