Hi, This information came to me from one of my other surname listholders. It answered a lot of questions I had about where to post certain information and where to go to ask questions and hopefully get answers. I am new enough to this research that I sometimes forget what sources are out there to help me. This may help others that may get confused as I do at times--more times than I care to admit! It is a rather long e-mail, but I hope it is helpful to others. I have gotten permission to reprint it and for others to do the dame if needed. Jane Limerick MonroeSubject: [GARY-L] GenConnect Resent-Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 13:00:55 -0800 (PST) Resent-From: GARY-L@rootsweb.com Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 13:44:39 -0700 From: "Gerry White" <gw101@uswest.net> To: GARY-L@rootsweb.com Every year after the Holidays we have an influx of new computer users and new genealogy enthusiasts who join us or the first time. There are many new subscribers to this list so I thought it appropriate to re-post the FAQs for using the GenConnect Boards. Welcome to our new subscribers! You may wish to save the FAQs. Please feel free to ask questions about the use of GenConnect either here or on our FAQ Board located at this site: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/HINTS/FAQ What Is GenConnect? GenConnect is an automated query management and document archiving system. At present there are boards for posting Queries, Bible Records, Biographies, Deeds, Obituaries, Pensions, and Wills. The boards are designed to allow researchers to freely share information with others and post questions about their own "dead end" or "brickwall" ancestors. The boards are universally searchable with two search engines, Global Search which searches all of GenConnect, and Surname Helper which searches all of GenConnect in addition to many other sites. A third search feature called the Searchbar is located on each board to allow a search of the board itself. It allows the visitor to customize the display of the board, and to access older messages that have been archived. More detailed information about GenConnect's history, development, and use can be found at the main GenConnect page located here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/index.html and the Visitors Center located here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/HINTS/index.html What are the advantages of the GenConnect Boards versus a mailing list? Both mailing lists and Boards have strengths and weaknesses. A mailing list, even one that is publicly archived as most of the RootsWeb lists are, is primarily focussed on the present and discussion taking place currently among a group of people. In depth discussion is possible and direct interaction among the members of the group of subscribers. Discussion on a mailing list tends to cover a topic at length, and when that discussion is exhausted a new discussion begins on another subject. The strength of a mailing list is the ability to include a large number of people and opinions in an ongoing, in depth, discussion benefiting list subscribers immediately. By contrast, query and message boards like those in our GenConnect system not only function within the present time, but provide long term archiving and universal searchability by anyone who chooses to search for a surname. There is no requirement to subscribe to a discussion group to make a contact through a search, post a question to a Query Board, or access archived documents, using GenConnect. The strength of a Query board rests with its being the best place to post a query about your "dead end" or "brick wall" ancestors. You might not get an answer tomorrow, or even next week; but the query remains in place for anyone at any future time to find it and to make contact with the original poster. A far larger audience will search the surnames included on the board messages over a period of time than will subscribe to any one mailing list. The non-query (document) boards provide an excellent place to record, search, and archive Bible Records, Biographies, Deeds, Obituaries, Pensions, and Wills, for your future reference, and to aid others in their research. If everyone who has access to some family record in the above categories would simply transcribe and post the information in their possession, in time there would be a very valuable storehouse of information for the benefit of future genealogists. Accessing the boards: How do I find the appropriate GenConnect board for posting my messages? For International boards start with the International Index: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/qindex.html for available International boards. For USA boards start here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/usaindex.html or visit the USA County Resource Index: http://resources.rootsweb.com/USA/ For Surname boards start here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/indx/FamAssoc.html or visit the Surname Resource Index: http://resources.rootsweb.com/surnames/index.html For Special collections start here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/indx/Special.html Searching the boards: How do I search the boards? To search the boards there are several things you must consider. Each board is set up by the admin for that board to display the posted messages for a certain period of time. After that time the messages are still accessible but are not displayed on the board since they have not been posted or modified within the specified period of time. The easiest way to search the board is to use the Searchbar on each board. The Searchbar is the blue bar just below the words Message Index. There are several selections you can make when using the bar so that you can see the messages on the board in any way you would like to see them. Changing the board display for yourself, or "customizing" your display, does not affect how others see the board display. Items to select on the Searchbar: KEYWORDS: The first item to select when using the Searchbar is the "Keywords" box, and you can enter in this box any word or words--names, email addresses, etc., or even strings of letters (for example: if you are searching for a surname that has various spellings but which always begins with MOR, type in these three letters), that you wish to search for in the messages already posted to the board. The Searchbar will do an EVERY WORD SEARCH of the messages on the board including those that have been archived and no longer appear in the normal board display. SEARCH (items to match): The next box is the "search" box and you can choose between All, Any, and Wildcard with All indicating you want to search for any messages on the board that contain ALL of the keywords you have entered, ANY meaning you want to search for a match to any of the Keywords you have entered, and Wildcard if you are looking for a pattern which includes a certain string of letters (such as MOR mentioned above). TIME PERIOD TO SEARCH: This box is for selecting the period of time you wish to include in your search. This is self-explanatory--select the period of time you wish to search, i.e. messages posted within the last week, month, year, etc. STYLE OF DISPLAY: This box determines the "style" in which the messages are displayed. The messages can be displayed in chronological order, by thread (with replies listed together in outline form below the messages they are in reply to), by thread reversed, or compressed. The term "thread" refers to the topic or subject of the message. Once you have completed the information above as to what you want to search for, and how you want the search results to display on the board, click on the "refresh" button and the board will be reconfigured based on your selections. If you would prefer to always see the board displayed in the configuration you have selected you can put a check mark in the box to accept a "cookie" so that these settings will be saved for you for when you return to this board in the future. This only affects how you see the board--not how others see it. Two additional links included in the Searchbar are: Advanced Search and Global Search. Clicking on Advanced Search takes you to a "reconfiguration" page that includes the capability of more selections for searching and displaying messages on the board in addition to the options included in the Searchbar. Select from the options any length of time, or specific period, for which you wish the board to display the messages. Remember that where many messages are in the archives it will take a lot of time for them all to load on the page if you choose the longer time periods for display. Experiment with the various display and search items included on this page. Each time you are ready to view the board with your chosen options just click on the button that says "view message index." Once you arrive at the display that you like best--you can choose to have a "cookie" set the display for this board so that YOU will always see the display in the manner you have selected. Others will not be affected by the selections you make--you are customizing the board for yourself. Clicking on Global Search permits a search not only of the GenConnect board you are currently visiting, but allows searching all of the GenConnect system. Global Search can also be accessed by clicking on the link at the GenConnect Logo at the top of each board. NOTE: Global Search only searches on SURNAMES listed in the Surnames Box on the boards--it is not an every word search. Not found on the Searchbar, but included on each GenConnect board, are links to the Surname Helper Search Engine. Surname Helper is capable of searching not only all of GenConnect but many other records as well that are registered with Surname Helper. To do a search of the entire suite of GenConnect boards you are currently using, or any specific board within the suite, click on the links that say: Surname List or Surname Helper located near the top of the board just under the title of the board. To search ALL of the Surname Helper records click on the Surname Helper logo near the bottom of the board. NOTE: Surname Helper only searches on SURNAMES listed in the Surnames Box on the boards--it is not an every word search. Posting a query to the boards: Selecting a Subject for your post: When you choose a subject you should try to be as concise as possible, but try to cover the basics of who, when, and where. For example, if you are posting a query about John Smith who was born in 1832 in Pittsburgh, PA an informative subject line would be exactly that: "John SMITH, born 1832, Pittsburgh, PA." Never use all purpose, non informative, subject lines such as: "searching," "looking," "genealogy," "family search." Remember that everyone using these boards is searching and looking for their ancestors. Ask yourself if the subject you have posted will help others who may connect to the family you are asking about in your query. If the answer is YES you have chosen an informative subject line. How do I post an effective query on a Query Board? Here are a few good sites with information about posting an effective query: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/HINTS/posting.html http://www.firstct.com/fv/query.html http://www.rootsweb.com/~mskeelyk/keelyhow.htm#query Using the Surname Box properly: First of all a surname is just that--a surname. "John Schultz" is NOT a surname. "Schultz of Roanoke" is NOT a surname. A surname is "Schultz" and nothing more. The entries you show in the Surnames box, and whether or not you show them properly, are the most important aspects of helping others find your query through a search. Surnames that are improperly shown in the Surnames box (or surnames that are omitted all together) will not allow the search engines (Global Search and Surname Helper) to properly list your surnames so that others will find them in a search. Remember to include surnames found in the query or document you are posting and not other surnames of interest to you. Remember the purpose of listing surnames--to allow the search engines to direct visitors to the message which includes the surname. List ONE surname per line--type the surname and then hit the enter key and type the next surname. Repeat that process for each surname you are recording. Hitting the enter key is what triggers the comma to be automatically added that separates the surname from the next one to be listed. Don't type in the comma or punctuation since hitting the enter key after typing each surname accomplishes this although you don't see it until the query is displayed on the board. How do I modify a query once I have posted it? You can't. But that doesn't mean the message can't be modified or even deleted. What you need to do is to go to the board where you posted the message and look for the link near the bottom of the page to the board administrator's email address. Send an email explaining the changes that need to be made making certain to tell them exactly which board the message is posted on. Many administrator's have quite a few boards. Another alternative is for you to post a response to your own message and use the subject line of "correction to prior message" or "addition to prior message." How will I be notified if someone replies to my query? There are two types of notifications you may receive when you have an interest in a particular GenConnect board. The first type of notification is the QueryAnswer. Any time you post a query or document to a GenConnect board, unless you uncheck the box on the board asking if you want to be notified when someone replies to your message, you will receive an email with the "from" address showing "QueryAnswer@SEE.MESSAGE.FOR.ADDRESS." You will only receive notice of any direct replies to your queries. If someone replies to you and, in turn, someone else replies to that reply, the person posting the reply will be notified but you won't. (So it is still important to check the board from time to time for replies of interest to you.) The second type of notification is called the "Maillist." The maillist consists of everyone who has "subscribed" to a board and messages sent from the maillist will say "maillist@SEE.MESSAGE.FOR.ADDRESS" in the "from" line of the message. This is done by adding your address to the list using the "subscribe" box toward the bottom of each board, making sure the box is checked to add the address to the list, and then clicking on "send address." Addresses added to the maillist for a board receive notice whenever a new message is posted to that GenConnect board. To unsubscribe from any maillist, revisit the board, and put your address in the subscribe box. Make sure the box is marked to remove the address and click on "send address." Anyone subscribing to a maillist, or posting a query to a board, should remember that they must enable mail to be received at their email account from the addresses above. AOL users in particular sometimes set up mail controls that refuse mail from some senders--or allow mail only from known senders. Remember to include the addresses that mail will be coming from for the board notices you wish to receive. How do I post information to a non-query board (Bible Records, Biographies, Deeds, Obituaries, Pensions, or Wills)? The basics are the same as above for posting a query only the document boards are not used to post queries, they are used to post information from public or private records. Either complete transcriptions of documents, or abstracted information, is permissible. Documentation of source material is strongly encouraged. In the case of family Bible Records it is most helpful to list who has possession of the Bible or how the information was accessed. In the case of copyrightable material such as many Biographies and some Obituaries please review the information found on this page before posting to the appropriate board: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/HINTS/copyright.html For additional information see the GenConnect Hints and Tips page found here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/HINTS/index.html by Joan GenConnect ==== GARY Mailing List ==== Adam & Eve must have found genealogy very boring!