-----Original Message----- From: Holly Timm <hollyft@bright.net> To: USGenWeb-SE-L@rootsweb.com <USGenWeb-SE-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Saturday, June 12, 1999 8:57 AM Subject: Re: [USGenWeb-SE-L] Re: [Board-Exec-L] Resource pages >At 11:17 AM 6/12/99 -0400, jpowelljr wrote: >>My thoughts... Some of you will get this way more than >>once. I hope you will accept my apology for that... I am >>listening for your comments. > >and a thought from me.... I have been with USGenWeb since virtually the >beginning and frankly, form the attitude of a few vocal people, IF RootsWeb >had linked to each and every USGenWeb County whereever it was, we would >quickly hear these same people screaming that RW was stealing USGenWeb. >Frankly, I do not think that RootsWeb has done anything wrong by improving >the navigation of RootsWeb for visitors to Rootsweb. The USGenWeb sites are >not the be all and end all of what RootsWeb does and provides. I recently >gave a talk to a local group on Resources at RootsWeb (it was titled >Ramblin' 'Round RootsWeb) without visiting any USGenWeb sites because USGW >had been covered previously and did not have enough time in my allotted 90 >minutes to adequately show everything RootsWeb has that is NOT USGenWeb. > >RootsWeb has been extremely supportive and patient with USGenWeb in spite >of the frequent attacks and innuendo against it. Here, any USGenWeb CC has >free web space, free mail lists, free query boards and other wonderful >tools. In return, RootsWeb does not even require us to have a Rootsweb logo >on our pages. Over and over I hear people talking as if RootsWeb is getting >rich off of USGenWeb, have any of you priced serious server hardware >lately??? or the cost of bandwidth in and out??? or wages for the staff who >labor to bring us newer and better tools???? > >Brian and all of the staff are committed to free genealogy online and >always have been. Pressed financially, they seek alternate ways of >continuing to maintain and expand RootsWeb without having to charge for >access to data. I am both ashamed and horrified by the current discussion >in one state about seriously banning having any of that states county sites >at RootsWeb. Rootsweb is damned for openly incorporating Rootsweb but in >almost the same breath, others are excused for secretly incorporating >USGenWeb itself. Something smells to me. > >Holly Timm > > >>At first, I was VERY upset. Why? I'm not really sure. I >>try very hard to look at both sides of everything. Those >>pages aren't all bad, but the spin from them definitely >>isn't very positive. I guess my reaction was mainly at the >>lack of respect that Rootsweb seems to have shown all of us >>by not asking our opinions and just springing this on us. >>It looks like they are pushing us around instead of playing >>on the team. (Their decision, we all have to live with it >>now) Is Rootsweb willing to be part of the team? I am not >>trying to tell Brian or Rootsweb how to run their business, >>but it is my belief that they should add prominent links to >>all State pages and at least link to county projects off of >>Rootsweb. Why? Because they would really like to be a team >>player. Because they haven't figured goodwill into the >>amount of hits that receive. Because they really do care >>about the Project. >>I'm still trying to sort it all out as I'm sure most of you >>are, everyone has some merit to their positions on this >>one. I include in this statement, Brian and Rootsweb, the >>Advisory Board Members, Teresa and the DBS, every XXGenWeb >>and Special Project Volunteer. Wear the other guy's shoes >>for a moment. Look at the world through their eyes. >>Sometimes it is only a tiny thing that really separates us. >> >>Some thoughts that may or may not have bearing on the >>above. Why am I part of all of this Project ???... >>I started down this road because people in this Project had >>helped me and I wanted to return their generosity to the >>Project Community. I had always been a Volunteer at >>something, and this just felt right. It feels to good to >>share, and to share with family even better and if you look >>at this in the way that I do, we are all cousins, we just >>haven't proved the connection yet. >>I am a bit obsessive, I, through some stroke of luck (good >>or bad), fate or divine intervention, have come up with a >>job that helps with my Volunteering with this Project... I >>have become the "Ancient Records Coordinator" for the >>Alachua County (FL) Clerk of the Courts Office. I took a >>pay cut to take the job, a substantial one. But then again, >>I am much richer than I could be with money. (There does >>have to be money here somewhere to keep our information >>online) My loyalties lie with Genealogy and History and the >>researchers that are out there looking for connections. >> >>We CAN work together, if we want to... I want to... >> >>Thanks for listening Cousins, >>Jim Powell Jr >>Waldo, FL >> >>Goodbye "Bones" (Dr. McCoy) DeForest Kelley. >> >> Family Homepage: Http://www.afn.org/~afn03098/ >>Coordinator of Henderson County KyGenweb Page >> Http://www.rootsweb.com/~kyhender/ >>Coordinator of Gilchrist County FLGenWeb Page >> Http://www.rootsweb.com/~flgilchr/ >>Coordinator of Alachua County FLGenWeb Page >> Http://www.rootsweb.com/~flalachu/ >>Coordinator of Bradford County FLGenWeb Page >> Http://www.rootsweb.com/~flbradfo/ >>Assistant State Coordinator FLGenWeb >>Ancient Records Coordinator / Alachua County, FL, Clerk of >>the Courts Office >> >> >>==== USGenWeb-SE Mailing List ==== >>Congratulations new SE/MA CC Rep! >>Jim Powell, Jr <jpowelljr@worldnet.att.net> > > >==== USGenWeb-SE Mailing List ==== >Announcements - official project announcements/business >http://www.usgenweb.org/official/official.html >