Dear Baden-Wuerttemberg Mailing List Friends, Several recent incoming messages to the BW List have been redirected to my administrative mailbox because they were too large for the RootsWeb computer system to accommodate as a list post. In addition, a few subscribers on this list have expressed dismay that other subscribers sometimes post very lengthy messages (perhaps created inadvertently when people reply to existing messages because they do not edit earlier posts from their responses.) This is a friendly reminder that the computer system which operates our list sets a default MAXIMUM MESSAGE LENGTH of 10K. Fortunately, for most messages, this length is more than adequate to communicate well. To ensure that your list messages get through so that other list subscribers can see them, and help reduce message bulk, please observe the following guidelines: 1) Regardless of the nature of the content, please keep your list message text relatively BRIEF (at or under 10K). The RootsWeb computer system will automatically REJECT posts which are larger than this size limit---they will NOT post on the list. Instead, the computer redirects them to the list managers' administrative mailboxes for further action. All this results in a delay (or outright failure) of your message reaching other list members. 2) PLEASE *DO NOT INCLUDE MORE THAN ONE ORIGINAL MESSAGE* and your response to it IN A SINGLE LIST POST. In other words, please DELETE the running thread of earlier messages before you send your reply (or just include excerpts from something, *if* it is pertinent to your response.) 3) If you are subscribed in DIGEST mode, and wish to reply to a single post in the Digest, Please *DO NOT INCLUDE THE REST* OF THE DIGEST MESSAGES IN YOUR RESPONSE! DELETE whatever is not pertinent to your reply before you send your response to the list. 4) Please do not include LISTS of SURNAMES of ancestors in which you have interest. This technique, known as a "roll call," is not permitted on this particular mailing list by popular request of a majority of list members. You may certainly share your primary surnames, but please do so in *individual posts for each name* which give more details about the people in question than just their surnames. This is essential so that other list members are in the best possible position to help you with your research, and perhaps to connect you with others who may be researching the same people. 5) Please do not attempt to share data such as ANCESTRAL CHARTS, PEDIGREES OR SCANNED DOCUMENTS on list. (If you wish to share these with particular list members who may have expressed interest in reviewing them, please use private, OFF-LIST email or other means to do so.) 6) Please note that RootsWeb mailing lists *DO NOT ACCEPT ATTACHMENT FILES* of any kind (including photos or graphic files.) These are removed and discarded automatically by the computer system. If you wish to share attachment files with particular list members who may have expressed interest in reviewing them, please use off-list email or other means (such as posting the information to a Web page or site) to do so. Observing these guidelines will help prevent your message being *rejected* by the RootsWeb computer, and also reduce the likelihood of inadvertently overwhelming other subscribers with a very long message. THANK YOU! Wishing you the best research outcomes, Carla HELLER, Los Angeles, California, USA mscarlah@earthlink.net List Co-Administrator, ROOTSWEB's Baden-Wuerttemberg Mailing List