Hi Everybody and Happy New Year! I found this note from Cindy to be so true and thought it should be shared with everyone. Even to you "oldies" who may have any questions about anything. Please post them to your respective mailing lists. If I don't know the answer maybe someone else on the list will know. If not, then we'll do our best to find the answer!!! >Resent-Date: Fri, 1 Jan 1999 05:21:09 -0800 (PST) >Date: Fri, 1 Jan 1999 05:11:50 -0800 (PST) >X-Sender: johnjanr@intersurf.com >X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.2 >Old-To: ALBULLOC-L@rootsweb.com, GAJONES-L@rootsweb.com, ALPIKE-L@rootsweb.com, > ALMACON-L@rootsweb.com, ALTALLAP-L@rootsweb.com, > LAIBERIA-L@rootsweb.com, LASTMART-L@rootsweb.com, > RADFORD-L@rootsweb.com >From: John & Jan Radford <johnjanr@intersurf.com> >Subject: Information from Cindy >To: ALPIKE-L@rootsweb.com >Resent-From: ALPIKE-L@rootsweb.com >X-Mailing-List: <ALPIKE-L@rootsweb.com> archive/latest/472 >X-Loop: ALPIKE-L@rootsweb.com >Resent-Sender: ALPIKE-L-request@rootsweb.com > >Hi Folks. I am passing along a message from Cindy that can help us all. > > >Hello all - > >Karen Isaacson and I have talked many times about how January >effects our incoming e-mail flow. It is clearly a well-documented >event now as we are already beginning to see it coming into play >for the fourth-year running (since we first noted the phenomenon). >I'm sure many of you will be seeing the same thing as List Owners >and/or webmasters, so I thought I would pass on a bit of advice and >food for thought. > >Each January we see a huge influx of newbies joining us online >because Santa was generous and left a sparkling new computer under >the tree. There are also many after-holidays sales which offer >people the opportunity to purchase a snazzy new computer or modem. >Many people get online for the first time and enthusiastically don >their cyber-bikinis, hitting the surf with gusto. They are excited >to be here and they are (much as we "oldbies" were) rightfully >overwhelmed by all that there is to see and do. The language here >is foreign to them. The technology is newer, fancier and zippier >than they may have used in the past. And the way that we all >participate in our giant, online genealogical society, while being >very similar to offline groups, is still a bit different than they >may be prepared for. In other words, it is a brave new world to them. > >I would like to put out a call to each of you to show these newbies >that we are a friendly, welcoming and helpful group of online >genealogists. To do so we all need to pitch in and show patience, >understanding and kindness. We also need to put on our teaching >caps and be prepared to show them the ropes. > 1. Don't make assumptions. > 2. Explain things in detail, include URLs and complete instructions. > 3. Verify details and addresses before you send them to people. > 4. Offer to help people privately via e-mail, off of the mailing >lists. > 5. Be prepared to explain things more than once, in more than one >way. > 6. Keep in mind that we were all new at one time. > 7. Keep in mind that we all learn something new every day. > >There are several places online to which you can point newbies in >order to help them learn about this new research venue. I have >tried to make these easy to locate by setting up links on my site: > Internet Stuff You Need To Know > http://www.CyndisList.com/internet.htm > >Also be sure to point them to these basic starting places online: > > Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet > http://www.CyndisList.com > Your genealogical research portal onto the Internet > > RootsWeb > http://www.RootsWeb.com > See the RootsWeb Help Desk: > http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~help/index.htm > > Genealogy Resources on the Internet - Mailing Lists > http://users.aol.com/johnf14246/gen_mail.html > > USGenWeb > http://www.USGenWeb.org > > >Good luck and successful surfing to everyone online - both newbies >and oldbies, >Cyndi > > > >~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* >Cyndi Howells Puyallup, Washington > cyndihow@oz.net > >Cyndi's List - Over 39,400 links in over 90 categories! > http://www.CyndisList.com >My Book: "Netting Your Ancestors - > Genealogical Research on the Internet" > http://www.CyndisList.com/netting.htm > > > > >John and Jan Radford >johnjanr@intersurf.com >Baton Rouge, La > > Lygia Dawkins Cutts 881 Weaver Road Brewton, AL 36426 Cuttstree@Net1inc.net Lygia's Genealogy Page http://users.net1inc.net/cuttstree/index.htm Southwest AL Genealogy Surname Registry http://members.tripod.com/~lygia/index-1.html ALGenWeb - AL File Manager http://www.rootsweb.com/~algwarch/alfiles.htm ALGenWeb - Escambia County http://users.net1inc.net/cuttstree/escambia/gendex.html ALGenWeb - Lamar County http://www.rootsweb.com/~allamar/lamar.htm ALGenWeb - Conecuh County http://www.rootsweb.com/~alconecu/conecco.html Lygia's Clogging Page http://users.net1inc.net/cuttstree/clog.htm