Genealogy Tip By _Joan Young_ (mailto:joan@volunteer.rootsweb.com) Are Your Genealogy Posts Getting Lost in the Forest? Everyone has considered the age-old question "if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around, does it make a sound?" Both sides of that issue can be debated with valid arguments. However, when it comes to family history research there can be no debate about the difficulty in posting queries or data that will help interested people find your posts. This is especially true when your message concerns ancestors with surnames (last names) that are also common words or given names (first names). When you are researching surnames such as FOREST, LANE, ROBINS, or ROBERT, make use of all available options at your disposal at the time you post the message, and also when searching for existing posts. If you are not careful with common-word surnames your message will be like the tree that falls in the forest and no one will see or hear it. Some pointers that may help you when posting and searching are: 1) Post your queries in places such as the RootsWeb/Ancestry _message boards_ (http://link.rootsweb.com/u.d?L4GnlSPskvyok_8N6jUdZ=12991) where the database offers a dedicated surname field. Enter only the surnames found in your query in the surname box. Enter the surnames in a manner that will enable proper indexing for future searches. If you enter: ROBERT(S) or LANE/LAINE your surnames may not be found in a search unless someone were to enter the names exactly as you wrote them which is unlikely. Enter the surnames and variants individually with a comma and space to separate them: LANE, LAINE, ROBERT, ROBERTS. Do not enter any characters or symbols, dashes or slashes, which may cause the searcher to miss your entries or may introduce non-surnames into the search field. The words "and" "or" "etc." and "family" a re not surnames and should not be entered into the surnames box. Properly entered surnames in a dedicated field will yield only surnames and no extraneous words in a search. While most researchers will perform a search to find your message, some people prefer to browse through all messages on a board scanning the posts for items of interest. Commas separating surnames make it easier for researchers who browse to find names they are seeking. Your VAN WINKLE ancestors might be mistaken for separate surnames VAN and WINKLE unless you make use of commas as delimiters. Surname box entries listed: LANE, VAN WINKLE, ROBERT, ROBERTS make it clear exactly which surnames are included in your message. Don't let your VAN WINKLEs sleep for another twenty years. 2) If you are posting your query or data in a database that has no dedicated surname search feature (such as the RootsWeb _mailing list archives_ (http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/search) ), be sure to include as much information about your ancestor as possible to help others find your message. For example: if your query concerns James ROBERT of Perth, Australia be sure to include the full name and location in your post. Many search engines permit searches for full names such as: "James ROBERT" or perform Boolean searches for James NEAR ROBERT, or James AND ROBERT, or even "James ROBERT" AND Australia. Try various combinations of search criteria to find the maximum number of posts. 3) Make use of online databases for posting or uploading your family tree. Family Tree databases such as RootsWeb's _WorldConnect_ (http://link.rootsweb.com/u.d?X4GnlSPskvyok_8N6jUdv=13011) will always have a search engine that finds the surnames included in your tree and not similarly-spelled extraneous words. After reading the above information, are you having second thoughts about your existing RootsWeb message board posts? Here's an additional tip: you can now edit (or delete) your own posts on the boards. So, do a search for your posts and fix errors in surname entries, or remove obsolete queries and post an updated message. Don't let your queries be like the fallen tree in the empty forest never to be seen or heard from again. Reprints Permission to reprint articles from RootsWeb Review is granted unless specifically stated otherwise, provided: 1. the reprint is used for non-commercial, educational purposes; and 2. the following notice appears at the end of the article: Previously published in RootsWeb Review: 9 March 2011, Vol. 14, No. 3