Recently I noticed some emails flying around asking how to update your email address on the Rootsweb Message Boards - There were also responses saying why not to - For more information on how to update: http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/addresses/ As MESSAGE BOARD Administrator, here are my thoughts: Updating your email address is NOT hard - and contrary to popular opinion - it is NOT what causes SPAM and HARVESTING. Would you move and hope that mail would get to you somehow? Or think that the postman will go door to door attempting to find you??? Nonsense - while the US Postal system stops forwarding 1st class mail after 6 months, Rootsweb Message Board notifications stop the second you change your email address without updating or your email starts bouncing. To update your email: First, you must be logged into your Rootsweb Account - to do this go to http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec?htx=admin.board&r=rw&p=localities.northam.usa.states.wisconsin.counties.monroe A log in screen should appear and ask for your email and password - if it does not, look on the information line (mine is blue), and click on LOG IN - type in your password, and then click on MY PROFILE - and update your information THis does several things - It updates all posts you have made to the Message Boards using that email address - ALL POSTS - that means people can find you because all your posts are up to date. If an email is dead and someone has information for you and posts to your email - you will not get your notifications - Also, you will not be allowed to login under the new email address - then you will have to request from the help desk to change your email to get into your account. This might be what some individuals call the "runaround" - no different than not chaning your address when you move - the letters go to a dead box and it is up to you to fix the problem by contacting the Postal Service. By changing your email on your profile and not sending this is my new email address in the main section of your post, you avoid SPAMMING and HARVESTING for jumk mail - Posting your email in the content area of the Message Board is what causes the excessive SPAMMING and JUNK mail. I get NO junk mail on the account that I use for transcribing - I get a ton on the one that I posted in the main body while doing my own personal genealogy. SO, even after reading this, you decide not to change your email address - what happens? Besides you not getting your norifications? If the posts are on one of my boards and the email is dead or bouncing - I remove your posts, after unsuccessfully attempting to contact you. I do not, nor do the majority of researchers go hunting through to find new emails in posts - you want to make it easy for people to say - HEY - I got some valuable information for you - not to make it impossible or make more work for the administrator. Most people will just move on to doing their research and finding current contacts whose emails work. When the administrator notices individuals changing their email by posting to old posts, some will send an email explaining how to update and then delete the message - other just delete the message. Some days I get lots of emails saying hey this email is not working - do you have a new one? This takes time from my being able to post responses to queries - of course I don't have it - nor have the time to try to find it. The system was set=up so each person could update all their posts in ONE change. By keeping your email up to date - everyone is happy, especially getting a response to a post that is five years old - long after giving up hope of ever finding that ancestors roots. (VBG) Remember, It is up to each individual to keep their emails updated - Again, More information can be found on this topic at: http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/addresses/ I hope this clears up the mystery of updaing emails - OH, if you do find a dead email, instead of sending an email to the administrator asking for a current email - you can normally find it by simply clicking on Advanced search, type in the authors name - you will get all the messages which they have written - go to the most current - click on print message and there you will see their email address - check it against the dead one - if it is different - R/S MAK ===== MAKTranscriber - http://www.rootsweb.com/~wiwood http://www.rootsweb.com/~wiportag http://www.rootsweb.com/~wimonroe __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Get better spam protection with Yahoo! Mail. http://antispam.yahoo.com/tools