I'm not sure where to begin this but I guess I'll just jump in. Most of you know I am straight-forward in what I say, and that sometimes, I point out truths regarding difficult subjects. This subject is awkward to bring up. But I feel I HAVE to speak out-- for myself, other webmaster, and more importantly, for all the researchers out there. As most of you also know, there are many webmasters who have websites devoted to Washington Co PA. Each of us may have a different focus, but we are all trying our best to serve our County------Washington County. I think we all do our best to accept submissions and are grateful to those who take the time to gather, copy, type, or scan information that we don't personally have--and we enjoy making the records available to others. It is hard work and takes time, but for many of us it has become a second job in our lives. Now, as most genealogy hounds know, even Message Boards are split along catgeories of surnames or locations. It's done that way because it is the most logical way for users to research. If my family was in Lancaster County, I wouldn't start in Bedford Co. PA-- unless I had reason to suspect they were there early enough before Bedford Co was split into more and more counties. For the same reasons, researchers of a Washington Co family would start looking *first* in Washington County---not Fayette, Allegheny, or Greene. Only when researchers know or suspect cross-over (or are desperately casting a wide net for hard to locate persons) would they look in neighboring counties. So back to my discussion of websites for our county. It surprises me that folks are submitting cemetery lists to the Allegheny County website. It makes me wonder why I and the rest of the webmasters for our county are bothering to do this work at all?? I could understand if all the cemeteries submitted are "close" to Allegheny... but some are not even near the county border with Allegheny (or any other county). I could even understand if one website had major differences in presentation or layout, or the focus of the website. For example, there are Photo ID websites for identified and unidentified persons. Some webs may have developed great ways to present large amounts of photo-jpgs such as the Fayette County tombstone project. I can even understand when people choose to upload massive numbers of photo files to specific county Message Boards, since RW has massive space to handle and display these files. But, when Website A presents files in text and/or photo and Website B displays it the same way, why then aren't those submissions made to the county to which the info pertains? Even Vicki on our list separates her submissions according to primary location and sends as appropriate to ONE List. It just makes sense to do this. When Vicki sees cross-over, she cross-posts to both (or several) county Lists. Just makes sense. My comments have nothing to do with not supporting other webs or webmasters of other Counties. I make a point to send info I have for another county TO that county webmaster to post on THEIR web. If the info has an overlap (such as some of the marriage notices Sandy has sent), I have chosen to keep those on my site because (A) there is overlap, a bride from Washington Co & a groom from Allegheny and (B) more importantly, they belong to a "collection" Sandy created from McDonald PA papers. Sometimes I post misc. things I find in newspapers just because I don't always have time to track down who is the webmaster for X county in Z state, find their email, and send it off. BUT if I had a cemetery list for say, Washington Co MARYLAND, I'd be quick as silver to send that record to the appropriate county website. I just do not understand why people with Washington County roots do not support Washington County websites by placing their submissions there???? Honestly, it makes me wonder why I'm bothering to do this work??? And it's very discouraging, I must admit, because I'm devoted and passionate about having as much Washington County info online for FREE searches. This is not a territorial dispute, but instead, a question of LOGIC. If it doesn't matter WHERE we put this stuff on the web, then maybe every webmaster should randomly copy and send parts of their web info to a different county to post on the "other" county --- and let Internet users figure out for themselves which county to search in for those records!! If you have records to submit, please consider how and WHERE people will search for the records. If the graveyard was on the Allegheny-Washington border, Washington-Greene border, or Washington-Fayette border, at least consider submitting to websites for BOTH counties. If you still want to put Washington Co PA info into another county's web, then please, don't complain when you (quote) "cannot find the records for ____! or "you don't have MY family of ___ from (town or year)" (quote*) on one of the many Washington County webs that I and a number of other persons maintain. Respectfully but discouraged with this "issue", Judy Florian * The quotes I made above are taken from many emails I get complaining that I don't have this or that cemetery, or records, or certain families on my web. Gee... if I HAD it to put on the web, I would do it ! P.S. I will add links on my website to the Washington Cemeteries that are on the Allegheny County website. SUPPORT YOUR COUNTY'S WEBSITES ! -- Washington County PA Websites: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~florian/ http://freepages.family.rootsweb.com/~florian/ http://freepages.religions.rootsweb.com/~florian/ http://www.rootsweb.com/~pawashin/

Hi Judy, I fully agree with you on this topic. Hopefully now people will understand where they are sending their information. Keep up the good work. We appreciate your tremendous job you are doing along with all the other webmasters. Lois