This is just in case anyone had any questions. As long as I maintain this list, we will adhere to this policy. Members are encouraged to support Rootsweb, but it is strictly VOLUNTARY!-Bill ---------- > From: Brian Leverich <leverich@rootsweb.com> > To: listowners-announce@rootsweb.com > Cc: Dr. Brian Leverich <leverich@rootsweb.com> > Subject: Policy: RootsWeb Lists Are Free! > Date: Monday, January 05, 1998 12:21 AM > > > > Hi all - > > Hundreds of listowners and users have now given us input on the > issues of whether listowners should be able to charge money or > request personal information as a prerequisite for participating in > a list, and Karen and I are now convinced that extreme behavior by > some listowners could affect the whole listowner and user community > by discouraging users from participating in any of our lists. > > Hence we'd like to formally announce policy that: > > RootsWeb Lists Are Free! > > Users should be able to subscribe to lists without being required to > pay money and without being required to provide personal information. > > While we are willing to let bygones be bygones, future violations > may result in a listowner being asked to relocate their lists to > another server. > > > IMPORTANT NOTES > > The foregoing policy does not apply to the few lists, for example > the HCPD-L list for the Hacker's Creek Pioneer Descendants > organization, that exist specifically for the members of an > established organization. Explicit permission must be obtained from > Karen or Brian for lists that want to operate in this paying- > members-only fashion. > > The foregoing policy does not prevent listowners from being able to > ask list subscribers to voluntarily provide contact information and > such. The point is that subscribers may not be *required* to > provide that information: explain why you need the information and > that providing the information is VOLUNTARY, then be tolerant of the > folks who choose not to provide it. > > The foregoing policy does not prevent listowners or subscribers from > soliciting voluntary contributions for family associations or other > causes, so long as the purpose of the fund-raising is specified and > the subscribers are told that participation is completely voluntary. > With regards to purpose of the fund-raising, listowners must *never* > give the impression they are fund-raising for RootsWeb or for the > physical support of the list unless the funds are intended for > RootsWeb. > > > A PLEA FOR SENSIBILITY > > Please do not ask me or Karen to provide a detailed exegesis of this > policy: just use your common sense and, if a particular situation > seems unclear, bring it to the "listowners" list and ask our peers > for their thoughts. > > > Let's keep our subscribers happy and participation in our lists > growing. Cheers, B. > > > -- > Dr. Brian Leverich Co-moderator, soc.genealogy.methods/GENMTD-L > RootsWeb Genealogical Data Cooperative http://www.rootsweb.com/ > P.O. Box 6798, Frazier Park, CA 93222-6798 leverich@rootsweb.com >