Hi all, A few of you have asked "what is GenConnect?" This description below came from another list, but is excellent. I have tried to include the parts that will answer your questions, BUT if I left soemthing off, or you think of something else, PLEASE do NOT hesitate to ask!! Love to all & have a Happy week! Momma Walton <>< 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 search able 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 It allows the visitorto customize the display of the board, and to access older messages that have been archived. 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 (EVEN OURS!!!) 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 search ability 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 intheir possession, in time there would be a very valuable storehouse of information for the benefit of future genealogists. How do I find the appropriate GenConnect board for posting my messages? 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 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 admin'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 admins 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