This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/AmJBAIB/7363.1.1 Message Board Post: [Apologies to the Stewart Listers for having this message gateway, however, it is pertinent to reply on board, rather than directly to Bob. Others may share his question.] Hello Bob: As you access the boards via Ancestry.UK, you may not be aware of the free site Rootsweb.com that Ancestry supports. The boards are accessible via either interface. It is not necessary to maintain an Ancestry subscription in order to post to the boards. Whereas Ancestry.com has many databases and resources they charge fees to access, they also house the resources for Rootsweb.com, which has been online for some 10 or so years now. There are databases, websites, bulletin boards [same ones you access via Ancestry, just a different apperance], genealogical hints and helps, mailing lists and more. Visit http://www.rootsweb.com to view the entire list of resources. The mailing lists allow you to discuss, in real time, your genealogical interests and enquiries. One subscribes to any of the lists they may desire and selects to receive them in mail mode or digest mode. The difference being the manner in which the messages of the day are delivered. Mail mode is single messages delivered as your fellow subscribers send them off "to the list." Digest mode is a compilation of a number of posts within a time frame or size limitation, wherein the messages are received in one larger message every 12 or more hours, depending on how the list is set. One must subscribe to the list in order to be able to post to the list. The archives can be viewed without subscription. Subscription is free. People who are actively searching a particular surname find that the lists are more satisfactory for their purpose than the boards as the response, generally, is more immediate than those for board posts, which sometimes are not responded to for months or years. Boards require people to be proactive in visiting the internet and looking to see what has been posted. Lists send mail directly to your in box. And to confuse matters a bit more, Rootsweb/Ancestry.com has enacted a way to allow board posts to be immediately posted to the lists, however, the list posts do not travel back to the board. It is a one way exchange of information. Not all boards are gatewayed. The Admin of the Board and the List must agree to open the gateway... and it is not the best option for all lists, so many are not gatewayed. Lists are open to public perusal by people around the world at any time. There are two types of archives.... browsable and interactive search. View a listing of the lists here: http://lists.rootsweb.com/ Those particular to the Stewart name will be found here: http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/surname/s/stewart.html The Stewart-L@rootsweb.com is the oldest of the Stewart lists and welcomes posts re any spelling of the surname, from any place, in any point of time. It is the most highly populated of all the Stewart surname lists. However, even though there are at times 1000 subscribers, most of the listers lurk and never post. They read the posts in hope that a cousin will stumble by and find them. Others are more active and posts do fly in flurries. The direction of the list is entirely left to the group to direct. The focus changes as people begin discussion. The Southern USA group seems to be the strongest voice of late, although the Northerners do chime in some. Others are encouraged to open dialogue regarding their area of interest and geographic location and migration of their Stewarts. Years ago, when I first joined there was more discussion of the Stewarts in Scotland. Stewart Surname List Archives will be found here: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/STEWART/ http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/?list=STEWART Take a look also for the varient spellings, should you want to have a more narrow focus and less incoming mail. And there is also the Stewart-non-USA list for those who have no research in the USA and sometimes feel overwhelmed by "Yank" posts. :) It is a "Yank-free post zone." And should your interests include genetic genealogy, you will want to also consider the Stewart-DNA list, which exists to support the Stewart DNA Projects. This provides an arena to discuss both genealogy and the DNA process in more detail. I hope this responds effectively to your query. Should you have more questions, please write me directly. Click on my name as Author, and you will see my personal email address, or also, click on Links and Announcements and you will find it there as Admin Contact Information. Yours Aye, Lauren M. Boyd, FSA Scot Stewart Board & List Admin