WELCOME

Welcome to the 21st issue of the quarterly online newsletter supplement to "Self Portraits: The Self Family NetLetter," the Website dedicated to Self family research at http://www.selfroots.com

You are receiving this newsletter because you were kind enough to join "Self Seekers: The Self Family Association." We appreciate all of your contributions, large and small, and we hope you will continue to support our page, our surname list, and this newsletter.

We begin the year 2003 with our country in economic shambles and poised on the brink of war with Iraq. These are troubled times indeed. But they're nothing new--we've survived panics, depressions, and recessions in earlier times and fought our way through other serious conflicts. Hard times--as well as prosperous ones--have shaped the United States into the great nation it is today. Whatever is to come in this new year, we can be assured that we have the courage and resourcefulness of our ancestors behind us. And hopefully we'll be reading next year's first issue of the "Self Seekers Newsletter" with our country's problems solved and a brighter future ahead for ourSelfs and our descendants. May you all have a happy and challenging New Year!

We are so happy to be the largest repository of Self information. With three domains, a second Webpage at RootsWeb, a surname forum and a suite of cluster pages at RootsWeb (see the link on "Self Portraits"), a Listserv, a Collaboration Surname list on the LDS "Family Search" site, well over 5,000 pages of connected and unconnected Self lines, and over 1250 valid e-mail correspondents willing to share information, we are well able to help you with your family research. We are also the Surname Resource Center (SRC) for the surnames of Self, Selfe, and Selph. We also host SelfSite at RootsWeb, an extension of Self Portraits containing our Census pages as well as state-by-state and county-by-county "loose ends," Selfs presently unconnected to any of the major branches; and Self Family Album II which presents more old Self photos. Family Record Online enumerates families presented on our Self Family of the Week page. And each time a new "Self Seekers" newsletter is released, we upload the one for the same month from the past year to our public page for all cousins to enjoy.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

We would like to have your gedcom so that we can add your information to our database. With your permission, we will also list and distribute your gedcom on request (but only with your permission). Please send us gedcoms so that we can start a library that will help others. If you've already submitted one, kindly re-send so that we will have the latest information. We would appreciate being kept informed of new family members as well as other changes.

If you haven't joined our Self Surname Mailing List yet, please subscribe. Instructions will be found on the main page of our Website. Note that we also host the Swindle, Eden, Edens, Cease, Breeze, Brezee, Bishop, Snackenberg, Snackenberger, Schneggenburger, and Salazar Surname Lists as well as listservs for Erath County, TX., King County, TX., Bossier Parish, LA., Murray County, GA., and Clay County, NC. In addition, we host the King County, TX, Murray County, GA, Union County, GA and Clay County, NC USGenWeb sites. Our four county sites join "Self Portraits" in featuring a handy search engine for locating topics discussed in previous messages posted to their corresponding listserv--please click on the button directly beneath the instructions for joining the listserv on the main page of each site.

Membership fees remain the same in 2003: Regular Member, $12 and Charter Member, $25. If you are a Patron Member, your initial contribution is gratefully acknowledged and good for the lifetime of the "Self Seekers" association. We're accepting payment for the 2003 membership year now. We want to retain you as a "Self Seekers" member, and you cannot know how much your monetary contributions help keep us going. [Of course, we'll also take kind words along with your donation :-) ] So if you haven't sent your check yet, please do so.

And PLEASE contribute something to this newsletter. Photographs, articles, family trees, and reunion recaps will be gratefully received and enjoyed by everyone--and they will be released to the general public one year after first publication so that they can be shared with all cousins who visit our sites.

One of the best genealogical research tools is the query. Queries can be about individuals, surnames, locations, or historical events. They can be posted in many places on the Web. And they can have surprising results!

WHAT IS A GENEALOGICAL QUERY?

A query is a formalized inquiry. You present the information you already know and ask for help from others in answering questions or filling in missing data. Most genealogical queries have formal structures, but some are quite informal depending on the protocol of the site on which they reside. Queries are a very good way to meet people with your research interests and to find out things that you might never otherwise be able to know. You may even get lucky enough to meet your cousins or attract the aid of a seasoned genealogist.

WHERE DO I POST MY QUERY?

Fortunately, the online genealogical community has many places where you can post your query. The three most common are query pages, forums/message boards, and listservs. Query pages are site-specific, sub-pages of a main Website such as "Self Portraits." Our "Find YourSelf," for example, is only for queries about Selfs and allied-surname descendants. It is then arranged geographically, largely devoted to Selfs in the United States, but including separate pages for English Selfs and Selfs in other countries.

If you choose to reverse your search and start with a location rather than a surname, you will quickly discover the USGenWeb and similar organizations. Most of the USGenWeb sites--including those for unknown counties--have query sub-pages similar to those on surname-specific sites. However, some coordinators have chosen to use a different format that frees them from having to copy the postings manually to the site. We've seen some "automated" configurations that never do seem to work properly. But the wise coordinators usually refer their visitors to the Ancestry/RootsWeb message boards or forums hosted by similar groups.

Ancestry/RootsWeb uses a type of posting mechanism that resembles that of other major general genealogy sites such as Genealogy.com's GenForum. Use of these message boards or forums is totally in the hands of the visitor. While there are "administrators" who work behind the scenes to remove inappropriate postings (the occasional foul language or off-topic content), it is anticipated that the user will post only tasteful queries relevant to the respective board. Here, a query is posted regarding a surname or location. People then post "follow-up" messages to the original. Each collection of original message plus replies--or "thread"--is indented to indicate a particular group meant to be read together. The threads are arranged by date of original posting. This message board concept works well because theoretically the entire discussion can be viewed not just by the posting parties but by everyone who visits the forum. Of course, there is nothing forcing anyone to post--you still have the option of contacting the researcher by private e-mail. Sometimes we prefer to do this because it leaves the original query open for more replies--we've noted that visitors to the forums often assume that a reply indicates closure to the original query and don't bother to join in the discussion.

Is the individual query page a better way to go than the message board or forum? In reality, we feel that both serve unique purposes, and we often encourage our visitors to use both locations. "Self Portraits," for instance, is frequented by long-term researchers and occasionally discovered by new cousins. However, the Self Message Board at Ancestry/RootsWeb is very well-known to almost every researcher--veteran and beginner alike--and consequently provides a wider audience.

Finally, don't count out the listserv as a helpful place to post your query. The only rather strange listserv-type of posting location that we've seen is the "collaboration" feature of the LDS "FamilySearch" site. You can register to receive queries for a certain surname, but they are sent anonymously and you have no choice except to reply to a nameless, faceless entity in Cyberspace. Traditional listservs, such as the SELF List hosted by RootsWeb, can be wonderful homes for your queries. When we welcome new subscribers to our many listservs, we ask them to post often. On the surface, this is good advice because all listmembers receive individual messages or digests, read and possibly reply to things of interest, and discard the rest. But remember that RootsWeb archives its listservs, too. You can search the archives to find that old posting that has suddenly become an important key to your work. In that way, seemingly transitory messages are actually "postings" to the archives, available to anyone virtually forever.

HOW DO I WRITE A GENEALOGICAL QUERY?

A good query, regardless of where it's posted, contains as much information as possible arranged in a clear and logical way. The purpose of the query is to tell the reader something about your research and receive any help he or she can give you.

The elements of a genealogical query are (1) names; (2) dates; (3) locations; (4) relationships; (5) additional relevant information; and (6) the question you want to ask. It is far better to post several queries at a given location than to mix unconnected data into one message. Here is an example of a good query:

I'm looking for the parents of My SELF, born January 41, 1850 in Some County, GA and died about 1930, possibly in OR. He was married about 1875 in TN to Z. SMITH, dates unknown, daughter of X. and Y. Smith. He had six children, one of which was my great grandfather, Gramps Self, born in One County, TX on Apr. 43, 1887 and died in Another County, TX on November 32, 1968. His mother's name may have been Mary, and family legend says that his father was a Confederate Soldier in the Civil War. Any help will be appreciated.

In the above query, the actual question is stated first. The rest of the elements follow in order. Notice that the first time each surname is used, it is capitalized. This is a standard feature that allows the reader to pick out the associated surnames easily and waste no more time reading a query that is meaningless to him. It's not necessary to repeat the capitalization further along in the query.

In addition to including the proper elements, you need to be sure that your query has the same attention to spelling and grammar that any well-written English paragraph deserves. Some publishers (like us) will take the time to make obvious corrections. Others will not do this and may announce this policy at the top of the query page.

WHAT RESULTS CAN I EXPECT FROM MY QUERY?

Obviously your greatest expectation will be to receive the answer to your question. This happens! There have been many, many surprises and new family connections made this way. The key to total reward is patience. We've seen a query languish for 3-4 years and then suddenly be addressed by several researchers at once. One of the most frustrating things is to find that the e-mail address of the original posting party has become invalid. We can't stress the importance of keeping your e-mail address current. If you've posted to a forum or message board, post a follow-up message to announce a new e-mail address. If you've asked the host or coordinator to post to a private or county site, make sure you keep a record of which sites you've visited and notify the Webmaster of any changes in either address or query content. It's really important to change your address on a listserv. You do this by unsubbing using your old address and re-subbing with the new one. If your old address is unusable, contact the listowner, and he or she will take the necessary actions. Please remember that our primary job is to help you find your ancestors. We can't do this if our time is taken up by fielding "bounces" to our listservs.

Speaking of invalid e-mail addresses, we've found another use for queries. You may not employ it as much as we do, but it might be of help if you're trying to find someone with whom you corresponded in the past. You may be frustrated to find that an address listed on a certain query page or message board is no longer valid. However, if you search other query sites, you may find that the individual you're trying to locate has posted there at a later time. This posting may not be important to you, but it will give you a newer address to try.

SUMMARY

Queries are helpful and mutually beneficial genealogical tools. Using a query, you can share what you know with others and obtain further leads from their research. You can post your query to a proprietary query page or to a message board or forum. You can also post one or more times to a given listserv, and in most cases, your postings will be archived and made available to others indefinitely. Your query should be well-written and correctly structured, concise, and to the point. A readable, informative query may be the key to a new branch or two on your family tree. Queries should also be updated frequently, especially when e-mail addresses change, so that contacts can always be made. When all the "rules" are followed, your query may turn out to be the key to your genealogical success.

Years ago, we lived in a much simpler world. Genealogy was no exception. Every new contact became a cherished correspondent with whom we shared our personal information freely with no thought to any future consequences. Today, we live in different times. There are still thieves out there who are after our jewelry and silverware--but there are also unscrupulous people whose goal it is to steal our identity and that of our loved ones.

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

Throughout the ages, we've used many ways to prove their identity. We've carried I.D. cards, signed checks and documents, displayed our photos, dental work, fingerprints, eyeprints, voiceprints, and (more recently) DNA "barcodes." If doubts arose, "experts" had scientific methods of determining the validity of an individual's claim to be the person in question.

The real problems began when we embarked on the "Information Revolution." Suddenly, we had new forms of identification--unique combinations of numbers, letters, or words. The government recognizes us from our Social Security number. We have numbered accounts at the Bank and on each utility bill. We have a credit card number, a gasoline card number, and an ATM "pin." We may also have I.D. numbers for other personal accounts or memberships. And most of us have so many logins and passwords that we could never possibly remember them all.

All of these words and numbers supposedly live safely within the memory banks of various proprietary computers throughout the world. But even the tightest security can be cracked given enough time and effort. And we can sabotage ourSelfs, carelessly giving out our numbers and passwords, losing our wallets, and even re-using exact combinations too many times in too many places. We can be victims of theft at the ReadyTeller or when shopping online. And in all these cases, the thief only needs digital access to convince a remote computer that he is someone other than himSelf.

PARANOIA STRIKES DEEP

The problem of "identity theft" has caused a near-panic in some of us. We've been told to safeguard our various I.D.s at all costs. Once we had someone warn us not to give out our bank account number--of course, that person had forgotten that it's conveniently printed on the bottom of each one of our checks. Another time, we left our ATM card in the machine. A policeman found it and brought it to our house where he told us that he had already called the Bank's 24-hour hotline and asked to cancel the card and have a new one re-issued. This was extremely thoughtful and probably standard police procedure, but the truth is, the card would be of little value to a thief unless he knew the "secret PIN number" that activates it. Most frustrating of all, we've all logged quite a few hours tapping out possible login/password combinations on our computers, only to be rejected by the site because we're human and forgot not only the password but also the answer to the "secret question."

Genealogy has been impacted greatly by the fear of identity theft. And this paranoia has been augmented by those who continually tell us that we need to value our "privacy" online. Let's investigate the possible consequences of divulging too much about ourSelfs on genealogy Websites and what can be done to make it better for everyone.

WHAT IS GENEALOGICAL PRIVACY?

Since the explosion of Web-based genealogy in the mid-1990s, genealogical privacy has evolved into a collection of unwritten rules that are followed--more or less and with some slight variation--by most researchers.

Probably the cardinal rule of online display is based around the Federal Census. As each Census is made public, researchers feel that they can then safely include those individuals in their online trees and gedcoms. The chances that a head of household and his wife in the 1930 Census would still be in that position in 2003 is highly unlikely. But what about the babies and young children in the dwelling? They could still be--and an increasing number are--still alive today. So we come to the second "rule": Don't put living people on the Web.

It is with the living people that there is a difference of opinion among researchers. It's also a matter of preference among family members. For example, we don't really care if anyone knows how old we are or when we were born. However, convention dictates that if living people are included online, their dates should be omitted. Again, this seems to be enough as far as we're concerned, but some Website hosts (such as FamilySearch) seem to feel that it would be better not to publish names either. In other cases, the popular genealogy programs that compile those gedcoms uploaded to sites like "FamilyTreeMaker.com" have built-in calculators that mark an individual as "Living" if their birth date falls within a certain range and their date of death cannot be verified. In our opinion, there's almost nothing of less value than an entire list of children named "Living" or "Private." If this rule is adopted, it would be kinder to the viewer to simply omit individuals born after a certain date and presumed to be still alive than to put out this useless information. One of the greatest jokes of all is to list several living children and then present an obituary which gives their full names and even those of their children.

There are other considerations, though. The greatest of these goes beyond the individual in question to their relationship with other family members. One example may be listing a woman as "Living" but giving the full name and dates of her deceased husband. Anyone who knew that man would know what his wife's name was. Maybe the most complicated question arises when "Living" is the \child of a mother who has since passed away. Suppose we know that "Living," an only child, is the widow of a man who happens to live in our city and that her mother was FirstName (MaidenName) LastName. We recognize by "LastName" that "Living" has to be a certain woman we went to school with. We never did know her mother's maiden name, but now we do. If we were well-versed at identify theft, we might go to the bank pretending to be "Living." When asked to prove our identity, we could easily come up with the "secret word"--the mother's maiden name.

This is a far-fetched example--and it's highly unlikely that anyone really wants to be you unless you're somebody rich and famous--but it points out that genealogy can be affected adversely by the convention of other instutitions and fuels the fires of paranoia. Asking for your "mother's maiden name" is a practice we despise when it's used by banks and other businesses as a means of identification. It's no longer true that only you would know this information. To be fair, there are usually several choices of "secret I.D." that you can choose from, but "mother's maiden name"--or ANY genealogical information, for that matter--should never be one of them. Again, it's probably not very important except to those who are fanatic about their online privacy--and we've seen other questions such as the name of one's pet, which is something all your friends and neighbors would know instantly if asked--but it's just one blatant instance of how genealogy may not mix with the conventions of the past.

There are some other publishers who have arbitrary standards of presentation for people who may still be alive. There are cut-off dates such as the one we use on our "Dead Ends" site. In that case, we are dealing with marriages, and we have decided to present only unions previous to and including 1920, meaning that the individuals would have to be over 100 years old today, probable only in a few isolated instances.

WHAT CAN I DO?

There are several things you can do to protect the identities of living people. First, if you're planning to publish a gedcom or family tree, follow the safest guideline for people you don't know: just omit them. Do honor the wishes of your sources and leave out any "private" information that they have given to you in confidence. And if you feel comfortable in publishing details for your immediate family, make sure that your parents, siblings, first cousins, and even your children agree with your decision.

Second, do your own part to discourage the dissemination of genealogical information to financial and other institutions. While we must comply with questionnaires issued by our federal, state, and local governments, we are not obligated to give out this information to anyone else. If you don't feel comfortable giving out your full date of birth, don't do it. If your bank asks for your mother's maiden name, either tell them you'd rather have a different option or just make up something you'll remember. Stick by your resolve. There are other surname repositories similar to the one we provide for "Self," and the goal of each of them is to preserve genealogical lines for the future. Looking back, we certainly have all wished that our ancestors had done that for us. But you are under no obligation to tell us when you were born if you don't want to, or to give us the names of your children. Make sure that you can trust the repositories before you make that kind of decision. And remember, what seems like an invasion of privacy today may take on a different look tomorrow. Just do what is best for you.

SUMMARY

Genealogy has been impacted greatly by the "Information Revolution" and the publication of information online. Today we fear the theft of our identity, and many people are concerned about finding their personal data on the Web. We can prevent identity theft by being careful with our myriad account numbers, names, and passwords. We can also refuse to give personal information, such as mother's maiden name, to financial and other institutions. Finally, we can respect the privacy of others and publish only such details about living people as they permit us to do. When in doubt, we can omit these individuals entirely from our online presentations or follow certain well-established guidelines that can nearly insure that every individual listed is deceased. We can choose what information to store in surname repositories and update that data accordingly. Most of all, we don't have to be paranoid about our privacy. With a little care, we can assure that our identity remains safe and secure in a constantly intrusive world.

Maybe your ancestors used to tell stories about life in the "old days," stories you remember hearing as a child. Please tell us about them. We will even supply editing and formatting; but we'd all love to know about daily life in the Self families of old--and you may be able to help. Please contact us. And please state that your story is specifically for the newsletter.

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