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Archiver > BOARD > 1999-11 > 0941500059


From: "Garnett J.(Joe) Zsedeny" <>
Subject: Re: Fw: [BOARD-L] NE-NC Advisory Board Rep & other concerns
Date: Mon, 01 Nov 1999 18:47:39 -0500


I want to weigh in on this discussion because I believe there has been
misconceptions about the role of the many tools provided by Rootsweb and Rootsweb
itself versus the USGenWeb. I pick and choose the tools available to me and
never view them as a threat to my sites. I didn't use the GenConnect Boards
initially because I was busy and it seemed too much trouble for the relatively
few queries I was receiving. Later, after learning that I would essentially lose
control of the queries, I decided against using the Boards. I concur that I don't
own the queries but I do control them and decided I wanted to keep it that way -
my decision.

Teri's comments on the county cluster boards mirror my thoughts. They simply
gather everything together and present it to researchers to pick and choose from.
They in no way challenge USGenWeb sites. If anything they give us more exposure.

The Archives Search Engine is a fantastically good tool and I use it for the
NDGenWeb Archives and my web pages. It can search every file in ND in seconds and
return surnames, town and village names and even stray words if they are related.
Again, I like the tool and use it - my decision.

The Archives are set up as a tool for the CCs use. They provide a repository
which can be linked directly or thru indexes prepared to display information in
artful and attractive formats. I look at them this way. County coordinators come
and go, but the Archives remain. However, no one is forced to put their data in
the Archives, but they are certainly encouraged to do so. I initially hesitated
to put my data there until I felt comfortable with the Archives - my decision.

Rootsweb has provided server space for the Archives which essentially is
unlimited and free. We are now putting high quality census scans in the Archives.
These scans gobble server space to the extent of 300kb-400kb per census page.
Someway, somehow Rootsweb has stayed ahead of us in this space race, so to speak.
Some of the downtime that we sometimes grouse about is caused by the upgrades
required to stay ahead of the input that we are piling into the Archives to the
extent now of nearly 3 gigabytes of data. Thru the hard work of Joy Fisher, now
here on the Board, SD and ND now have Bureau of Land Management (BLM) records
online for the two states. This has generated enough excitement to cause the
State Genealogical Society of ND to put the Archive links in their last
newsletter. Am I a Rootsweb supporter? Yes, to the extent of being a sponsor. Do
I have to be? No - my decision. There is just no better deal around. Like it or
leave it - your decision. Rootsweb controls only the servers, not USGenWeb. If we
can find a server to mirror our data FREE we should consider it.

The point is we as volunteers don't have to do anything we don't want to do. We
can use any server we wish to use for our web pages. We can use or not use any
tool available to us. We can incorporate our state organizations, fire the SC of
a state if 2/3s of the CCs desire it, elect whomever we wish to represent us,
ignore politics and let a minority elect our representatives or just plow into
the genealogy that most of us love and ignore the rest. We can quit the USGenWeb
if we wish, there will always be someone waiting to pick up the slack. We can
even believe that all I have pointed out above is not so. But it is so.

Volunteerism is the expression of a kind heart. Lets look for the best in what
we do and have and not just for the worst. You now have a Board that will listen,
answer questions and respect your opinions, but not always agree with you. Talk
to us and we will listen. But if we don't, be sure and vote next time.

Joe

--
email:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~jzed/home.htm
http://www.rootsweb.com/~ndpembin/pembina.htm
http://www.rootsweb.com/~ndramsey/ramsey.ht

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