List Rules and Guidelines
Email Lists at Rootsweb
List Rules and Guidelines
GUIDELINES
- DO NOT post pornographic messages or links to pornographic web-sites. This will get you unsubscribed immediately.
- DO NOT post virus warnings, test messages, chain letters or political announcements. For information on virus hoaxes and urban legends see
Vmyths.com : Truth about Computer Virus Myths &amt; Hoaxes.
- COPYRIGHTS. Please remember that published works are usually copyrighted. The fact that information appears on the Internet does not mean that it is free for the taking. Do not publish copyrighted material to a mail-list without the consent of the copyright holder. In the United States of America anything published before 1923 is in the public domain and may be copied and published anywhere. Facts cannot be copyrighted. Please consult me before posting if you have any questions. A table concerning U.S.A. copyright law and when information enters the public domain is here.
- Please do not send file attachments (messages with files appended) to the list. In fact, never send anything but plain text. Turn off HTML and MIME. Write me if you need help with this. If you have a file you would like to share with the members, announce what you have to offer, then send the file only to those who request it, via private email. There are many branches to our families, and not everyone will want the data on your line.
- No rude comments or flaming in the list! No discussion of flaming on the list. For definitions of flaming and related information see
Flame War .
- We follow the Rootsweb Acceptable Use Policy. Read it here These rules will be enforced, as far as they can be.
- Don't try to regulate this list. I'm the List owner. If you don't like the way someone formats their queries or responses, or the content of their subject titles, take it up with the me, NOT on the list. Our list is for Genealogy and History. Email Me .
- Try to keep quoting to a minimum. "Quoting" is repeating text of the message you are replying to. Some quoting is necessary to remind other readers what the thread is about but do try to use good judgement. Quoting the previous writer's signature block, surname list or the tagline is totally unnecessary (and annoying).
TIPS
- Accuracy is important and sources are vital. Ancestor lists are worthless if the information is wrong.
- It is essential to genealogy that you cite your sources. If you don't you will forget from wench came your information. At the very least you should supply the sources when asked. Please follow the rules of citation, please consult Evidence! by Elizabeth Shown Mills or Cite Your Sources by Richard S. Lackey.
- If information is speculation, then label it as such!
- When posting your query try to give as much information as you know, such as dates and places of all vital events if known, along with enough other family members so that the reader can positively identify if they are researching the same family. "Anyone out there researching our surname?" just doesn't cut it!
to Rootsweb Administrating
- When replying to the list (this also can apply to private replies) try to quote some portions of the previous message so that other readers are reminded what the "thread" is about. Make clear what is quoted material and what you are adding. Most mail readers take care of this for you by inserting greater-than signs "> " at the beginning of each quoted line or possibly double brackets " <<" before and "> > " after the quoted piece. Use standard Windows procedures to cut unnecessary material. Ask me if you need help learning to do this. Email Me . Also, change the subject line, if necessary. Some people get lots of mail, and only scan the subject lines. Make it good and accurate!
- Post your queries and information to our Message Boards, and they will automatically be posted to the list, too. That way anyone searching the Message Board system will be able to find you. Put in links to the proper counties, states, or web-sites if known, too. If your email address changes, just log in to the Boards with your old email address, and then click on My Profile. Once you update your email address, it will automatically be updated across the entire Message Board system.
- Please send genealogy replies to the list, not just to the original poster. Other members may benefit from the data that you provide. If you have your "reply to" set with your own address, that will over-ride the automatic list reply. It's best if you leave that blank in your own mail software. Please keep private information such as information on living people off the list -- always send it privately.
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