Please read this letter ALL the way through. DO NOT RESPOND to it on the list contact me directly with any comments. I just came home from work, turned on the computer, and checked my email. As usual, there were several messages in my inbox from the Riddle List. Now, this comes as no surprise because each day this list provides the bulk of my email. What did surprise me was finding some of our list members stepping outside the bounds of common courtesy and politeness. The question was asked, "Site administrator, where are you???" I'm right here sjblackmon@digitalpassage.com where I am every day. I check my mail several times a day whether I'm at work or at home. I, at the very least, scan every message that goes through the Riddle List and the other lists that I administer. Rootsweb leaves it up to each administrator how to run a list. There are certain basic requirements that have to be met, but for the most part, they leave the decisions about what is and isn't acceptable to volunteers, like me, to deal with. That's why it's free folks, because of the volunteers. Now, because I'm dealing with adults, I choose to treat you as such and to lay out some guidelines, which are very simple: ==== RIDDLE Mailing List ==== NOTICE: Posting of virus warnings, test messages, chain letters, political announcements, current events, items for sale, personal messages, flames, etc. (in other words - spam) is NOT ALLOWED and will be grounds for removal. Virus Warnings - I know this from personal experience. Because, the vast majority of virus warnings are a hoax and more damage is done to your computer by following the instructions in these messages than by a virus, DO NOT post virus warnings. IF, you get a virus warning and you know, that you know, that you know it's legitimate. DO NOT post it to the list. Contact me sjblackmon@digitalpassage.com I'll check it out and if indeed it is legitimate, I'll post it to the list. Test Messages - If you haven't gotten any messages from the Riddle list for awhile and you think there's a problem, you need to contact me sjblackmon@digitalpassage.com to see if your email address is bouncing the messages. I will answer you, usually within 24 hours, and let you know if the list is just quite or if you have an address problem. Chain Letters - are illegal, do not post them to this list. What constitutes a chain letter? Any message that involves "please forward this to as many people as possible, or please don't break this, or send this to ten people in the next five minutes and you'll get rich, etc. IS A CHAIN LETTER. Don't post it here. Political Announcements - If you are running for office, supporting someone running for office, etc. I'm sure there are lists out there for that purpose, this is not it. Obviously, this does not pertain to any historic information about Riddles who have been in politics. Nough said. Items For Sale - Rootsweb does not allow you to sell anything either through the mailing lists or on a website that they host without express written permission. If you have an item that is related to Riddle research and you want to sell it, you cannot do this on the Riddle mailing list without contacting me sjblackmon@digitalpassage.com and asking permission which I then have to obtain from Rootsweb. Current Events & Personal Messages - Folks we're all adults here. My understanding is that most of the subscribers on this list know each other pretty well and many of you have become friends as well as finding new family members through this list. Naturally there are going to be times when someone is so proud of their grandchild, has something going on in their neck of the woods that they just have to tell about, or even has a joke they want to share; that some of these things are bound to make it on to this list. Now, here's where I stand. The main purpose of the Riddle mailing list is to offer a place where people who are researching their Riddle ancestry can post queries as to who they are looking for and hopefully through these posts, they can receive some help in finding these long lost ancestors. The guidelines above are exactly that, GUIDELINES. They are not Hard & Fast rules. You are not a bunch of five year olds, you are adults and I expect each subscriber to act as such. If you as a list member have a problem with another list member, with a post made by another member, with making posts, unsubscribing, changing your mode of subscription, whatever; you need to contact me sjblackmon@digitalpassage.com NOT THE LIST. At that point, I'll review the situation and decide how best to handle it and I will contact you OFF LIST with my decision. There is only one Hard & Fast rule on this list and I will not be flexible about this. NO FLAMES. A flame is any derogatory or inflammatory remark made to or by any list member. You get one strike then you're out on this one. I'll say it one more time. If you don't like a particular post, if you are having problems with another list member, if you are having problems of any kind that are list related DO NOT POST IT TO THE LIST. Contact me sjblackmon@digitalpassage.com Please do not force me to moderate this list. What does that mean? It means that instead of you posting a query and it going directly to the list, it goes to me ONLY, then I have to read it and either approve it or reject it, if I approve it, THEN it goes to the list. So, instead of instant access, you have to wait on my schedule. I'm trusting that this great bunch of folks is not going to let me down. I believe that you all have what it takes to keep this a great mailing list. If you would like, add me to your address book under Riddle List Administrator sjblackmon@digitalpassage.com that way you won't have to hunt for my address if you need me. Thanks, Susan Listowner: Blackmon, Boultinghouse, Branch, Cauthen, Hamil, Hamill, Harway, Pope, Procter, Riddle, Sprunt JSB Designs - Website Design www.jsbdesigns.net Whispers from the Past...... www.susanblackmon.com Welcome to Graham, Texas - On-line www.graham-texas.com