Hi everyone, This will be a rather long read and for that I apologize in advance. However, I ask that you read all this. There is very important data inside both that you need to be made aware of. I won't do this to you again, I promise! :) You might want to print this message out and keep it by your computer. Topics include: 1. Who I am 2. How I operate the lists 3. List guidelines 4. The usual administrator nit-picky stuff * Virus messages * Chain letters * Me too! messages 5. Chat forum 6. Subscribe/unsubscribe procedures 7. To post messages to the list 8. If you go on vacation 9. Contacting me WHO I AM I didn't get to introduce myself properly to you on Tuesday, and I'd like to do so here. My name is Colleen Pustola [2-l's and 2-e's in Colleen, please]. I'm an Army wife and the mother of five terrific kids 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 25 years, teaching this science for 18, and guest-speaking at genealogical seminars and in schools for 13. 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 currently working on six others including an update of the first. I have two surname domains with three websites and am currently building a fourth site. I am also the discussion coordinator for 51 other Rootsweb lists, 30 Rootsweb message boards, and have been a coordinator since August 1998. You now know my whole life in a nutshell! :) HOW I OPERATE A LIST Frankly, I don't like dictatorial listowners! They make me nervous and afraid to post! So, I guess you could say I'm rather laid-back. The only time I get "freaky" is if you break one of the first two guidelines. Basically, I run the list with respect and consideration for everyone. I hope you'll participate in the same way. LIST GUIDELINES I do NOT mandate a "format-this-way" or "post-only-these-items" policy. Keep in mind we all 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 flame [verbally attack] anyone on the list. The penalty for this is IMMEDIATE removal. This is THE #1 infraction. If you have a problem with one of the list members, 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. 2. Newbies to genealogy are VERY special. Please treat them with much kindness as they struggle to learn the where's and how's of not only how to 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 show him/her how to do it, if you know how. 4. Always show compassion towards someone 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 anyone 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. 5. When you post messages to the list, please try to use a helpful subject line like "John DOE d. 1800 MS," rather than a generic one like "inquiry about my family line." 6. Your messages through RootsWeb's servers 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. Virus epidemics are spreading through the lists more and more often. It is unsettling to most list members to receive list messages from other members whose computers are known to be infected. It is my responsibility to protect the list as a unit. Therefore, any list member whose computer is known to be infected WILL BE MANUALLY UNSUBSCRIBED from the list until I know for sure your machine is clean. You can do this by sending me an email privately. If I don't receive an attachment or any other wierd thing resulting from a message from you, then I'll know your machine is 'recovered' and I'll manually resubscribe you. THE USUAL ADMINISTRATOR NIT-PICKY STUFF **VIRUS MESSAGES: We've had some pretty wicked viruses plague us the last 1-1/2 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 they're put out again and again. If you are alerted to a virus warning - BEFORE you send a message to this list please check it out first to make sure it isn't a hoax. You can do so by going to <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 list 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 list members or especially, our newbies. **ROLL CALLS -- If we need one because of a too-quiet list, I'll announce 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. 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 (including virus notices) and discussion are covered in the next section. «:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:» CHAT: FORUM There are times when you have something to say that's not on-topic for the list, but you think the list 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 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. «:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:» *****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 MSPONTOT list as a separate e-mail. Send the command to subscribe to: MSPONTOT-L-request@rootsweb.com 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: MSPONTOT-D-request@rootsweb.com 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 MSPONTOT-L 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: MSPONTOT-L-request@rootsweb.com 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: MSPONTOT-D-request@rootsweb.com 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 MSPONTOT-L@rootsweb.com even if you are subscribed to the digest mode. Messages posted to MSPONTOT-L@rootsweb.com 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 MSPONTOT-L@rootsweb.com will automatically be sent to everyone on the list. Any time you receive something from the MSPONTOT-L 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. «:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:» I hope I've covered everything! :) 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. CONTACTING ME I'd also like you all to know that I do my best to answer email promptly. However, my best intentions are usually thrown askew. I'm discussion coordinator for 51 other email lists, webmistress for two domains with 3 websites, 30 Rootsweb message boards, and I'm currently working on my second book. Please, be sure to IDENTIFY THE LIST YOU'RE ON WHEN YOU EMAIL ME because with so many people, I have trouble keeping track of who is in which research group. I also have an adoring husband and 5 kids (2 teenagers still at home) meaning, a home life. Hence, I have a very full plate here. Please be patient if you email me and I'll do my best to respond within a reasonable amount of time. (at the present, "current" = about a week; sometimes sooner) Since this is a longy and I don't know that everyone will read to the end of this message, I'll be sending another, much shorter message out behind this one. I wish you all good luck in your research! Colleen Pustola Discussion Coordinator ladyaudris@earthlink.net

McWhirter Murphy Hawthorn Cunningham Gillispie I have already corresponded with several of you concerning these surnames, but I am hoping that new people who have joined the list might have some new information concerning these hard-to-find ancestors, especially the Hawthorns and Cunninghams. Ann McWhirter Columbus, GA