I get these documents and they have
names on them, occasionally photographs. There is a privacy issue,
or the potential of one. Maybe the person in question is alive, or
maybe a relative is. Perhaps that person or associate might object to the
publication of the document or picture. What to do? Ignore
the issue? Never publish data in that category? Something in
between?
On my desk as I write this is a little
pocket card from the NYC police department indicating that the guy in the
picture was an "air raid protection service post warden" during World War
II. The picture is of a guy who would probably be about 120 years
old today. His descendants, if he had any, can be reasonably assumed
to be alive. Would they curse and moan at the exposure of his memory
or would they jump at the chance to retrieve his lost document?
What I won't do is try to track down
the descendants.
Another layer obtains in the case
of militaria - feelings of pride, perhaps in some cases shame. When
people bring me the box of junk they got out of their grandma's closet
after she died and there are grandpa's service medals I always suggest
before I buy them that they consider keeping them and making a little memorial
plaque about the guy for the great-grandchildren. Then I buy them
when they say they don't care.
Similar, but mirror-image, in the
case of documents involving criminals.
My first attempt at a policy about
this is:
1) names will not be publicized, pictures
will not be displayed until 75 years have passed, more or less. You
can get in touch with me if you want the names.
a) exception:
uniformed services, "in the public eye"
I think that about covers it.
email
home
Bob Reis
POB 26303
Raleigh NC 27611USA
phone: (919) 787-0881
(8:30AM-10:30PM EST only please)
fax: (888) 503-8308
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