Posting Hints

1. A QUERY is a question. You are likely to improve your chances of an answer on a mailing list or message board if you use the following guidelines.
   
   
2. Keep your QUERY to a question about one person or topic. Always tell us what surnames and regions you are researching. If you are researching in a southern urban center it wouldn't be too helpful to send a reply regarding a northern rural town. Don't ask more than one or two unrelated questions in the same post. Of course, you may need to ask more than one question to address a single issue. Generally, each post should deal with only one problem. If you ensure that your posts remain on-topic then those who answer posts will spend less time reading through the posting board messages and mailing list emails, and the faster everyone will be able to continue with their genealogy research.
   
   
3. Make your QUERY specific. You are more likely to get a response to a QUERY for specific question than a QUERY that says you want "any information".
   
   
4. Selecting a well worded suject line for your post, that will bring people to your message. Never use non informative, subject lines such as: "HELP ME!", "Genealogy Research" "searching," "looking," "genealogy," "family search." People using these boards are searching and researching their ancestry, no need to state the obvious. Placing surnames (who), regions (where) and dates(when) in the subject line would help those with information key into your request. For example, if you are posting a query about John Doe who was born in 1903 in Bonnington, NWT an informative subject line would be exactly that: "John DOE, born 1903, Bonnington, NWT." If your research already shows you know Bonnginton, NWT changed names to Kenaston, SK, word your subject line: "John DOE, born 1903, Bonnington, NWT. {Kenaston, Sk)" Ask yourself if the subject you have posted will help others who may connect to the family you are asking about in your query. If the answer is YES you have chosen an informative subject line.
   
   
5. When including dates, try to use a dd-mmm-yyyy format. This will prevent confusion among international date styles.For example, 09/02/98 means 2-Sept-98 many American researchers, but it means 9-Feb-98 to many European researchers. Using 2-Sept-98 leaves no room for misunderstanding. If you're dealing with dates after 1999, use the full 4 digit year. As genealogy research can also include the 1800s, it is good practice to use the full 4 digit year in all cases.
   
   
6. Please do not post copyrighted material or material which would invade privacy or cause privacy issues. Most information for the boards are either facts or in the public domain. Facts are not copyrightable and public domain information is there because of lapse of copyright, deliberate placement into public domain, or information (such as legal documents) that cannot be copyrighted. The major board where copyright is a concern is the biography board and, under certain circumstances, the obituary board. It is possible to post information from public or private records. Either complete transcriptions of documents, or abstracted information, is permissible. Documentation of source material is strongly encouraged. In the case of family Bible Records it is most helpful to list who has possession of the Bible or how the information was accessed. Material that meet any of the following may be posted: Copyrighted material with permission of the copyright holder. Original biographical sketches written by you. Biographical sketches derived from the facts in other material, including copyrighted material. Biographical sketches from public domain material, which includes publications dated 75 years ago or earlier. Works that do not include a copyright notice and were first published before 1978. Most obituaries are written from a template which compiles facts into a standard format. Such obituaries do not meet the standard of originality required by copyright law and may be posted to the board. Lengthy obituaries, such as those prepared for notable individuals, may satisfy the standard of originality and should not be posted if there is any doubt. Be aware that obituaries may contain the names of those living, and consideration should be shown if there is a privacy concern.
   
   
7. We are not here to do your research for you. Before posting a question or request for help, make sure you put in time and effort yourself.
   
   
8. First try to find your answer in online help Getting Started or Resources may help you in Saskatchewan where FAQs are answered. Perhaps your query has already been covered. .
   
   
9. Post in the appropriate group. There are various mailing groups and message boards, for example general research help, internet assistance, surname specific research and regionally located research assistance. If you wish a general search and the placename is unknown use the Provincial Saskatchewan message board. If you do know the Saskatchewan placename use the appropriate message board or mailing list.
   
   
10. Follow the CAPITALIZATION and Abbreviation guidelines so the searches will turn up a match on your query. Saskatchewan is abbreviated SK and Canada CA. Capitalize surnames. Remember, we don't know what you need, or expect, or what your abbreviations mean. Please include as much detail as you can. Use universally accepted abbreviations.
    
    
11. On a message board: the entries you show in the Surnames box are very important aspects of helping others find your query through a search.
    
    
12. Include example data and research in your post. The more you tell us up front, the easier it is for us to answer your questions. If your research isn't giving the results you want, include the answers you want to get, as well as the results you're getting with the routes you have chosen so far. Your post should include at least some sample known information, some areas you have already researched, the most current research results, an explanation of why your result isn't what you want, and the result or the next piece of information you want to get.
    
    
13. If you've already tried obtaining primary source documents, include what you've already tried. You may be very close.
    
    
14. Be very specific when reporting messages that you get. Details count.
    
    
15. If you're following up to a previous post, you don't need to include everything. In case others may have missed the original post, include the relevant parts you are replying to and eliminate the rest of the original message.
    
    
16. When posting a follow-up to a post, put your new text at the top of the message, above the cited text of previous messages. This makes it much easier to others to read the responses to a message that has been posted.
    
    
17. Please don't email your questions directly to us. There are (hopefully) many people on these mailing lists and posting boards that will have the answer to your question and you might be helping others who are having the same problem.
    
    
18. Also, please spend some time searching through the mailing lists/ posting boards before you post, to see if your question has already been asked and answered by someone else. Mailing Lists or Saskatchewan Category Message Boards It may have been answered last week. Rootsweb archives every post ever made, so if it was asked here, you can find it there. If you don't find it there, post away! This actually has an advantage for you, because it means you may not have to even wait for someone's reply!
    
    
19. Try it out. Before posting a question asking "Will this work"" or "Can I find this here"", try it out for yourself. You might be smarter than you think.
    
    
20. "I posted a question an hour ago, but didn't get any responses. Should I post it again"" No. It can take anywhere from a minute to a day for your post to actually show up on the server. Then, someone has to read it and come up with an answer. Give it awhile before thinking about resubmitting a post.
    
    
21. "I posted a question last week, but didn't get any responses. Should I post it again"" Well, maybe, maybe not. The regular responders to the groups probably read your question, but had no idea what you were talking about. If you didn't get any responses to a question, rewrite your question, and include (more/better) known data, research, a different object of research inquiry. Also, check Rootsweb archive to make sure that the message actually did get posted.
    
    
22. "I posted a question, and no one emailed me an answer. Should I post again"" No. You should not expect to get an email reply to your question. Replies will show up in the posting board or mailing group, not your email.
    
    
23. NO flaming whatsoever. Be polite. Rudeness has never been a problem around here, and let's keep it that way. Mailing List Netiquette and guidelines
    
    
24. This is not a place for genealogy services provided for money or advertising. There are other mailing lists/posting boards for that. Please do not post links to offensive content, pornography, racism, offensive material or anything else of this nature, for obvious reasons.
    
    
25. If you would like to see something online, please E-mail This is not the forum in which to complain about online features that aren't available, or suggest new ones.
    
    
26. Be careful using characters like "!" in the subject line of a post. Some folks automatically filter out messages based on the subject line. A subject like "Help Me !!!!" can be easily confused with a line like "Make Money Now!!!".
    
    
27. Where do I get more on-line help" There are a number of very good genealogical or Resources on the Web. Researchers can be found through the Saskatchewan Genealogical Society or Independent Researcher Register Saskatchewan Archives
    
    
28. Learn to look at your research. Keep records of where you went to obtain which result. Re-read primary source documents for any clues which can possibly relate to a question unrelated to your original research quest when you obtained it.
    
    
29. Use the personal EMAIL addresses for "chatty" dialogue rather than the POSTING to the database.
    
    
30. Please send off a thank you through the posting board, mailing list or directly by e-mail if you have received some help. This is a peer to peer support group which is helping the Saskatchewan genealogical community grow (and to grow ourselves).
    
    

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