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Archiver > GENEALOGY-DNA > 2011-11 > 1320518938


From: Marianne Granoff <>
Subject: Re: [DNA] Problems with some surname project admins
Date: Sat, 05 Nov 2011 12:48:58 -0600
References: <4a195.799cc016.3be07704@aol.com> <4EAF2020.9080706@jps.net><004e01cc9883$aa8b5ee0$ffa21ca0$@dgmweb.net><201111011407.pA1E7pHf011305@mail.rootsweb.com><201111050141.pA51ffjK031722@mail.rootsweb.com><8D202C82-550B-4AB6-B041-0FB4640850FB@gmail.com><00b601cc9b7f$335b11e0$9a1135a0$@com><F415B101-0073-450B-9CC0-47205753C639@verizon.net><00c301cc9bc1$e94a3610$bbdea230$@dgmweb.net>
In-Reply-To: <00c301cc9bc1$e94a3610$bbdea230$@dgmweb.net>


One big problem with competing projects is that FTDNA will not
provide the admin of the competing projects any information on the
members of the original project, and most members of the original
project never will look for information on the competing
project. You will still have unhappy customers who are not being
adequately taken care of by the admin of the project they joined.

What if there was a place that had a list of people willing to take
on administering another project, and where people could list their
names and email addresses if they were willing to be an admin of
another project? If there were a pool of people that FTDNA could
turn to for a replacement admin or even a co-admin, then maybe FTDNA
would be willing to take a more active role in at least checking to
see if participants are contacted within some reasonable time frame
when they join a project?

Just trying to see what would be workable, simple, and easy.

And I do not see any time when admins would be "arbitrarily"
removed. I would assume that an admin who is not adequately managing
a project might be warned by FTDNA first, or at least contacted by
FTDNA first and asked if he/she needs help - maybe needs a co-admin?

There does need to be a more prominent set of guidelines for project
administrators.

This is the latest one I could find after much searching:

http://www.familytreedna.com/documents/GAP-Guidelines-7-22-08.pdf

What do we need to change?

Marianne Manley Granoff
Albuquerque, NM

At 09:50 AM 11/5/2011 -0400, you wrote:
>I set up the Y-DNA-PROJECTS mailing list in part hoping "weak" admins
>could be helped by experienced ones. I know some subscribers welcome,
>even ask for, advice, but advice from one's peers is not always
>welcome or heeded. And, of course, the really disinterested admins
>don't subscribe to the list. I think the Guidelines need to come down
>from FTDNA, and in fact, we have some...
>
>There are Guidelines on the Resources menu of our GAP. I would be in
>favor of them being spelled out in more detail. Perhaps FTDNA would
>be amenable to hearing and implementing our suggestions.
>
>But then we come full circle to the issue of FTDNA forcibly replacing
>admins. As I've said, before, if people think they could arbitrarily
>be removed from their projects, who would take on the work? The ill
>will would be enormous.
>
>I do think the answer is to allow competing projects. Most people
>will join both projects, so it is not the detriment you might think --
>or as I once thought. This way, no admin gets fired (loses their
>project), and the members can get what they want from the better
>admin.
>
>Diana
>
>
> > From: Jim Bartlett
> > Sent: Saturday, November 05, 2011 6:43 AM
> >
> > Start with an objective statement.
> >
> > Such as: Create a brief set of Administrator guidelines to recruit
> > participants, help people understand DNA as a genealogy tool,
> > purchase tests, interpret results, and display matching results with
> > some method of identifying the Patriarchal surname lines to which
> > they belong.
> >
> > Try it - an objective statement is hard to write, harder to get
> > agreement, but essential as a common goal - otherwise everyone heads
> > in their own direction.
> >
> > I would not ask FTDNA to track metrics (each DNA project is
> > different, and need not comply with standards); but FTDNA could be a
> > little more willing to look into complaints of project participants.
> >
> > Jim - Sent from my iPhone - FaceTime!
> >
>
>
>
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