Hi, There is a little more on the new company with our name, I have included that info. below this Indiana news. Whitley County Indiana has moved to a new location,you will find it at; http://home.whitleynet.org/genealogy/gswc.htm#genweb Be sure to update any links to the site. Now for the news on the new company,a few of you have asked about our name being copyrighted or covered by registered trademark,as I understand it it may in fact be covered but since we are NOT incorporated it would be difficult for us to fight this.We have no official board to take this to court and since these others registered the name they may win anyway.I am not sure of the new company's intentions,they may be willing to work with us but we would have no way to stop them if they decided to do something that we don't approve of. Here is a message I received from the founders of the new company (USGenWeb Inc.) It is a rather long message but is worth reading. ***********START MESSAGE************************************ Please forgive the delay in getting this message to each of you. We have been sending messages to the State Coordinator's List and to the USGenWeb-All List, but we just discovered that those messages are not going through to anyone. These lists may not be current, so please forgive any bounces this message may cause. We just want to do our best to get the truth of the matter into your mail boxes. Thank you for you patience and for all you do to make The USGenWeb Project a national success for genealogists everywhere. Here is the very long message I sent to all the lists yesterday: ------------------------------------------------------------------ Dear Friends, Lucy and I have committed a serious error in judgement. In our effort to help a project in which we truly believe and to which we have devoted our lives for well over two years, we have, instead, dealt a serious blow to cooperation and love among genealogists. For that we sincerely apologize. If our actions have created a financial burden to any person within this entire community, please provide us with documentation and we will reimburse you immediately. We are not aware of any such burdens, but we stand ready to face whatever music you feel is appropriate. We also apologize that you were made aware, by someone other than ourselves, of our forming the USGenWeb, Inc. entity. The circumstances under which the corporation was formed were changed mid-stream and we chose to not publish the information at all. On Monday, 16 March 1998, having been asked about the corporation, we entered into discussion with the National Coordinator. Then, yesterday, I was allowed an audience with the USGW Board. We were giving them opportunity to decide what approach they would have us take, with the understanding that we would release our announcement when they felt it appropriate, if at all. Again, we apologize that you were not allowed to know the reasons compelling us to incorporate, before all the questions and accusations hit these lists. We have now spent nearly $8,000, not counting normal connectivity charges, postage, long-distance phone charges, travel costs, books, etc., etc. (the stuff all you folks also do in pursuit of this hobby), all in an effort to further the work of FREE genealogical data and research on the internet. We have not received one nickel from our activities, nor have we done any of what we've done in an effort to make a profit. I realize no one believes me when I make that statement, but it is true, nonetheless. We also recognize that we have now ruined our reputation, as well as our effectiveness. For that, we are also very sorry. We are guilty of stupidity and bad judgement. Other than that, we have no problem facing the One who will judge us all. For what it's worth, here is the announcement that was never published: Thursday, March 19, 1998 MEMORANDUM TO: USGenWeb Project participants and associates FROM: USGenWeb, Inc. SUBJECT: We are legal, at last! As we begin the third calendar year of the USGenWeb Project's existence, we are excited to be able to announce that we are finally a legal organization, with all the rights, privileges, opportunities, and responsibilities granted by the laws of the United States of America. We no longer need to be concerned about whether we have protection against copyright infringements, libel, slander, theft or any other threat against property or life, as granted by those laws. We ARE protected, as of January 1, 1998. That was the good news! And, now, for those of you are looking for the bad news-NONE has been identified. We encourage all current participants in the USGenWeb Project, including the Census Project, the Archives Project, the Tombstone Project, the Civil War Project, the Surname Project and all other current projects or sub-projects to take advantage of our new legal status. You are welcome to place a statement about copyright protection, as granted under the Corporate Shell, as you see fit for your pages. We wish to assure all State Coordinators and County Coordinators that your web sites are and will continue to be your own property. Copyrights of all materials contributed to the USGenWeb Archives are and will continue to be vested in the contributor. In other words, nothing has changed, except the gaining of legal status and all its benefits to the entire organization. The Articles of Incorporation have not and will not presume to take any ownership of those pages. You may have all the benefits you want without giving up any personal rights. As stated above, all USGenWeb Project will continue, business as usual, with the addition of benefits as provided by the corporate shell. The National Coordinator and the USGW Board remain in charge of the USGenWeb Project, just as are all USGW Archives Managers, State Coordinators and County Coordinators. USGenWeb.Inc is not taking control of any part of the project. The USGenWeb Project will continue as we have been, operating from the normal URL of http://www.usgenweb.com/ We hope you will be pleased about this new legal status. Should you have any further questions or concerns, please contact one of the three officers of USGenWeb, Inc. Best regards to all, Capt. Pat Smith Capt.Pat@rootsquest.com Lucy N Dill lnd@rootsquest.com Jerry E Dill jed@rootsquest.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- And finally, I apologize for the *very* long message in your inbox--especially to those of you who happen to be on more than one of these lists. Jerry E Dill, CPA Administrative Manager RootsQuest.Com 811 Terry Drive Emmett, ID 83617-3170 (208) 365-5328 FAX: (208) 365-9495 or 365 -1270 http://www.rootsquest.com jed@rootsquest.com CPA.Dill@MCI2000.com ICQ UIN 3711901 Treasurer and Systems Administrator United States Internet Genealogical Society http://www.usigs.org Systems Administrator USGenWeb.Com http://www.usgenweb.com USGenWeb Idaho Archives Manager http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/id/idfiles.htm DILL Surname - DILL Family Reunion "Site of the World's Largest Pickle" http://www.rootsquest.com/cpadill/dillgen/dill.html