This grievance has come in to the three Reps for the NWPlains Region, and we hereby submit it to the Board. Bill, Ginger, and Lynn -----Original Message----- From: Jan Phillips <littlerip@proaxis.com> To: shadow13@kmtel.net <shadow13@kmtel.net> Date: Thursday, August 19, 1999 11:01 PM Subject: Help needed, please >Hi Bill, Virginia, and Lynn, > >I need some help, please. As my NW Regional Reps, I'm contacting you first, so that you can take this grievance to the board. > >Below is a copy of what has transpired in the last few days between the >staff of GenConnect (Pam Durstock) and myself. I need your advice as to >what to do next. Because I deleted some of my own obituaries on the Linn >County, Oregon Obits Board, GenConnect has taken away my board and put it >up for adoption. They did this right after telling me they would return my >password and board as soon as it was determined whether or not the messages >"should" have been deleted. > >I have had no response from Pam Carey Durstock since Message #5. I also >wrote Elaine Bukove, at 4:53 p.m. Aug. 18, with no response so far. > >These >tools were provided for our use, and we innocently accepted them. They are >in wide-spread use throughout the project, and I'm sure the majority of >county coordinators have no idea that by deleting your own posts, you have >put yourself in jeopardy of losing them. Their rules clearly state any >posting belongs to the poster, who is the only person who may request a >message to be removed. In my case, I was the poster, and I requested to >have my messages removed. > >I ask you to bring this to the Advisory Board's attention, on behalf of all the CCs for the USGenWeb Project. Is >there anything the Board or the USGenWeb Project can do to intervene to >bring a matter like this to resolution? >I would like to see action taken immediately to resolve this issue. > >Thanks, > >Jan Phillips >littlerip@proaxis.com >Oregon State Coordinator for the USGenWeb Project >Linn County, OR Coordinator >Hartford County, CT Coordinator >Lyme, CT Coordinator > > > >Message #5 (mailed 6:30 a.m., 8/17/99) > >Hi Pam, > >Whoa, hold on a minute - don't "assume"! I never said I wouldn't maintain >the board or use the GenConnect system. All I said was that I wanted to >move my obituaries - just mine, no one elses. I think the GenConnect Boards >are one of many great resources for researchers and have no intention of >not maintaining them for visitors to Linn County pages. I don't think that >moving my own postings constitutes "desertion" of the Obits Board - I've >happily maintained these boards for researchers for quite a long time, and >don't have any intention of changing. I don't see me removing my personal >postings as any different than any other researcher asking to have their >messages removed - the board goes on, with or without those postings. > >Is there no "middle ground" here? If not, then we'll go from there. If so, >then let's see how we can make this a "win-win" situation for all of us. My >primary concern is providing resources for visiting researchers, not >orphaning boards and leaving them unuseable. And while there are many ways >of providing information for researchers, GenConnect is one of the best. I >have a special project in mind for the obits I posted, however, and want to >play with some new ideas. > >Jan > > >Message #4 > >At 12:15 AM 8/17/1999 -0400, you wrote: >>Hi Jan, >> >>Yes, you *are* allowed to delete your own postings, but the problem is that >>it's not clear that these *were* posted by you. They're under the name >>"Linn County Obits", and there's no identifying email address. However, I >>don't doubt you. >> >>I take it that since you mention having another system that you're using, >>you no longer wish to use GenConnect. So what we're prepared to do is to >>remove the balance of the obits posted by "Linn County Obits" for you, and >>once that's done the board will be orphaned so that someone who *does* wish >>to use it .... may. >> >>If you'd like any of your other boards orphaned at this time, please let us >>know. It's unfortunate that you feel the way you do about GenConnect, but >>there are no hard feelings on our part. We wish you the best of luck. >> >>Elaine, I'll take care of removing the balance of the obits and will notify >>you once that's done. At that time, please place this board in the >Orphanage. >> >>Jan, if you *do* wish to give up any other boards, please notify Elaine >>Bukove - our Orphan Coordinator. <elaine@rootsweb.com> >> >>Thanks, >>Pam > > > >Message #3 > >>At 11:58 PM 8/16/99 , Jan Phillips wrote: >>>Hi Pam, >>> >>>Thanks for the explanations. I'm the one who posted the vast majority of >>>obits to the Linn County Obits Board, and not to worry - I'm only deleting >>>the ones I posted. I would never touch anything anyone else has posted to a >>>GenConnect board, unless they posted the wrong message to the wrong board, >>>in which case I'd copy it to the right board first before deleting. >>> >>>Am I not allowed to remove some of my own postings? I don't see it as any >>>different than if another poster had asked me to remove their messages. And >>>yes, I guess deleting my obits would seem like a "mass deletion" - I've got >>>hundreds of them on there. I'm deleting them because I'm moving them - >>>they'll still all be available to researchers from the Linn County USGenWeb >>>site, and yes, if I'm allowed, I'd like to remove the rest of the ones I >>>posted. >>> >>>Jan >>> > >Message #2 > >>>At 11:52 PM 8/16/1999 -0400, you wrote: >>>>hi Jan, >>>> >>>>I'm the sys-admin for GenConnect, and Elaine has forwarded this to me so I >>>>could answer your questions. >>>> >>>>GenConnect has a rule against mass deletions of messages. See our rules >>>page: >>>> >>>> http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/HINTS/Orphans/orphanrules.html >>>> >>>>According to our records, you have been mass deleting from the Linn County >>>>Obits board. Your password has been changed until it can be determined >>>>what "type" of messages you're deleting (are they actually obits?), and who >>>>posted the messages. (If we find that these messages *should* have been >>>>deleted, then your password will be restored.) >>>> >>>>Please let us know why you've deleted so many messages, and whether or not >>>>you intend to continue deleting messages. >>>> >>>>Pam Carey Durstock >>>>GenConnect Sys-Admin > > > >Message #1 > >>>>>From: Jan Phillips <littlerip@proaxis.com> >>>>>To: st_rays@hotmail.com >>>>>Subject: Linn County, Oregon Obits Board >>>>>Date: Mon, 16 Aug 1999 19:39:10 -0700 >>>>> >>>>>Hi, >>>>> >>>>>My password does not seem to be working for the Linn County, Oregon, >>>>>GenConnect Obits Board, located at >> >>>>>http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Or/LinnObits. It's always >>>>>worked before, what's up?? It is the same password I use for the Queries >>>>>and Biographies Boards... >>>>> >>>>> >>>>>Thanks for looking into it, >>>>> >>>>>Jan Phillips >>>>>littlerip@proaxis.com >>>>>Oregon State Coordinator for the USGenWeb Project > >