Well, I think there IS an issue at hand here. I do not disagree that there may be a need for both lists NYDUTCH and DUTCH-COLONIES but if I were just starting out I'd say neither by their names really give me a clue as to their fine-lined focus. Add to that the point made by several that the DUTCH-COLONIES list is not really easily located at Rootsweb. If I were setting out to do research on ancestors that I *thought* were Dutch and *thought* may have been from NY I would probably find the NYDUTCH list. It is doubtful that I'd be looking under MISC. which is where the DUTCH-COLONIES list is located. For those who KNOW their ancestors came after 1800 the NYDUTCH may serve a purpose but already it appears that many of the queries on this list are about mysteries that may be better addressed on the DUTCH-COLONIES list. (and by all appearance most likely link to earlier Dutch, German Palatine etc. ancestors of the Dutch-Colonies). I really feel that in some cases some of the subscribers on this list would be better helped on the DC list., in that it is clear that they don't really know for sure that their ancestors came after 1800. So for those who are not sure, the answers may very well be found on the DC list. By the 1800s many of the earlier Dutch and German names evolved to various spellings and pronunciations By now those on the DC list have seen these variations and can probably offer clues as to the original emigrant ancestor. Also by the 1800s many who settled in NJ made their way to NY with a permutation of the original name which can be misleading (infering that they just arrived from another country). I have no stake regarding either list but would like to see all find the list that can help them the most! :-) Susan