Dear list, The following was in this week's edition of RootsWeb Review and I thought it was appropriate to send on to the list. If you'd like to read the entire edition, it will be available in the archives in a few days (issue "Dec 28") at: http://rwr.rootsweb.com/2005.html Jackie Volunteer Administrator GODARD mailing list & message board 1c. USING ROOTSWEB: Resolutions for 2006 Nora NEWLEAF has been using various resources at RootsWeb and over the past year has been reminded on more than one occasion that she has not been using them as effectively as she could be. So, Nora has decided to make a few New Year's resolutions. In using RootsWeb mailing lists, Nora resolves: 1). That should her e-mail address change, she will properly send an unsubscribe request for all of her subscribed lists after requesting a list of all lists from Password Central (http://passwordcentral.rootsweb.com/) which she can access via the Passwords tab in at the top of any RootsWeb page. She will send a new e-mail from her old address while it is still valid, to [email protected] or [email protected] (replacing the generic word LISTNAME with the actual list name, of course). Nora will then use her new e-mail address to send a subscribe request to the same addresses listed above. 2). That should she wish to send a message to her lists that she feels is important, but which might not fall within the subject matter for list discussion, she will check with the list admin privately before doing so. (She learned the hard way when she created havoc on a few of her lists this past year by sending a message to everyone in her address book including her lists about a virus warning.) She had been informed promptly by the list administrator that she shouldn't have done this and that if she had questions about what was allowed and not allowed on a list she could contact that person privately by writing to: [email protected] (replacing the word LISTNAME with the actual name of the list). 3). To be polite to list members and not to send any "flame" e-mails. She learned that in Internet language "flaming" is personally attacking someone. Nora resolves to "cool off" before drafting a reply to any e-mail that upsets her on a list. 4). To not reply to an improper list message when she sees one posted. She has also learned not to quote any improper list messages in subsequent responses. She vows to leave list management to the list administrator rather than trying to step in and comment. 5). To think things through before posting a query on a list -- to be sure she is including all pertinent data and making clear what information she is seeking. 6). To reply to list posts that have been "gatewayed" from a corresponding message board by clicking on the included link and replying on the board. In using RootsWeb/Ancestry message boards, Nora resolves: 1). To find the most relevant message board (http://boards.rootsweb.com) for posting her message and post the message only on this board rather than spamming her message across numerous boards. She learned this tactic is not appreciated as the boards are universally searchable and if a message is properly posted on one board, anyone can find it in a search of the boards in the future. 2). To make proper use of the surname box and subject to show clearly the focus of the message and to include only the surnames found in the message properly formatted with each surname listed separated by a comma and space -- not all the surnames she is researching. 3). To login under the account she uses for posting on the message boards every time she plans to post a message so that she can make full use of the capability to update her account information (including global e-mail address updates) when needed. -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.1.371 / Virus Database: 267.14.8 - Release Date: 12/27/2005