In a message dated 8/22/2006 3:03:29 PM Eastern Standard Time, ed@elizondo.org writes: Joan: A way to accommodate this would be to have an option for the list administrator to check off whether surnames are required or not on his particular list. This of course would require a change to the board software... Ed- Under the old GenConnect system we actually didn't HAVE surnames boxes on the admin type boards where surnames were almost never appropriate. However even on the boards where they usually ARE appropriate -- how about the the posts that ask the location of a funeral home or hospital or whatever and are not about a person? Those still would not require surnames even if most posts to the board do. Joan