This discussion has probably discouraged many people from posting. That is very sad because this list has many dedicated and knowledgeable people who work tirelessly and who provide a wealth of information from their extensive genealogical resources. The list should not be a forum for sardonic diatribes or public ridicule. This is not the behaviour of those on other lists to which I belong. This is from the RootsWeb Welcome page: <ftp://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/roots-l/roots-l.welcome1> "- Be tolerant of newcomers. None of us were born knowing all. - Do not abuse new users of computer networks for their lack of knowledge. Be patient as they first learn to crawl, then walk." This site also gives great tips on how to post a query but not everyone reads everything, and not everyone who reads the guidelines will follow them. Be gentle to those who are learning and try to just ignore those who are discourteous. Signing off the list, Lexie