Lately, I've been noticing a trend that seems to be increasing....and is irritating. It seems that people go to county lookup lists, and simply send email queries to the names they find there. They don't ask for lookups in the books or CDs they find there with your name, but simply send an email to the volunteers they find, that has NOTHING to do with what the volunteer is prepared to help with. Many of my lookup "offers" concern marriages between very specific dates, but that doesn't keep folks from writing for marriages lookups 100 years later! And, they don't confine themselves to marriages, but often send the sort of "tell me all you know about Joe Blow" kind of queries...things that have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the resources I have listed. I've had several just in the last day or so for the Ohio Co, WV and the Jefferson Co, Ohio area, and imagine these folks are probably on the gen. lists. too. As such, may I suggest that you ALL take the following steps, when considering asking for help.......view the various county lookup lists, note those volunteers you think my help you, send them an email with your query, INCLUDING the name of the book you wish your lookup done from (either in the subject slot or in the first line of the message), and do NOT ask for any info they have not indicated they can help with! Volunteers have listed the info they are prepared to use for FREE lookups.......take them at their word and do NOT bother them with questions concerning things other than that. In the past I've always sent an email back, saying that I had no resources to help in this area, etc., but with the increase in this practice I'm now just going to delete them and move on to the emails of folks with queries I actually CAN answer!

I wasn't asking for a look-up as I do not know what I could possibly have looked-up. I do not know his parents names, his siblings names or even what township they were in. This is the first thing I've gotten prior to 1859 in Indiana. I'm terribly sorry if I have offended anyone. ----- Original Message ----- From: Sandra Ferguson <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2001 5:14 AM Subject: [OHJEFFER] asking for lookups > Lately, I've been noticing a trend that seems to be increasing....and is > irritating. It seems that people go to county lookup lists, and simply > send email queries to the names they find there. They don't ask for lookups > in the books or CDs they find there with your name, but simply send an email > to the volunteers they find, that has NOTHING to do with what the volunteer > is prepared to help with. Many of my lookup "offers" concern marriages > between very specific dates, but that doesn't keep folks from writing for > marriages lookups 100 years later! And, they don't confine themselves to > marriages, but often send the sort of "tell me all you know about Joe Blow" > kind of queries...things that have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the > resources I have listed. I've had several just in the last day or so for > the Ohio Co, WV and the Jefferson Co, Ohio area, and imagine these folks are > probably on the gen. lists. too. As such, may I suggest that you ALL take > the following steps, when considering asking for help.......view the various > county lookup lists, note those volunteers you think my help you, send them > an email with your query, INCLUDING the name of the book you wish your > lookup done from (either in the subject slot or in the first line of the > message), and do NOT ask for any info they have not indicated they can help > with! Volunteers have listed the info they are prepared to use for FREE > lookups.......take them at their word and do NOT bother them with questions > concerning things other than that. In the past I've always sent an email > back, saying that I had no resources to help in this area, etc., but with > the increase in this practice I'm now just going to delete them and move on > to the emails of folks with queries I actually CAN answer! > > > > ============================== > Join the RootsWeb WorldConnect Project: > Linking the world, one GEDCOM at a time. > http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com > >

I would like to add to Sandra's suggestions for etiquette, Be polite. Treat the volunteer as if they are doing you a favor. THEY ARE! You should also offer to return the favor and offer to help the volunteer in the area you are living and/or with your own resources when you ask for their help. i.e. if you live in Kansas City, and are asking for Jefferson Co. help, offer to do something in return for their favor to you by doing something for them if they need it in Kansas City. Don't be a "gimmie gimmie gimmie"! Be a responsibile adult and a sharer...if you can't help this volunteer, then at some time in the future, help someone else! As the old country song goes "Don't let the chain of love die with you". These VOLUNTEERS spend their time to look something up as a FAVOR. They are not paid to do this...receive NOTHING in return. When you ask a favor of someone, you should always be willing to do something in return. They haven't adopted you and have no reason other than being kindharted to help you. OR become a volunteer yourself! Carol Jefferson Co. List coordinator