Greetings all, This is a full answer to George Waller’s "Political" missive of last night (29 Jan 1999) which had been posted to our CC list. Please delete this now if you are bothered by politics. The question of whether we are technically separate from the USGenWeb Project is answered in our TNGenNet Bylaws, Article 5. We are "affiliated" with the USGenWeb and under extreme conditions, we could sever our connection. The visibility of our separateness is amplified by the use of the TNGenNet Inc. name on our main page. In the statement at the bottom of that page which defines TGN Inc, we state "we are the Tennessee volunteers to the USGenWeb Project." This definition was suggested by Megan Zurawicz, then National USGWP Coordinator. In the same paragraph, you will see this: "The name TNGenWeb is a service mark of the USGenWeb Project." This reflects the national project’s Bylaws. Here, we do not claim ownership of the name TNGenWeb, but rather we acquiesced to wishes of the paranoid* nationally oriented folks by voting in the TNGenNet name. We were the peace keepers! As some know, the only two XXGenWebs that did (non-profit) incorporate are the Kansas and Tennessee units. Those two actions have made some of the nationally oriented folks very displeased. Below I will share with you part of an e-mail that shows the attitude of "separateness" demonstrated by two USGWP members. It is directed to the other XXGenWeb, Kansas, but could apply to us as well. BTW, "B" is the expurgator of the USGENWEB-ALL mailing list. >>>> > One important point here is that the USGENWEB Project wuld not be able to > field another KSGENWEB site in the future if the "board" decided to boot > each and everyone of them for some infraction of those bylaws we keep > hearing about.... well that is not without a fight in a Kansas court. How > many board members would be willing to pay legal fees ourt of their own > pocket to test the theory? Not many I would surmise. The Board would have no trouble fielding another KSGenWeb. With as many users as USGenWeb has, it could raise a $20k defense fund in a week if need be. Folks don't seem to clearly understand just how much potential power the Board has but chooses not to use -- this is sort of a Godzilla meets Bambi thing. -B >>>> It is important to note here that a great many of our CCs are fiercely loyal to the principles of the USGenWeb Project - principles that are also written into our state Charter. But this is not a question of loyality, it is a question legality. ------ * George Waller has determined that the word "paranoid" has become part of our modern lexicon and does necessarily qualify as a medical diagnosis. According to George, it is not insulting to refer to a person as "paranoid." I suppose it now means "great angst" or something like that. ------ Fred Smoot