APG-L Archives

From: <>
Subject: Re: [APG] seal, web site, conferences, etc.
Date: Wed, 8 Dec 1999 04:20:22 EST

In a message dated 12/07/99 8:35:36 AM Mountain Standard Time,
writes:

<< However, there are some difficulties with this idea that would need to be
dealt with

a) does anyone have control over what is posted?
b) how can objectionable or obviously incorrect posts be removed?
c) we most likely want to eliminate posts that are non-ojective or indicate
a lack of understanding of either the source or basic methodology.
d) who will make these decisions?
e) will posts be screened? >>

FREE FOR ALL NONFEASIBILITY

A "free for all to post" CD error web site in any form (bulletin board, etc.)
will not only require an aggressive amount of labor to maintain (an
uncontrolled flood of entries to read, review, delete if inaccurate, etc.),
there are the legal liability issues that Myra brought forth. In a posting
several weeks ago, Donn Devine sent the list a link referring us to an
article listing recent successful lawsuits regarding inappropriate and
libelous publication of statements on the Internet. In addition, as soon as
the CD error web site becomes popular, spammers will infiltrate by the
thousands with non-genealogy related posts (experience speaking).

DIFFERENT IDEA

A legally safer and more controlled way to quickly instigate the process of
reporting CD errors may be to:

a) Create a web site devoted to cataloguing CD (and perhaps online database)
errors or incongruities (unclear or misleading advertising, etc.).
b) Create an online reporting form for the user to fill out and submit. The
form should prompt for the CD # and publisher, date of publication or
version, title and contents, problem associated with the CD, the name of
submitter and email address and phone number of submitter. The problem field
can be a scrolling paragraph text box that will allow X amount of lines to
the user for descriptive purposes.
c) Have one person from a review board receive the form results via email.
d) The review board can then investigate the error submission.
e) If the reported error is verified by the board, then the email text can
be forwarded to the web master and the text copied and pasted rather quickly
to the web site.

EXPENSE

Creating the form described above and a skeletal (no graphics, no frills
website) to categorize board verified CD errors should take about 5 hours for
the initial set up.

The labor cost of maintaining the site will only be as extensive as the
number of verified error submissions sent to the web master from the review
board. Cutting and pasting text to the appropriate page on the site won't
take long - perhaps 5-10 minutes for each submission.

The labor cost of paying the review board will also vary, depending upon the
rates quoted for review hours by the members.

TO THE SUBMITTER

For the person submitting the error:
a) They should be allowed to chose (on the submission form) to have their
name published to the Internet or withheld for privacy reasons.
b) It might be conducive to offer a freebie gift (perhaps a how-to article)
to those who take the time to submit the alleged CD errors.

FUNDING

Publishers, because they will benefit immensely from this process of review,
should volunteer to finance a portion of this endeavor. It can be presumed
that the review board will consist of mostly accomplished and experienced
genealogists to whom most CD publishers do not otherwise have access.

Because this CD error web site will likely become a popular site (it will
encompass a broad scope and be truly useful) selling advertising space on the
site would be a possible revenue source to help to cover expenditures. If it
is decided that cash outlays from publishers would be viewed as funny money,
then only revenues from advertising could be used.

POTENTIAL

Perhaps one of the results of the above mentioned web site is that we could
potentially garner sufficient funding from the web site to research and burn
a genealogist-grown CD database ... to *set an example*

Regards,
Natalie Cottrill
<A HREF="http://www.progenealogists.com">http://www.progenealogists.com</A&g

This thread:

• [APG] seal, web site, conferences, etc. by Michael Neill <>
  • Re: [APG] seal, web site, conferences, etc. by Jeff Simonson <>

  • Re: [APG] seal, web site, conferences, etc. by <>