To rootsweb lists Send complaints re NAAIRS system failure -no national or international access to website: Best to to cc to all 3 below and also to [email protected] 1.Ms D Van Der Walt - Currently the DA spokesperson on Arts & Culture send to her via [email protected] 2. Parliamentary Portfolio Committe on Arts and Culture - This committee has oversight of the minister so let them also be aware of the problem Communicate with this committee E-mail: [email protected] Phone: (021) 403 3849/ 083 709 8389 3.Minister L Xingwana, Arts and Culture Ministry - Pretoria 10th Floor Kingsley Centre 481 Church Street Cnr Beatrix & Pretorius Streets Arcadia Private Bag X 899 PRETORIA 0001 Tel: +27 (12) 441 3006 Fax: +27 (12) 440 4485 Email: [email protected] I will be going to Pretoria in the middle of November and will be going to the archives there so will also ask some more pertinent questions there! Marilyn ----- Original Message ----- From: "Heather MacAlister - Ancestry 24" <[email protected]> To: "Neville Rasmussen" <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>; <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 4:52 PM Subject: Re: [SOUTH-AFRICA-CAPE-TOWN] Fw: My reply from S.A. NationalArchives Neville I too wrote to them offering free web hosting of their material which is all in the public domain two weeks ago - have not even had a reply or a thank you. Quiet honestly I dont think they give a continental. We live in hope, mabye my grandchildren will have access one day. You all know the drill - make all your records that you have tucked away at home accessable to everyone. regards Heather Heather MacAlister Channel Manager Tel:021 468 8957 Fax:+27 (0)86 581 0390 www.ancestry24.co.za Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ancestry24 Skype: Ancestry24 -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] on behalf of Neville Rasmussen Sent: Wed 27/10/2010 04:25 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [SOUTH-AFRICA-CAPE-TOWN] Fw: My reply from S.A. NationalArchives Colin I think you are being rather optimistic that a suitable response will be forthcoming. I have written in like vien and got a reply from an apparent senior staffer concerned with the IT side of things giving me the utmost assurance that this matter is being dealt with as a matter of urgency........................... This was last year November?!?! I can only think that action will be forthcoming (maybe) if we all write to the minister under whom this falls. If the minister gets hundreds of mails complaining then maybe, just maybe, something will be done. Before retirement I was the IT operations manager for my company and I cannot believe that a competant programmer can't fix this problem in a reasonable timeframe. In MARCH 2010 The department issued a final report on what needs to be done to fix the information and archival systems in SA. amongst the 249 pages the following:- ...................Libraries and archives fulfil a very important function in any society. They contribute to personal empowerment and the improvement of individuals' lives and at a societal level they contribute to a culture of learning and skills development and the achievement of other national objectives. In South Africa library and archives face critical challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, inconsistent levels of service..................... ...................However, the shortage of resources and capacity at NARS is a serious concern. Furthermore, the workshop participants were of the opinion that many professionals who have substantial archival experience and skills are on the verge of retirement and that within a short while a generation of archival skills will have been lost. The transfer of these skills is an important aspect that needs attention................................... I will be writing to the minister (see below) as I doubt that Ms Mamabolo will be able to effect any change. I'll let everyone know if I get a response. Minister L Xingwana Ministry - Pretoria 10th Floor Kingsley Centre 481 Church Street Cnr Beatrix & Pretorius Streets Arcadia Private Bag X 899 PRETORIA 0001 Tel: +27 (12) 441 3006 Fax: +27 (12) 440 4485 Email: [email protected] ----- Original Message ----- From: "Colin Möhr" <[email protected]> To: "naairs" <[email protected]> Cc: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 3:41 PM Subject: [SOUTH-AFRICA-CAPE-TOWN] Fw: My reply from S.A. National Archives > Dear Administrator, > Herewith the gist of an answer received from your department by one of our > list members. > Most unsatisfacory and unacceptable! > Perhaps you would like us to take the matter to the public at large? > Please be so kind as to ensure the most senoir member of your staff > advises > the list of what is wrong and when it will be resolved. > The NAAIRS site has been steadily sinking into the mire and repeated > assurances from you that the matter will be addressed , have NOT > materialized. > I trust that this matter will command thev HIGHEST priority. > Yours, > Colin Mohr > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Gwen Doyle" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 2:32 PM > Subject: [SOUTH-AFRICA-CAPE-TOWN] My reply from S.A. National Archives > > >> After having taking a fellow genealogist advice I sent the S.A. National >> Archives a paste and copy of their lovely red notice which tells one "All >> Search Manger User ID's in use. Please try again later" notice on the >> 23rd >> August 2010. This is the reply I received today, 17th October 2010. >> >> Your email dated 23 August 2010 re Web use of National Archives has >> reference. We are very sorry about being disappointed by our system. >> Please keep on trying and someday you will be able to get on it and >> retrieve what you are looking for. Yours Sincerely Mologadi Mamabolo (Ms) >> >> The comment SOMEDAY you will be able to get on it I found to be most >> amusing. Obviously even the staff now appreciate what a slack system >> they >> run or they don't realise that family history is important to a number of >> people and SOMEDAY may be too late !! >> >> ------------------------------- >> 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 > > > ------------------------------- > 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 > ------------------------------- 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 ------------------------------- 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