Dotty in Sunny Florida wrote: > It has been my experience that many folk are realy just beginners with the > internet and someone suggests joining some list or other and they do that. > When I joined the Denmark list several months ago, I got slammed a few times > for asking what I thought were good questions. Oldtimers on the list > mistook my questions for requests for others to do my legwork for me. I > simply did not realize what was out there for me to use on my own. Now that > I have been subscribed to several lists for a few months, I know that > newcomers ask the questions that have been answered by the oldtimes over and > over again. But that is the way of lists. Dotty, you are right. My answer to Judy was a little testy. * Dieter

I read these comments on the "German Kingdoms" list: > It has been my experience that many folk are really just > beginners with the internet and someone suggests joining > some list or other and they do that. When I joined the > Denmark list several months ago, I got slammed a few times > for asking what I thought were good questions. and > There is a mailing list called > GEN-NEWBIE-L-request@rootsweb.com. > This is great for finding out the protocol on the lists. > We were all newbies once, and made many mistakes. > I too have been the victim of "flames". We need to > all be tolerant of newbies and try to distinguish > between people making off the wall requests, vs. just > not knowing. It is hard to determine this. This is precisely the reason I created the GermanyGenWeb site http://users.rootsweb.com/~deuhes/Hessen/index.htm three years ago. I took questions that had been asked and answered a zillion times and built a database (website) with 18 zillion answers. Our Welcome Message and Follow-Up Message, "Some Helpful Tips," point the new subscriber straight to the website. They are urged to go there first, study all that is available (history, maps, boundaries, towns, and so much more) BEFORE asking questions on the Hesse mailing list. This procedure has virtually eliminated arguments, debates, flame wars, and questions which aggravate the oldtimers and those around the world who must pay for every second they are online. In fact, we call our website, mailing list, and query board "teaching" instruments. But note that ANYONE can ask ANY question on the Hesse mailing list as long as it deals with genealogy in Hessen, and post on the query board as long as it involves Hessen. They may be directed right back to the website, but that is where the gold-mine of information is located. At the website we have a special Technical Support link, computer problems link, chatrooms (2), so that the mailing list itself is not tied down with these type questions and "visiting". (The Hesse list Moderator has zero tolerance for "slamming." He handles it privately, however, unless stuff gets totally out-of-hand). Researchers seeking information in all 16 German states can use the GermanyGenWeb-Hessen site as a primary research tool. And it provides links to all 16 German states, and all Rootsweb mailing lists concerning Germany - and many other countries in Europe. "Relentless Pursuit" and "Never Give Up" are our mottos. Our Hessen researchers get their questions answered first, of course. But we have three experts listed on the Hessen website home page who can answer most questions, and we are searching for others who _know_ what they are doing in Germany and are willing to volunteer their time. Visit our website, but don't abandon your list. The Hesse mailing list is for Hessen. You can, however, make this one happy family by sharing warmth and hospitality wherever you go! ;~) Don Watson, List Owner, Hesse-L (where no question is dumb or stupid and no one needs to be afraid to ask), and WebMaster, GermanyGenWeb-Hessen, http://go.to/Hessen