Debby I usually will want some specifics from a person before I give out Weatherwax information. I usually always refer them to !. USGENWEB/Ancestry.com(free area) at first. If the request is from a distant Weatherwax relative I always will give everything I have on their line of descent, but not all lines. Since were dealing with 19 siblings in the main family it can be overwhelming at first. I also make it clear that I will share with family information,but want acopy of what they have to add to my database to share with others. But since I know you handle one of my favorite sitesRENSSELAER Co. your problem is slightly different. The lady you refer to is evidently new to the WEB and possibly Genealogy. She doesn't understand that not everything or everyone is now online, or has been recorded in print media. I suggest that you post a disclaimer similar to other sites saying in effect I'd like to help BUT all I know is whats already on this site, and you don't have time to do research for individuals. I have been in the NARA Pittsfield site and watched people come in and expect the volunteers to immediatly sit down and do their family history for them, it pains me to hear a full grown adult whine oh this will take me forever!. The policy there is to firmly explain that it up to the individual to do the searching, the staff only provides instruction and assistance. As too what they want, I have had as many as 8/9 Emails back and forth between myself and someone requesting information, before I could figure out what they were asking . Most dont realize that you need to be very specific and include as much info as possible. All of my 19 sibling ancestors named all of their children after their siblings, so if someone asks me about Andeas Weatherwax I need a birth date, the father b:1700, had a son b:1739, and that sons siblings all had sons named Andreas, so if you cant give me something peculiar to who your looking for I cant anwer the qeustion. And I don't even run a site such as you, just subscribe to rootsweb lists etc. Hope these ideas help. Wayne following David 1747 ----- Original Message ----- From: Debby Masterson <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, February 25, 2000 1:22 PM Subject: [NYRENSSE] Answering letters > I was wondering how some of you answer requests for information. I get > letters from some folks wanting information that is already on my county > site, and ones requesting information that they could get from the > internet. Others are lengthy letters about their ancestry, or one > particular ancestor. Many times I'm not really sure what it is they > want! I had one from a woman a couple days ago railing at me because > her ancestor wasn't listed as one of the Revolutionary War soldiers from > one of my towns! It seems I'm spending more time answering letters and > less time adding much needed data to the site. Any suggestions? > > Debby Masterson, CC > Rensselaer Co., NY GenWeb > >