In the context of this note, FREE means WITHOUT COST. OK, we say that the RootsWeb services are FREE, meaning that no user/subscriber HAS to pay anything in order to use these wonderful services, BUT..... is it really FREE? Of course not! Let's see, what has to be paid for? First of all, there is the monthly service fee that each Listowner or Webmaster pays in order to be connected to the Internet/Web. Then there is the hardware and software that must be kept up-to-date by the Listowners and Webmasters. Last, there is the TIME each Listowner and Webmaster spends keeping the Lists and Web Pages running smoothly -- that TIME is worth money too. Let me tell you, when I spend several hours every day managing Lists and Web Sites, that time could be spend pursuing things that might bring in some more personal income -- it could certainly be spent with my family at home and maybe going out to see a new movie once in a while, or visiting relatives that are long overdue for a visit. Enough about us Listowners and Webmasters -- let's get down to some real expenses. The folks at RootsWeb must maintain state-of-the-art hardware and software and folks that is not cheap. It seems like about every other week we hear that RootsWeb has to add another server or computer system or larger hard drives or more memory or something. Then they pay for the connections to the Internet, T1's, T'2's, T3's, etc., and fees to the "backbones" and so on. The monthly charges for phone line services runs around $28,000 right now. Now, who maintains all that hardware and software? Well, Brian and Karen (the founders of RootsWeb) and several other really neat people. There are some that get a pittance of a salary, but most of the work is "volunteer" work. Then we have all the dozens of people who work for nothing keeping all the various services at RootsWeb working and in good order. We have people right now volunteering to transcribe and maintain services like the Census Record project. We aim to put all Census Records online at RootsWeb, every state, every county, every Census year from 1790 through 1920, which is the last one available to the public. What a project! And, as I said, it's all volunteer work. (I know, since I volunteered to do all the years for Wythe and Smyth Counties in VA that are not already being worked on; that amounts to 21 Census Records.) The long term goal of RootsWeb is to have a database that contains information from every microfilm/microfiche source imaginable. Do you have any idea how much that will cost and how much work will be involved in transcribing the data, or even just scanning and putting graphics of original files online? What this is all about, is that there are costs of running RootsWeb that most of you have NEVER imagined. There are thousands of man hours put in each week by volunteers; right now RootsWeb cannot even afford to buy the microfilm of the Census Records. We volunteers have to buy it ourselves! With a good base of users who donate to RootsWeb, we could start paying for some of these things that are done voluntarily and get them on line much, much sooner. The whole point is that doing genealogy research at RootsWeb is not FREE!!!!! It is only free to the users/subscribers, and as far as we are all concerned it will ALWAYS stay that, so you don't have to worry that we are going to start charging monthly fees in order to access the information like some other services (which I won't mention because you know who they are). What we need are many, many users/subscribers who think that RootsWeb saves them enough money to donate something to the service on a regular basis. I mean like donating $12.00 or $24.00 every year. Is that too much to ask? $1.00 or $2.00 per month? Heck, if you couldn't use RootsWeb for your research, you would spend more than that on just gasoline alone every year, driving to libraries to dig out information. And think of the time it saves you! Right now RootsWeb needs at least 15,000 users/subscribers to donate at least the minimum of $12.00 per year. We have a hard-core user-base of about 400,000 users and a total user-base (including those that drop in and out) of around 800,000. Now that's a lot of users! And it doesn't cost any one of them even $1.00 to use all the facilities at RootsWeb. How about sharing? Run on over to the page at RootsWeb where you can read all about the joys of becoming a supporter. We Listowners and Webmasters don't need to hear words of praise from you -- we need you to put your money where your mouth is. Instead of telling me what a good job I am doing (and, yes, some users do that), how about cutting loose of some of that mouldy old money and helping out a good cause? Here's where you start: http://www.rootsweb.com/rootsweb/how-to-subscribe.html You can subscribe online with a credit card, or you can write down the snail mail address and send a check or money order. I tell you something, you users out there are just like me. You spend at least $19.95 per month for your ISP connection and you spend at least $12.00 per month for paper and ink for your printer and other things you buy for your computer. So $12.00 per year seems like a good deal to me. Please don't feel like I'm pressuring you to contribute. Not so! I just want all of you to think of how much money RootsWeb saves you by having all these goodies right at your fingertips, then think of making good use of part of those savings. You don't have to become a supporter -- no one will ever mention it to you -- no one will think less of you; but it would sure be appreciated. If you DO contribute, please mention in your comments which Mailing List or Web Site prompted you to do so. Regards, SgtGeorge