>From another list I subscribe to.... Thought this was appropriate for all since we've all been here at some time. Enjoy, Nova Getting to the Heart of the Subject: Are You Guilty? By Joan Young joan@volunteer.rootsweb.com Have you ever posted a query on a RootsWeb mailing list or message Board and gotten absolutely no response? Does it seem like everyone But you is getting the answers and feedback they need while you are Shut out in the cold? If so, let's try to pinpoint the reason and Improve your odds of making that RootsWeb connection. THE PROBLEM Most people are constantly on the go. They try to "multitask" to cover A lot of ground as quickly as possible. When we scan our inboxes for new e-mails, or search new message board Posts, we generally don't read every word of every message. Many of us Scan the subject lines and then only read those messages that appeal To us; that is, we read the message if we find a name, location, or Fact in the subject line that attracts our attention. Digest mailing list subscribers, especially, are notorious for quickly Scanning the subjects in the index of a digest before deciding which Messages to read and which to ignore. If we have books at our disposal That allow us to do lookups, we often only read those posts that Mention the topics covered by our books. PITFALLS TO AVOID When we encounter a subject line that says "no subject," or a generic Subject line such as "Looking," "Searching," "Genealogy," "My Family," Or worse yet, "Help!" we tend to disregard the message and move on to The next e-mail. Another red flag for someone perusing a mailing list is the digest Subscriber who merely clicks "reply" to a digest message and leaves The digest as the subject of the reply. I think we'd all admit that a Subject line of "SMITH Digest, Vol 2, Issue 171" isn't exactly telling Us much about the content of the message within. When replying to a Digest message be sure to change the default subject to an informative One. A WELL-WRITTEN QUERY IS MEANINGLESS IF IT IS NEVER READ Quite possibly you have drafted an informative, well-written query With the names of the people you are researching, details of the times And places where they lived, and the information you wanted to learn. However, it may still be lost if no one reads your message because of A poor subject line. Your message body should embellish your subject Line and provide additional details. THE SOLUTION: CREATING A MEANINGFUL SUBJECT LINE TO ATTRACT READERS Provide concise but specific information about the content of your Message. Include the name, location, and time frame of the individuals In your message. Tell us what information you are looking for. In Other words, briefly outline your reason for posting the query. If Your query includes an interesting story about your ancestor, provide The reader with an indication of the story enclosed so that your Message attracts his attention. Some examples of good subject lines follow: --Maiden name needed for Sophie who married John SMITH in 1900 in Chicago, Illinois --Seeking parents of Joseph JONES born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, In 1765 --Looking for Obituary of James JOHNSON who died in Clearwater, Florida, in 1965 --Seeking Descendants of Henricus GEIGER who Died in 1746 in Lembach, Alsace, France --James O'REILLY, born New Jersey, 1830; killed at Battle of Gettysburg, 1863; need marriage information --Morris FRIEDMAN, immigrated in 1900 to Philadelphia, PA, from Russia--Seeking Village of Origin Note: It is typical to capitalize surnames so that they quickly catch Readers''s attention. CONCLUSION The success of your query rests largely on your ability to create a Subject line that will grab readers. Readers will be more likely to Take the time to study your message and consider whether they have an Interest or an answer for you. So stop crying for HELP in the Wilderness and SEARCHING and LOOKING aimlessly, and start providing Specifics in your subject lines. __._,_.___ Messages in this topic (1) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic Messages | Files | Photos To Unsubscribe email: Candyman-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Yahoogroups URL: http://www.yahoogroups.com/community/Candyman Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch format to Traditional Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe Visit Your Group SPONSORED LINKS Genealogy Family genealogy Family search internet genealogy service Genealogy family tree Family tree genealogy Yahoo! Groups Moderator Central Connecting a world of moderators Yahoo! Groups Real Food Group Share recipes and favorite meals. Yahoo! Groups HD The official Samsung Y! Group for HDTVs and devices. . __,_._,___ --------------------------------- Choose the right car based on your needs. Check out Yahoo! Autos new Car Finder tool.