ROOTSWEB REVIEW: Genealogical Data Cooperative News Vol. 2, No. 4, 27 January 1999; Circulation: 256,700+ (C) 1998-1999 RootsWeb Genealogical Data Cooperative. Editors: Julia M. Case and Myra Vanderpool Gormley, CG * * * * * CONTENTS. News and Notes from RootsWeb (RootsWeb List Finder; IIGS Internet Relay Chat; HelpDesk Tips); Geek Speak; Behind the Scenes at RootsWeb: Excerpts from the Staff Diary; Connecting through RootsWeb; New Mailing Lists; New Home Pages; New GenConnect Boards; USGenWeb Archives Census Project Recent Uploads; Humor; Reprint Policy; Unsubscribe Instructions. * * * * * NEWS AND NOTES FROM ROOTSWEB ROOTSWEB LIST FINDER. If you are having trouble finding a surname or lineage mailing list, visit the RootsWeb List Finder at: . Type in a surname and this new tool will tell you about any related surname lists on RootsWeb. It makes your searching easier by using Soundex matching to find similar-sounding names. * * * IIGS INTERNET RELAY CHAT (IRC) SCHEDULE. For the full schedule of International Internet Genealogical Society IRC Chat sessions, as well as information about how to obtain software for IRC, and instruction, help & FAQs on IRC, please visit: . Beginning on 1 February 1999 with a session on "Getting Organized," DearMYRTLE will host weekly sessions on Monday evenings, from 10 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Eastern U.S. time. Set your IRC chat software to: Description: rootsweb Server: irc.rootsweb.com Port: 6667 Channel: #DearMYRTLE * * * HELPDESK TIPS. For answers to most of your questions about using the resources hosted by RootsWeb, please read the FAQs at the RootsWeb HelpDesk: . * * * DONATIONS TO HELP SUPPORT ROOTSWEB ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED. For details about support levels/benefits and payment options, please visit: or send e-mail to: . RootsWeb's address is: RootsWeb Genealogical Data Cooperative, P.O. Box 6798, Frazier Park, CA 93222-6798. (Please include your e-mail address on all correspondence and checks.) * * * * * CONNECTING THROUGH ROOTSWEB. Thanks for sharing your stories. My sister Vicki and I started our genealogical search of our dad's side of the family a few years ago. It was difficult from the beginning because we did not even have our grandmother's maiden name when we began. She passed on when we were 14 and 19. Our father and our grandfather both passed on when we were four and 10. So we were really coming from a deficit of information. We had one 11-year-old greeting card that carried the married name of our granny's sister. The lookup volunteers for various surnames over many counties and states helped us gather enough information by July of 1998 to allow us to post our queries in a few select places. It was quite a surprise to receive e-mail from our dad's cousin through our grandmother's side a few weeks ago. We have been exchanging information, family stories, and pictures with our newly-found relatives. So many of our questions have been answered. They have even provided another lead in our search on our grandfather's side. A great big thank-you to all of the lookup volunteers who have helped us along the way with insightful tips and valuable information. We couldn't have done it without you. Amy Whinery * * * There have been many great success stories thanks to RootsWeb, most with a happy ending, but not all. In late 1997 I received an e-mail from my sister, who lives in New Zealand. She wanted me to help her friend find information on her grandfather, an American soldier named LASCKO, b. Livermore Falls. They had been told he had married a girl in Auckland during World War II, and was killed in action in the Pacific. I checked a road atlas, looked up the Androscoggin Co., Maine USGenWeb Project hosted by RootsWeb, and contacted a lookup volunteer who happened to live in Livermore Falls. She checked the local phone book and located a family with that last name. I placed a call to them and left a brief message on their answering machine. Contact was made and the families were both thrilled. The family in Maine had documentation of the Honorable Discharge from the Army (on November 5, 1945 -- he was not Missing in Action but died in 1994), and divorce records. Step-brothers and sisters are now exchanging letters and photos. The family in New Zealand was very surprised to find out about the family in Maine. What a shame they didn't make contact a decade ago. I just want to say many thanks to all the volunteers who go out of their way to help others without computers make connections far or near. Olwyn Whitehouse, Sugar Land, Texas * * * I have already made one real hit from GenConnect. Cathie Coyle wrote me about my ARDERNE/DE ARDERNE line. I wrote back with some data on my ARDERNEs, and she wrote back: "We have ignition and blastoff! We do have a connection and a strong one." She went on to say that she is sending me a bunch of data by snail mail (she got my address, which I had elected to include, from GenConnect), because she said it was too much to put in an e-mail. There is joy in Salem! And this after only a couple of days. G. David Thayer * * * * * GEEK SPEAK. This episode comes to you courtesy of Dale "Doc" Schneider, System Administrator and all-round guru for RootsWeb. BETA -- There is a lot of confusion about just exactly what "beta" means. RootsWeb has a lot of software in various stages of beta, so an explanation is in order. First, here is a bit of history. The term beta is from the Greek alphabet of which alpha, beta, and gamma are the first three letters. The programming world adopted these three words to describe the status of a new application and its progress to production implementation. ALPHA: An alpha version is a new program version considered to be very buggy. It usually is not released to the public. BETA: A beta version is still considered to be buggy, but better than the alpha version. This version is usually released to a limited "beta team," usually a core of people who know what they are testing and run the version through the wringer to find all the bugs and report them to the programmer(s). GAMMA: A gamma version is a "wide-area" beta version. This version is sometimes released to the public, so as many people as possible can test the program and make sure it does what it is supposed to do. It should have as few bugs as possible. Next is the final released version. This is sometimes the gamma version, if it is found that it works as advertised. RootsWeb uses the term "[something] is in beta" and selects a small group of users to do the testing. Being "in beta" at RootsWeb means that we are testing something and no commitment has been made whether the application will go into full production. Sometimes the result of beta testing is discovery that it will take too much time and work to make a program run as we want it to. Once software comes out of beta it is, usually, moved to a production machine that has a good Internet pipe (connection). * * * * * BEHIND THE SCENES AT ROOTSWEB: EXCERPTS FROM THE STAFF DIARY 24 Jan 1999 (Karen Isaacson). With the ROOTS-I index due to fire in just over an hour, let's hold off on fixing those time stamps until tomorrow. I made a minor tweak to my perl to handle things being off by eight hours, so I'm fine. (And if the time stamps don't admit of solution, I can leave the tweak in place. But I'd rather be tweak-free, so am hopeful the new version of the mirror software solves the problem.) If we're hopelessly out of sync, and I just tweaked and you just fixed, =don't= unfix. I'll either untweak, or people will get the same messages in two indexes and if that's the worst thing that ever happens to them, well, hey, what can I say? 26 Jan 1999 (Karen Isaacson). Brian is tucked in bed with cat at his feet (in lieu of more old-fashioned water bottle), shaking with chills, racked with fever. He's been running on very little sleep since we got back from Olympia, and I think it all caught up with him. The good news is I think he got most urgent stuff done before this bug bit. . . . [T]heoretically, a contractor is coming today to plow our driveway. (Brian was out trying to do this yesterday, in the midst of getting sick, but gave up before getting very far.) So theoretically I can get [out] later today, before the second storm hits. I wish this weren't theoretical, but to be honest, it looks quite evil out there and I think that second storm may be coming in ... now... * * * * * MAILING LISTS. To subscribe or unsubscribe from any RootsWeb mailing list, send an e-mail message with only the word SUBSCRIBE (or UNSUBSCRIBE) in the subject and the body of the message to [name of list]-L-request@rootsweb.com (for mail mode) or to [name of list]-D-request@rootsweb.com (for digest mode). For example, if you have interest in Henderson County, North Carolina, send a SUBSCRIBE message to: For an index to most user mailing lists hosted by RootsWeb, visit . NEW MAILING LIST REQUESTS. USGenWeb and WorldGenWeb hosts may have FREE locality mailing lists for the areas they host and for that purpose may ignore the "Sponsors-only" warning on the list request page. Please request new mailing lists at: NEW SURNAME MAILING LISTS BEALS (includes BALES) BEGLEY (includes variants) BLACKADAR (includes BLACKADDER, BLACKADER, BLACKATER, BLACATER, BLACKETER) CLENDANIEL CROFOOT (includes CROWFOOT, CROFUT, CROFUTT, CROFFUT) DILLEY EBERLE (includes EBERLY, EVERLY, EVERLEY; from Germany, England, and the U.S.A.) FEELEY (includes variants) FELTNER (includes variants) GILES GOODIN HASBROUCK (emphasis on descendants of Jean and Abraham HASBROUCK) HEMINGWAY-UK (HEMINGWAYs in the United Kingdom) HISE (includes HEISS, HEISE, HEIS, HYS, EIS, EISS, VAN HISE, VOORHEIS, and variants) HUBBELL (includes variants) HURT (includes variants) IRBY JARBOE (includes JARBO and JERBO) JENT (includes variants) JOSEPH (includes variants) LAFOLLETTE (includes LAFARLETT(E)) LEMAY (emphasis on descendants of Pierre LEMAY and his wife Sarah (TURNER?)) MCCLESKEY (includes MCCLUSKEY, MCCLOSKEY, and variants) MCCRAY (includes McCRAE, McRAY, McRAE) MCCOACH MCINTOSH (includes variants) MELYN (Dutch surname and variants but not including MELLON) MORACA (includes MURACA and variants) PARSONAGE (emphasis on branch from the United Kingdom) PELTON (includes variants) RAKESTRAW SAGEN SIZEMORE (includes variants) SPOTSWOOD (includes SPOTTSWOOD, SPOTTISWOODE, and variants; specifically as related to Alexander SPOTSWOOD, lieutenant governor of Virginia from 1710 to 1722) STENSON (includes variants) STIFF SWAFFARD (includes SWOFFORD, SWOFORD, and variants) TARABOCHIA TERRY WOOLSEY (includes WOLSEY, WULCI, and variants) NEW REGIONAL MAILING LISTS AUSTRALIA NSW-ORANGEBATHURST -- Orange/Bathurst area of New South Wales, Australia SCOTLAND WGW-SURNAMES-SCOTLAND -- surnames only forum for the WGW ScotlandGenWeb U.S.A. AZCOCHIS -- Cochise County, Arizona AZCOCONI -- Coconino County, Arizona AZPINAL -- Pinal County, Arizona CAMARIN -- Marin County, California INGIBSON -- Gibson County, Indiana INMONROE -- Monroe County, Indiana KYFLEMIN -- Fleming County, Kentucky KYNICHOL -- Nicholas County Kentucky MITHUMB -- Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola counties, Michigan MIWASHTE -- Washtenaw County, Michigan MOAUDRAI -- Audrain County, Missouri MO-STLOUIS-METRO -- St. Louis metropolitan area, Missouri MSKEMPER -- Kemper County Mississippi NCGRAHAM -- Graham County, North Carolina NCHENDER -- Henderson County, North Carolina NMBERNAL -- Bernalillo County, New Mexico NMSANTAF -- Santa Fe County, New Mexico NYFRANKL -- Franklin County New York OHMEIGS -- Meigs County, Ohio OKSTEPHE -- Stephens County, Oklahoma SD-ROOTS -- South Dakota research when county is unknown NEW ETHNIC, SPECIAL INTEREST, and MISCELLANEOUS MAILING LISTS HEIRLOOM -- stories of family heirlooms INDIAN-CAPTIVES -- American pioneers who were captured by the Indians OLD-WORDS -- old words, names, abbreviations, and jargon useful to genealogy * * * * * NEW WEB ACCOUNT REQUESTS. Please see the instructions at . NEW WEB SITES. Some of these might not yet be accessible. If one that interests you isn't up yet, please check again in a few days or a week. . Note that the ~[tilde] before the account name is required and will work for most. If not, you'll find most of them at USGenWeb or WorldGenWeb . For example, to visit the page for Rio Grande County, Colorado, go to: . CANADA nsssgs -- South Shore Genealogical Society, Nova Scotia ENGLAND enghun -- Huntingdonshire GERMANY deusacan -- Sachsen-Anhalt U.S.A. azwvgs -- West Valley (Arizona) Genealogical Society coriogra -- Rio Grande County, Colorado iavanbur -- Van Buren County, Iowa mafgs -- Falmouth (Massachusetts) Genealogical Society mawmgs -- Western Massachusetts Genealogical Society mnlandgs -- Landings Laget i Amerika Gen. Society (Minnesota) msperry -- Perry County, Mississippi mtbroadw -- Broadwater County, Montana mtlincol -- Lincoln County, Montana mtmeaghe -- Meagher County, Montana pasulliv -- Sullivan County, Pennsylvania sdclay -- Clay County, South Dakota sdyankto -- Yankton County, South Dakota txigs -- Irving (Texas) Genealogical Society txkaufma -- Kaufman County, Texas wiocgs -- Oconto County (Wisconsin) Genealogical Society HOME PAGES Colonial Virginia ANDERSONs. HACKSAW's Web Site. JACKSON, BULLOCK, WARD, CASTLEBURY, ISBELL, CLAXTON, MORGAN, SEALE, THRASHER, WESTMORELAND, COLLINS, STAKVEL, PENNINGTON, PARISH, LOCKE, KIRKS, EZELL, ESKRIDGE, DUNCAN, ALLYN, CHATUM, BASS. LOVETT/LOVITT Genealogy Page. MARSH Genealogy. MARSH, MARCH, and MASH. ROSS Home Library. ANDREWS, BONNER, CRISP, CURRY, GALLOWAY, JAMES, ROSS. * * * * * NEW GENCONNECT BOARDS. 117 new regional GenConnect boards were activated 17 January to 23 January 1999, as follows: POLAND 1 SCOTLAND 1 USA Al 5 Ar 6 Co 5 Ct 2 Ia 2 In 1 Ky 3 La 7 Ma 14 Mi 5 Mo 7 Ms 12 Mt 2 NC 1 NJ 2 NY 3 Ne 24 Oh 1 Ok 2 Or 4 Tn 3 Tx 2 Vt 1 WV 1 SPECIAL COLLECTIONS American Revolution Pensions War of 1812 (Queries) War of 1812 (Pensions) SURNAME BOARDS. There are 348 new surname boards, including the following : Adams, Alvis, Arens, Arthur, Bandy, Beal, Benner, Beyer, Bissett, Blee, Broyles, Bullock, Butler, Caldwell, Carroll, Causey, Cavin, Chaney, Clark, Cloud, Cooper, Cox, Cullop, Cushman, Dousman, Doyle, Durman, Faile, Flick, Franklin, Garland, Garoutte, Giles, Gilmore, Goodrich, Grantz, Gray, Gwinner, Haperman, Harkey, Harner, Harrison, Hathaway, Hetrick, Hinzman, Hooker, Hopkins, Hoyle, Hunsucker, Jacob, Kilroy, Kirby, Lane, Lawrie, Lawson, Leake, Leatherman, Lipe, Logan, Lovette, Lytton, Magill, Mathers, McAlexander, McBeth, McCarley, McColl, McMahon, Miles, Montgomery, Nichols, Payne, Pearse, Phillips, Pinson, Poplin, Price, Pryor, Quick, Ray, Rector, Reynolds, Ritchey, Robb, Rodenbaugh, Rowland, Sandusky, Saul, Seitz, Shapley, Shippee, Shockey, Stillman, Stultz, Taliaferro, Tremble, Troy, Truax, Van Norman, Walsh, Wampler, Wanless, Weisenauer, Wenning, Whittington, Wilhite, Wilkinson, Williamson, Wilson Link to GenConnect Fun Facts at: * * * * * USGENWEB ARCHIVES CENSUS PROJECT. These are the transcriptions that were uploaded in the last week. ALABAMA. 1850 Madison County (Huntsville) ARKANSAS. 1880 Sharp County (Johnson Township) GEORGIA. 1820 Wilkinson County IDAHO. 1870 Oneida County KENTUCKY. 1810 Boone County MICHIGAN. 1870 Eaton County (partial) (Bellevue Village) MISSISSIPPI. 1820 Lawrence County MISSISSIPPI. 1850 Winston County TEXAS. 1850 Fort Bend County * * * * * HUMOR. Thanks to Richard Pence for this story, which he says is an old joke. Even so, we like it, and we trust it will be new to some readers. MOOSE HUNTING Lars and Ole decided to go moose hunting in Canada. They wanted to get away from it all, so they hired this guy in Minneapolis who had a plane with pontoons on it to fly them to a really backwoods lake. When they got there, the pilot taxied them ashore, unloaded their gear and, after agreeing to pick them up right there in a week, departed. A week later, the plane taxied up to the shore and there were Lars and Ole, each standing there with a large moose he had killed. When the pilot taxied to the shore he pointed at the moose and said, "What are we going to do with those things?" "Oh," said Lars. "We'll just do like we did last year. We'll strap one on the right pontoon and one on the left pontoon. Then we'll back clear up to the end of the lake and rev 'er up and take off." "You did that last year?" asked the pilot. "Sure," said Lars. "And you took off?" "Yah." "O.K." So they taxied clear to the other end of the lake, reved her up and splashed toward the other end. Just when it looked like they wouldn't make it, the plane wobbled off the water and began flying. Ole cheered, but just as he did, the plane lost altitude and crashed. "Jeez," said Ole. "This is terrible." "Oh, I dunno," said Lars. "We got a hundred yards farther than last year!" * * * * * PERMISSION TO REPRINT articles from ROOTSWEB REVIEW is granted unless specifically stated otherwise, PROVIDED (1) The reprint is used for non-commercial, educational purposes. (2) This notice must appear at the end of the article: Written by Previously published by RootsWeb Genealogical Data Cooperative, RootsWeb Review, Vol. 2, No. 4, 27 January 1999. You may visit RootsWeb's main Web page at . * * * * * ROOTSWEB REVIEW is e-mailed on Wednesdays to all RootsWeb Members, subscribers to RootsWeb-hosted mailing lists, submitters to the RootsWeb Surname List (RSL), and other RootsWeb users. DOWNLOAD BACK ISSUES FROM . UNSUBSCRIBE INSTRUCTIONS: If you would prefer not to receive future issues of RootsWeb Review, please e-mail: and put ONLY the word "unsubscribe" (omit the quotation marks) in the subject line and in the body of the message. * * * MISSING LINKS: A Weekly Newsletter for Genealogists, edited and published by Julia M. Case and Myra Vanderpool Gormley, CG, is a free e-zine usually distributed on Fridays. Back issues are available for download from . To subscribe to MISSING LINKS, send an e-mail message that says only SUBSCRIBE to: Missing-Links-L-request@rootsweb.com * * * * * PLEASE NOTE: The editors of ROOTSWEB REVIEW, the staff of RootsWeb Genealogical Data Cooperative, and the HelpDesk volunteers are unable to respond to requests for genealogical research help. ____ Julia M. Case Co-Editor of ROOTSWEB REVIEW Editor-at-Fault of MISSING LINKS To subscribe, send SUBSCRIBE message to RootsWeb-Review-L-request@rootsweb.com Missing-Links-L-request@rootsweb.com ROOTSWEB GENEALOGICAL DATA COOPERATIVE P.O. Box 6798, Frazier Park, CA 93222-6798