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Archiver > GENBRIT > 2003-03 > 1048000788


From: Liz <>
Subject: Re: NEW British-Genealogy.com BRITISH MAILING LISTS AND WEB SITE
Date: Tue, 18 Mar 2003 15:19:48 +0000
References: <8So+3QE0fkc+EA3i@neep.demon.co.uk> <3E7683F8.8090503@rmit.edu.au> <3e76a18d$0$9538$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au> <003001c2ed34$ec387340$88b01e3e@default> <8r9e7vg296u6l26tg7dg9gskq78mknc76p@4ax.com>


Stuart Morgan wrote:

> Patricia, I agree that this isn't the best place to hold the
> disussion, but then the announcement was made here in the first place.

I don't really see why this isn't a proper place to discuss a new
resource for British genealogy ... I would have thought it might be the
*only* proper place <g>

Such things are best announced, I feel. Otherwise you end up with a less
than accurate 'word of mouth' message from someone who may have got the
wrong end of the stick anyway.
>
> Its not a question of joining or not joining a list, I feel you've
> entirely missed the point. The effect of duplicate lists is to further
> sub-divide the community and therefore the quality of all the lists.
> What as a community we should be doing instead is consolidating
> information and resources. Now if rootsweb could be persuaded to close
> down the existing lists then we would definately be in a better
> position, but I don't forsee that happening.

I think a lot will depend on which lists people currently belong to.
Everyone is aware that the Rootsweb Lists vary considerably in quality
and management. I'm sure we all have experiences that are both good and
bad. I think that if you currently find yourself stuck with a choice of
multiple Cornwalls, or whatever, it might be a very good idea to try a ,
hopefully, more consolidated List.
>
> Equally but not relevant to this discussion, more effort should
> probably be made by the community to combine information from the
> myriad of indexes, transcriptions and web sites out there. Instead,
> probably with the best of intentions, but more often a desire to carve
> out their 'territory' many groups and individuals have set up their
> own systems or sites.

The trouble is that we are not really a community ... more a collection
of individuals with a common interest. As this newsgroup illustrates on
any given day <g> In the absence of any 'ruling body' it is inevitable
that systems and sites will proliferate, with the best intentions. Time
seems to sort out the successful from the unsuccessful ....

I think that what Rod probably has in mind with the british-genealogy
website (of which the Mailing Lists are only part) is to provide a
starting point, or rallying point, for those investigating British
ancestry. I make that last point because some comments were made earlier
which almost implied it was only for the British .... clearly it is more
inclusive than that and covers the world of current nationalities with
the common interest of British forebears.

A few thousand people have signed up now .... time will tell, I guess
:-)

Liz (Greenwich UK)

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