Hi All, I will consider it a great kindness if we can stop the unauthorized and unannounced surname blitz immediately. As you all know from the What's New page on the site, I am in the middle of a move and do not have time to deal with a surname blitz at this time. At Tri-Counties we recognize queries and surname listings as a very valuable research and communication tool. For that reason we put them on the site's query pages where they can receive the long term and higher volume exposure they deserve. They are too valuable for a brief second on the maillist only. Surname blitzes are announced in advance, so that those who do not want them can unsubscribe for the duration. We believe that services should be available to us when we want them as in the query system and What's New page on the site, rather than intruded on us as with the mail list. I am very overwhelmed at this time with my move and just don't have the time to pass these on for inclusion on the site as they deserve. We believe that for a county or regional site which is not well developed, using the mail list as a substitute is reasonable. In the case of Tri-Counties the query system and the periodic surname blitzes on the mail list are the way we organize it and keep this very large mail list from being overwhelmed. Queries submitted via the usual route on the site are included on the site within a matter of days, so a delay in the surname blitz in no way deters or delays your research. Starting a year ago I ceased to use the mail list to announce new pages on the site and chose instead to keep the What's New page updated so that you can all have that information at your own convenience when you want it. The quarterly surname blitz is indeed a little late due to my unexpected move - details on the What's New page. I ask that you return the kindness of having this great site available by doing me the kindness of putting this surname blitz on the mail list off until I can preannounce it and organize it and deal with it as it should be. If you have a response to his message please sent it to me personally only and not to the mail list. Keep in mind that even answering those responses is probably more than I really have time for at this time, so you might want to write me in a week or two when things will have settled a little better. While many of you like the surname blitzes, others of you do not. I try to satisfy as many of you as possible, but full satisfaction will never be possible. I will announce the next surname blitz when both myself and the person who maintains the query pages for me have the capacity. I told myself at the beginning that I could handle this move if the truck did not break down or the mail list get stirred up. The truck has had only one repair required and I am sure the mail list will quiet down until I can handle it as it should be. The movers will be here on Tuesday for the big stuff and there will be an end to this by October. Thanks for your compliance. Joyce M. Tice <A HREF="http://www.rootsweb.com/~srgp/jmtindex.htm">Tri-Counties Genealogy & History</A> http://www.rootsweb.com/~srgp/jmtindex.htm

I'm sure the outlaws (me included) who thoughtlessly participated in the unauthorized blitz are feeling properly reprimanded. Can we apologize to Joyce, and the list members who were understandably annoyed by it, by making sure (at a leisurely pace so as not to overwhelm the system) that our surnames are all properly posted at the site? This is a great list, and the Tri-Counties site really is the best genealogy site on the web. -- Ann Sullivan