Changes are underway at RootsWeb/GenConnect but until they stabilize, I'll only try to outline them for you. Following the National Genealogical Society Annual Meeting last month, RootsWeb arrived at a decision to expand and improve their 'look' on the Net, particularly with regard to new users. While still maintaining their goal of providing free access to genealogical material for anyone who can access the Internet, in a sense, RW must 'compete' with the other large suppliers of genealogical information. As I see it, RW is not competing directly for dollars but their ability to secure financial support, such as through banner ads, will depend on how well they can attract and retain a large share of Internet genealogical researchers. If you consider that only about 7% of those who have mail lists, web pages, archives, GenConnect Boards, etc. at RootsWeb, provide any financial support at the various contributor, sponsor, and donor levels, you can appreciate why RW must find other souces to fund their rapidly expanding operations. For now, the new 'look' involves two components. First, RW has set up "Surname Clusters" where a researcher can find all the resources at RootsWeb that relate to a particular surname (later, links to other non-RW resources may be included). The site, http://resources.rootsweb.com/surnames/ is called [Surname Resources at RootsWeb] and shows an A-Z index. Selecting 'B' leads to ["B" Surnames at RootsWeb]. If you select BLANCHARD, you link to the [BLANCHARD (B452) at ROOTSWEB] 'Cluster' area which displays all the related resources at RootsWeb for BLANCHARD, which already had an established Mail List, Web Page, and GenConnect Boards. For the second part of the new 'look', RW added many <new> 'Clusters', using the surnames posted on the RootsWeb Surname List (RSL) as an indication of the 'popularity' or 'interest' in surnames world-wide. They added the first 5,000 most popular/active, then the next 5,000 and I am not sure what the total number is now. Today (6/8/99), RW posted a notice to the listowners-announce List that "Our 'cluster team' is ready to accept requests from volunteers who would like to help administer the new Surname Resource Clusters". My understanding is that <anyone> can request to take over new Clusters but the managers of existing genealogical sites at RootsWeb may be given preference, especially if the new Cluster surname is a variant of the established surname site. The subject which has provoked the most discussion, is "what to do about surname variants"? Unfortunately, RW failed to consult with the listowners/managers of established sites to get their input on choosing the new Clusters and deciding what are the 'true surname variants'. As a result, some of the new Clusters are for existing name variants but there are no new Clusters for many of the other legitimate name variants. Taking BLANCHARD as an example, as of today, the only BLANCHARD surname variants among the new 'Clusters' are BLANCH and BLANSHAN while BLANCARD, BLANCHER, and BLANSHARD (the three variants that have been displayed on our GenConnect Boards) and some other 'possibles', BLANCHET, BLANCHAR, BLANCHETTE, and BLANCHART, are all missing. I have asked John Chandler to help me sort this all out and decide what would be best for our BLANCHARD interests at RootsWeb and here is a proposal. 1. We have no interest in any of the new RW Surname Clusters that are clearly not variants of the BLANCHARD surname. 2. We request that RW set up additional Clusters for all BLANCHARD name variants that we believe are legitimate. 3. Rather than <adopt> any of the new Clusters, we propose the following to RootsWeb: when someone subscribes to one of the BLANCHARD 'variant' Clusters, RW will send the subscriber a brief 'Welcome' message that : a. explains, by way of a brief essay, why the surname is considered a 'variant' of BLANCHARD. b. suggests that the subscriber unsub from this 'variant' Cluster and sub to the BLANCHARD Cluster. c. includes a pointer to the BLANCHARD Surname Resource site to facilitate this changeover. This same essay with a prominent link to the appropriate BLANCHARD site, would appear on all the associated 'variant' Boards, etc. which are, in a sense 'dummy boards', since they serve only to redirect the researcher. Comments: It should be possible to implement this proposal with only minor changes in the 'Cluster' concept. New users can start searching a particular surname but are courteously directed to the 'root' surname. Consolidating all the true surname variants will foster the vitality of the 'root' surname sites and promote the basic objective of sharing information among 'cousins'. ____________ I am sending this proposal to the Listowners-L Mail List to see if it has any support among the listowners and to get some reaction from the RootsWeb personnel that monitor and respond to 'Listowners'. As always, I welcome your comments. Fletch