As most of you know, from time to time I post the new RSL (RootsWeb Surname List) additions for you when new listings come to me that are relevant to this list subject matter. I occasionally get questions from list members about what the RSL is and how to use it. In this week's RootsWeb Review (May 16, 2007) I had an article published about the RSL and in case any of you didn't get a chance to read it, or don't subscribe to the RootsWeb Review, I'm copying the article below. Hope it is helpful to you. Joan, admin The RootsWeb Surname List: Just the Facts By Joan Young joan@volunteer.rootsweb.com The RootsWeb Surname List (RSL) always reminds me of the well-known television police show "Dragnet." The show featured Sergeant Joe Friday who often told the people he interviewed to give "just the facts, ma'am." Most often when you are researching your family history you enjoy fleshing out the facts with stories that bring your ancestors to life. On personal websites and in notes added to your family trees you love giving all the details about how your great-great-grandfather, Reuben KIGER, an Oregon Trail pioneer, was arrested in 1863 for riding his horse down Second Street in Corvallis, Oregon, faster than ten miles per hour. However, there are other times when you only need or want the basics--just the facts. Knowing nothing more than the surname (last name) someone is researching, the time period in which they have found the surname, and the location where the family lived at the time, you know enough to determine whether you'd like to contact the person to discuss a possible connection with your own family. This is where the RootsWeb Surname List comes into play. The RSL is among the oldest resources at RootsWeb, and like everything else at RootsWeb, using the RSL is completely free. It is a very basic tool used to help you find others researching the same surnames in the same locations, and during the same time period. The RSL started as an offshoot of ROOTS-L, the original genealogy mailing list at RootsWeb: http://rootsweb.com/roots-l/ The beginning for what was later to become the RSL came way back in 1988 when it was called the Roots Index. The very first index contained all of forty-two surnames according to RootsWeb co-founder Karen Isaacson. In 1990, Karen adopted the index from the originator, John Wilson, who had announced its demise. Karen renamed it the Roots Surname List. Karen stressed the point that back then most people didn't have Web browsers and the new RSL entries were sent to her via e-mail to be manually added to the index. The name, Roots Surname List, later evolved into the RootsWeb Surname List after there was a RootsWeb. About 1996, when the RootsWeb domain came into being, the RSL index was moved to its present home on a RootsWeb server. More than a million surnames are currently included in the RSL and the database grows daily. To access the RSL, go to RootsWeb.com and click the "RootsWeb Surname List/RSL" link under the "Search Engines and Databases" heading; or, go here: http://rsl.rootsweb.com/ You will notice that the RSL has its own special set of shortcuts for indicating the time frame and migration of the families (surnames) listed in each entry. Entries in the RSL are formatted as follows: Surname: The surname being researched. Date #1: The earliest date for which the submitter has found this surname. Date #2: The most recent date for which the submitter has found this surname. Migration: The location where people of this surname (family) lived during the time period listed. Comments: Additional information (optional). Nametag: The username, which identifies the submitter and enables you to contact him or her. The character codes (abbreviations) used to list locations in the RSL can be found here: http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/codes/ An overview about the RSL and explanation of the proper formatting of entries can be found here: helpdesk.rootsweb.com/help/rsl6.html Other useful instructions for searching and contributing to the RSL can be found at the following sites: Problem solving: http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/help/solution.html Adding or editing surnames: http://rsl.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/rsledit.cgi You don't need to have completed a family tree, a pedigree form, or even a family group sheet to use the RootsWeb Surname List; you need only to know the last names of the ancestors you are researching, the time period when you have found them, and where they lived. The RootsWeb Surname List is the ideal place to search and add your surnames when you want "just the facts, ma'am." ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.