RootsWeb Review: RootsWeb's Monthly E-zine 12 August 2009, Vol. 12, No. 8 http://www.rootsweb.com/ * * * Having trouble reading this newsletter? The online version is available at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/review/2009/0812.txt or http://ftp.rootsweb.ancestry.com/pub/review/2009/0812.html * * * ROOTSWEB HELPDESK: Check here for frequently asked questions about RootsWeb: http://rootsweb.custhelp.com * * * ROOTSWEB NEWSROOM: Check here for the latest RootsWeb news: http://blogs.rootsweb.com/newsroom/ * * * ROOTSWEB STORE: Check here for the latest in genealogy books, software, photos, and more: http://www.therootswebstore.com/ * * * ROOTSWEB REVIEW ARCHIVES: Check here for previous editions: http://rwr.rootsweb.ancestry.com/ ============================================================== IN THIS ISSUE: 1. Using RootsWeb Sending an Effective Bug Report to RootsWeb or Ancestry 2. Genealogy Tip How to Create Clickable Links 3. Connecting Message Boards Make A Difference - 3 Examples 4. Bottomless Mailbag: Readers Write In Dates Are Important Funeral Home Records Can Help Census Records Mystery Solved 5. What's New: Databases, Freepages, and Mailing Lists 5a. New User-contributed Databases 5b. New/Updated Freepages by Individuals 5c. New/Updated Freepages by Counties, States, and Genealogical/Historical Societies 5d. New Mailing Lists 6. You Found It An Unusual Death Record Bedtime Story A Baking Censation A Volatile Name 7. Subscriptions, Submissions, Advertising, and Reprints ============================================================== 1. Using RootsWeb Sending an Effective Bug Report to RootsWeb or Ancestry By Joan Young joan@volunteer.rootsweb.com Occasionally, you will encounter a Web page not displaying correctly at Ancestry or RootsWeb, or have problems with an e-mail (perhaps to a RootsWeb mailing list) that doesn't go through as it should. Possibly, search results don't return the responses you expect. Whatever the issue; how, where, and when to report a presumed "bug" will determine whether or not the issue can be promptly addressed and remedied. WHEN SHOULD YOU REPORT A BUG? 1) The first item to consider is whether the problem is reproducible. The Internet and e-mail can be quirky and have kinks at times. Temporary problems can make us think there is a bug in a program when, in fact, the Internet backbone or our e-mail or service provider is the source of the issue. Before reporting a bug, ensure that you are not merely experiencing a temporary issue. 2) Determine how wide-spread the problem is. Is it only one page or network (a single RootsWeb page or every page at RootsWeb), or are you unable to access any site on the Internet? The inability to connect with any Web site or send any e-mail is usually a temporary outage on the part of your service provider and not a bug in a program. 3) If you have trouble accessing a specific site, try another browser to determine whether the problem might be browser-related. Clear your browser's cache to see if that helps and try refreshing a page that doesn't load or display properly the first time. Click the refresh button on your browser or hit the F5 key. In some cases, you may need to force a page to refresh by holding down the control key while refreshing. 4) If you can't send any e-mail, the issue is most likely on your end, but if problems exist sending to a specific address or addresses (such as subscribed RootsWeb lists) there could be a problem at RootsWeb. If you get a bounce notice after sending an e-mail, check the notice for the reason the e-mail bounced. Be sure to double-check the address to which you sent the e-mail for typos or spelling errors. Note: occasionally, you may get a bounce when attempting to send an e- mail to a RootsWeb mailing list with the explanation that the message was blocked by SORBS. SORBS is a spam fighting tool used by RootsWeb and sometimes for a brief period of time a legitimate server at AOL, EarthLink, or elsewhere may be briefly blocked by SORBS. If you should receive a SORBS bounce, try resending your message until it goes through successfully. A SORBS block shouldn't be reported to RootsWeb as a bug. TO WHOM SHOULD YOU REPORT A BUG? Determine the source using the steps listed above before reporting a bug. If your ISP or e-mail program appears to be at fault, consult your service provider for assistance. If you are relatively certain the problem is not on your end and actually appears to be with a specific Web site or RootsWeb e-mail address, check the Help page, http://rootsweb.custhelp.com/cgi- bin/rootsweb.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php?p_sid=LQazwOEj, to see if there is an announcement regarding the issue. Please note the date of the announcement and the areas that are affected. If you encounter a legitimate error take the time to draft a proper bug report for RootsWeb's HelpDesk (http://rootsweb.custhelp.com/cgi- bin/rootsweb.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php) or Ancestry Customer Support (http://ancestry.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/rootsweb.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php) based on the specific area giving you trouble. Rest assured that the developers at Ancestry and RootsWeb want to learn about (and fix) bugs. WHAT SHOULD YOU INCLUDE IN A BUG REPORT? Bug reports that say "I can't access RootsWeb" don't help much to clue the developers in on the issue at hand so that they can fix the problem. Be specific yet concise in your report. 1) Include information as to the operating system you use on your computer (Windows, Mac, Linux) and the version of the system. For example: Windows Vista Home Premium 64 bit. 2) If your problem relates to a Web page, include information as to the times and dates you encountered the problem, the exact URL (web site address) you were attempting to access, and the nature of the problem you encountered. Explain that the problem was repeatable. If the page displays an error report, copy the error message into your report. 3) If you already have made the usual corrective attempts such as clearing your browser cache and attempting access using a secondary browser, explain precisely what you have attempted and your results. 4) Put yourself on the receiving end of your bug report and ask yourself what information you would need to understand the problem. * * * * * * * * * * Advertisements * * * * * * * * * * GENEALOGY BRICKWALLS? 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You just can't believe what's happening out there and Family History Expos is dedicated to bringing you classes on the latest developments, especially those associated with the Internet and how they are connecting people all over the world and bringing families together faster than anyone could have ever imagined. The Salt Lake Family History Expo will be held at the South Towne Expo Center, 9575 South State Street, Sandy, Utah 84070. Free parking is available at the event venue. Date: Aug. 28 and 29, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. At the door registration begins at 7 a.m. on Friday and 7:30 a.m. on Saturday. Paid registrants can sign up for two days chalk-full of classes on research techniques and new technology. Register online today at http://www.fhexpos.com/. * * * * * * * * * * End of Advertisements * * * * * * * 2. Genealogy Tip How to Create Clickable Links by Mary Harrell-Sesniak maryh@volunteer.rootsweb.com "Genealogy is not just a pastime; it's a passion." Sometimes Web applications allow linking, but do not produce clickable links when addresses are entered. Some of RootsWeb's free webpage users encounter this, so they use HTML, or hypertext markup language, the programming language of the Web. To create a link to WorldConnect, you would write this string: WorldConnect When displayed on the web page, the HTML code isn't visible, just this clickable reference to WorldConnect. You don't need to be an HTML programmer, but it's easier if you understand how anchors, tags (formatting codes), attributes, and target URLs work. * The string shown above is an A element, which defines an anchor: either a link, or something that can be linked to. * HTML elements start and end with tags, enclosed by < >. This example has two pairs of < >: the start and end tags for the A element * The start tag begins with < and the element name, a. * In order to make this A element into a link, the tag continues with the href attribute, indicating that a hypertext reference target will follow (e.g., WorldConnect's Web address). The href attribute consists of href= followed by the web address, enclosed in quotes. The web address is also known as the URL or Universal Resource Locator. * Since the start tag is complete, it has a closing >. * The content, which is the only part shown to the user, follows. Typically, this is a description of the link (e.g., WorldConnect). * Lastly, the end tag completes the element. To use this for other addresses, replace the URL and description with any of your choice! World Archives Project RootsLink URL Registry Search Users of RootsWeb's free web pages may find this tip useful. To request a free page, visit: http://accounts.rootsweb.ancestry.com/ For more ideas on webpages, see Maggie Stewart-Zimmerman's Free Webpage Tools: http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~maggieoh/rw/free.htm 3. Connecting Message Boards Make A Difference - 3 Examples I would like to tell the whole world how much I appreciate several people who took time to come to my rescue. I have been looking for my son-in-law's family for years. His father died when he was young and he does not have any information from the family. Three people answered the plea I posted on a message board and all went far beyond what I would ever have asked. They helped me find records and referred me to others who could also help. I am most grateful. Frances Muckelroy * * * I found a distant cousin on the RootsWeb message boards. We were looking for the same family. When we compared information on the Dobbs family we found that we were related. He lived in England and I in the United States. He first came to the U.S. for a visit and then I went to England and spent time with his family. They took me to all the places I had found for my ancestors. We found a grave marker in one churchyard as far back as 1739. We walked down the same aisle where my great grandfather and grandmother were married. I had the most wonderful time of my life. Mary Lee McCann * * * I live in Minnesota. For three years or more I have been trying to locate information on the wife and daughters of my great great uncle's son who was killed in a mining accident on November 4, 1887 in Maryland. His wife's name had various spellings and the only reference to her daughter, Mary Annie, was that she was living with her maternal grandparents in 1900 with another girl, named Leah. They were apparently sisters. I received a note from a very distant cousin from West Virginia, who has been working on the same family and had spotted another inquiry on a message board from a year earlier about a familiar family name from the same town in Maryland. The person who responded to that inquiry was contacted and we discovered that her husband was a direct descendant of Mary Annie and had the entire 20 page family tree of both daughters plus some photos. Without that message board inquiry and the person who graciously responded, I doubt I would ever have been able to locate the information I needed to complete the family history. Don 4. Bottomless Mailbag: Readers Write In [Editor's note: The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the editor or of RootsWeb.] ------------------------------------------------------------- Dates Are Important When writing articles (or queries) that will be on the internet, it would be good to keep in mind that some of these things have a very long life. I have read many that had no date and no obvious way to determine when they were written. Let's all train ourselves to date whatever we create. Somebody down the road will thank us for it. Amy Martin Wilson * * * Funeral Home Records Can Help I immensely enjoyed the article on death certificates in the 11 March 2009 RootsWeb Review (http://ftp.rootsweb.ancestry.com/pub/review/2009/0311.html). I have just gone to work at a local mortuary. I've been shinnying up my own family tree for more than 30 years, so I've seen quite a number of death certificates with little or no information on them. We receive decedents from two adjoining states, so I've been learning the task of entering the information onto the official death record. Both states ask the relationship of the informant to the deceased. Only one asks where the parents were born. I'm amazed at how much paperwork goes into the gathering information and making sure that everyone that needs to be notified is notified. This includes the person who actually picks up the decedent, the funeral director, the next of kin, doctor, coroner or medical examiner, State Vital Records offices, Social Security, County Health Dept., Veterans Administration, cemetery, insurance companies, and so on. That's in addition to all that goes in to helping a family during their time of grief, trying to write an obituary, planning a memorial service, etc. Every step of the way must be documented, and signatures attached. Sometimes I shake my head in wonder that it all gets done! I can tell you that you'll likely never get information about a will on a death certificate: probate and trusts are handled long after the paperwork has left our hands. County health departments must be notified of a death within 24 hours of our receiving the decedent, and death certificates go to the State as soon as we have the signature of the attending physician, or medical examiner. In the case of a more recent death (or a town where a funeral home has been in business for many years) folks might check with their local mortuary. Our files have a sheet with a list of siblings & spouses, aunts & uncles, etc. There's also a place for hobbies, things they enjoyed doing and awards received. Sometimes that information is included in an obituary. This depends on the knowledge of the informant. We sometimes get calls for genealogical information and other details. Occasionally folks who call just wonder if we've handled a death when they can't locate a friend they haven't heard from in a long time! Happy Ancestoring! Name withheld * * * Census Records Mystery Solved I searched and searched for my husband's Pombert ancestors in the census records for Kankakee County, Illinois. I knew the family was there and had been in the area for decades and yet they just didn't show up. I decided to search by the first names of the wives Olivina (Olivine) and then Delia. And there they were. In the 1910 census Louis Pombert was listed as Louis Comber. In the 1880 census Edward Pombert is listed as Ed Pamber and in the 1900 census he is listed as Edward Pombo. It is important to not only try every spelling variation you can think of, but also sometimes search just using the first names. Bonnie Bergeron 5. What's New: Databases, Freepages, and Mailing Lists 5a. New User-contributed Databases at RootsWeb http://userdb.rootsweb.com/submit/ ------------------------------------------------------------- None Submit Your Genealogical Data to a RootsWeb Database at http://userdb.rootsweb.ancestry.com/submit/. 5b. New/Updated Freepages by Individuals Request a Free Web Account at http://accounts.rootsweb.com/ The New Zealand History pre-1846 Database of European Contacts http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nzpre1846/ database now contains about 20,000 names. If you have a new or substantially revised freepage at RootsWeb and would like to see it mentioned here, send the URL, the title, and a BRIEF description, including major surnames, to Editor- RWR@rootsweb.com. * * * If your genealogy- or history-related site is located somewhere other than RootsWeb, you can add the link to RootsWeb here: http://resources.rootsweb.com/~rootslink/addlink.html * * * 5c. New/Updated Freepages by Counties, States, and Genealogical/Historical Societies Request a Free Web Account at http://accounts.rootsweb.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------- Some of these Web pages might not be accessible yet. They are created by volunteers, so if one that interests you isn't up yet, please check again in a few days or weeks. http://www.rootsweb.com/~xxxxxx[accountname] * * * Note that the ~[tilde] before the Web account name is required. For example, the Gen. Lafayette Chapter (Arizona) Sons of the American Revolution website is at http://www.rootsweb.com/~arglsar/ * * * CAR = Children of the American Revolution DAR = Daughters of the American Revolution DUVCW = Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War 1861-1865 FreeCEN = Free Census Project SAR = Sons of the American Revolution SUVCW = Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War UDC = United Daughters of the Confederacy U.S.A. arglsar Gen. Lafayette Chapter (AR) SAR arssar Arkansas Society (AR) SAR azcwdar Cactus Wren Chapter (AZ) DAR comldar Mt. Lookout Chapter (CO) DAR flacdar Allapattah Chapter (LA) DAR flbhhdar Bertha Hereford Hall Chapter (FL) DAR flcshdar Cora Stickney Harper Chapter (FL) DAR flgmbdar Col. George Mercer Brooke Chapter (FL) DAR flgsdar Gemini Springs Chapter (FL) DAR fljrdar Jean Ribault Chapter (FL) DAR flkysdar Kan Yuk sa Chapter (FL) DAR fllwdar Lake Wales Chapter (FL) DAR flockdar Ocklawaha Chapter (FL) DAR flpdldar Ponce de Leon Chapter (FL) DAR flslrdar Saint Lucie River Chapter (FL) DAR gashdar Sukey Hart Chapter (GA) DAR ilshdar Signal Hill Chapter (IL) DAR injcdar John Conner Chapter (IN) DAR laewhdar Elizabether W. Harrell Chapter (LA) DAR mecar Maine State Society CAR mehcgs Hancock County (Maine) Genealogical Society meyork2 Private Cemeteries in York County, Maine misagigs Saginaw (Michigan) Genealogical Society mncook2 Cook County (MN) Cemeteries ny9vihza 9th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Hawkins Zouaves Assoc nysccdar Southampton Colony Chapter (NY) DAR ohchcgs Champaign County (OH) Genealogical Society ohhocki3 Hocking County (OH) okdobson Dobson Museum (OK) pacwwdar Col William Wallace Chapter (PA) DAR padcdar Delaware County Chapter (PA) DAR pagcdar Great Crossings Chapter (PA) DAR paihdar Independence Hall Chapter (PA) DAR palandar Lansdowne Chapter (PA) DAR palcdar Lycoming Chapter (PA) DAR pamcdar4 Mahantongo Chapter (PA) DAR pangcdar National Gettysburg Chapter (PA) DAR papbdar Phoebe Bayasrd Chapter (PA) DAR papedar Penn Elk Chapter (PA) DAR patcdar2 Triangle Chapter (PA) DAR pawvdar Wyoming Valley Chapter (PA) DAR sccdjsuv Charles Devens Jr. Camp No. 10 (SC) SUVCW scgcudc Greenville Chapter 51 (SC) UDC scscdar Snow Campaign (SC) DAR tx1duvcw Latha Jane Boyd, Tent # 1 (TX) DUVCW txgw1812 George Wells Chapter (TX) Daughters of 1812 txltbdar Lt. Thomas Barlow Chapter (TX) DAR txmcgs Mid-Cities (TX) Genealogical Society txmidcgs Mid Cities Genealogical Society (TX) vabuchah Histories of churches in Buchanan Co, VA vahcdar Henry Clay Chapter (VA) DAR vatndar Thomas Nelson Chapter (VA) DAR INTERNATIONAL englrfc Lincolnshire and Rutland (England) FreeCEN engybols Bolsterstone (Yorkshire, England) nirtyr4 Co Tyrone, N. Ireland nswchfhs Coffs Harbour District (New South Wales) Family History Society zafgersa German immigrants to South Africa 5d. New Mailing Lists To Request a New Mailing List: http://resources.rootsweb.com/adopt/ ------------------------------------------------------------- To find or subscribe to a mailing list, or to search archived posts to more than 30,000 RootsWeb-hosted genealogy mailing lists, go to http://lists.rootsweb.com/. NEW SURNAME MAILING LISTS DEVITA DOLLINGS LEIBEL PORLEY SIMOKINS WOHLFORD NEW REGIONAL MAILING LISTS None NEW ETHNIC OR SPECIAL INTEREST MAILING LISTS NEW-ENGLAND-RAILROADS - The research and discussion of genealogy and historical information pertaining to New England railroads and the people who built and operated them at any time in history 6. You Found It An Unusual Death Record Several years ago I was searching for the death record of a woman who had died in New York City. The records were arranged alphabetically by first letter of the last name, on a monthly basis. After having gone through several months of these I finally found what I thought was the woman's death record. However, the names of her parents were all wrong. According to this her mother had the same name as the deceased. Her father seemed to have the same name as her husband. I copied the record and went over it several times. Finally I saw what happened. The woman who had filled out the form had been this woman's daughter. The form asked for father's name and mother's name. Instead of putting her mothers parents names in, she put her own parents names. Sort of new twist on "I'm my own grandpa." Vaughn L Simon in Palm Springs, California * * * Bedtime Story I guess every family has one, but how about this for an unusual first name? Gotobed MITCHELL Born 1842, Ely, Cambridgeshire, England, died 1877 Hailsham, Sussex, England. I first found him on the 1851 census and thought maybe it was a nickname for a boy that would "never go to bed," but after further research I found his birth and death registrations under that name! Unfortunately I've been unable to trace him on either the '61 or '71 census. He is probably there but, not surprisingly, wrongly transcribed, as he was on the '51. I did find a G. Mitchell in a workhouse in a likely area, but haven't been able to follow that up yet. Sandy Mitchell in Waverley, Nova Scotia, Canada * * * A Baking Censation I friend of mine was looking through some Alabama census records. In one woman's entry, her occupation was listed as "tart." Ron Joullian * * * Rough and Ready Here is a unique entry from the 1860 US Census for Bell Co., Texas. One of the 12 children was called "rough & ready." Alice Taylor Found a funny name or humorous tidbit in old records or an amusing entry in census, parish, church, or other records? Send these and other genealogy-related humor/humour items to Editor- RWR@rootsweb.com. For a description of, subscription information to, and an index of the more than 30,000 RootsWeb-hosted genealogy mailing lists go here. 7. Subscriptions, Submissions, Advertising, and Reprints ------------------------------------------------------------- SUBSCRIPTIONS. You received this newsletter because you are subscribed to the "RootsWeb Review." To manage your e-mail communications (i.e., to subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter or to sign up for others), visit our newsletter management center any time at: http://newsletters.rootsweb.com/ If you use a spam-filtering program, in order to receive the "RootsWeb Review" please make sure that you're allowing e-mail from rootswebreview@email.rootsweb.com. The "RootsWeb Review" is a free publication of Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 360 West 4800 North, Provo, UT, 84604 * * * The "RootsWeb Review" does not publish or answer genealogical queries, and the editor regrets that she is unable to provide any personal research assistance or advice. "RootsWeb Review" welcomes short (500 words or less) articles, humor, stories, or letters, and reserves the right to edit all submissions. The announcement of books and products is provided as a community service and is not an endorsement in any way. All mail sent to the editor is considered to be for publication-- send to: Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com and please include your full name and e-mail address in the text. * * * ROOTSWEB REVIEW ADVERTISING CONTACTS. Ad Sales Worldwide: Kathryn Davidson, kdavidson@ancestry.com * * * REPRINTS. 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: Previously published in "RootsWeb Review": 12 August 2009, Vol. 12, No. 8. * * * * (c) 2009 Ancestry.com