To the USGenweb Project: This letter is very long, but it is all I have to say on the matter at hand.. I agree with the idea of having a centralized archives but NOT to SOLICIT information; The archives should be a SECONDARY place where people can do a massive search of all files. It should be ONLY a repository, and for special projects, NOT OUT THERE SOLICITING INFORMATION for "Kingdom building." This would mean that the CC would be the one to send copies of submissions to the Archives, from the COUNTY pages.. That way if people somehow do not reach the county first but the Archives, a search can be made and they can find the files there too. THE ARCHIVES SHOULD HOLD NO DATA THAT IS NOT ALREADY ON A COUNTY SITE AND SHOULD HOLD NO AUTHORITY OVER COUNTY PAGES, AND WOULD EXERCISE NO AUTHORITY OVER ANY OTHER PROJECT. As any EXPERIENCED researcher knows, to begin your search for your ancestors, you should start in the county, NOT the archives. Our ancestors would call that "placing the horse before the cart." I am posting my resignation on the lists, because that is how I first became aware that I had been approved as the coordinator of the Tazewell County Virginia USGenweb page- on the VA-L list. Following is my resignation that I submitted to Volunteers who had submitted work to me for the Tazewell County USGenweb project home page: >Dear Tazewell County Volunteers, >(This letter is to remain INTACT- not "snipped" nor edited.) >After much prayer and soul searching, I have decided that I >will no longer >maintain the Tazewell County VAGenweb page. I am telling >you, the volunteers >first, because you are the ones where my loyalty is. I have >removed my own >work, including backgrounds and graphics from the >website, because it seems >apparent, that the county pages are being eroded and >absorbed into a >larger data base (the archives) that is controlled by a single >individual. >I do know that in all societies, total control ends in >dictatorship. All >of the archives pages are on Rootsweb, and Rootsweb is >now a for profit >corporation. I have read on the "administrative" mail lists >that the >individual who has control over the archives is a paid staff >member of >Rootsweb. I have no idea where it is all leading, and won't >even speculate >on it. >If you want any corrections or additions made to any of the >work you have >submitted to the Tazewell Home Page since I took it over >the end of >January 2000, please let me know, before I make the >announcement to >officially resign from the USGenweb project. Thanks to the >hard work of >each of you, I am leaving the page with literally hundreds of >files that >were not there previously. None of the work submitted to >me was transferred >to the "archives." We have a POWERFUL home page, >because we chose to share >unselfishly and work together. That is where the REAL >POWER is- with the >volunteers for the project. >Most of the time, I have felt like a hypocrite taking your >work, because >county coordinators are not allowed freedom of speech to >let volunteers >know the actual politics, so the volunteers can make >INFORMED CHOICES. Let >the record show, that I did not donate any of your work to >the "archives." >There are many wonderful, dedicated people in the >USGenweb project who keep >"hanging in there" but if they speak out, they are "severed" >from the >project.. I am not going to maintain a "front" website that is >nothing >more than a gateway to someone's personal agenda for >power. >If you share this letter with anyone before I officially resign, I >will more >than likely be "severed" from the project and locked out of >the website that >we have put our hearts and souls into. It has happened to >others in the >past. If that happens, my bags are packed and I am ready >to go, today, if >I have to..but I am leaving voluntarily- the only area of the >project where >I have a choice. >One of our volunteers summed up my feelings much better >than I could have, >and I will paste the quote here: >"I believe that the little folks do >better without interference and central control and with the >power to >choose for themselves and to control what they themselves >have chosen. >As an Appalachian, I am skeptical about remote control. >When people don't >control what they've produced, they don't own it. Somebody >else chooses the >program, and the little guy simply displays it. Power always >rests with the >one who has the option of choosing."< (end of quote) >I am choosing to keep my power by leaving the project, but >I will finish my >work and place it some where that it will remain intact at a >"local" >level, and be used for the purpose it was intended- to help >others find >their families of origin. >If I am not kicked out of the project for allowing you to >CHOOSE whether to >maintain control over your own work, then this letter will be >sent to all >the USGenweb "administrative" mail lists that I am on, as >my official >resignation and as a protest, that we are not allowed >freedom of speech nor >the right to know, nor the right to >choose. The entire Ohio Genweb project was threatened >with "severance" >just the other day, because they believe the public has a >right to know what >is happening and and the right to make choices. >If I have left anyone off this list who submitted work to me, it >was not >intentional, because I do believe everyone has THE RIGHT >TO KNOW and the >RIGHT TO CHOOSE.. I have never seen a more caring >dedicated group of >people anywhere than the Tazewell County VA volunteers.. >Thank you for your >support and your contributions. Hopefully, I will meet each >of you at the >Eastern Gate of Heaven when we leave this old world and >the wheat will >finally be separated from the chaff. >Dodie Browning I will be working with Jeff Weaver, who was one of the original members of the USGenweb Project. 3 of my personal websites are: (brand new) Tazewell County VA Genealogy & History http://www.anzwers.net/free/tazewellcova/ Families of Steel(e) http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ridge/6203/ Logan County WV Ancestors http://members.tripod.com/famsteel/index.html Please consider the Tazewell County VAGenweb page as orphaned, as of now. I have tried to ignore the "politics" , because I do quality work and had hoped to be an active member of the USGenweb Project in spite of the "politics". I cannot do quality work under the CONTROL of the archives and assist them in taking over special projects and the county pages, which was the heart of the USGenweb project . Sincerely Dodie Browning