lurkers... you know who you are... you are on the list and read the posts... but you don't make posts... you don't tell the others on the list the names that you are searching.... and even with prompting and encouragement, lurkers do not raise their surname flags and so do not meet others on the list that are related to them.... it is a shame. an avenue of contact totally unexplored days and months lost in the search for family and for information. and me, i sit here knowing full well that there are others of your family also lurking on the list... and know that with each day, you miss out on contact with family... and i cannot do ANYTHING about it except to encourage you to make a simple post. i started this list with the intention of giving all schaumburgers and palatine and elk grove folks a common place to meet, to discuss their family groups... or just to put their surnames in a listing so that others know how to reach you..... a lurker does not just hurt themselves, they hurt too others who are looking for them, others who subscribed to the list for the very purpose of meeting family members, the info submitted to the list of secondary import. each time a person subscribes, I send a note stating that they should make a posting about the surnames they are linked to.... seldom does a post hit the list... so, if you are holding back because you are not sure HOW... then the address is [email protected] or [email protected] or [email protected] all you have to do is click on one of the addresses above and it should create an email form, neatly addressed... YOU on the other hand actually have to add a subject and something in the text. the sooner you make a post, the sooner you might be lucky enough to meet someone from your own family group.... and that is that! valentien