| Mailing List Hints Chapters |
GETTING ON THE LIST
This article explains how to subscribe and unsubscribe from RootsWeb
lists, when to use the list address and when to use the list request
address. Also included are the basic mechanics of posting and replying
to a list message.
UTILIZING MAILING LISTS.
Covers the topic of finding and using the right list to suit your needs
to help you get the answers to your questions.
KNOCK, KNOCK ... ANYBODY THERE"
Pertains to reaching the right people and posting the best possible
message in the right place to get the assistance you need.
MAKING THE MOST OF MAILING LISTS.
All the dos and don'ts of making the lists work for you are covered in
this goldmine of a tip for newbies and old-timers alike.
Top | Resources | Home |
| GETTING ON THE LIST |
1. News and Notes:
------------------
1a. YOU'VE GOT MAIL! Well, maybe, maybe not -- if your ISP (Internet
Service Provider) is MSN. RootsWeb encountered major difficulties
recently in delivering e-mail to MSN subscribers. As a result you might
have been unsubscribed from your favorite RootsWeb Mailing Lists due to
bouncing MSN e-mail. Hopefully the problem with MSN has been solved, but
if MSN is your ISP, it would be a good idea to check to see if you have
been unsubscribed from your Mailing Lists. Click on the Passwords tab on
any RootsWeb page, or go to:
Password Central
and, if necessary, re-subscribe.
* * *
1b. GETTING ON THE LIST. To subscribe to a RootsWeb Mailing List, you
send a new (plain text) e-mail to the list's REQUEST address. For
example, write to [email protected] to join the SMITH surname
Mailing List in its regular list mode or [email protected]
to join the Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Mailing List in its digest
mode format.
Most of RootsWeb's Mailing Lists are available in two receiving formats
-- Digest and regular List mode. In most cases, the "-L" on the name
(SMITH-L, for example) signifies the regular list mode (and once you are
subscribed in this format you will receive a copy of each and every
message posted, one at a time). The "-D" indicates the digest mode (in
this format you will receive groups of messages every day or so,
depending on how active the mailing list is).
When you send a message to the REQUEST address (for example, to
[email protected]) you are communicating via a machine
through which SmartList, the Mailing List's software program, can
process your request to join (subscribe to) a Mailing List in the format
you have requested.
You must join (subscribe to) a RootsWeb Mailing List before you can post
messages to it. Then to post a new message to a Mailing List, make sure
that the e-mail is being sent to the Mailing List's posting address --
regardless of which mode you are subscribed in. The Mailing Lists'
addresses for those mentioned above are [email protected] and
[email protected]. Note that while you might be subscribed to the
Digest mode of the Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Mailing List, its
posting address is: [email protected]
Never send messages to be posted on a Mailing List using the list's
"-D" address. Also, be careful not to use the "-REQUEST" address for
that purpose either. When you are ready to post a message that you want
to be seen by all the other subscribers on that list, create an
informative subject line, compose your message, and send it as you
normally would send any e-mail -- only send it to the list's posting
address. Remember that many RootsWeb Mailing Lists have readers around
the world, so watch those locality abbreviation references.
To post a reply to another subscriber's message so that your message is
seen by everyone on the list, click on either REPLY or REPLY TO ALL. The
"REPLY TO" function differs from list to list depending upon the
settings selected by the list's administrator and the e-mail settings
list members have selected in their own e-mail programs. Pay close
attention to what address appears in the SEND TO box after you
have clicked on REPLY or REPLY TO ALL. Make sure the address to which
you want to send your reply appears in the box.
If the topic of conversation changes along the way (and it often does),
adjust the subject of your e-mail reply accordingly. If you are a digest
mode subscriber, take the time to change the subject as applicable for
the message to which you are replying. Never copy the entire digest back
in your reply -- copy only the message or even better, only the portion
of the message to which you are responding. The same goes for list mode
subscribers -- copy only the pertinent portions of the message to which
you are responding.
Looking for a Mailing List" Click on the Mailing Lists tab on any
RootsWeb page or go to:
Rootsweb Mailing Lists
* * *
1c. TIPS FROM READERS. Stop, Look, and Lurk
Thanks to: Lynn Vondran [email protected]
Many of us subscribe to RootsWeb Mailing Lists and the focus and
rules vary somewhat from list to list. Some are strict in that they
limit discussion to only names, dates, and locations. Some people like
the strictness of such focus. On the other hand, many of us, on the
PADUTCH-LIFE-List, for example, are there because of the great desire to
talk about the things of the past in our PADUTCH (Pennsylvania Dutch)
[Germanic] ancestors' lives, the present, and sometimes where the future
is taking us. We talk about anything and everything.
Our list administrator, Vee Housman, encourages everyone to investigate
the past and dig, dig, dig for everything they are able to learn about
the life and times of their ancestors. In discussing these
things, we may have a wonderful memory triggered from our own past.
Sometimes it is the memory of a conversation we had with someone who is
no longer with us, or the memory of something, or someone from our
younger years, and so we have the privilege of adding these pieces of
the puzzle to the pages of our family history, to which the memories of
future generations will be added as time marches on, after we are long
gone. We recognize that when tomorrow comes, today will be yesterday,
better known to all as history -- the history of our lives. Yet, we are
also interested in the names, dates, and locations.
Choosing Mailing Lists that fit our needs is an important step in
keeping our search enjoyable. Here is my rule-of-thumb for joining
Mailing Lists:
Before joining any Mailing List, stop, and take a look:
RootsWeb's threaded mail archives
Find out which discussion group fits you best. Then sign up for the
Mailing List, and lurk -- read and watch the type of discussion going
on. If fits you, after you have lurked, then join in on the fun or
strictness of the wonderful world of family research.
1d. KEEPING UP WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING. Whether you live in Perth,
Scotland, Western Australia or North Dakota, you can find out what
genealogical events are happening near you and when. Subscribe to the
GEN-EVENTS Mailing List and/or browse its archives month by month to see
what's coming to a place near you and share information regarding
upcoming genealogical conferences, meetings, seminars, and conventions.
Miscellaneous: GEN-EVENTS Mailing List
See what's happening this month around the globe:
GEN-EVENTS-L Archives: January 2005
Permission to reprint articles from RootsWeb Review is granted unless
specifically stated otherwise, provided: (1) the reprint is used for
non-commercial, educational purposes; and (2) the following notice
appears at the end of the article: Previously published in RootsWeb
Review: Vol. 6, No. 9, 26 February 2003.
Top | Resources | Home |
| UTILIZING MAILING LISTS. |
1. News and Notes:
------------------
1a. Utilizing Mailing Lists. RootsWeb Mailing Lists -- currently more
than 25,500 of them -- are all free and are excellent vehicles by which
to conduct many aspects of your genealogical research.
Not quite sure where to find all of the Mailing Lists that would be of
help with the research topics of interest to you" Perhaps you have some
special needs such as determining if there was an obituary in the local
newspaper when Aunt Matilda died in 1920, or perhaps you would like to
find out whether anyone might be researching the descendants of your
great-grandfather's brother Barney who left home to travel with the
circus in 1888"
Did you know that there is a Mailing List for every U.S. county" Use the
appropriate locality Mailing List to see if there is someone who might
be able to look up that obituary for you. Did you know there is even a
Mailing List for those researching those whose occupation was working in
the circus" Additionally, Mailing List subscribers often have valuable
hints and tips to aid in your search. Start here to browse through the
indexes and links to RootsWeb's Mailing Lists
At the very top of the page you will find links for learning more about
and subscribing to some of the largest and most popular Mailing Lists,
such as ROOTS-L and GEN-NEWBIE. Links to the popular surname lists are
listed by the letter of the alphabet. If you prefer to search for
surname Mailing Lists rather than browsing to them, use the Surname List
Finder searchbox
(Saskatchewan Mailing Lists)
(Saskatchewan Locality Mailing Lists)
The U.S.A. locality lists are grouped alphabetically by state, with U.S.
geographic-type lists that are not state-specific listed under the MISC
link. If you have difficulty locating a U.S.A. list that concerns a
region and/or doesn't specifically pertain to just one state or just one
county, look for it under the MISC link. For example, under MISC you
will find listed APPALACHIAN-ROOTS-L. This is a Mailing List for the
discussion and sharing of information regarding the genealogy of
families from the Appalachian Mountains, which are located in several
states.
International Mailing Lists are indexed by their country. Under Scotland
Mailing Lists, as an example, you will find even more specific
localities, such as a list for Ayrshire, and lists for the various
clans, such as Clan-Dalrymple, and there's a list called GEN-TRIVIA-
SCOTLAND-L. The latter focuses on Scottish history, folklore, humour,
sayings, language and dialect, tales and songs, similarities and
differences between areas of Scotland, and Scots' communities and
traditions worldwide.
The remainder of the Mailing Lists is grouped under the OTHER category.
They run the gamut of topics from Administrative to WorldGenWeb. There
are census-related lists, ethnic and religious group lists, research and
Internet help, occupations (where you will find that circus list for
researching Great-uncle Barney), lists serving volunteer projects, and
many more. Additional topics that don't quite fit in elsewhere are
grouped under the miscellaneous umbrella.
Take time to browse through the Mailing Lists. You may find several that
will be of interest to you. When browsing through the list of links and
reviewing the information about the Mailing Lists be sure to scroll down
the pages in the event that more than one list is described on a page.
Many subjects have more than one list. For example, click on the link
for the S Surnames and then on SMITH. As you might guess, there are many
Mailing Lists for this surname. You will find a general SMITH list,
lists for SMITH families of New York City, and of Missouri, plus there's
one for SMITH families in Scotland and other geographic locations. You
also will find SMITH lists for research into SMITH descendants of a
specific ancestor. These particular lists are listed on the SMITH page,
but you must remember to scroll down the page to find them all.
Once you have found a Mailing List that interests you, subscribe by
clicking on the link for that purpose directly on the list description
page. You may also subscribe to any RootsWeb Mailing List by sending a
plain-text new e-mail to: [email protected] and putting
the word SUBSCRIBE (and nothing else) in both the subject and message
body. Replace the word LISTNAME above with the actual list name of the
list to which you are subscribing. For instance, to subscribe to the
SMITH list send your request to: [email protected]
You also can subscribe in what's called digest mode, meaning you will
receive several messages at a time, rather than one at a time. If you
prefer this format, send your request to:
[email protected]
to subscribe in digest mode.
You do not need to subscribe to a list in both regular (mail) mode and
digest mode (although you may do so if you wish) as the messages are the
same for each format. If you subscribe in mail mode you will receive
every single message sent to the list by any list member as a separate
e-mail. In the digest mode, you will receive several messages lumped
together. In either case, you will receive all of the list messages --
either singly or in a digest.
If you need to contact the list administrator of any RootsWeb Mailing
List for assistance, send a new e-mail to: [email protected]
replacing the word LISTNAME with the actual list name (no -L or -D). To
contact the SMITH list administrator, for example, you would write to:
[email protected]
Note that the Mailing List "-request" addresses are used only for
sending commands such as SUBSCRIBE and UNSUBSCRIBE. They are not the
address you will use to send regular messages to the lists themselves.
You will receive a welcome letter giving you important information about
the mailing list you have joined. Keep this letter for future reference.
What if you lose your welcome letter" You can obtain a copy by sending a
new plain text e-mail to the mail or digest request address, depending
upon the mode in which you are subscribed. In the subject put only the
word ARCHIVE and place the following in the message body:
get welcome.txt
Do not include any additional text and remember to turn off any
signature files.
Permission to reprint articles from RootsWeb Review is granted unless
specifically stated otherwise, provided: (1) the reprint is used for
non-commercial, educational purposes; and (2) the following notice
appears at the end of the article: Previously published in RootsWeb
Review: Vol. 5, No. 39, 25 September 2002.
Top | Resources | Home |
| KNOCK, KNOCK ... ANYBODY THERE" |
1. NEWS AND NOTES
1a. Knock, Knock...Anybody There"
Have you ever posted a query on a RootsWeb mailing list and ended up
thinking that you are playing genealogical solitaire -- that no one out
there has any information or suggestions for you, or that you are the
only one left on the planet who is researching your family" Been
disappointed because you didn't receive a response from anyone -- not
even a suggestion about where you might look to find the information"
Take a fresh look at what you posted to the mailing list. Lack of a
response to a query often says more about the query itself than it does
about those who might potentially read and respond to it.
First, consider the topic of the mailing list on which you posted your
message -- is the topic one for which the subscribers might be expected
to have a connection to your query" Is it a mailing list on which you
might expect to find some experts to point you in the right direction or
provide you with a lookup for the data you are seeking" Don't expect the
list members on PAALLEGH-L (Allegheny County, Pennsylvania) to know the
location of a town in Germany, provide you with New Orleans ship arrival
information, or to check a tax list in Georgia for you.
Don't look for the SMITH mailing list subscribers to answer a question
about the JONES family unless you have clearly stated the connection
between your JONESes and the SMITH surname. Always direct your query to
the mailing list best suited for the surname, locality, or topic about
which you are asking.
Next, let's examine the subject you have chosen. Um, what do you mean
you left the subject blank so that everyone would be curious and read
your query" It just doesn't work that way in this busy world where
everyone wants her or his answers yesterday. Even the most diligent and
attentive cousins might hit the delete key if your message doesn't grab
their attention at first glance with an informative subject. Putting a
request for HELP!!!!!! and lots of exclamation points in the subject
line won't win you any genealogical friends or get your query read
either.
Informative subjects should be brief but include name of the individual
you seek and when and where the person or family lived. "Looking for
parents of George HICKENLOOPER -- born 1790 in Virginia" for example. If
there is sufficient space include what information you wish to learn
about the subject of your query as in this example.
It is possible that lack of a subject could even result in your query
being rerouted to the list administrator rather than being posted to the
list -- are you sure you saw your query come through to the list" If
you are unsure,check the mailing list browseable archives.
Type in the name of the list (with no -L or -D on the end) and click on
the current month and year to check for your message.
Now, look at the information you included in the text of your message.
While it may be true that being concise is a virtue, when posting a
query, your message must also be informative, clearly worded, and
precise as to the question you are asking or data for which you are
looking. Don't leave the list members in suspense. If you simply wrote
"I'm looking for the parents of my g-g-g-grandfather George HICKENLOOPER
without providing sufficient information for your potential cousins to
recognize whether or not your George and his parents might be included
in their files, or whether they have a book or other resource that might
help you, they will not reply.
If mailing list members do not understand your query -- at a glance --
and can't figure out what you are asking, chances are good that they
will simply move on and delete your message, possibly shaking their
heads while doing so.
On the other hand, don't write a book when posting your initial query.
Most people are not going to take more than a minute to review and
consider whether your message is of interest to them or if they can help
you. Save the extraneous details, which are not directly pertinent to
your query, such as how George could still read without glasses when he
died at age 97, for follow-up discussions with other interested
researchers after you have received the initial responses.
What you do want to include in your initial query, in addition to WHO,
WHEN, and WHERE, is a brief explanation of what you already know and
what you are hoping to learn. For example, you might state: "George
HICKENLOOPER was born in 1790 in Rockingham County, Virginia, and
married Mary LINGENFELTER in Virginia in 1819, based on church and
census records that I found for this couple in Fairfield County, Ohio
where they settled by 1820 when their first child was baptized there in
the Lutheran Church. I'm trying to learn the identity of George's
parents, who are my brick wall."
A query such as this might draw the interest of mailing list members who
have books on Lutheran marriages in Virginia or other information for
the years you have listed, provided, of course, you posted it to
VAROCKIN-L (Rockingham County, Virginia) and not to OHFAIRFI-L
(Fairfield County, Ohio) mailing list.
If you don't know specific dates, include a general time frame to assist
those who might be able to help you. Put yourself in the place of the
person on the receiving end of your query. Consider what information
the readers will need to know to ascertain whether they can help you.
Don't put yourself in the position of knocking on the door and finding
no one on the other side to answer. Carefully consider the subject and
text of your query as well as the subject of the mailing list to which
you are posting your message, before you click that SEND button.
Permission to reprint articles from RootsWeb Review is granted unless
specifically stated otherwise, provided: (1) the reprint is used for
non-commercial, educational purposes; and (2) the following notice
appears at the end of the article: Previously published in RootsWeb
Review: Vol. 6, No. 36, 3 September 2003.
Top | Resources | Home |
| MAKING THE MOST OF MAILING LISTS. |
1b. Making the Most of Mailing Lists. Once you subscribe to any RootsWeb
Mailing List you will begin receiving all messages that are posted to
it. Lurking -- a geek term meaning reading messages without taking
part in the discussion -- is recommended until you get a feel for how
the Mailing List is managed. Each list has its own rules or guidelines
set by the list administrator within the bounds of the RootsWeb AUP
(Acceptable Use Policy) and an atmosphere resulting from the interests
of the list members and administrator. Any special rules will usually be
explained by the administrator in the Welcome message that you receive
immediately after joining and in revolving taglines added to the list
messages or via periodic administrative notices.
Most RootsWeb Mailing Lists are publicly archived in both a threaded/
browseable and a searchable format. Browse through the threaded list
archive to discover what discussions have taken place recently.
Rootsweb threaded list archive
If you join a Mailing List in an attempt to get an answer to a specific
question or to learn about a particular ancestor, it would be wise to
check the searchable list archive first to determine whether the
question has been answered in the past or whether your ancestor has
previously been discussed.
RootsWeb Mailing Lists -- Interactive Search
Once you have done this homework, you are ready to type up an e-mail
message and post a query. Plan it with the subject matter of the Mailing
List in mind -- always mention how your query pertains to the subject of
the list whether that be a surname, geographic area, or a genealogical
research topic.
Your query should include what you already know. Remember to specify
what information you seek. Always include the name of the individual or
family of interest, along with some dates or at least some sort of time
frame, and the location where the individual(s) lived or where certain
events took place. Be as concise as possible, but include all pertinent
information. Keep in mind that Mailing Lists have subscribers around the
world -- don't assume that everything is U.S.-connected or that others
will understand your abbreviations. Leave no doubt, spell it out.
Review the text of your query, then enter a meaningful description
in the subject field of your e-mail message. Good examples:
--"James Jones and Sarah Jackson, seek marriage record ca 1885"
--"Need 1880 census lookup for John Barton"
--"Bradshaw surname in Brisbane"
When your message text and subject are complete, address your e-mail to
the Mailing List address (regardless of whether you are subscribed in
list or digest mode) and send it. For instance, if you are sending the
message to the SMITH surname list, address your message to
[email protected]
If, instead of writing a new query, you wish to reply to a message that
has been posted by another list member -- select either the REPLY or
REPLY ALL option before creating the text of your response. Pay close
attention to which address(es) are displayed in the SEND TO box of your
e-mail. Some Mailing Lists are set by the administrator to reply to the
sender only, while others are set to reply to the entire list.
If a Mailing List is set to reply to the sender hitting REPLY will send
the response *only* to the poster, while hitting REPLY ALL will send a
copy of your reply to both the poster and the entire list.
However, if the Mailing List is set to reply to the list, hitting REPLY
will send the response the list. If an administrator has a list set to
reply to the list, and an individual list member has his e-mail program
set to include a specific REPLY TO address, SmartList (RootsWeb Mailing
List software) will not override that setting and, in that instance,
hitting REPLY will send your reply only to the individual. That's why it
is important to be certain that the address(es) to which you wish to
send the message are the ones displayed in the SEND TO box of your
outgoing e-mail -- before hitting SEND.
When replying to a previous list message or digest copy/quote only the
short pertinent part(s) of the message to which you are replying. Never
quote an entire message in your reply. Be sure that your e-mail
application is not set to automatically copy and send back an entire
message or digest. If you are replying in a thread and the subject
changes, don't forget to change the subject line. Also, if you are
replying to a digest message, remember to change the subject to reflect
the actual message you are addressing instead of leaving the digest
number as the subject.
Permission to reprint articles from RootsWeb Review is granted unless
specifically stated otherwise, provided: (1) the reprint is used for
non-commercial, educational purposes; and (2) the following notice
appears at the end of the article: Previously published in RootsWeb
Review: Vol. 5, No. 40, 2 October 2002.
Top | Resources | Home |
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