It has been suggested that a proposal I made on the 'Abandoned Tree's' discussion be submitted for consideration. It came to me while reading the WILL on a Geni profile:
The person making the WILL not only made bequest's to certain people but also designated an administrator to inventory and dispose of the remaining assets of his/her estate.
Is there a problem with Geni members doing the same?...Instead of essentially "dying intestate' (without a WILL) and having an administrator assigned (read "Geni" management) to make decisions?.....
This is not fair to Geni management NOR to the Geni member..
Why not have the decision left to the Geni member...to name an executor/administrator...with specific bequests of certain family units being allowed..and anyone/family units NOT bequeathed to close family members (or other related/non-related interested parties) being under the authority of the administrator to divvy up (probably to people who actively WORK an area...
Perhaps also have Geni members DECLARE (each and every person) the FAMILY NAME(s) they work/belong to...as an aid to the administrator to determine WHICH profiles would be best given service by like-family researchers.
My thinking also is that if the GENI member set up the WILL then any disgruntled actual family member would be less likely to dispute it..
And for Geni management...well, it lets them off the hook in making a decision for a VAST majority of case...leaving only people who canNOT be contacted about their 'abandoned' profiles...thus only semi-active/some-timers and active members (inclusive of non-Pros, Pros, etc) to have SOMETHING set up for the future.
And people would be able to 'bequeath' sections to particular researchers of their OWN choice..or even just to any relative of a core group...as well as the entire "estate" if that is their wish.
So let the members make the decision..take the onus off of Geni management somewhat...and since they will (the members) be gone (deceased) or gone (moved on somewhere else)...and it IS IN WRITING..noone could/should dispute the results..
In the interest of brevity...I will leave off here.
P.S. I work Baldwin, Brockway, Sargent, and Copp trees (extensively)...primarily New England, New York...some Ohio and Illinois...and a cluster in Texas.. There are current ACTIVE Geni members who SHARE close connections...some non-family researchers whose work ethics I like....some people who are connected by a relation to a profiled family....that I would LOVE to have 'inherit' profiles or (at least) have them put in charge of finding good homes for them...other profiles I have set up that are not close to me (but connected to one of the FAMILIES) that would probably be best served by being under the helm of an interested AREA person....if someone did not wish to take on the profiles...they could revert to the administrator.
