Hi everyone from across the Big Pond ! I first posted to this List at the end of last year in the hunt for my husband's great uncle James Hull, who it was rumoured had come to the USA and settled in Texas. I took a look at the Archives for the List first and searched on 'Hull' and got zero for all the 6 years on there. Then I thought I would 'browse' the List and found the probable reason why - it was an extremely QUIET List ! Most months seemed to be in single figures and the highest was 26 back in August 2000. Anyway I posted my initial enquiry and was delighted at the rapid response. Within a day I not only knew for sure that it was the right James Hull, but had been given his marriage, his children and their marriages, plus the family on the 1900/1910 and 1920 ! Then I was helped again just recently to find the family on the 1930 and on WW1 draft documents. My husband was absolutely gobsmacked ! However I was a little disappointed as to how quiet it was and was convinced that there must be only about 8 people subscribed to this List. Sarah with her wonderful enthusiam in attempting to bring the dreadful situation in the Alamo Masonic Cemetery to light,has managed to completely revitalise it and suddenly there are loads of people on it! Messages not only about the Cemetery and how to sort it out, but other people also asking about other things. I personally learn an awful lot about an area and the people by reading all the different mail that comes to a List. James Allison Hull, James Hull's son, would have been born a Texan,would have thought like one and developed values because of where he was born and lived. This is important to me as the family genie. I also pick up information about where to search for things - and this is particularly important when you dont live in the country as you dont know what is available. Searching in the USA is much easier for you because of the freedom you are given with public data. In the UK we dont have Social Security indexes, we also have an archaic 100 years law which prevents us from accessing censuses after 1901 and lots of other things we are prevented from viewing for 50 years. Judging by the response to Sarah's original rallying call, I would say that she did this List a great favour and should be given a medal not wacked off the List! Perhaps the administator got rudely woken up and had to actually do something for a change, but I think he/she is seriously out of line to take note of what could only be a small number of complaints by people who couldnt be bothered to unsubscribe or didnt know how to do it (judging by the number sent to the list). On every other Rootsweb List that I have joined, I have received a welcome letter from the Administrator telling me their name, along with a list of what won't be tolerated on the List. (I keep them just incase) 'Flaming' is one of them described thus, but I dont see anything that Sarah said which would be covered by this:- Flame Originally, "flame" meant to carry forth in a passionate manner in the spirit of honorable debate. Flames most often involved the use of flowery language and flaming well was an art form. More recently flame has come to refer to any kind of derogatory comment no matter how witless or crude. Flame War When an online discussion degenerates into a series of personal attacks against the debators, rather than discussion of their positions. A heated exchange The email I received from TXBEXAR when I first joined, contains nothing at all except for 'welcome' how to subscribe and unsubscribe and the other usual info about posting. So is it possible that this List doesnt actually have an administrator because it is so quiet? Perhaps it has been managed as a sideline by somebody at Rootsweb ?? If you want to follow the course of events anew and see how things degenerated because of a couple of other individuals, take a look at the archives here. http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/TXBEXAR/ I shall email the mystery bod for Sarah's sake, and thank you Sarah for all your time and effort and info that you have posted on here. All power to your elbow girl !! Simone (In England's lush green pastures) Ps Hubby is also a Freemason and adds his good wishes to Sarah in her endeavours ! -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: 12 June 2005 16:41 To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Why is Sarah blocked because Mailing Lists is what genealogy is all about. I also belong to several mailing list. The more the mailing list the more the information and knowledge. I love my genealogy emails no matter how many emails I get. There was no reason for Sarah to be blocked. The ONLY reason to block someone is if they are sending obscene email and using fowl abusive language. I can also see someone being blocked if they come on here and try and sell a product. Sarah did neither, all she did was to inform the board of the cemetery problems and try to find solutions to fix the problem. She has been a victim of a circuit of individuals who are somehow connected to one another and has blocked her from OUR list. As I have said before, the Bexar County list is the quietest list I am a member of. It is probably one of the oldest and largest counties with the most history, but this list rarely receives emails. It has finally given the list the opportunity to wake up. Ron Hesdorff