Sydney Rody Stannard should be removed from WikiTree

0 votes
337 views
Sydney Rody Stannard was my father and all the stuff that is listed make him sound like he was a saint which is so far from the truth it make me want to cry.

I am the only male still alive out of the 6 kids he had 4 boys and two girls, my two sister are still alive as well but all the rest are gone plus the son he had with his new wife

I would like his crap history removed because it upset me to ready all the crap after what he did to us when I was only 3 yrs old

How can I get this stuff removed of the internet he show not be made to look like a god when he was a dog not a god
WikiTree profile: Syd Stannard
in WikiTree Help by M.r Stannard G2G Rookie (160 points)
reshown by Jillaine Smith

G2G Moderator Note: This post, while initially double-flagged (which automatically hides it), has had its flags cleared and is now reshown.  (I did this.) 

While the language used in the original post is strongly discouraged on WikiTree, this post and the excellent answer by JN Murphy below, reflects both a painful reality of genealogical research as well as suggestions for how to address such pain. Please do not flag this post again. Thank you.

Hi Jillaine

Yes J N Murphy answer is Fine but your answer sounds like your a boss of WikiTree and you blast me about my language I used in my email ? What language are you talking about ? was it the part where I said I would ****s on him ?   so I don't know what you was thinking.if you call that bad language because **** s could mean anything  You also tell me not to flag this posted again ( WHY ) what have I done to you ?

Hi Mr. Stannard, 

The note that Jilliane posted wasn't meant as an instruction for you, but rather it was addressed to other members of the community; however, the computer system for G2G sends replies to the author of the original post. 

Jilliane's role is that of a Project Leader on WikiTree [1], and one of her tasks is to guide other users and to help maintain decorum in the forums. One of the big rules in our "Honour Code" [2] is that everyone is expected to engage in a civil and courteous manner [3]. Consequently expletives are generally verboten. 

That doesn't stop you from using non-profane language that describes your pain or whatever acts were committed. Words like horrible, painful, horrendous, cruel, appalling aren't forbidden.

You may not realize, but your message here isn't a series of private emails, but rather a public post shared with the entire WikiTree community. You can see your post here:

https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/957942/sydney-rody-stannard-should-be-removed-from-wikitree

Because some of the language used was inappropriate, given our community standards, two other users had "flagged" [4] the post, indicating that it broke a rule, thus hiding it from community view.

I'm just one member of the community, here trying to help others. Jillianne felt that the content here was worth keeping as a reference for others, as it offers lessons for all of us about how to display sensitivity toward difficult family matters, hence she un-hid your post, allowing it to remain visible. 

I still hope that you're able to find a meaningful understanding with your family member(s) about whatever happened. Wishing you the best as you try to navigate those conversations.  

1. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Help:Project_Leaders

2.  https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Special:Honor_Code

3. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Help:Courtesy

4. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Help:Moderating_G2G

3 Answers

+17 votes
 
Best answer

Dear M. Stannard,

First, you have my heartfelt sympathy. This is a tough situation. Nearly every family, somewhere in the tree, has skeletons in the closet, abuse, pain, hurt, and outright evil done by or to their relatives. And for most families, whatever those painful experiences might be, they are usually a very touchy and taboo topic. 

Given that the profile appears to be written by a grandson of Syd Stannard, that would make him your nephew. Hence, it seems that your issue is one of intra-family conflict

Now, I am not privy to what your nephew knows or suspects about his grandfather, nor do I know what your nephew wishes to share with others. He may well be navigating a tight rope with the desires of other family members who want skeletons to be kept in the closet, and out of respect to them, perhaps he has kept the public version of his grandfather's profile sanitized. 

Many genealogists try to "stick to the facts" (as established by documentary evidence) as that can be a good way to avoid contentious issues. That appears to be your nephew's approach, and having read through the entire profile 3 times, it appears to be objective and factual. From my perception, I would say that it doesn't "make him sound like a saint", rather just an ordinary fellow. On the other hand, I can see that the profile probably circumnavigates any negative issues or allegations. 

Overall though, it is a remarkably well-written profile and a testament to your nephew's thorough research. It certainly is not "crap history", but it probably isn't the full picture. Getting the "full picture" about any human is rarely possible, since we are such complex persons. 

In your post here, you have not mentioned whether you have attempted to discuss the profile's contents with your nephew nor whatever allegations you may have against your father. That, however difficult, is where you need to start. Communicate with him. Your nephew may be open to hearing your personal, lived experience of growing up with his grandfather. He may even appreciate that. 

We do have mediation available for disputes between members, however your nephew has not done anything which runs afoul of WikiTree's policies, so that may be of little use.

But I would caution you on two points:

1. You cannot control what someone does online, nor what he or she says about the deceased. So I would suggest that you make peace with that fact that your nephew has decided to undertake this. Your nephew will very likely outlive you, and his word will likely be the last one in the long run. 

2. Moreover, if forced to change the profile here, your nephew could just create his own family tree website (it's cheap and easy) elsewhere for which no mediation is available and for which you would have no means of influence. And the minute you stop participating (in what seems like a difficult subject) he would be able to revert any changes made. So it would be in your best interest to be very reasonable with him in seeking to achieve a mutually agreeable compromise or understanding.

On the technical side, you need to know that WikiTree does not remove profiles because they are controversial or because the subject hurt people. Every human being who ever lived is eligible to have a profile on WikiTree. That's part of the mission of WikiTree. So WikiTree has profiles for Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Mao, and those are just the big names. There are entire categories for murderers, serial killers, kidnappers, and so on, maintained by our community's Black Sheep Project. So please don't think that having a WikiTree profile is some kind of endorsement of moral worth or that this represents a "Good Human", deserving to go to The Good Place. WikiTree is for everyone.

Being for everyone, it's still important to keep in mind how the dead affect the living. I would encourage you to read and to share with your nephew this question and answers on this post from last year about a similar situation:

https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/718065/honesty-about-someones-true-personality-and-behaviour-tell

That may give both you and your nephew some added perspective and some different perspectives. Again, disputes around the character of a deceased person and allegations of wrongdoing, especially done in private, are always complicated to address and each of those impacted, whether directly or indirectly, has the right to determine their level of comfort and how they feel about it. We can't force others to share our feelings or our perspectives.  

So, failing all of that in ameliorating the situation, perhaps you might choose to avoid visiting WikiTree, should viewing a profile here cause you such distress. It is not as if dozens of people are going to look up the profile of your father every week. The profile itself is probably not endearing him to anyone in particular. It just exists. And, as an adult, you don't have to visit it if it causes you grief.

by anonymous G2G6 Pilot (139k points)
selected by Jillaine Smith
+5 votes
Mr Stannard,

The profile is largely factual, citing sources (which unfortunately are currently not visible due to a formatting omission). As a neutral reader, I don't see that it portrays him as a saint or a god.

I am sorry that reading about him upsets you so much, but it appears he was a public figure about whom much appeared in newspapers. And this profile reflects that.
by Jillaine Smith G2G6 Pilot (910k points)
+1 vote
You can ask to be put on the trusted list then add your side of the story.
by Leslie Cooper G2G6 Mach 4 (48.4k points)

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