Hi, everybody -- Joan explained so well, that I got her permission to forward. Another wonderful way that Rootsweb is improving, and making our research easier and more effective! "A couple weeks ago many of you who are subscribed to RootsWeb genealogy mailing lists may have begun noticing something new popping up among your list messages. "These messages start off with two lines showing where they were originally posted and giving you the URL where the message can originally be found. "Posted on: Pennsylvania Dutch Queries Board URL: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Pa/Dutch?read=xxxx [This is just an example -- not an actual message.] "This is a new feature being offered to help to integrate the GenConnect Boards with the mailing lists for an allied subject (surname, locality, etc.). Mailing list administrators can now opt to request that their mailing lists receive "gatewayed" messages--messages posted to a corresponding GenConnect Board. When the list and board admininstrators agree to use the gateway all messages posted to selected "paired" boards are instantly copied in full to the "paired" list. "If you should see these messages (identifiable by the inclusion of two lines similar to the ones I have copied above) on a mailing list you are subscribed to, and you wish to reply to the message, you should be aware that the poster of the message is most likely not subscribed to the list. Replies should be made on the board by going to the URL in the gatewayed message. Your reply on the board will then be "gatewayed" back to the list as well. "Those of you who can click on the URL to access the message should do so and others (mainly AOL users) should copy and paste the URL into the browser window. By replying on the board you ensure that the poster will see the reply to the message they posted and also that the thread of the message is preserved on the board for the benefit of future researchers who may find the thread in a search. "If the mailing lists you are subscribed to are not yet using the GC-Gateway and you think it would be a good idea, you may wish to contact the admin for your lists and let them know you are in favor of taking advantage of the gateway. To contact any list admin write to: LISTNAME-admin@rootsweb.com (substituting the actual list name for the word LISTNAME). For example the Smith surname admin could be reached by writing to: SMITH-admin@rootsweb.com. "If a list you are subscribed to IS using the gateway and you had previously subscribed to receive notices whenever new messages are posted to the board involved in the gateway, you may wish to unsub from the board notification--since this will now be a duplicate notice. To unsub from the board notices go to the board and scroll down to the Subscribe box. Type or paste in your email address and click on the button to "send address." You will receive a message saying "sorry to see you go." *************************** Joan Young joan@rootsweb.com Newbie Coordinator Admin Mentor "How-To" Guru The GenConnect Team ***************************