Genealogy is for the living

Family history published on the internet or elsewhere may be about the dead, but it is for the living. It is irresponsible and disrespectful when details are included that would hurt, embarrass, or otherwise cause pain to the living. This can happen when family tragedies are discussed too close to the time of their occurrence, when there are living relatives and friends still grieving for the lost person/people. A rule I follow: when I have to choose between the welfare of the living and "historical" information about the deceased, the living trumps the dead every time.