Hi everyone, Below are the list guidelines. They're long, but they cover every aspect of who we are and how we operate. This will be the new welcome message every person receives when they join us. Any questions? You're welcome to email me at <[email protected]>. Colleen [email protected][email protected][email protected][email protected][email protected][email protected][email protected][email protected][email protected][email protected][email protected][email protected][email protected][email protected][email protected][email protected][email protected][email protected] Hi there, Please print this letter out and keep it by your computer. This will be a rather long read and for that I apologize in advance. However, I do ask that you read all this. There is very important data inside that you need to aware of. I won't do this to you again, I promise! :) Topics include: 1. Who I am 2. How I operate the lists 3. List guidelines 4. CHAT: forum 5. Virus messages, roll calls, etc. 6. Subscribe/unsubscribe information 7. To post messages to the list 8. Going on vacation? 9. Still having trouble? WHO I AM Please allow me to introduce myself to you properly. My name is Colleen Pustola [2-l's and 2-e's in Colleen, please]. I'm the wife of a recently retired soldier, and the mother of five with two still at home. My pseudonym, Lady Audris, comes from one of my former obsessions :) as a living historian/teacher of the medieval period. I've been researching my lines for 30 years, teaching this science for 23, and guest-speaking at genealogical seminars and in schools for 20. Though I'm not Mormon, I did receive the bulk of my formal training from them so reciprocate by volunteering in their Family History Centers whenever we live near one. I've published my first book, the "Bower/Winchcomb Connection" and am working on six others including an update of the first. I am also the discussion coordinator for 30 other Rootsweb lists and have been one since 1998. Yes, I come to you with a LOT of experience. You now know my whole life in a nutshell! :) HOW I OPERATE THE LISTS In most of my messages to everyone, you will read "family" and "cousin[s]" all through them. That's because you have not joined an email list, but an online family. We are not "members of the list," we are cousins to each other. We may not be related by blood, but by coming together as one unit...we are a family. We respect each other and each other's abilities. Sharing and working together we'll break through these brick walls we've all been facing. Sharing and working together, we're also bound to develop a closeness to one another -- just like a family. I like that, many of the people on my other lists like it, and I hope you do, too. I don't like dictatorial listowners! Frankly, they make me nervous and afraid to post! Why would I want to do that you? So, I guess you could say I'm rather laid-back. Also, I can't see being stuck at a brick wall, joining a list for x-number of months, and reading one message after another day after day.....and going nowhere. I've done that too many times. Frankly, it's boring; I tune out on the list and pretty soon, drop it. Because of this, as a listowner I have a tendency to come up with off-list group project ideas for everyone that in-turn, return to the family. I decided when I became a listowner [after 6 years on email lists] that the list would not be "mine", but "ours" -- if we have a homesite it will not be "mine", but "ours." Why? You who are reading this have as much a vested interest in this family [this list] and any future home we might create as I would. And now that I've used the term several times already, I'd also like you to know that I don't like the title "listowner." I don't OWN this list. I coordinate it, I manage it, I administrate it, that's all. My goals? That one is easy ~~ find my own lost ancestors and in-line cousins at the same time ensuring that you do the same. THE NITTY-GRITTY... **THE DREADED LIST GUIDELINES** I do NOT mandate a "format-this-way" or "post-only-these-items" policy. We have three goals to achieve: 1. Enjoy ourselves! 2. Find our ancestral lines and inline cousins. 3. Get as much data online as possible to accomplish the first two! We do, however, have some guidelines that we follow in order to maintain a happy medium for everyone: 1. NEVER, but NEVER flame [verbally attack] anyone in the family. The penalty for this is IMMEDIATE removal from the list. If you have a problem with one of the cousins, do not post what you think about them. That's what I'm here for. There is never a justification to say hateful words and hurt someone. Hurt feelings get nobody anywhere and can make the entire group feel uneasy and unhappy. If you're unhappy with someone, direct it to me where we can discuss it. I want to emphasize to you all that the 'never flaming' rule is cardinal. It is up to me to maintain a healthy environment where we can all sort out our lines and break down walls. Having been on quite a few horrific lists, and for the protection of everyone, I act more quickly in "disturbances" than many other discussion coordinators might. Flames are TOTALLY unacceptable here and likewise, so is mud-slinging [put-downs; demeaning remarks made to someone about another cousin]. 2. Vulgarity and profanity before the family is very unwelcome and both are also grounds for IMMEDIATE removal. If someone else violates these rules, please do not send their message back to the list. That just magnifies the problem and defeats our attempts to work with each other. 2. Newbies to genealogy are VERY special here. We treat them with much kindness as they struggle to learn the where's and how's of not only how to do computer research, but how to participate in a discussion list without feeling afraid, intimidated, or demeaned. 3. Criticism is always gentle and constructive. We all make mistakes [I make them all the time!], and we need to remember that maybe not everyone is having as great a day as you are. If someone makes a mistake on something, go to their rescue and offer to help him/her fix the problem, if you know how. 4. Always show compassion towards a cousin who is having trouble with something. But first, always ask if he/she would like for you to help them learn. Please remember not to write any cousin and deliberately point out how many mistakes they have made. This would be outright rude, and we're all above that. That person might be having a rough day with mistakes spilling out every time they try to do something. We are all human beings and by no means perfect. I want us all to be happy and find our families, not fuss. We are not going to be like some of the other lists where there are so many problems the group is nearly destroyed. We are family. What I've been alluding to in the last five paragraphs is RESPECT... respect each other ~ each other's capabilities and each other's knowledge. You don't have to agree with one another. Just realize that what *you* know doesn't make you right, unless you can prove it with primary evidence. In the same token, *I'm* not always right, either. However, if we blend our knowledge together and with *US* working the problem, *WE* can accomplish everything! 5. When you post messages to the family, please always use a helpful subject line like "John Lee, d. 1800 MI," rather than a generic one like "inquiry about my family line." 6.) Your messages through Rootsweb must always be in text format. If you try to use HTML or MIME formats or try to send an attachment with your message, the Rootsweb server will simply kick your message out and bounce it to me as an error. This is their policy, not mine. 7.) Advertising. Technically, this list is not for any commercial use. However, the LEE list will accept brief announcements of books AND other resource material for sale that is specifically related to the surname. Don't include prices and ordering info; just include a pointer to a URL, a commercial mailing list, or an e-mail address where the complete ordering information can be found. In case of doubt, send the message to me, <[email protected]>, and I'll review it and forward it to the list, if appropriate. That's it. No harrassing "form your messages this and such way." No "you will...." Post anything you desire provided it's about our surname, genealogy and ancestral material. Off-topic items and discussion are covered in the next section. CHAT: FORUM There are times when you have something to say that's not on-topic for the list, but you think the family should know it. You have two choices here: you can either send it to me to be related to everyone or you can use the CHAT: format. There are two rules to using CHAT: 1. You _must_ start your subject line with CHAT: 2. Absolutely NO genealogy is to be put in CHAT: messages because not everyone in the family wants to read CHAT: forum messages. Those people know to simply delete messages with CHAT: in the subject line. CHAT: format messages are not an everyday occurrence. They happen here and there. The only, and longest, time the CHAT: forum is actively open is the period starting Thanksgiving day through to January 2nd so everyone can post holiday messages, recipes, traditions, etc. After that, the CHAT: forum closes and resumes its normal inactivity. VIRUS MESSAGES, ETC. We've had some pretty wicked viruses plague us the past several years. I was [thankfully] forewarned of two of them from a genealogy list I was on. Like everyone else however, I've also seen so many old virus warnings that I also get disgruntled when I see them again and again. However, I've noticed the old virus warnings usually get passed around by those new to computers, so... NEWBIES NOTE: If you are alerted to a virus warning - BEFORE you send a message to this family please check it out first to make sure it isn't a hoax. You can do so by going to <http://us.mcafee.com/virusInfo/default.asp?cid=9043> or <http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/vinfodb.html> and doing a search for the particular virus you are concerned about. Once you've ascertained you're not dealing with a hoax -- please use the CHAT: format to tell everyone. CHAIN LETTERS -- These are a bane to the existence of e-mail lists and the members on them. Please do not post chain-letters to the list. They serve no purpose other than to clog the system and make a lot of people cranky. "ME TOO!" MESSAGES -- I have yet to fully comprehend the purpose of this type of message other than to glut a list with yet more bandwidth. Unless we are taking a family vote - which if necessary, I will generate - please try not to post these to the list. Also, please realize that we are all quick to hit the 'reply' button [I do it too], and sometimes these slips will happen particularly with new cousins or especially, our newbies. ROLL CALLS -- If we need one, I'll generate it. Why me?... Because I have guidelines for our newbies that help them be able to participate, as well. I also try to help our lurkers be willing to join in. It does nobody any good to have a roll call if half the people can't/won't contribute. *****IMPORTANT!!! *****IMPORTANT!!!***** Below is a list of commands we use at Rootsweb. These commands are very simple to understand: TO SUBSCRIBE: Mail mode - means that you will receive every posting made to the LEE list as a separate e-mail. Send the command to subscribe to: [email protected] Put nothing except the word 'subscribe' [no quotes, just the word] on the top line of the message part of your e-mail. =~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~= Digest mode - means you'll receive all the postings in one large message. Send the command to subscribe to: [email protected] Put nothing except the word 'subscribe' [no quotes, just the word] on the top line of the message part of your e-mail. NOTE: Digests for the LEE list are set to be released every 12 hours OR once they have reached a total 20,000 bytes. Your receiving the digest may be on a daily or weekly basis, depending on the amount of traffic on the list. If there is a lot of traffic [messages], receiving the digest will be more frequent than if there were only three or four messages a day. =~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~= TO UNSUBSCRIBE: From the mail mode: send the command to unsubscribe to: [email protected] Put nothing except the word 'unsubscribe' [no quotes, just the word] on the top line of the message part of your e-mail. =~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~= From the digest mode: send the command to unsubscribe to: [email protected] Put nothing except the word 'unsubscribe' [no quotes, just the word] on the top line of the message part of your e-mail. =~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~= TO CHANGE FROM ONE MAIL METHOD TO THE OTHER: Unsubscribe yourself from whichever mail method you are currently using, and subscribe yourself to the other one. =~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~= TO POST MESSAGES TO THE LIST: ALL messages should be posted to [email protected] even if you are subscribed to the digest mode. Messages posted to [email protected] will come out in both the mail mode and the digest. Please, try to always use a helpful subject line rather than a generic one. Let your subject line speak as a brief introduction to the contents of your message. This mailing list is not moderated. Any mail sent to [email protected] will automatically be sent to everyone on the list. Any time you receive something from the LEE list, hitting the reply button will send the message back to the list. =~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~=~~= IF YOU GO ON VACATION, ETC. Please, please, please unsubscribe yourself, then subscribe again when you return. You're welcome to send in as many queries as you want to. This is your list and your time to find out everything you can about your family. Please don't give up even if it takes a while to get started; I just know you will find them. STILL HAVING TROUBLE? Have no fear! :) You can email me at <[email protected]>. You should know though, that I am extremely busy at this end. Rest assured, that I won't forget about you and will take care of you just as quickly as I can. But, if don't respond to your message after two weeks, please feel free to contact me again just to make sure your e-mail didn't get sent into cyberspace. If you've made it this far without falling asleep, then I thank you for reading it all. My attempts to get you filled-in have not gone to waste. Colleen Pustola Discussion Coordinator [email protected]