-----Original Message----- From: Sandy <teylu@home.com> To: USGENWEB-ALL-L@rootsweb.com <USGENWEB-ALL-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Thursday, June 10, 1999 2:22 PM Subject: Re: [USGENWEB-ALL-L] Improving Our Ability to Serve the Public > > >Leigh, > >I am sorry my message made you angry. >That genuinely was not my intent. > >I readily admit I am distressed by RW's creation of it's own county >cluster pages. > >I also confess you accurately interpreted a certain level of "righteous >indignation" in the tone of my message, which frankly, I should have >done a better job of masking. > >This *is* a controversial issue, and opinions are varied. I am a firm >beliver it is entirely possible to have diametrically opposed opinions, >both of which are equally valid. > >My reaction to Brian's letter was very much the result of my view that >he has made some sweeping assumptions (which I believe are false) as to >the goals of USGenWeb, as opposed to the goals of RootsWeb. > >I believe he has mixed them up! > >I want to sort them out! > >I am absolutely willing to continue as I have in the past, to examine >the ways in which the goals of USGW may be compatible with the goals of RootsWeb. > >I am quite willing to listen and give careful consideration to the ways >in which others, including yourself, view RootsWeb's county cluster >pages as compatible with - or even helpful to, the efforts of USGW. > >I make no pretense about my current feelings regarding RW's cluster >pages. I view them as splintering the project. I do not think their >creation is in the best interests of USGW. > >I do believe these pages are a good business move for RootsWeb. >I have nothing against that. > >I believe the discussions will be far more productive if we first >separate the entities and acknowledge the separate goals of each. >As part of that process, I think USGW should develop an official >*statement* of the projects goal(s). > >Then we can examine the extent to which USGW goals may or may not be >compatible with the goals of RootsWeb. > >I think this is fair. > >I do not believe it is fair for Brian or anyone to assume all goals of >these two very different entities are necessarily the same, nor to imply >that what's "good for RootsWeb is always good for USGW." > >The tone of my email which angered you reflected my own reaction to such >an implication or assumption. I believe the assumption is false. > >Again, I apologize that I angered you. >It was a byproduct, not an intent. > >Sandy >----------- > >Leigh Compton wrote: >> >> Sandy: >> >> It makes me ANGRY to see such a hostile response to Brian's announcement of >> new RootsWeb resources. Maybe you misunderstood the facilities that >> RootsWeb has put into place. >> >> Here's the note I am sending to all the County Coordinators in ALGenWeb. I >> see RootsWeb's enhancements as helping us as USGenWeb volunteers to do a >> better job. >> >> >Folks: >> > >> >The following letter is from Brian Leverich, founder of RootsWeb. It >> >announces new facilities at RootsWeb to complement the USGenWeb county home >> >pages. Many of us have been using resources at RootsWeb: county pages >> >located on the RootsWeb servers, GenConnect boards to gather queries or as >> >supplements to another query system. Mailing lists for over 1/2 the Alabama >> >counties have been created and have been active at RootsWeb -- some for >> >several years. >> > >> >Now -- RootsWeb will be creating a mailing list and GenConnect boards for >> >every county. You, as County Coordinator, will be given the first >> >opportunity to adminster any new RootsWeb resources. If, however, there >> >was already a county mailing list, the adminstration will remain as before. >> >(You may or may not be the mailing list manager for an existing mailing >> list. >> >I am for 2 of my counties, but the mailing list for Calhoun County has >> >another list manager, for example.) There will also be a web page for >> >every county which points to *** ROOTSWEB-only *** resources for the county. >> >So, this web page will point to mailing lists and GenConnect boards for the >> >county. It will also point to the USGenWeb site for the county -- IF THAT >> >PAGE IS ON ROOTSWEB. (If a county site exists on RootsWeb for another >> >genealogical project such as ALHN, the RootsWeb page will (also?) point to >> >that location.) It will have search boxes to search the most common >> >databases on RootsWeb such as Surname Helper, GenSeeker, RootsLink, mailing >> >list archives, etc. >> > >> >These "county cluster" resources are not a replacement for the USGenWeb >> >county pages. There is no intention to provide the type of information >> >that USGenWeb provides such as addresses of libraries, addresses of court >> >houses, locations of cemeteries, etc. It will not provide assistance in >> >locating reference material for the county. It will simply provide a single >> >point of entry to ROOTSWEB resources. >> > >> >Even if your county page is hosted on another server, it would be helpful >> >to researchers visiting your page if you were to add a link to the cluster >> >page for your county. If you want to administer the mailing lists and >> >GenConnect boards for your county, you need to speak up now. >> >> Regards, >> Leigh >> >> ==== USGENWEB-ALL Mailing List ==== >> The USGenWeb Project is not a commercial project. > > >==== USGENWEB-ALL Mailing List ==== >The USGenWeb Project is not a commercial project. >