Hi Everyone, Some Mailing Lists are slow, so give your mail a day or two, especially if you subscribed in digest mode. Some maillists are very low in traffic and many people get discouraged by this and unsubscribe soon after they first join. Many times there are lulls in conversation on a Mailing List and then suddenly the conversation will take-off like a rocket! Hang around on a maillist for a while before you decide to quit. You never know what might pop up! You may see some new terms and precise instructions. Please do *not* let them bother you. The learning curve for mastering tech talk is small, so soon you, too, will not only understand the tech terms, but will be using these new words and expressions in your everyday conversations. To feel your most comfortable, you will want to learn the lingo. There are some great Web sites on the Internet that can help you. I will also be glad to help you if you have problems. I prefer to be considered the administrator. It means I am responsible for keeping the Mailing List running as smoothly as possible and setting some guidelines for it's operation. I do other things besides administer this maillist and research my family history, but this is a hobby that never quits. Have I ever been frustrated? Yes. Have I experienced delays and setbacks? Of course. Have I ever suffered a loss of my work? Sure did. But I have *not* stopped...after all, as long as babies continue to be born; a family tree is never finished. The joy of learning about my ancestors is just too great to let adversity cause me to give up this never ending quest. My personal philosophy is that the goal is not to finding every last relative back to Adam, but in the quest itself. Learning history, social issues and about the people themselves...putting flesh on the bones of history. And since you are reading at least a portion of this message, I must assume that you, too, are interested in tracing your family history. Welcome to an exciting hobby! Over the past couple of years, interest in genealogical research seems to have boomed! Everywhere you turn, magazines and newspapers run stories and columns about family history. Computer use and the rise of the Internet have helped encourage this growing interest and have changed the nature of genealogy. To be a good genealogist these days doesn't necessarily mean that you have the kids in the car and travel a thousand miles to find details on that elusive ancestor. In fact, at times you don't even have to leave the comfort of your home in order to discover valuable information. You are probably fairly new to genealogy in general, or maybe you are a more experienced genealogist who is just now beginning to check out Internet resources. The time that you spend researching your family history is remarkably worthwhile. The information that you gather now will be of great importance to your family now, and for many generations to come. I promise that your name will be remembered and your efforts (if properly preserved) will be revered over the years. Your research will be important to countless descendants and be a priceless treasure. On top of all this, you can have fun doing it. Explore ROOTSWEB'S INTERACTIVE GUIDE TO TRACING FAMILY TREES where you will find links and answers to many of your genealogical quests. A guide how to use the Web to begin - or expand - the search for your family history. A fun easy way to research your roots using online resources for the beginning to intermediate user. Brief lessons are designed for interactive use. http://rwguide.rootsweb.com/ You must remember that the majority of records that you need are *NOT* online. Most of the actual raw data that pertains to your research will not be available online for some time. There are a lot of online resources these days, but do not forget your best place to start is the local library. Get a book on genealogy and plan your research. Keep track of where you have looked and what you have found. Do not spend all day online in fruitless searches...a planned attack will make you feel more productive. And when you hit a brick wall, stop and try a different approach. One of the most important tips that I can give you is to COMBINE BOTH online AND offline research for the best results and have fun! I hope this information helps. If you have problems or further questions please let me know. :-)) Thanks again, Mike ************************* Michael G. McManness, a Jayhawk through and through, eating, sleeping, breathing, and bleeding Crimson and Blue near the University of Kansas. Family genealogist and research historian. "Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones." --- Phillip Brooks *************************