OK everyone, This seems to have cause no end of confusion among many of our list members. I will try to explain this as simply as I can: (1) Send an email to Jm Bartlett at: [email protected] In your email to him, tell him you want to be invited as either an editor or a guest of the Northern Neck Families group on ancestry.com (I hope you'll sign up as an editor) a. This is FREE even if you do not have an account with ancestry.com. You can still edit and change and add things from your own computer. You can browse at will. b. If you DO have an ancestry.com account, you can link documents already on ancestry's database to this tree (2) Jim will process the request. You do nothing while he gets around to this, usually within the first day. He does have a day job. (3) ancestry.com will automatically send you an invite via email This part is out of his control. Usually within a few hours or even a day. Don't panic. (4) YOU MUST RESPOND TO THIS EMAIL. IT IS NOT JUNK MAIL. IT WILL HAVE A LINK IN THAT E-MAIL THAT YOU JUST CLICK ON. Click on the link and register for this group. This does NOT mean you are signing up for ancestry.com. Voila! You are in. No need to join ancestry.com. You can edit at will but you CAN NOT use ancestry.com "hints" to link documents. You MAY upload your own documents/pictures/stories if you wish. THAT'S IT! (5) Well, almost it. Save it to your favorite places so you can find it later and (6) Share experiences with using this rather clunky database--think of it as an on-line genealogical program like Family Tree Maker or Reunion--with this list or on our facebook page. This is a learning curve all the way around. Some are learning faster than others. For my own part, I gave Jim the "base line" database of nearly 1500 people all stemming from William-1 Ball, emigrant. Jim Bartlett has graciously allowed us to use his own ancestry.com to get this thing going. I for one thank him profusely. If this is still not clear, please ask away on the list. I apparently do not have the best skills at communicating. Or so I've been repeatedly told. Craig