Listowners-L Archives

Archiver > Listowners > 2000-07 > 0962905914


From: "Elsi" <>
Subject: Re: Ancestry offer deadline
Date: Thu, 6 Jul 2000 12:51:54 -0500
In-Reply-To: <a1.7a4a774.26961258@aol.com>


In a message dated 07/06/2000 10:41:54 AM Central Daylight Time,
writes:
>
> Gee, it sure would be nice if someone (especially staff) would explain what
> all the differences in all the offers were, so we listowners could explain
> to our subscribers who may also have different degrees of RW sponsorship.
> It's becoming more obvious that all the letters in the announcement were not
> the same.
> Any authoritative answers out there?

My answer isn't any more authoritative than anyone else's.
However, my gut reaction is that it isn't our *JOB* as a listowner to
explain anything about this to our subscribers. Our only role as a
listowner is to set the tone/tenor of our lists and manage the day-to-
day operation of the list. We have no role *between* the subscriber
and RootsWeb. If the subscriber has a relationship with RootsWeb
outside of being a list subscriber, then the subscriber needs to deal
directly with RootsWeb, not rely on a listowner (or maybe 30
listowners depending on how many lists he's subbed to) to act as a
go-between with RootsWeb.

A list subscriber who is has any sponsor/contributor relationship
with RootsWeb will have received proper notification about any
offers resulting from the RootsWeb-Ancestry relationship.

While it's impossible to keep folks from talking about the Ancestry
offer, it's really no one's business what terms were offered (or not)
to me. It's also none of my business what terms were offered to
anyone else. Therefore, I have no need to know "what all the
differences in all the offers were".

Don't get me wrong - we're all curious about how the RootsWeb-
Ancestry alliance will affect our lists (our websites, etc.). However,
I don't think that listowners need to take on any additional
responsibilities. Which is why the staff members have consistently
stated that no information will be provided here in the list. Any one
can go to the HelpDesk (http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/) for a
personal and authoritative answer about their specific offer from
Ancestry. So, if the question comes up on your list -- and I
wouldn't even raise it -- send folks to the HelpDesk.

Nuff said.


Regards,
Leigh

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