Cbarbraj@wmconnect.com wrote: > Upon trying to contact a board admin to ask her to have the board gatewayed > to my list, I clicked on Links & Announcements and got only a blank page. > > Does this mean the board's admin is missing or is my computer doing something > strange? > It appears Ancestry is working on the boards and some things are fouled up, to use a politer phrase than I'm thinking. Some of us now have old, non-functioning email address on our L&A pages, and it's not inconceivable that some of them may even have disappeared. I'd report the problem to Help Desk or messageboards@rootsweb.com. Beth

Hi all, I was a bit surprised to get a notification of a post on a message board that is gatewayed to the paired surname list, both of which I admin, because there was no post posted on the surname list. There is nothing in pending requests, nothing in the archives, and the gateway address is neither on the ban list or the accept list, and the poster is neither banned nor moderated. The user interface to the board shows that it is gatewayed. The post, which was added to the board on Friday 11/17, is here: <http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/jQEBAIB/138.1> The most recent post to the RUBIN list was in September. Where might the problem lie? Should I just go straight to the helpdesk, or could this be connected to recent problems experienced by the boards? -- Thanks, Mary

It appears MY board problems have fixed themselves. The Boards Team person I spoke to said they hoped to be finished with the updating they were doing "by the weekend" but he wasn't 100% sure so I didn't want to pass along false hope. I'm sure relieved to find the majority of my boards back to "already read"//black link and back to having their classifications all nice and neat. Yay! Of course, today I don't have the time to go clean like I had a few days ago. Oh well. Always tomorrow. I would think since he said the updating // login // passwords // profile & passwords on profile was all connected on this update they were doing, it's possible that any missing or reverted Links and Announcements will once again revert to the correct info when they re-fix whatever broke. Judy -- ~PRIMARY NAMES: ANTHONY, BAKER, FLOWERS, LANE, SEPTER~ Washington Co PA free Websites: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~florian http://freepages.family.rootsweb.com/~florian County Coordinator for http://www.rootsweb.com/~pawashin/ Researchers of Washington County PA, join our map: http://www.frappr.com/researchingwashingtoncopa Steve Irwin Warriors please sign map at: http://www.frappr.com/steveirwinwarriors

Yep, all my (25) boards, even the ones created after my email changed and those created after board changes all had an old, old email address. Thanks for the heads up Joan. Laurie -----Original Message----- From: "Joan Asche" <jasche45133@gmail.com> To: boards-admins@rootsweb.com Date: Sat, 18 Nov 2006 12:39:40 -0500 Subject: [BAd] Check your Profile and L & A > I would like to suggest that everyone should check what is coming up > for an address in your L & A and log in profile.

Seeing as how the last time I changed my email address was in 1987, at least that is one problem I shouldn't have to worry about. :) The account name is a different story. I think I have five or six different account names at Rootsweb/Ancestry, just because I couldn't remember what spelling I used. -----Original Message----- From: boards-admins-bounces@rootsweb.com on behalf of Joan Asche Sent: Sat 11/18/2006 9:39 AM To: boards-admins@rootsweb.com Subject: [BAd] Check your Profile and L & A I would like to suggest that everyone should check what is coming up for an address in your L & A and log in profile.

I would like to suggest that everyone should check what is coming up for an address in your L & A and log in profile. I just happened to notice that my L & A and profile had taken a step back in time and was showing an address that I changed a long time ago and is an address that is no longer any good. It would be just lousy to loose a board because of an inactive email address caused by recent board problems. I did change my email address and it is now coming up correctly so that function is working correctly. J. Asche

Joan, Thanks for the warning. I just checked mine and the same thing is true. Guess it's time for a note to the messageboards@rootsweb.com. FWIW, I also had a problem this morning logging on at rootsweb.com. It said I was unregistered, and I could tell from the number of *** in the pasword field that it was wrong. I clicked on Forgot Your Password and was able to input the correct password and now all is well. Whatever's going on behind the scenes is producing some very annoying results, especially since there's no notice at Help Desk that there might be intermittent problems. Beth Joan Asche wrote: > I would like to suggest that everyone should check what is coming up > for an address in your L & A and log in profile. >

In a message dated 11/17/2006 12:35:50 PM Eastern Standard Time, listsmonster@gmail.com writes: One must read the posts carefully to determine the actual topic of the post. Not just the mere mention of a surname or location may make it on topic, nor off topic for the mere mention of adoption. --- Lauren- I'm well aware of reading posts to determine the topic and appropriateness for a board I admin--I don't need you to lecture me or instruct me on the proper use of message boards. If you will recall I was the one who was on board staff when much of these issues were being formulated with regard to what would be permitted on a board and not--and as I recall you were not a party to those discussions. The only changes with regard to the adoption boards from when I was on staff is the addition of the new restrictions now included in the AUP (about which all adoption board admins including me were informed) and perhaps the admins of adoption boards are more "up" on those new restrictions and better able to review posts involving searches for living people. For that reason among others some admins are more "comfortable" moving living person posts of this nature to the more appropriate adoption board for review by the adoption board admin...or Lost Family and Friends. And that is the option of the board admin if they are more comfortable with doing so. Personally I leave surname queries and searches that are legit genealogical queries on my surname boards--but there are many borderline posts that an admin would be perfectly justified in moving to adoption boards or the Lost Family board. Joan

In a message dated 11/17/2006 2:02:25 PM Eastern Standard Time, listsmonster@gmail.com writes: My recollection is that any moderation and review of content for gateway posts before release to the list is to be done with thought and care and not abused. Most posts will be appropriate to release. Not all will be. -- I think it best with this issue involving how the gateway is now to be handled under MailMan be left in Melissa's words--since this is now her decision it is best to read what she has to say on the subject rather than to add your or my interpretation to it. See: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/Listowners/2006-10/1159717217 Joan

In a message dated 11/17/2006 1:39:56 PM Eastern Standard Time, hesler@bellsouth.net writes: Joan, Then the only way to get around that is to close the gateway. The list then will miss some very good genealogical information. I get too many complaints from list members to not be able to control "thank yous" and "me toos." Regards, Tom Hesler Tom- Opening or closing the gateway is your choice--but what you cannot do (according to staff posts on the listowners list) is have the list and board gatewayed and then not make full use of the gateway--unless there is a specific problem poster(s) or spammer. Joan

In a message dated 11/17/2006 1:38:46 PM Eastern Standard Time, listsmonster@gmail.com writes: It is inappropriate for Admins to use these customer support lines for our issues. Lauren- While it might have been more appropriate for a board admin to contact the HelpDesk about any bugs found in adminning the boards---once the admin had made the phone call and Ancestry CS personnel chose to deal with the issue and create a means of communication with the developers--heck, I'm not going to argue with something getting done. It isn't for us to reprimand an admin who gets some attention for a problem that needs fixing. Ancestry CS chose to treat the call professionally and didn't tell the admin it wasn't an appropriate action..so I can't see where you should be telling her that when Ancestry staff didn't. Joan

In a message dated 11/17/2006 4:02:10 PM Eastern Standard Time, jasche45133@gmail.com writes: This is true, but for the boards it doesn't use a cookie on your computer for read/unread links. I sure don't know the technical end of it must be on the server side which is working with log on accounts. I have used three different computers over the years and my read links are still available to me years later using the same log on account. ---- Right--read and unread links that change color are normally a function of your browser but with the boards that cannot be the case or they would appear the same way whether you were logged in or not--and they do NOT. They ONLY are displayed when you are logged in so, of necessity, they must be tied in with your account and logging in. Joan

This is true, but for the boards it doesn't use a cookie on your computer for read/unread links. I sure don't know the technical end of it must be on the server side which is working with log on accounts. I have used three different computers over the years and my read links are still available to me years later using the same log on account. J. Asche On 11/17/06, Jan Buker <jcbuker@bukerfamily.org> wrote: > >From my long ago school lessons I believe that generally read and un-read links are based on cookies that are used by the web owner but sit on your computer. The web owner accesses these cookies to see what your status is when you log in. If you delete your cookies then you have deleted how the web owner perceives what you have done. > > Jan B. > > -----Original Message----- > From: boards-admins-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:boards-admins-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of JYoung6180@aol.com > Sent: Friday, November 17, 2006 9:02 AM > To: boards-admins@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [BAd] Posts reset to unread on boards > > > In a message dated 11/17/2006 11:59:37 AM Eastern Standard Time, > courtofchaos@hotmail.com writes: > > Hi all, > > I wrote to the help desk about some of my boards being reset to unread. > Below is what I received back from the helpdesk. Glad to know that I am not > the only one with this problem, does this mean that all our browser are out > of their minds? > > > >I believe that is a browser function not a board function. We haven't > >gotten > >other reports of this but the boards were down briefly last night. I'm > >not sure what to say. I'm sorry, it must be frustrating. I do not know > >of an easy way to change those back. > >HelpDesk > > Peace, > Nina > > > > Nina- > > I'm pretty sure (although not 100% certain) that the read/unread links on > the boards are NOT a browser function. You have to be logged in to see them so > they must be maintained on the board side--connected in some way to your > account login. > > Joan > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to BOARDS-ADMINS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to BOARDS-ADMINS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

Sharyn, Many of us went to our boards this morning only to find that change in color that indicates that the link was visited was not longer available. I fixed my boards then I went to the library. Using the library's computer I logged into my account and checked in on my boards again. The visited links were indeed available to me using a computer not my own. Somewhere along today's discussion it was mentioned that the loss of visited links was a browser issue. But that is not possible because I was able to see my visited links as being black both at home using Firefox and black at the library using IE. If it was a browser then I would have seen no visited links at the library's computer. It is true that the colors using the ancestry.com interface is different but the effect is the same. For most of us today we found our visited links were gone, many classifications were gone, and I found a message that I had moved to another list back on the original board. While it's possible the admin moved the message back to my board it would seem unlikely as the message was most appropriate for the board it was moved too. I hope this helps clear up any confusion. J. Asche On 11/17/06, Sharyn Hay <meow8@verizon.net> wrote: > There is a definite difference between Firefox and Internet Explorer on this > issue. There is also a color difference between the Rootsweb and Ancestry > 'skins'. In IE your Admin Center page shows a color difference for boards > you have visitied - not so in Firefox. With both IE and Firefox on RW the read > messages are black and the unread blue. With the Ancestry skin both browsers > show unread as green. > > Regards, > Sharyn > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Joan Asche" <jasche45133@gmail.com> > To: <boards-admins@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Friday, November 17, 2006 10:27 AM > Subject: Re: [BAd] Posts reset to unread on boards > > > > If the read/unread links are a browser function then I should not be > > able to see the bold black visited links on any other computer other > > than my own is that not correct? > > > > However, I was in the library this AM and checked a couple of boards > > and my visited links were black and bold. > > > > Just curious? > > > > J. Asche > > > > On 11/17/06, JYoung6180@aol.com <JYoung6180@aol.com> wrote: > > > > > > Nina- > > > > > > I'm pretty sure (although not 100% certain) that the read/unread links on > > > the boards are NOT a browser function. You have to be logged in to see > them so > > > they must be maintained on the board side--connected in some way to your > > > account login. > > > > > > Joan > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to BOARDS-ADMINS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

Then I think that the point is -- read/unread links are not a browser function. Because at the library this morning visited links were indeed bold and black. J. Asche On 11/17/06, Lauren Boyd <listsmonster@gmail.com> wrote: > Joan-- > > If it is a browser function ( and I do not think it is) then if you > use an alternate computer the links would appear unvisited, unless > someone had visited them and the history is retained. > > As it is tied to your login, it should appear the same on all > computers you log in from. > > Cheers, > > Lauren > > On 11/17/06, Joan Asche <jasche45133@gmail.com> wrote: > > If the read/unread links are a browser function then I should not be > > able to see the bold black visited links on any other computer other > > than my own is that not correct? > > > > However, I was in the library this AM and checked a couple of boards > > and my visited links were black and bold. > > > > Just curious? > > > > J. Asche > > > > On 11/17/06, JYoung6180@aol.com <JYoung6180@aol.com> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > Nina- > > > > > > I'm pretty sure (although not 100% certain) that the read/unread links on > > > the boards are NOT a browser function. You have to be logged in to see them so > > > they must be maintained on the board side--connected in some way to your > > > account login. > > > > > > Joan > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to BOARDS-ADMINS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to BOARDS-ADMINS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

> > Getting angry and ranting only compounds matters, rather than helps > them. This list is for peer to peer support -- it is not for > complaining about STAFF, nor the volunteers at the Rootsweb Help Desk. Excuse me, but I was neither angry nor ranting. I stated what action I took. The only post that made me angry is being told by you that as a User of Ancestry AND paid subscriber that I can't call them when logging in gives ME a 404-Page Not Found and a series of conflicting error messages on another log in area. Judy

Lauren, Excuse me but I am a Board USER FIRST, an Admin second. MY experience of log -in issues made it perfectly acceptable for me to call Ancestry directly. (No one should be telling any admin that we can't call ancestry directly. That action remains my right as a user of Ancestry AND as a paid subscriber to Ancestry.) On the Admin issues, I DID post to RW Helpesk. They said they had no idea. And I TRIED to post in Ancestry help, BUT that is where I had another log-in issue telling me conflicting info (Yes you are in our database--- no you are not in our database -- yes we have your email addy but you never registered your password -- yes we do have your password). PART of this series of "seemingly unrelated" issues ARE all connected, because they're working on RW interfaces which partly has something to do with log ins too (per the guy who called me back). He had to re-set that particular place of the Login (for Help log-in) or as a USER I would have no access to that area. Since I already had tech on the line AND ALL the issues started within the last few days to a week, I made the decision that I should tell them ALL the glitches I experienced. There's not a thing wrong with my choice to call Ancestry Tech Support. If it was wrong, I'm certain no one on the Message Board Team would have called me back (as he did). AND again, as a Ancestry Paid subscriber, it is never "wrong" to call tech support (or give them info of what I see / experience as both a User & Admin). Judy On 11/17/06, Lauren Boyd <listsmonster@gmail.com> wrote: > > Dear Judy: > > Ancestry.com telephone numbers for "technical services" or "customer > support" are not informed regarding technical issues for ADMINS. Nor > is it appropriate for us to call such numbers for ADMIN Support or > Board issues. If you check the Help Pages for Board Administration, > you will not find any directives to make telephone calls in the > procedures for Board Admins. > > The appropriate method is to write to messageboards@rootsweb.com with > our reports, requests for rulingss and etc. regarding the Boards, > regardless if we access them by the Rootsweb or the Ancestry.com > "skin"/interface. > > To do so, puts you DIRECTLY in touch with the Message Boards > Coordinator -- Elaine, who does know the status of the boards and > needs to know of issues with them. > > Alternatively, one may report to the Rootsweb Help Desk and the post > will be directed to the Message Boards Coordinator to have addressed, > when necessary and appropriate. > > As for getting any offishul messages or response from STAFF on this > list, please remember that this is a *peer to peer* support list. > STAFF rarely ever posts here, nor should we expect them to. > > I have found STAFF to be extremely responsive to my reports, questions > and requests for rulings over the years.... when posed through the > appropriate channel. > > Cheers, > > Lauren > > > > On 11/17/06, Judy Florian <cageycat@gmail.com> wrote: > > Ok, I only had to explain myself & the problems a zillion times to > ancestry > > technical support, BUT they finally got my point. They made me mad, > wanting > > me to delete cookies etc. But I convinced them it is not just "me" > seeing > > the issues! geesh. > > > > They're calling the big-wigs and checking the problems on the boards. > > > > I went through my 70 some boards and hit & miss some boards are missing > ALL > > classifications. These ALL reverted to green (user) or Blue (admin > side) > > instead of black links. But like DAGER is fine, but DAGGER is not. So > it > > does not seem to be by alphabet. Maybe all the bad boards are on one > part > > of the database, I don't know. > > > > Maybe they can restore them. Or I suggested re-setting bad boards to > > query-default--- at least Admins would only have so many to change, but > we'd > > still have to look at every post -- again. BUT, I'm not re-cleaning > until > > they fix whatever got broke. gawd ALL those hours of work we already > did!! > > sigh > > > > Not happy with this mess, I sure hope they have a back-up of the boards > in > > question. > > > > Judy > > -- > > ~PRIMARY NAMES: ANTHONY, BAKER, FLOWERS, LANE, SEPTER~ > > Washington Co PA free Websites: > > http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~florian > > http://freepages.family.rootsweb.com/~florian > > County Coordinator for http://www.rootsweb.com/~pawashin/ > > Researchers of Washington County PA, join our map: > > http://www.frappr.com/researchingwashingtoncopa > > Steve Irwin Warriors please sign map at: > > http://www.frappr.com/steveirwinwarriors > > > > ------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > BOARDS-ADMINS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > BOARDS-ADMINS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > -- ~PRIMARY NAMES: ANTHONY, BAKER, FLOWERS, LANE, SEPTER~ Washington Co PA free Websites: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~florian http://freepages.family.rootsweb.com/~florian County Coordinator for http://www.rootsweb.com/~pawashin/ Researchers of Washington County PA, join our map: http://www.frappr.com/researchingwashingtoncopa Steve Irwin Warriors please sign map at: http://www.frappr.com/steveirwinwarriors

At 10:09 AM 11/17/2006, you wrote: >Tom- > >You may get complaints but lists that are NOT gatewayed from boards also >receive "thank you" posts and we can't really pick and choose what >comes through >the gateway or doesn't other than to control a spam problem or temporarily >moderate a board because of user problems--Staff has pretty much >told us on the > listowners list that it is considered abuse to just allow SOME board posts >through if we are gatewaying a list and board--unless there is a very good >reason. Lists and boards do not have to be *perfect* and shouldn't >be expected >to be. Boards do allow us to remove a "thank you" post if we prefer after a >time -- after it has had enough time to reach its intended recipient. > >Joan > Joan, Then the only way to get around that is to close the gateway. The list then will miss some very good genealogical information. I get too many complaints from list members to not be able to control "thank yous" and "me toos." Regards, Tom Hesler -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.409 / Virus Database: 268.14.6/536 - Release Date: 11/16/2006

If the read/unread links are a browser function then I should not be able to see the bold black visited links on any other computer other than my own is that not correct? However, I was in the library this AM and checked a couple of boards and my visited links were black and bold. Just curious? J. Asche On 11/17/06, JYoung6180@aol.com <JYoung6180@aol.com> wrote: > > > > Nina- > > I'm pretty sure (although not 100% certain) that the read/unread links on > the boards are NOT a browser function. You have to be logged in to see them so > they must be maintained on the board side--connected in some way to your > account login. > > Joan > >

I agree,I think Lauren, that you are a bit assuming in your "power" to tell us admins what you think we should or should not be doing. Some of us have been here a long time and do not need to be castigated by you every time someone posts about a problem. You are not the official word here. JMHO On 11/17/06, Margaret Olson <olson@shout.net> wrote: > If it worked and yet is inappropriate for such things, Lauren, I do > believe that STAFF will tell us that here. IF Elaine is staff, she > will give the official position. She has not done this yet. It > makes sense, yes, but if something has been done wrong which requires > a change in behavior, STAFF should tell us that so that the rest of > us do not make the same error. > > If you are a volunteer assistant to Elaine, please identify yourself > as such. If the information you provide below is official STAFF > information, I would really like to hear STAFF tell us that. > > Margaret > > At 12:37 PM 11/17/2006, you wrote: > >Dear Judy: > > > >They do not know anything with regard to ADMIN issues as they are > >there to support the paying customers who USE the boards, not the > >Volunteers that maintain the integrity of the boards. They are not > >trained on our issues. It is inappropriate for Admins to use these > >customer support lines for our issues. If it were appropriate, the > >phone numbers would be provided on our Help Pages. They are not. > >There is not a phone bank of paid staff dedicated to support Volunteer > >Admins. It sounds like a customer service agent attempted to assist > >you, even though your call was beyond their purview. > >SNIP<< -- Kathie Harrison Family Trees Grow with Love Ancestral Whispers http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~irishrose/