EFFECTIVE USE OF GENEALOGY NEWSGROUPS
by Richard A. Pence <richardpence(a)pipeline.com>
[AUTHOR's PREFACE: Over the past couple of years it has become
increasingly apparent that many participants in the genealogy
newsgroups are failing to fully utilize the potential of these
media. Therefore, the following guidelines are presented for the
benefit of both veterans and newcomers in the hope they will
result in more effective participation by all. If you disagree
with or object to any portion of what is said below, please
consult the disclaimer at the end of the article before writing
to the editors or the author.]
1. USE "HOT WORDS": Be sure to include one or more of the
following words or phrases in either the subject or body of your
messages: geneology, cemetary, calender, sirname, illigitimate,
ancester, Morman, land warrent, proginy or desendant. Similar
displays of originality are encouraged, as these help attract
attention to your posts and demonstrate you are eager to learn.
Note also that it isn't necessary to use normal punctuation or
grammar in newsgroups because everyone knows what you intended.
2. POST EARLY AND OFTEN: No matter what you are writing about,
you should post your messages in as many different newsgroups as
possible. After all, the people who originally defined the
content of each newsgroup couldn't possibly have anticipated
that your messages would all transcend normal categorization.
Bonus tip: Always vote "yes" when a new genealogy newsgroup is
proposed, as this will give you another place to repeat your
posts. It can always be assumed that if the newsgroup title
includes the word genealogy, it's OK for you to post there.
3. QUOTE THE QUOTE: When replying to another article, by all
means quote it in its entirety, including previously quoted
material, the mail routing information and, especially, the
total signature of the original poster. Otherwise, someone might
not know what message you are replying to and where it came
from. Alternatively: Don't quote any of the previous message;
readers will enjoy the challenge of guessing what you might be
referring to. One-line responses like: "I don't believe this
is always true" are real attention-getters.
4. SIGN OFF WITH STYLE: Be sure to make the signature at the
end of your messages as long as possible and include it with
every one of your posts. The signature should always include
your full name, address, phone numbers (including fax and
modem), Web site address or addresses, and so on, for both your
residence and office. Don't forget to include any titles,
degrees or offices held (now or in the past), or the names of
genealogical or other organizations to which you belong or
belonged. Signatures should always have a large design made up
of ASCII characters (simple + and - signs aligned across the
page are hardly adequate because they don't lengthen your
signature enough. If your imagination is faltering, a design
showing a little man with a long nose, bulging eyes and his hair
on end clutching at and peering over a fence is always a good
choice. Your signature should never be without one or more
quotations, slogans (political slogans or those disparaging "the
government" are always hits) or "wise sayings," correctly or
incorrectly attributed to famous people. If you don't have any
good quotes from famous people, it is OK to swipe a cutesy one
from someone else. Or you can use your state motto. Do NOT
forget the disclaimer telling readers that what you write is
your own opinion and does not represent the views of your
company, your spouse, your children or neighbors. Your signature
reflects YOU and YOUR personality, so you shouldn't spare the
horses. [NOTE: The "non-signature signature" is an appropriate
alternative. Under this method, you should never disclose your
identity or where you are. Initials, "handles" or other esoteric
identifiers are all acceptable. After all, it is never wise to
tell people who you are in a public forum, especially one
devoted to genealogy.]
5. CHOICE SUBJECTS: The best subject lines are quite general. If
you include such phrases as "Help Needed," "Tracing My
Geneology" (note the example of "hot word" usage), "What Do I Do
Now?" or "Software Problem," readers must actually look at your
article to find out what you are writing about. This gambit will
solidify your reputation as a marketing whiz.
6. SURNAME QUERIES: When posting a surname query, it is not
necessary to include such trivia as where the family lived or
when. After all, anyone searching that name will know whether
his or her line is related to yours. A query with the subject of
"SMITH, JONES and JOHNSON" with the message asking "Anyone
searching these families?" will garner many responses from
others searching these lines.
7. BOOK-SHY: Questions that can be answered by looking in a
dictionary or other common home reference, such as a roadmap or
atlas, or by checking any one of a half-dozen Web sites, are
excellent choices for your postings. These always garner many
responses and, at the same time, assure that no dust collects on
the books owned by others. If you handle this with finesse, you
can even get others to look up local phone numbers for you.
Remember: The purpose of newsgroups and, indeed, the Internet
itself, is to enable you to avoid visits to libraries, court
houses or archives or having to look at musty old books.
8. BE AMONG THE FAITHFUL: True and faithful newsgroup
participants respond to as many messages as possible, even if
they are unfamiliar with the topic. Readers are always
interested in the opinions of others, especially yours. Messages
that begin with "I have heard that..." "Someone told me..." or
"I always thought..." are among those which get high readership
and help demonstrate the knowledge of and experience in
genealogy of the posters. It is never necessary to cite an
authority when making such responses; including such extraneous
information draws attention from the answer.
9. KEEPING THE CROWD INFORMED: Always post your responses within
the group itself rather than replying via e-mail. Not only will
this allow everyone to benefit from what you say, it gives them
a sense of security to know they haven't missed anything.
Requests that responses be made via e-mail are obviously not
intended for you. And, if you get a message from someone warning
about a virus that has invaded newsgroup messages or one warning
about another dumb thing "the government" is doing, by all means
post it in as many groups as possible.
10. MAKING SURE: If you do not see your article in the group
within the hour, be sure to re-post it as soon as possible.
Duplicate postings help assure that others will not miss your
important messages. If, after several tries, no one responds,
you should post several test messages asking everyone who sees
the message to respond in the group so you can be sure your
connection is working correctly. If is never sufficient to test
your local connections. The only tests that get results are
those which cover the entire Net.
11. CRAFTING CRAFTY REPLIES: Here are some tips that can help
you with your newsgroup responses:
(a) When someone asks for recommendations on "the best genealogy
software," it is not necessary to know what equipment the person
has or what his or her experience is in genealogy and computers
or his or her genealogical goals. Simply respond saying, "I use
[insert the name of your program here] and LOVE it!" The same
response is appropriate if some else says they like a different
program.
(b) The proper format for replies to surname queries is: "Were
any of your SMITHs ever in [insert state here]?" Disregard any
references to specific places.
(c) The answer to the "cousin" question is always "second
cousin, once removed." There are no exceptions.
(d) If someone asks a question you may not know anything about,
the proper response is a message giving the details of a family
story your great-aunt Betsey once told you. Special hint: When
someone asks about an unusual given name or surname, be sure to
respond with a message saying you are not familiar with that
name, "but here are some of the unusual names I have encountered
in my research . . ."
(e) Even if a question has already been answered, you should
also respond. Quote the entire question and the response and
add: "I agree." (If someone has already done that, simply add:
"Me three!")
(f) Above all, do not refer someone to a FAQ, Web site or other
authority on the topic. This prevents thousands of others from
benefiting from your knowledge and experience. Besides, most
FAQs were written specifically for the purpose of heading off
certain online discussions and, consequently, are obviously an
effort to stifle free speech, and everyone knows you have the
right to say whatever you please on the Internet.
(g) If your response is especially important, WRITE IT IN ALL
CAPITAL LETTERS. That way it will be sure to be read by everyone.
12. I KNOW IT'S TRUE: Finally, it is always safe to rely on the
responses you see in the various newsgroups because no
genealogist would post unless he or she was quite sure of the
accuracy of what is being written. This is especially true if
the question is: "What given name does the abbreviation `Jno.'
stand for?" (No fair looking in your dictionary.)
DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed herein are entirely those of
the author and do not necessarily represent those of his
employer (who doesn't give a darn one way or the other) or the
editors (who will publish almost anything). While the situations
depicted are factual, any resemblance to an actual message,
living or dead, is entirely intended. This material is presented
"as is" with no written or implied warranty. The contents are
intended solely for the entertainment of the reader and any
attempt to characterize them in any other manner without
expressed written consent is strictly prohibited. In other
words, folks, it's satire.