One of the candidates posted their intent, if elected to set up a "fund" for purchasing domain names and hosting for the project to get it off of Rootsweb. I accidentily deleted that e-mail evidently as I now can not find it. Anyway, My question is for that candidate. Why do you fell this is a priority and do you plan if elected to put this decision to the CC's for a vote as to their wishes? Do you think that is a more important issue than setting up some rules and standards? While this is pointed to the candidate who made that statement regarding buying domains and hosting, I would like to hear feedback from all candidates on this issue. Laverne Tornow Nicollet County

Good Morning. Thank you for the question Laverne. I am re-posting my objectives. Funding for the purchase of a domain and server is # 5. Setting up by-laws, policies and procedures is #2 I listed the objectives in order of what I felt was important in my original post. They are: Appoint 3 Assistant County Coordinators who will each be responsible for a set of Counties. Create a Committee to write Bylaws, Policies & Procedures Update State Pages Encourage and facilitate the adoption of all Minnesota Counties. Institute a system of finances [Volunteer Donations] to purchase a domain name and server space so that Minnesota can be hosted off of RootsWeb. Mentor New County Coordinators / Enlist a group of knowledgeable people who are able to mentor using various software and systems. Assist and encourage the updating and accumulation of research data from sources that are not readily evident. Educate County Coordinators as to new or alternate methods of data presentation. Now to specifically address the issue of funding. Yes, this would be something that we would vote on. The reasons for taking any State or County off of RW/Anc is, in my opinion, obvious. 1. RW/Ans is a not so friendly system where State Coordinators have little control over issues that come up. 2. The purchase of a domain name and server space would enhance our online visibility. 3. Server Hosts provide better service and include up to date software for many other services. Martha

My honest opinion is purchasing domain names and a hosting contract should be last on the list, mentoring and helping CC's comes first, as does getting county sites updated and adopted and finding and placing more data o n the site. For at least the next 12 months the focus should be on getting policies and rules in place, updating sites and getting available sites adopted. Purchasing domain names and a hosting service is the very last thing to discuss or try and implement. Actually some policies reagrding that issue would have to set in place before it could even be considered. As MNGenWeb, like USGenWeb is not a legal entity, domains and hosting would have to be purchased by a member in their name, using their credit or debit card, as the project itself can not own anything. There have been problems in the past in various projects where such items were used by the person who "purchased" the domain names and hosting to leverage their own agenda. IF it were the SC who did the purchasing, what happens if they refuse to turn them over when their term ends and a new SC takes office? It has happened in the past at the National Level as well as on a state level. Also I changing ownership of a domain name can cost quite a bit more than the actual renewal of the domain name and I do not know of a hosting service where the owner of the hosting account can be changed. A new hosting contract would have to be started in the new person's name. I just think that until the project has been rebuilt and is stable this is the last thing anyone should be considering maybe 2-3 years down the road, but certainly not until the project . Also since USGenWeb States we, the CC's can host our county sites WHEREVER we wish, it is definitely not something that could be required of CCs. As for the statement that Rootsweb is not "friendly". I have had just the opposite experience with them, even when a CC has disappeared, it did not take much effort for the site to be turned over to the SC.. Yes, Rootsweb does not allow for the use of sites using php, for good reason, php driven sites (wordPress, CMS sites like Joomla and others) are very insecure and easily hacked. Again, I reiterate, purchasing a domain name and hosting service is the LAST item to be under consideration. I am not against the idea, just think that even bringing it up at this point is premature. Laverne Tornow On 2/6/2015 11:50 AM, Martha A Crosley Graham via wrote: > Good Morning. > Thank you for the question Laverne. > I am re-posting my objectives. Funding for the purchase of a domain and > server is # 5. > Setting up by-laws, policies and procedures is #2 > > I listed the objectives in order of what I felt was important in my > original post. They are: > > > Appoint 3 Assistant County Coordinators who will each be responsible for a set of Counties. > > Create a Committee to write Bylaws, Policies & Procedures > > Update State Pages > > Encourage and facilitate the adoption of all Minnesota Counties. > > Institute a system of finances [Volunteer Donations] to purchase a domain name and server space so that Minnesota can be hosted off of RootsWeb. > > Mentor New County Coordinators / Enlist a group of knowledgeable people who are able to mentor using various software and systems. > > Assist and encourage the updating and accumulation of research data from sources that are not readily evident. > > > Educate County Coordinators as to new or alternate methods of data presentation. > > Now to specifically address the issue of funding. Yes, this would be > something that we would vote on. > The reasons for taking any State or County off of RW/Anc is, in my > opinion, obvious. > 1. RW/Ans is a not so friendly system where State Coordinators have > little control over issues that come up. > 2. The purchase of a domain name and server space would enhance our > online visibility. > 3. Server Hosts provide better service and include up to date software > for many other services. > > Martha > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > . >

I can understand to some extent an external URL, if such is funded. Experience elsewhere is that many are on limited income and donations are covered by a fraction of members. Hosting is not cheap unless of course it is just the state site. I'd be curious what hosting service is being spoken of because the one I have for a couple of domains can't even do counters worth a flip, to the point I'm moving pages back to Rootsweb, which will most likely outlast me and will certainly keep my pages online after I pass, whereas once the lease runs out with my host, my wife will not renew. I'm not sure how having a domain of our own increases visibility. To me the number one issue is updating the state site and secondly in tandem finding coordinators for the counties who have no one or whose page has not been updated in forever. I certainly would ask for feedback on the state site before it went live - like does this work better, how is the presentation. I like to give my visitors choice and ask for feedback because what I view as a good look others may cringe at. Any other issue regarding the state project should in lieu of regulations to the contrary should be voted on by the membership. As for rules and standards, its something for the membership to decide. The national bylaws already state requirements for county sites - what links, logos are needed as well as providing query capability of some sort. Perhaps some clarification of those bylaws may be in order. Tim On Fri, Feb 6, 2015 at 11:34 AM, Laverne H. Tornow via <[email protected]> wrote: > One of the candidates posted their intent, if elected to set up a "fund" > for purchasing domain names and hosting for the project to get it off of > Rootsweb. I accidentily deleted that e-mail evidently as I now can not > find it. > > Anyway, My question is for that candidate. > > Why do you fell this is a priority and do you plan if elected to put > this decision to the CC's for a vote as to their wishes? > > Do you think that is a more important issue than setting up some rules > and standards? > > While this is pointed to the candidate who made that statement regarding > buying domains and hosting, I would like to hear feedback from all > candidates on this issue. > > Laverne Tornow > Nicollet County > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message >

Thank you Tim for your comments. Here in CA we pay for domain and hosting through donations. Right now we are hosted on HostMonster and have been for many years. County Coordinators contribute as they are able. We try to get enough funds to pay for 3 years at a time which is the least expensive cost. For instance: Blue Host offers a year of hosting for 3.95 per month x 12 = 47.40 [year] divided by 87 counties = .54 cents per County. Martha