ROOTSWEB REVIEW: Genealogical Data Cooperative News Vol. 2, No. 14, 7 April 1999. Circulation: 286,000+ (C) 1998-1999 RootsWeb Genealogical Data Cooperative. Editors: Julia M. Case and Myra Vanderpool Gormley, CG * * * * * CONTENTS. News and Notes from RootsWeb (RootsWeb's March Statistics; Randy Winch Hailed for Brilliant Work; Bob Tillman Joins RootsWeb Staff; Need Better Internet Access?; International Internet Genealogical Society (IIGS) April 1999 Newsletter; RootsWeb Report on TalkSpot; HelpDesk Tips); Connecting through RootsWeb; Letters to the Editors; Mailing Lists; Web Pages; USGenWeb Archives Project; USGenWeb Census Project Archives; Humor; Reprint Policy TO SUBSCRIBE OR UNSUBSCRIBE, send e-mail that says only SUBSCRIBE (or UNSUBSCRIBE) to: . BACK ISSUES OF ROOTSWEB REVIEW are available for download from: . * * * * * NEWS AND NOTES FROM ROOTSWEB 163,035,217 EMAIL MESSAGES AND A LOT MORE. In March, RootsWeb supported the following for the Internet genealogical community: o 4,030 independently authored Web sites. o 108,887,834 total Web hits: 28,801,459 were HTML pages. 17,209,828 were cgi-bin database searches and such. 62,815,960 were graphics (GIFs, JPEGs, etc.). o 2,154,058 file downloads from the USGenWeb Archives and the ROOTS-L Library. o 6,100 independently operated RootsWeb-hosted mailing lists. o 163,035,217 pieces of e-mail shipped to our mailing lists. That's about a 14% increase in traffic just since January. What folks may not realize is just what those numbers mean. It takes a huge amount of bandwidth to transfer all these Web pages and e-mail messages to the Internet, and RootsWeb's monthly Internet costs have grown from about $10,000 to about $12,000 in just the last two months. It also takes about 30 servers (very large computers) to handle all these Web pages and mailing lists, and RootsWeb is having to spend $10,000 or more each month adding new servers and upgrading its older servers to keep up with demand. No government agency or big corporation pays for RootsWeb: we're entirely supported by contributions made by users like you. If you like the support RootsWeb is providing for the genealogical community and if you want help RootsWeb provide even better support for the community, please consider supporting us and becoming a RootsWeb Contributor: 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.) * * * RANDY WINCH HAILED FOR BRILLIANT WORK. Dr. Brian Leverich said of RootsWeb staffer Randy Winch's recent efforts: "Not only did he essentially finish building nine servers, but also he did a series of hardware experiments that showed us how to build machines significantly faster than our current servers at a fraction of the cost. That was brilliant work." * * * BOB TILLMAN JOINS ROOTSWEB STAFF. Dr. Brian Leverich introduces new staff member Bob Tillman with this vignette: "Bob's resume omits one of his more important life experiences -- joining with another future member of RootsWeb's staff in breaking into and exploring the steam tunnels under Harvard for fun, glory, and midnight ice cream. 'Midnight ice cream' derives from the fact that Lowell House (where we lived) and the university kitchen were both accessible via the steam tunnels, which meant intrepid spelunkers could do midnight liberations of the cool stuff for the benefit of their less courageous peers back at the House. "Seriously, Bob's resume includes an MBA from Stanford and two decades of experience on the management teams of high-tech businesses. He'll be helping RootsWeb move on to a more businesslike footing and to improve our revenues, which should make it possible for us even better to serve the genealogical community." * * * NEED BETTER INTERNET ACCESS? From time to time folks ask RootsWeb if it can provide dialup access to the Internet. RootsWeb doesn't have the proper equipment or nationwide physical presence to provide dialups, but various individuals have recommended that we set up a trial partnership with Surfree.com. To users in the continental United States, Surfree.com provides $14.95 unlimited nationwide Internet access, no setup fees, and a 30-day moneyback guarantee. CNET readers rated Surfree.com "one of the top five national ISPs." Beyond being just another ISP, Surfree.com has various features that will be of value to many genealogists, including: o It is national with 500 dialup locations, so you can stay connected even when you're off on a research trip. o It is extremely competent at handling e-mail. o It provides free Web space for your genealogical data. o It provides access to the USENET newsgroups, so you can easily read alt.genealogy and the soc.genealogy.* newsgroups. To join Surfree.com, just visit: If you do join Surfree.com, please let us know how you like it as an ISP. Your feedback will determine whether RootsWeb permanently partners with Surfree.com. You can send us your comments at: * * * INTERNATIONAL INTERNET GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY (IIGS) April 1999 Newsletter . Among the articles in this issue are: "Understanding Copyright and Its Application to the Information Age"; "Restoring Ethics to Genealogy"; "Thievery in the Digital Age"; and "The Frugal Genealogist." The IIGS Newsletter is available in Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish. * * * ROOTSWEB REPORT ON TALKSPOT. Myra Vanderpool Gormley, CG will be on the TalkSpot Generations interactive show for genealogists every Saturday giving the RootsWeb Report. The show runs from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific Time (midnight to 0200 GMT) and can be joined at any time . This week's topics are "What Every Genealogist Should Know" and "Finding Your Immigrant Ancestors." Karen Clifford, accredited genealogist, author, and lecturer, will be the guest. * * * HELPDESK TIPS. For answers to most of your questions about using the resources hosted by RootsWeb, please read the FAQs at the RootsWeb HelpDesk: . * * * * * CONNECTING THROUGH ROOTSWEB. Thanks for sharing your stories. I have been a subscriber to several RootsWeb lists for a few months, and have been active in helping with lookups, or any information I had, whenever possible. That was paid back "big time" two days ago. On the Hamilton, Ohio list I posted a request for orphanages that were operating around the turn of the century, looking for my grandmother. I had no idea whether the information was even out there. (Oh ye of little faith!) Within 12 hours, I had received five messages, four of them giving me names and addresses of orphanages, and the fifth asking if maybe my grandmother's brother might be related to her. Information that I may have never been able to get where I live was almost immediately available on RootsWeb. Thank you for the resources and for those who maintain them. Linda Graham * * * Thanks to all who are involved in this wonderful world. Due to an illness that has as a side effect agoraphobia (fear of public places) along with physical disabilties which come and go as they please, 18 months ago, I started working on my genealogy, calling and writing relatives etc., then obtaining access to the Internet. I have met wonderful people, including new relatives, and seen wonderful information. Here's how it helped even more. Many volunteers have tried to help locate some of those lost individuals of mine. Since I am no longer able to work, finances were tight until insurance kicked in recently. During this time frame though, I needed to learn to go back out in public and I felt guilty for using RootsWeb for free. To solve or start solving these problems, I volunteered to do lookups in my local county, hoping I would be able to do this. What a wonderful feeling to be able to go back out in the world even for a couple hours at a time without getting deathly ill, and all for such an important reason and to return the favors others have done for me. A point in this also is, remember even if you have a disablity, you still have the ability in you to help others, if you have the will to do so. Thank you, RootsWeb organizers, county coordinators, and volunteers. What a big difference you have made in my life! Doris Demet * * * * * LETTERS TO THE EDITORS. A copy of this message was sent to RWR- Editors@rootsweb.com. Hi Laird, I just read the latest RootsWeb Review (Vol. 2, No. 13, dated 31 March 1999) and saw your response about Myra's article on privacy and your statement that so many of today's genealogists DO NOT DOCUMENT their work. Thank you for submitting these thoughts -- Hooray! I have been on several mailing lists on RootsWeb for more than a year now, and I am absolutely astounded by the apparently absolute lack of using sound genealogical methods and practices by these "computer genealogists" of today. I shudder to think what genealogies our descendants will have to work with in 50 or 100 years when they start using the erroneous pedigrees that people are now compiling. I wonder how many of these new researchers will even some day realize that they must PROVE their lineage for it to be accurate? Simply amassing thousands of names from databases and from other researchers is NOT proof in even the most liberal definition of the word. You should have seen the number of astounded people on one mailing list when I posted a response stating that they had to have proof for every event/ancestor that they downloaded from a database or received from another researcher. Ancestral File, World Family Tree CDs, and the attempts to "make a connection" through the never-ending posting of Internet surname queries (e.g.: "My great-grandfather was born on the moon, do you know which crater?") have harmed, rather than helped, genealogy because of the error-filled pedigrees people are creating. Some of these new researchers do not want to be bothered with research if they cannot sit in front of their computer monitor, and others will not make the time to educate themselves about what is acceptable proof and what is not, much less what is proper methodology. One person even responded to me that she has been "doing genealogy" for eight months now and claims she has one of her family lines back to 1609. Hardly. Unless she was given substantiating data with all the names and dates and she has verified that data, she only has 300 years of clues, not 300 years of ancestors. On the other hand, thankfully, there are a few folks on each mailing list who realize that there is more to chasing ancestors than sitting in front of the computer. They are eager to learn the correct ways to conduct their research. They realize that information from secondary sources, databases, and from other researchers are only CLUES, and not proof of relation. These people will advance more slowly in the acquisition of ancestors, but they will have their ancestors and not someone else's. The following was posted recently on a mailing list and illustrates this point very well: . . . when I started I was excited because within the first week someone sent me a 14-generation chart on *supposedly* one of my lines. For more than a year I took this as gospel, because this guy had quite an impressive database. Then as I was starting to get proof I discovered that somewhere between the 3rd and 4th generation he went off into the wild blue yonder, and that's where I would still be if I had not started to investigate myself. I would be chasing someone else's dreams. That's the best way I could put it, so think about it folks. Do you want to chase yours or someone else's? My database is not large, but it is MINE . . . In closing, Laird, I wish to again thank you for publishing your thoughts. If enough of us do so on enough mailing lists, maybe we can convert at least a few computer genealogists into bona fide "family researchers." Charlie Gardes * * * * * MAILING LISTS. For an index to most user mailing lists hosted by RootsWeb, visit . IF YOU DO NOT HAVE WEB ACCESS but would like to know if a RootsWeb-hosted mailing list exists for a particular surname, send a SUBSCRIBE request in accordance with the instructions below, filling in the desired surname where the example shows [name of list]. If the list exists, you will receive confirmation that your address has been added to the list. If the list does not exist, your message will bounce back to you with a message advising there is no such address. Try alternate spellings. For example, there is no list for KLINE, but there are KLEIN and CLINE lists. You have nothing to lose but the time it takes to prepare and send the SUBSCRIBE request. 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 "Contributors-only" warning on the list request page. Please request new mailing lists at: TO SUBSCRIBE OR UNSUBSCRIBE from any RootsWeb-hosted 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 research interests in County Galway, Ireland, send a SUBSCRIBE message to: . NEW SURNAME MAILING LISTS BLAIR-JACOB (descendants of Jacob BLAIR) BRAWLEY (includes BRALEY, BRALY, O'BRAWLEY, and variants) BRIX BURBEY CARAWAY CARMICHAEL (includes variants) CINA COVERT (includes variants) DOMINGO DOWNARD DRYDEN EAGLEN FIGHTMASTER GAGE GOMILLION HOLTEN KLEMANN LEGROS (includes variants) MCSWAIN METZ MION RANKIN RODEBAUGH ROSE-NOEL (Descendants of Noel ROSE and Marie Montminy, who were married in Quebec in 1666) ROWAN-SURNAME (the surname ROWAN) SCHLERETH SCUDDER SEIELSTAD SISSON (includes SISSOM, SISSONS, and variants) TALBOT (includes TALBOTT) TINNELL (includes TENNILLE, TENNELL, TENNILL, and variants) TREFZ TUNE VOLLWEILER WENRICH WESTERFIELD (includes WESTERVELT) WILDER-NORTH (WILDER surname in northern United States) WILDER-SOUTH (WILDER surname in southern United States) NEW REGIONAL MAILING LISTS CANADA CAN-ONT-HALDIMAND -- Haldimand County, Ontario IRELAND IRL-GALWAY -- County Galway IRL-SLIGO -- County Sligo U.S.A. ALMONROE -- Monroe County, Alabama GAWORTH -- Worth County, Georgia IDADO -- Ada and Canyon counties, Idaho IDCASSIA -- Cassia County, Idaho IDELMORE -- Elmore County, Idaho IDFRANKL -- Franklin County, Idaho IDJEROME -- Jerome County, Idaho IDLATAH -- Latah County, Idaho MOPUTNAM -- Putnam County, Missouri MTBROADW -- Broadwater County, Montana MTCASCAD -- Cascade County, Montana MTLEWISA -- Lewis and Clark County, Montana MTMEAGHE -- Meagher County, Montana MTSTILLW -- Stillwater County, Montana OKATOKA -- Atoka County, Oklahoma SCGS -- Sonoma County (California) Genealogical Society TXJEFFDA -- Jeff Davis County, Texas TXPRESID -- Presidio County, Texas TXWISE -- Wise County, Texas VAAMELIA -- Amelia County, Virginia VAAMHERS -- Amherst County, Virginia VACAMPBE -- Campbell County, Virginia VADINWID -- Dinwiddie County, Virginia VAGLOUCE -- Gloucester County, Virginia VAHENRY -- Henry County, Virginia VAISLEOF -- Isle of Wight County, Virginia VAPITTSY -- Pittsylvania County, Virginia VAPOWHAT -- Powhatan County, Virginia VAPRINCEG -- Prince George County, Virginia VAYORK -- York County, Virginia WVTYLER -- Tyler County, West Virginia WYSWEETW -- Sweetwater County, Wyoming WYUINTA -- Uinta County, Wyoming NEW ETHNIC, SPECIAL INTEREST, and MISCELLANEOUS MAILING LISTS FENIANS -- History of the Fenian Brotherhood and Irish Revolutionary movement, formed 1857 and continued until 1870s GEN-WEB-DESIGN -- Web and database design, as it relates to the WWW and genealogy OH-CLEVELAND-IRISH -- Research of the Irish in Cleveland, Ohio and surrounding areas OKARCHIVE -- OKGenWeb volunteer archivists (only) WMGS-NEWS -- Western Michigan Genealogical Society newsletter * * * * * 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. FOR EXAMPLE, to visit the Fairfax County, Virginia Web page, go to . U.S.A. gaahs -- Athens County (Georgia) Historical Society kyjchs -- Johnson County (Kentucky) Historical Society kymercer -- Mercer County, Kentucky kytrimbl -- Trimble County, Kentucky macplymo -- Plymouth (City), Massachusetts macsherb -- Sherborn (Town), Massachusetts miantrim -- Antrim County, Michigan miiosco -- Iosco County, Michigan mimacomb -- Macomb County, Michigan mscopiah -- Copiah County, Mississippi msosgs -- Ocean Springs (Mississippi) Genealogical Society nchertfo -- Hertford County, North Carolina nchalifa -- Halifax County, North Carolina nvpershi -- Pershing County, Nevada ohpcgs -- Pike County (Ohio) Genealogical Society sddewey -- Dewey County, South Dakota scyork -- York County, South Carolina sdhanson -- Hanson County, South Dakota sdkingsb -- Kingsbury County, South Dakota vafairfa -- Fairfax County, Virginia HOME PAGES Bonnie (GALLAGHER) GILSON Home Page. GALLAGHER, IZATT, JOHNSTON, LINCOLN, NAGLE, and SIMONSON MEISSNER Family Web Site. Ancestors and descendants of Friedrich Adolph MEISSNER RAGSDALE Pages. RAGSDALE in Tennessee, early 1800s to present * * * * * USGENWEB ARCHIVES -- CENSUS IMAGES KENTUCKY. 1880 Harrison County PENNSYLVANIA. 1850 Blair County VIRGINIA. 1850 Richmond County USGENWEB ARCHIVES -- OTHER UPLOADS (Everything between the angle brackets must be included, so you will have to type in long URLs, or cut and paste them, rather than just click and go.) GEORGIA. Decatur County. Marriages 1824 to 1945 Bride Index GEORGIA. Decatur County. Marriages 1824 to 1945 Groom Index KENTUCKY. 1850 Edmonson County Census KENTUCKY. 1820 Whitley County Census LOUISIANA. St. Tammany Parish. Cemeteries MISSISSIPPI. Lawrence County. World War I Registrations -- Birth information 1917-18 MISSISSIPPI. Lincoln County. World War I Registrations -- Birth information 1917-18 MISSISSIPPI. Madison County -- 30 Wills OHIO. Brown County. Biographies OHIO. Brown County. History OHIO. Brown County.1818-1819 Marriage Index OHIO. 1820 Monroe County Census OHIO. 1850 Williams County Census OKLAHOMA. Johnston County. Cemeteries OKLAHOMA. Choctaw Nation. Cemeteries PENNSYLVANIA. Montgomery County. Local History TEXAS. 1850 Houston Census VERMONT, Caledonia County. History of Ryegate VIRGINIA. 1850 Alleghany County Census VIRGINIA. 1820 Rockingham County Census WEST VIRGINIA. Harrison County. Biographies WISCONSIN. Barron County. Biographies * * * * * USGENWEB CENSUS PROJECT UPLOADS FOR LAST WEEK ARKANSAS. 1860 Lawrence County (Washington Township) FLORIDA. 1850 Duval County (Broward) GEORGIA. 1850 Glynn County IOWA. 1850 Clayton County (Garnavillo, Sperry townships) KENTUCKY. 1850 Edmonson County KENTUCKY. 1820 Whitley County MISSOURI. 1860 Lewis County (Dickerson, Monticello townships) MISSISSIPPI. 1860 Noxubee NORTH CAROLINA. 1850 Robeson County (partial -- Upper (cont.)) PENNSYLVANIA. 1850 York (Shrewsbury Boro., So. Codorus) TENNESSEE. 1860 Hancock County TENNESSEE. 1830 Jefferson County TENNESSEE. 1850 Sevier County TENNESSEE. 1850 Polk County TEXAS. 1850 Rusk County * * * * * HUMOR. Last week we published "No Footprints in the Sands of Time," indicating that the author was unknown. Thanks to Jo Carolyn Beebe , who wrote to let us know that the poem was written by Virginia Scott Miner. Thanks to Charles Hansen , who received this week's foolishness, told or retold by R. David Otten, from Michael Posluns . ANTARCTICAN CHICKEN FARM An Antarctican decided to raise chickens, so he planted 500 of them. They died. He ordered 500 more and planted them with their heads sticking out. They died. Then he wrote to the University of Antarctica, describing the situation. The university's reply was, "Please send soil sample." * * * * * PERMISSION TO REPRINT articles from ROOTSWEB REVIEW is granted unless specifically stated otherwise, PROVIDED: (1) the reprint is used for non-commercial, educational purposes; and (2) the following notice appears at the end of the article: Written by Previously published by RootsWeb Genealogical Data Cooperative, RootsWeb Review, Vol. 2, No. 14, 7 April 1999. Please visit RootsWeb's main Web page at . * * * * * MISSING LINKS: A Weekly Newsletter for Genealogists, edited and published by Julia M. Case and Myra Vanderpool Gormley, CG, is a free e-zine 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