Whoa, sorry if I stirred up a hornet's nest here, I can assure you it was entirely unintentional, and was probably caused by the too brief explanation I gave on my reply email. Here is a more full explanation. I collect data for, and compile, three Australian guides to topical, local and family history. These are: The Australian Historical Directory Guide to the Societies Guide to Publications. The last edition of Guide to Societies (GTS) was in 1997, and Guide to Publications in 1999. In March this year I arranged for data collection forms to be mailed out to all the local history, family history and genealogical societies in Australia; the data supplied by the societies on these forms will be used to compile new editions of both these. I doubt if I will ever do another edition of the Australian Historical Directory, which contains over 4,000 entries, as the cost of updating all these entries will be too much (note in this respect that I am not supported or financed by any society or organisation, apart from the assistance given by Mildura Family History Society in mailing out this year's forms) and I could not afford to do it. In the latter part of last year I was planning for these two new editions, and got to thinking about how Guide to Publications contains information only about 'offline' formats (books, CD-ROM, microforms) and wondered to myself how many cemetery records were available online. So in the few 'spare' weeks I had before setting to work on GTS I set up a database for recording cemetery records of all formats, and did a trial run looking for online sources. This trial more or less convinced me that such a project was beyond the resources and effort of just one person (me, working unaided) and so I terminated the trial and proceeded on to compiling the new edition of GTS. Which is what I reported, in effect, in my initial reply email, but not in so much detail. The new edition of 'Guide to the Societies' will be out sometime later this year (maybe around September). 'Guide to Publications' is a much harder job, and won't be out until next year. Anyone with queries about either publication can email me at intohistory@optusnet.com.au. Regards Ralph Reid Sydney -----Original Message----- From: Trevor Rhodes <trevor@rhodes-online.net> To: AUSTRALIA-CEMETERIES-L@rootsweb.com <AUSTRALIA-CEMETERIES-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Thursday, 22 May 2003 7:21 AM Subject: [[AUS-CEM]] Re: [[AUS-CEM]] Re: [[AUS-CEM]] Re: [[AUS-CEM]] Re: [[AUS-CEM]] Re: [[AUS-CEM]] Other cemeteries on line >Ray & others, > >> Dear dear me, it makes me wonder if any of you ever look at the tag >> lines at the bottom of the Cemetery pages, if you did so you would find >> listings for cemeteries for every state in Australia. > >Sarcasm huh? I shall try to explain so that I don't get anymore of these >messages from people who fail to understand what was quite simply an honest >exchange between two members of this list. > >Ralph said he had started a project. All I did was to ask for clarification. >Nothing wrong there unless you think that cemeteries are your exclusive >domain. Do you really have links to 'every' online cemetery? Is there not >room for others in our cemeteries? Why not encourage others, so that there >is even more out there for researchers? > >You do a great job with this list and the website, though I can't see how you >could possibly think that cemeteries are your exclusive domain. But >seemingly you do or this conversation wouldn't be taking place. > >> Or are we wasting out time in the gathering of information and the time >> it's taken in making it available to not only to folks in Australia but >> to everyone no matter where they might be? > >It's this kind of immaturity that really gets me annoyed. There is absolutely >no need to ask such a question when you damn well know the answer, but I'll >answer just to be sure it gets through to you. > >"OF COURSE NOT RAY, YOU DO A GREAT AND NOBLE JOB. IT'S VERY COMMENDABLE THAT >YOU USE YOUR OWN VALUABLE TIME AND RESOURCES TO HELP OTHERS. YOU DO A JOB >THAT IS VERY NECESSARY FOR GENEALOGISTS WHO HAVE FEW RESOURCES AND LITTLE >TIME TO GET OUT THERE THEMSELVES." > >That was _not_ sarcasm. That is exactly how I feel. The question though is >something I'd expect from someone who is feeling threatened, which is totally >unecessary. What were you expecting in an answer to that question? Did you >think I would say 'Yes Ray, you are wasting your time. Nobody needs you, >this list or access to anything to do with cemeteries.' Really, you amaze >me. > >> Maybe it's because I wear Bifocals? Please tell me if I'm wrong? > >Ooooh, sarcasm again. I'm not impressed. Why do you ask such inane and >totally unecessary questions? What is it you are trying to prove? > >> Your comments are welcome > >It seems not actually, or as I said earlier, this conversation wouldn't be >happening. This is the second time I've been asked to explain myself, not >only by the list admin, but on list as well. Last time it was another so >called List Admin of yours, and when I spoke to you about, you couldn't even >take the time to listen to my side of the story, but gave me 'they're an >experienced List Admin and if they say it was like that then it was like >that' and you wouldn't hear anymore. That attitude isn't very even handed. >It smacks of an air of superiority. > >Quite honestly, I find this list to be very helpful and necessary, but if this >is the kind of thinly veiled 'I'm the List Admin and you'll not tread on my >toes' rubbish that people have to put up with, then I can do without it. > >I encourage others to take up the task of helping their fellow genealogists in >gathering data and making it available. Especially in cemeteries and there >is becoming a definite need for another 'outlet' if you will. At least then >people will have a choice. > >Here's something to think about when I'm gone, which I will be by the time you >get this as I have no further use for you or your policies. > >Why, when we are talking about the whole of Australia, are there so few people >on this list? This list shoudl be so much larger. What could possibly keep >them away? This is a list that should be necessary to all genealogists, >after all, we al end up in cemeteries. Oh, and a little hint in case your >superiority gets in the way of your understanding. No? Too subtle? Ok, >that was the hint. Think about it, it may do some good. > >> Ray. >> List Admin. >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: Reid <intohistory@optusnet.com.au> >> Date: Wednesday, May 21, 2003 6:56 pm >> Subject: [[AUS-CEM]] Re: [[AUS-CEM]] Re: [[AUS-CEM]] Re: [[AUS-CEM]] >> Other cemeteries on line >> >> > >Could you clarify 'online access'? Do you mean we would be able >> > >> > to access >> > the >> > >> > >data online or that we could contact the cemetery personell >> > >> > online to ask >> > for >> > >> > >lookups? >> > >> > Hello Trevor, >> > >> > By 'online access' I mean that there is a capability of accessing >> > the data >> > online, usually by surname search. >> > >> > Regards >> > >> > Ralph Reid >> > Sydney > > >==== AUSTRALIA-CEMETERIES Mailing List ==== >================================================================== >Cemetery Records on line:- >http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~batman/ >================================================================== > >============================== >To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: >http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 >