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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=todd.d.robbins@gmail.com
href="mailto:todd.d.robbins@gmail.com">todd.d.robbins@gmail.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=opengenalliance@lists.openrightsgroup.org
href="mailto:opengenalliance@lists.openrightsgroup.org">Open Genealogy
Alliance (OKFN)</A> ; <A title=open-glam@lists.okfn.org
href="mailto:open-GLAM@lists.okfn.org">open-GLAM@lists.okfn.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, June 25, 2013 5:40
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Opengenalliance] Concerning
historic records APIs</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr>I've run into dead ends today trying to gain programmable access
to historic records via the FamilySearch API (which does not provide access to
the millions of records FS has digitized/indexed) [1] and the private
BillionGraves API (which requires a formal proposal of use to be submitted
before granting API acces) [2]. This has further reminded me of the need to
create and support open projects in the field of genealogy.
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>I have previously mentioned my interest is heading/steering an Open
Gravestones project to offer an open alternative to BillionGraves and Find A
Grave [3]. That interest remains and I have begun a repository here: <A
href="https://github.com/trobbins/Open-Gravestones/">https://github.com/trobbins/Open-Gravestones/</A> </DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Also feel free to add to the Google Doc of resources/ideas for the
project: <A
href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dhvmF-WGlqp2T7OU27QM6LRcNdAsJhHzY3_-gW35py0/edit?usp=sharing">https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dhvmF-WGlqp2T7OU27QM6LRcNdAsJhHzY3_-gW35py0/edit?usp=sharing</A></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>For now, what I've created is simply a web presence for the idea at this
point, but I hope to rally a few or more of you to the cause. Let's begin the
discussion here at least.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Cheers!<BR clear=all>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>[1] <A
href="https://familysearch.org/developers/docs/api/resources">https://familysearch.org/developers/docs/api/resources</A></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>[2] See for instance: <A
href="http://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog/2012/06/20/grave-terms-of-use/">http://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog/2012/06/20/grave-terms-of-use/</A></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>[3] Find A Grave recently revived their Terms of Service to prohibited
use of their data and any kind of web scraping as well: <A
href="http://www.findagrave.com/disclaimer.html">http://www.findagrave.com/disclaimer.html</A></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>-- <BR><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: arial; FONT-SIZE: small">Tod
Robbins</SPAN>
<DIV style="FONT-FAMILY: arial; FONT-SIZE: small"><FONT color=#666666
face="arial, sans-serif">Digital Collections Librarian, MLIS</FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-FAMILY: arial; FONT-SIZE: small"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: arial,sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 13px"><FONT color=#666666><A
style="COLOR: rgb(17,85,204)" href="http://todrobbins.com/"
target=_blank>todrobbins.com</A> | <A style="COLOR: rgb(17,85,204)"
href="http://www.twitter.com/#!/todrobbins"
target=_blank>@todrobbins</A></FONT></SPAN></DIV></DIV></DIV>
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<P></P>_______________________________________________<BR>Opengenalliance
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