Hi All! We're up now to 48 subscribers; up 8 in just the last few days! The "activity" too has been really insightful, don't you think? I'm aware that some of you already now are pursuing leads together "offline" (meaning directly, but *not* on the REEVES-L list). I think that's **GREAT** but let's keep one thing in mind: while we're all clearly not interested in the same REEVES lines (and we therefore *should* refrain from filling up other's mailboxes with irrelevent posts), we also shouldn't become so badly fragmented that our new list dies prematurely or that "new-comers" are deprived the opportunity to learn of new-found connections. Savvy? I'll leave it up to each of you to discern when it's best to continue posting to the wider, REEVES-L audience, and when you've got info that's best shared directly w/ another, "offline." Again, I encourage each of you to exercise deliberative discretion, okay? _________________________________________________________ Now; another idea for thought: Perhaps because *I* continue to have difficulty finding the parents of *my own* John REEVES (b. 1780/90 in "eastern Virginia," d. 1840 (Columbus, Bartholomew, IN)), I've been engaged for several months now trying to "reconstruct" other REEVES lines hoping that, through the process of elimination, I might eventually "key in on" particularly relevant leads. Consequently, I have (as many of you no doubt likewise have) a number of yet unconnected REEVES gedcom files. Together w/ messages that have been either sent to personally or posted to REEVES-L recently, those gedcoms have been--for at least 6-10 of you now--the sources by which I've "tied" you together! Clearly, though, there *still* are a great many different REEVES lines to establish linkages with (*if,* they exist), my own included! So, I'm wondering...what would you'all think about establishing a "repository" for REEVES family gedcom files? I'm aware that there's quite a debate ensuing these days about the sharing of .GED files w/ "strangers;" privacy issues and all. But what about creating a "library" or "repository" of "REEVES families" gedcoms that each included information *ONLY* for individuals born prior to 1900, for instance? What'ya all think? Yes, sheer storage space could utimately become a problem but I have the "wherewithall" to handle that potential problem and I'm prepared to serve as the "repository" site. I think the larger question concerns privacy, etc., an argument I won't argue with. 'Still, it seems a shame that--for fear of privacy concerns--we may *never* establish some REEVES family links that could only be established by close examination of others' gedcom files... I'm not "married" to the idea, one can request and/or recontruct a gedcom file pretty readily just by what is shared online already. But it *would* facilitate a faster and, I think more thorough, analysis of the liklihood of REEVES familial linkages. Perhaps a discussion of "rules" for use/distribution is appropriate? What'ya all think? Greg Reeves REEVES-L listowner greg@rapidnet.com ------------------------------