MEGEN-L Archives
Archiver > MEGEN > 2008-03 > 1204896046
From: Tom Raynor <>
Subject: Re: [MEGEN] Fw: Announcement: USGenWeb Project sites hostedon TGN/RW ("RootsWeb")
Date: Fri, 07 Mar 2008 08:20:46 -0500
References: <00d501c87e74$815f4630$6401a8c0@DFWQ8BB1> <47CE2039.6000805@tdstelme.net> <005c01c87ebd$2cf5bcc0$6401a8c0@DFWQ8BB1><47CE9CAD.9070504@tdstelme.net>
In-Reply-To: <47CE9CAD.9070504@tdstelme.net>
Nancy's point is well taken.
USGenWeb was founded as an INDEPENDENT non-profit organization, with
individual coordinators managing their own web sites.
RootsWeb (now Anscestery.com or TGN) generously offered free web hosting
for coordinators who did not already have web space available from
another source, like their Internet service provider (ISP).
So many coordinators took advantage of this offer that I suspect some
now think that Ancestry.com is the ONLY place that can host our sites.
This is NOT true!
You can, and IMHO should, seek web hosting elsewhere. Most ISPs (cable
or phone companies) offer you free web space. So do many e-mail
providers (AOL, Yahoo, etc.) You can even buy your own domain name and
find places that will host it for very little money.
For many coordinators, our time is valuable. We offer it, free of
charge, to support the genealogy community we are part of. We feel good
about contributing to a non-profit organization that helps our fellow
researchers.
Personally, I can not justify working for a profit-making business
without compensation. USGenWeb has been flirting with that line for
some time now. The day I feel they've crossed it is the day I have to
withdraw my support.
I hope that doesn't happen. But there is a very real risk right now of
USGenWeb being absorbed into RootsWeb. What company wouldn't want all
these unpaid employees?
- Tom Raynor
Cumberland & York Counties
Query Manager
Nancy Porter wrote:
> 10-4!
> What if their additions screw up our pages?
> And do we get to choose, or are they just going
> to put the banners on of their choice.
> The worst part is that it makes us look like we're
> advocating the support of Ancestry, which rather
> bothers me.
> Nancy
>
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