> > Robert Loudin > Cynthia inadvertently raises the issue of "creative spelling" in record and literature searches :-) I don't know that anyone in the family ever intentionally spelled the name with an "i" but there are enough instances where others have that it's just a normal part of my usual search routine. I found myself disagreeing with someone on another forum who was emphatic in her belief that it was quite impossible for her name of interest to have alternative spellings. A related point is that the Soundex codes to some of these alternative spellings are often different as well. Concerning people requesting private replies to queries posted on public forums: I think it's poor form and should be discouraged. The whole point of public forums is to facilitate a free flow of information and private replies run counter to this notion. There are certainly instances (in the case of living individuals, for example) where private replies may be appropriate, but I believe such replies are generally inappropriate. For Rootsweb mailing lists in general and SCT-ISLAY in particular, the archives are a frequently useful resource. Private responses represent a disservice to current and future researchers because those messages will never appear in the list archives. jim

Private replies MIGHT ba appropriate if the content will be large and very specific to the individuals conversing. Otherwise, list members are quitre capable of vetting, seperating the chaf from what each one considers the wheat. (pardon my adaptation of the metaphor), and exercising what ever discretion might be necessary. I've never seeen anything go by that seemded to require pirvacy. Most weeryone we speak of is long dead and will likely remain thus until the final call. Then it won't matter anyway. Malcolm CAMPBELL ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Loudon" <[email protected]> To: "SCT-ISLAY Listserv" <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2010 11:16 AM Subject: Re: [SCT-ISLAY] Public requests for private replies > >> >> Robert Loudin >> > > Cynthia inadvertently raises the issue of "creative spelling" in record > and literature searches :-) > > I don't know that anyone in the family ever intentionally spelled the name > with an "i" but there are enough instances where others have that it's > just a normal part of my usual search routine. I found myself disagreeing > with someone on another forum who was emphatic in her belief that it was > quite impossible for her name of interest to have alternative spellings. A > related point is that the Soundex codes to some of these alternative > spellings are often different as well. > > Concerning people requesting private replies to queries posted on public > forums: I think it's poor form and should be discouraged. The whole point > of public forums is to facilitate a free flow of information and private > replies run counter to this notion. There are certainly instances (in the > case of living individuals, for example) where private replies may be > appropriate, but I believe such replies are generally inappropriate. > > For Rootsweb mailing lists in general and SCT-ISLAY in particular, the > archives are a frequently useful resource. Private responses represent a > disservice to current and future researchers because those messages will > never appear in the list archives. > > jim > > > > ------------------------------- > > Quoting the entire text of a previous message in a reply is poor > netiquette. Please don't do it. > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >