When researching and documenting information not published elsewhere, it’s odd asking to volunteer this original research as public domain. Everyone is writing a book, and a new publication is only as good as its new information.

Sounds like some subhuman pest is trying to leech off you. You know the two magical words: ‘fuck off’. Works for me.

Greg Ralls it’s not only the leeching, as you nailed. It’s the expectation and entitlement that accompanies the demand.

So much of this is placed upon “I’m an established expert and as an established expert I need to add your efforts to my expertise.” I’ve experienced this in mineralogy, and in behavioral health, and in 66.

What’s a tad more professional than “fuck off” is “It’s on a need to know basis.” It’s a cliche most recognize as “Go do your own work.”

Steve Thunderguns Bringe agreed, ‘fuck off’ is a bit direct. That may be because I’m Australian, and we don’t mince words. Kind of the, ‘That’s not a knife… THIS is a knife’ thing.

Steve Thunderguns Bringe Absolutely. I get people emailing me to ask if I can give them information or tell them my sources. A lot of the time I spend my own time and money on researching that stuff which will go into the next book or whatever, so why should I do their work for them? Other times I have helped folk out only to find them touting my research as their own work. It leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

Blue Miller it really does leave a bad taste. My training is in geology and I’m a field collector; I’ve dug minerals since I was a kid. In college, I learned far too slowly that talking about new finds out of excitement is the quickest way for a site to be wiped out. I have a personal ethic that I always leave something for someone else to find, just as I discovered the site. Many “big name” collectors have a different ethic, and that is “Everyone needs to come to me if they want a specimen.” It’s both for profit and clout.

And then there’s academic theft. I remember having a short conversation about interesting twinning in Sierra Blanca smoky quartz, based on external modifying faces, and I showed examples, just as a passing chat between collectors at the Tucson Mineral Show. The dude I was talking to – Vandall King of New York – asked for the crystals I was showing him. I thought it was because he was adding the specimens and info to his collection. Two months later there was an article in a professional journal on everything I shared, including photos of the crystals I gave him. When I confronted Vandall, he claimed no recollection of the conversation. I dug those crystals and used my own reflective goniometer to describe the crystals!

The expectation and entitlement to hand over one’s research and work is baffling. My experiences in the mineral collecting world, back when I was younger and absolutely naive, prepared me for 66 research. I don’t enjoy being so cynical. It’s necessary, though. Folks can say “You can share with me. I’m not going to make money from your research” but that’s not the point. The point is I’ve thought of something others haven’t and my skills and efforts have value. And the reality is once you tell one person, you’ve now told the entire community.

And it’s not just the directly empirical results of research I’m being asked for – where exactly is this? It’s also all the networking to gain legal access to sites. Building relationships to access private lands makes it ridiculous to share exact locations. What happens if others descend upon a site on private land without permission? The site closes for me, for everyone, and my reputation and credibility is gone. And private landowners talk to each other.

I’m relatively new to any organized 66 communities, and out of excitement about finding folks who love the road and the history and culture I began sharing photos to FB groups. Hundreds of photos, as it turns out. And one day I’m told by a friend that ALL of my photos with all the info attached were posted on a 66 photo website. Presented as original work without photo credit. Without permission. Without even asking. Hundreds of photos. This pissed me off.

Contacting the photo site owner, I repeatedly directed them to remove my photos. Hundreds of them. It took months to get them to comply. And that ridiculous chestnut “I can use whatever I want posted to FB, it’s in the fb tos, go read it” was trotted out. No. Fb tos doesn’t say any content can be used by fb members. It never has. How ridiculous, people believing fb rules can override international copyright law. Ridiculous.

So what it comes down to is this bizarre expectation and entitlement folks have about free access to 66 research and field work. It leaves a bad taste. And while I’d love to share my passions with others as it happens, I’m instead holding back much of what I’m doing for later publication. Because there are people who aren’t respectful.