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Archiver > GEN-NYS > 1999-12 > 0944435392


From: "NColeman" <>
Subject: Re: Names at end of Notes
Date: Sun, 5 Dec 1999 18:09:52 -0500


Dear Richard:

If you've hit your brick wall as far back as 1800, you're
luckier than most! :)

But, to your larger question. And it is a GOOD issue to
bring up. Most people want to be effective with their
searches. There are some basic tips that can help them in
this goal. A good signature is one of the most important,
which your post addresses.

I certainly have no objections to postscript names or
signatures, especially the way you presented yours. But, I
sometimes questions (on other's) whether all of the names
(the lists being sometimes MUCH longer than the post itself)
is even relevant to the list "area" where the person is
posting. This can be confusing and lead to unwanted email
for a lot of people, including the poster.

For instance: if, let's say, your Johnson family is known
to have immigrated through New Orleans and migrated to
Missouri, with no stops in-between, why post such a common
name to a Brooklyn or Philadelphia list? Conscientious
editing, even of your own signature, can spare you from
answering (and getting up the hopes of) a lot of people
who's family never went near those states.

I think that a good signature includes 1) your NAME and
email address, 2) your website, if you have one, 3) relevant
association websites that you may be a member of, 4)
surnames that are relevant to the list you are posting to.
Putting the surnames last makes it very easy to edit your
signature to be relevant to the list you are posting to.

Very often people forget #1!!! I can't tell you how many
emails I have received that don't even have the person's
name. So, I am forced to respond to "Dear ..."

So, thank you, Richard, for bringing up this issue. If
people want results and they want to be effective in their
queries, they should make sure that their signature is
clear, concise, and relevant.

Best regards. Nancy.
NColeman

NYC/Long Island Family History Research Services:
http://www.genealogyPro.com/ncoleman.html
County Coordinator for the Nassau GenExchange:
http://www.genexchange.com/ny/nassau/index.cfm
Irish Family History Forum - VP Membership
http://www.ifhf.org email:
-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Wood <>
To: <>
Date: Sunday, December 05, 1999 10:00 AM
Subject: Names at end of Notes


>I receive the posts in Digest form, that way I can review
all of them at
>one time.
>
>One thing that I find very helpful is some people list
those families that
>they are searching at the end of the post. I have made a
couple of
>contacts this way and filled in some missing links in my
tree. I think is
>little "postscript" is very helpful.
>
>What do the rest of the folks think of putting all the
names they are
>searching at the end of their posts. Of course there is
some risks
>involved, people will be sending you notes about your
(example) POTTER
>connection.
>
>My idea of participating on a rootsweb is communicating,
especially if one
>has reached a wall, say at about 1800.
>
>Happy holidays and good hunting
>Searching: ANDERSON, BIGSBY, CAVANAUGH,
> CRAMER, CUMMINGS, GASTON, HYER,
> LITTLE, NILES, POTTER, VINCENT, WOOD
>
>
>Richard Wood
>Tucson, AZ
>
>N32-16'-53.5" W111-04'-22.5"
>http://www.azstarnet.com/~pawood
>
>There is no king who has not had a slave among
>his ancestors, and no slave who has not had a
>king among his.
>
> Helen Keller
>
>
>==== GEN-NYS Mailing List ====
>Have you seen the USGenWeb New York Page?
> http://www.rootsweb.com/~nygenweb/
>

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