using Facebook for research

[LynneB]

I have a FB account but have never posted anything. I joined because there is a group for people with my (relatively unusual) maiden name so it was one way to meet living relatives.

Recently I have found that, with careful research, I can learn about my living relatives by locating their FB pages. Generally these come up in a Google search (along with LinkedIn accounts, Pinterest accounts, Twitter accounts, ABN/company searches and recent newspaper articles in which someone with that name is mentioned). Of course, I don't assume that the first page I find with someone of the same name as a person on my tree is necessarily my relative. However, by carefully checking facts and who their "friends" are (that unusual maiden name helps!), and piecing together tiny bits of information, I do find relatives and have even added new names to my tree.

So, my question: is this breaking the terms and conditions of my Facebook "membership"? More to the point, am I doing something illegal? I have tried to read through the Terms and Conditions but end up even more confused.

The material that people write is freely published in a public forum where anyone with a FB account can read it. Because I am not a 'friend' of every living relative I find, I can see only limited numbers of their public posts but it's still enough to get some interesting information. Perhaps I should send each person a message to say I've read their page and how I'm related to them and leave it to them to decide if they want to be "friends" or not!

What do other members think?

 

[Bob Spiers]

My instinctive feeling is do not use Facebook (and especially not Linked-In) in this way; it's a bit like spying on a neighbour from an upstairs window. If you locate known family in Facebook and have a desire to make contact, you just invite them as friends and providing they agree, they become part of your 'friend' network. I often use Facebook Personal Message facility to contact family on a one to one basis and especially to ask if they mind me copying a photo for use on their page in my Tribal Pages. You may well learn something of the family in this way but it is a social contact medium and not one for primary research. Mind you that's just my opinion and others may disagree.

 

[Tim]

I think I disagree Bob. This info was published by the individuals on free public sites. It's no different to looking up where people live in the phone books. Or even censuses. Censuses were never designed for genealogy, but that's what we're using them for!

Lynne is doing nothing wrong, but you make a number of good points. If these people are related, then send them a PM and invite them to that private group.

 

[Britjan]

I think I would ask if we could be friends in the Family category and I have two examples of how I use it .
1. If it were not for Facebook I wouldn't know anything much about my nephews from my ex's side of the family. I don't always love what they post and I certainly don't want to be friends with their friends but it still keeps me aware of the major events in their lives.
2. Among my Facebook family I have two fifth cousins both in their 50-60's, both lost a spouse to long standing illness and both are now venturing into the social scene with new partners. They are discriminating in what they post and if I have something of a private nature I can always p.m. them.

That said Facebook tries very hard to make everything public and you so have to watch that you are not sharing something you would rather not.

 

[peter]

When people publish information for all to see, whether on Facebook, Ancestry or elsewhere they give up any rights to privacy. However I would still exercise some caution since they might well have posted information about others without their permission (and perhaps without their knowledge).