J.J. Johnson posted this information on another mailing list. I thought it was excellent information and was worthy of passing along to y'all.... J.J. Johnson Writes: Hello Kuzinz, To make your query work harder for you remember the old rules of news reporting and include as many of the following things possible: WHO: State the names of people as completely as you can. WHAT: Try to limit your query to one or two specific events or bits of information. Post another one or more later with additional questions rather than load all your questions into one. In this way each of your questions will stand out and get attention. WHEN: Dates are important, if you don't know the day, month and year try to put in a period (1790's, late 1800's etc.) WHERE: Mention the location in the body of the query. Include a more specific location if you can. WHY: Why are you searching for this(these) individual(s)? Describe your connection to him/her. HOW: How your query appears will often get subscriber's attention. Check spelling, grammar and format. Apply the KISS SYSTEM: Keep It Simple Simple. SUBJECT FIELD: To get the most from your query, place the SURNAME, LOCATION, YEAR in the subject field. Remember, many subscribers belong to multiple list servers. Some go through their mail looking at subject fields only. REPETITION: Once you have an acceptable looking query, save it. Use it again about once a month, because new members join often. Also, you may use it on web sites that accept them. EXAMPLE: Here is an example of one of my standard querys. Look for the ingredients mentioned above. ---Begin Example--- FROM: [email protected] SUBJECT: JOHNSON, b.14Jul1914, Sevier County, AR MESSAGE: James Howard JOHNSON was born in DeQueen of Sevier County, AR on 14Jul1914. He married Treacy Blanch PENG in 1937 in AR. He was a musician and trick roper with a rodeo. Offspring are: Rosetta Lawanda, b1938, TN Anice Irene, b1943, TN James William, b1944, TN (This is me!) James Howard is my father; I haven't heard from him since 1954. At that time, he lived in Lamar, CO and had remarried to Helen ?? Since his name doesn't appear in the SSDI, I am working on the belief that he is still alive. ---End Example--- REMEMBER: Your goal is to get information. A list server (discussion group) such as this is an excellent means for helping you reach it. Make the query work! By following these recommendations, your query stands a better chance of being read and you may make that great contact that you need. GOOD QUERIES CONNECT...jj ---------------------------------------------- J.J. Johnson ([email protected]) http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/4143 ----------------------------------------------