To add to the comments below: I've come across admins who refuse to ADD any names to blank surname boxes, and only edit those containing inappropriate names, words, etc. Then there are the neglected boards where the admins don't appear to edit at all! I like your idea in spirit, but I agree with Chris that there are often posts even on Surname boards that wouldn't require a surname. Perhaps a [?] button beside the surname box with a question/query mark that brings up a "help" message regarding "what's this surname box for?" ~Jill the moving of the surname box to on top of the message makes a lot of sense. not all the boards are surname boards. Some boards are not about people but about areas or occupations software etc. so the required filling could cause problems. ========== Chris Johnson Hamilton NZ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ed Elizondo" <ed@elizondo.org> Subject: [BAd] blank surname box >Most of the administrative time on my locality board is spent adding >or correcting surnames in the surname box so the messages can be >properly indexed. > >Here are two suggestions: >1. the surname entry box should be moved ON TOP of the message entry >box, so it becomes more obvious to the poster. >2. the message should not be accepted unless there is an entry in the >surname box (after all, the boards are SURNAME query boards). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A "fix" might be the words: "Surnames in this message" regardless of where it is located. Many continue to put every surname they are researching. I even thought the same thing when I first started using the boards. Had to go back and edit out the extraneous ones when I became admin of some of those boards! Others probably still have extra surnames unless an admin has removed them. Marilyn G. ----- Original Message ----- From: "jill warland" <jilliocity@hotmail.com> Subject: Re: [BAd] blank surname board > To add to the comments below: I've come across admins who refuse to ADD > any > names to blank surname boxes, and only edit those containing inappropriate > names, words, etc. Then there are the neglected boards where the admins > don't appear to edit at all! > I like your idea in spirit, but I agree with Chris that there are often > posts even on Surname boards that wouldn't require a surname. Perhaps a > [?] > button beside the surname box with a question/query mark that brings up a > "help" message regarding "what's this surname box for?" > > ~Jill > > > the moving of the surname box to on top of the message makes a lot of > sense. > not all the boards are surname boards. Some boards are not about people > but > about areas or occupations software etc. so the required filling could > cause > problems. > ========== > Chris Johnson > Hamilton NZ >

Jill-- Admins are not *required* to add surnames to the surname box. We are charged with "maintaining the integrity" of the boards. Remove extraneous entries so the search engines work as intended. Board users need to be educated how to get the best use out of the board --- inlcuding proper use of the surnames box. It will be interesting to see what the new software will bring. Cheers, Lauren