Derick, have you considered putting up a notice on the state home page explaining the problem so the researchers will at least know what's going on, and that it's a temporary situation? You know, express regret, server folks working as quickly as possible, thanks for patience, etc. You could direct visitors to http://www.californios.us/usgn/ a page where updates are posted. Most computer users are accustomed to running into down servers, and would understand and appreciate being informed. It would be a terrible shame for the state/researchers to lose all that accumulated material, not to mention a lot of experienced and hard working CCs, because of a situation over which no one has control. I apologize if you've already put up such a notice, but I couldn't find one. Ellen Pack MS SC At 10:12 PM 12/15/2002 -0500, Derick S. Hartshorn wrote: >The NCGenWeb Project and its members are being severely harmed by the >inaccessibility of pages hosted by USGenNet. > >I have sympathy for USGenNet and their members but Project patrons trying >to access our pages through the USGenWeb Project county page >(http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncgenweb/county.html) are not currently being >served. I have received several complaints, as have our ASC's, and others. >Most folks have expressed displeasure at not having a single county >source, for some particular Eastern North Carolina county. They have >reported that the ALHN pages (served by Fred Smoot's server), the AHGP >page (also served by Mr. Smoot's server) and USGenNet (Mr. Smoot himself), >were down and waiting for new hardware replacements. In addition Diane >Mason Kelly, (President of Webroots.org, founder of ncroots.com and CC of >several Eastern NCGWP counties) had all her NC GenWeb Project pages down. >She fails to explain the entire down-time problem but does present a >lovely Christmas page at www.ncroots.com. She sent a post to our Project >indicating USGenNet hardware problems--nothing else. Nothing to indicate >when her NCGWP sites would become re-actived. Her Burke County link >(http://ncroots.com/Burke/) to the Burke Co. Data Base >(http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncburke/burkedat.htm) seems to be a pretty >honest appraisal of the entire situation. I do disagree with several >points made but overall, it seems to be quite accurate. > >Nobody from the USGenNet has ever contacted me regarding the estimated >down-time, let alone offered an apology for the inconvenience they have >caused our Project so I have no idea how long our affiliated NCGenWeb >Project pages will be out of service. > >It is the responsibility of each page owner to provide for server space >from whatever individual or entity they choose. Nevertheless, it is the >responsibility of that same page owner to provide for contingency plans >when the unexpected occurs. > >I am forced by the current situation to issue a notice to page owners of >any and all USGenNet-hosted sites within our NCGenWeb Project. Measures >must be taken, and taken immediately. Effective midnight, December 31st, >2002, any pages not active in the NCGenWeb Project shall be declared to be >abandoned and will be retained by the NCGenWeb Project to be available for >adoption and/or re-assignment to an appropriate, knowledgeable and >reliable page owner. > >I believe that two weeks is ample time for the situation to correct itself >or for the CC page owners to find alternate server space. For that reason, >I trust that the NCGenWeb Project will be on even track in 2003 and that >each and every one of you will enjoy a blessed holiday season and reflect >on God's blessings on us all. > > > > > > > >Derick S. Hartshorn >NCGenWeb State Coordinator >nc@usgenweb.org > >Visit the NC home page at: >http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncgenweb/ >

Hi Derick and all, I don't believe Derick asked for our advice... maybe I'm wrong. But we don't seem to be able to resist... myself included. Derick is absolutely right that the resources that are not available should be made available asap. My quibble with Derick is that two weeks is not enough... I'd say a month (it's a hectic time of year) My other unsolicited comment/plug is that Rootsweb has been there thru thick and thin and I am one of those who favors using Rootsweb whenever feasible. Admittedly I have not thought of a backup plan if Rootsweb goes down... too horrifying to imagine. But, as Derick mentions, it should not be difficult to find another site temporarily. George of MA and CT ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ellen Pack" <e.j.pack@telocity.com> To: <STATE-COORD-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, December 16, 2002 7:52 AM Subject: Re: [STATE-COORD-L] NCGenNet server problems > Derick, have you considered putting up a notice on the state home page > explaining the problem so the researchers will at least know what's going > on, and that it's a temporary situation? You know, express regret, server > folks working as quickly as possible, thanks for patience, etc. > > You could direct visitors to http://www.californios.us/usgn/ a page where > updates are posted. > > Most computer users are accustomed to running into down servers, and would > understand and appreciate being informed. It would be a terrible shame for > the state/researchers to lose all that accumulated material, not to mention > a lot of experienced and hard working CCs, because of a situation over > which no one has control. > > I apologize if you've already put up such a notice, but I couldn't find one. > > Ellen Pack > MS SC > > At 10:12 PM 12/15/2002 -0500, Derick S. Hartshorn wrote: > >The NCGenWeb Project and its members are being severely harmed by the > >inaccessibility of pages hosted by USGenNet. > > > >I have sympathy for USGenNet and their members but Project patrons trying > >to access our pages through the USGenWeb Project county page > >(http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncgenweb/county.html) are not currently being > >served. I have received several complaints, as have our ASC's, and others. > >Most folks have expressed displeasure at not having a single county > >source, for some particular Eastern North Carolina county. They have > >reported that the ALHN pages (served by Fred Smoot's server), the AHGP > >page (also served by Mr. Smoot's server) and USGenNet (Mr. Smoot himself), > >were down and waiting for new hardware replacements. In addition Diane > >Mason Kelly, (President of Webroots.org, founder of ncroots.com and CC of > >several Eastern NCGWP counties) had all her NC GenWeb Project pages down. > >She fails to explain the entire down-time problem but does present a > >lovely Christmas page at www.ncroots.com. She sent a post to our Project > >indicating USGenNet hardware problems--nothing else. Nothing to indicate > >when her NCGWP sites would become re-actived. Her Burke County link > >(http://ncroots.com/Burke/) to the Burke Co. Data Base > >(http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncburke/burkedat.htm) seems to be a pretty > >honest appraisal of the entire situation. I do disagree with several > >points made but overall, it seems to be quite accurate. > > > >Nobody from the USGenNet has ever contacted me regarding the estimated > >down-time, let alone offered an apology for the inconvenience they have > >caused our Project so I have no idea how long our affiliated NCGenWeb > >Project pages will be out of service. > > > >It is the responsibility of each page owner to provide for server space > >from whatever individual or entity they choose. Nevertheless, it is the > >responsibility of that same page owner to provide for contingency plans > >when the unexpected occurs. > > > >I am forced by the current situation to issue a notice to page owners of > >any and all USGenNet-hosted sites within our NCGenWeb Project. Measures > >must be taken, and taken immediately. Effective midnight, December 31st, > >2002, any pages not active in the NCGenWeb Project shall be declared to be > >abandoned and will be retained by the NCGenWeb Project to be available for > >adoption and/or re-assignment to an appropriate, knowledgeable and > >reliable page owner. > > > >I believe that two weeks is ample time for the situation to correct itself > >or for the CC page owners to find alternate server space. For that reason, > >I trust that the NCGenWeb Project will be on even track in 2003 and that > >each and every one of you will enjoy a blessed holiday season and reflect > >on God's blessings on us all. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Derick S. Hartshorn > >NCGenWeb State Coordinator > >nc@usgenweb.org > > > >Visit the NC home page at: > >http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncgenweb/ > > > >