Dear East-Texas-Rooters, Someone named Arthur Leal has taken offense at some of the recent messages on East-Texas-Roots and posted several rude, SHOUTING messages to the list. Arthur's messages posted on the list are at least as inappropriate as the messages he was complaining about. I know that some of you -- many of you -- agree with Arthur in thinking that there is far too much "chit-chat" going on on this list. To those of you who dislike the chit-chatting: the best and most positive thing you can do is counter it with positive messages that present the kind of direct genealogical content that you yourself are looking for. Please post your queries, post information about your families, respond positively to questions you see on the list that you know the answer for (e.g., queries about geographical places, or ways things were done back in East Texas years ago). For those of you who INSIST on sending genealogical poems, virus alerts, missing children reports and ANYTHING that is FORWARDED, please listen up! This is YOUR list, and I try as much as possible to keep from being heavy-handed, but there really *is* a lot of chit-chat going on. The chit-chat, the stuff that isn't really genealogy, needs to be sent to the *personal email addresses* of those people on the list who would have an interest in what you are saying. Once more, with feeling. You should NEVER send *anything* to more than two Rootsweb lists at a time. You should make an effort to get clearly in mind what is appropriate and what is not appropriate for the list. You should LEARN HOW to use your email program so that when you need to send messages to someone's personal email address, you know how to do it. Every single organization that you belong to in the real world has certain minimal operating rules and instructions and this list does, too. You need to be willing to do your part in just a few areas, and one of them is knowing when to send to the list and when to send to an individual or to a few people privately, using their personal email addresses. Playing by these few rules means being a good netizen, and shows consideration of your neighbor, which is a HUGE East-Texas trait. Some people do have to call long distance to get online and download email. Even if they pay a flat fee, very often people have a very, very short amount of time each day that they can spend on genealogy. When that is the case, people want to really hone in on things. They want the email they get to pertain to genealogy and history of East-Texas. They have a right to expect that nearly all of the messages will have *some* worthwhile genealogical content. A little while ago, when some people were enjoying threads that contained a lot of memories of the early days of this century, primarily, some people were unhappy, and I believe that a couple of lists were created specifically for those kinds of discussions. Let's do make use of those lists for things that are not really genealogy. I am not going to worry about an *occasional* genealogical poem or genealogy joke. We *do* need to lighten up. I am going to be very understanding and patient with those who are just learning, and those who accidentally send something to the list that was meant to go somewhere else. But please, people, use your common sense and good manners. If someone has sent a genealogical poem, don't send a dozen more. Wait a while and then if you must, send just one and do not ever send virus alerts, missing children, non-genealogical material and especially, do not send religious material to this list. I know that people are starting to send holiday greetings, and it seeems really unfriendly for a very friendly, helpful list not to send holiday greetings to each other. Perhaps a way to solve that would be to ask everyone to send some real honest-to-goodness genealogical information or query -- and then add holidays greetings to everyone at the bottom, if you so desire. That way, everyone knows you wish them a happy holiday, and those who are looking for genealogical content (as they have every right to do -- that is what this list is for) -- will receive what they are looking for. EVERYONE -- please DO NOT RESPOND ON LIST TO ARTHUR LEAL or to this topic. And, one more reminder -- when you do send your genealogical information, please DO put the SURNAME(S), place and time period if possible, in the subject header. NO ROLL CALLS in the subject header. What I would like for Christmas would be for everyone to write a really good query Given Names, Surnames, dates or range of dates, place (city, county or AT LEAST general area) putting at least the SURNAME and PLACE and/or TIME PERIOD in the Subject Header. What a joy if everyone participated and everyone cooperated so that people could see immediately by the subject header what to expect in the body of the message. What I would like for Christmas would be for people to use their common sense. If you are telling substantive information to another person, send it to the list. If you are just asking if that person's ancestor was ever in TN or something, send it privately. Then, if you have a match, and have information to exchange, let the list in on it. A good way to do that would be to write to the list and tell us that you and so and so have been exchanging information on, for example, the POWER family of Nacogdoches and Panola counties from about 1860 on, summarize the information, giving the primary people involved and their info, and offer to send further info to those interested. And those who are interested, *ask for it privately, OFF-LIST*. Ah joy! I do not believe that Arhtur Leal has been a subscriber long enough to know what a basically great group of friendly, helpful, caring people you are, in addition to there being very many experienced researchers who are able to help with all kinds of problems and questions, in addition to the newcomers and those struggling to learn the Internet. All of you -- newcomers, oldtimers, experienced researchers, those just doing family history for the first time -- you all have my support and appreciation!! Thanks very much in advance for your cooperation. Sincerely, Pam Phillips Listowner East-Texas-Roots Email: webpsalms@iname.com