My thoughts... Some of you will get this way more than
once. I hope you will accept my apology for that... I am
listening for your comments.
At first, I was VERY upset. Why? I'm not really sure. I
try very hard to look at both sides of everything. Those
pages aren't all bad, but the spin from them definitely
isn't very positive. I guess my reaction was mainly at the
lack of respect that Rootsweb seems to have shown all of us
by not asking our opinions and just springing this on us.
It looks like they are pushing us around instead of playing
on the team. (Their decision, we all have to live with it
now) Is Rootsweb willing to be part of the team? I am not
trying to tell Brian or Rootsweb how to run their business,
but it is my belief that they should add prominent links to
all State pages and at least link to county projects off of
Rootsweb. Why? Because they would really like to be a team
player. Because they haven't figured goodwill into the
amount of hits that receive. Because they really do care
about the Project.
I'm still trying to sort it all out as I'm sure most of you
are, everyone has some merit to their positions on this
one. I include in this statement, Brian and Rootsweb, the
Advisory Board Members, Teresa and the DBS, every XXGenWeb
and Special Project Volunteer. Wear the other guy's shoes
for a moment. Look at the world through their eyes.
Sometimes it is only a tiny thing that really separates us.
Some thoughts that may or may not have bearing on the
above. Why am I part of all of this Project ???...
I started down this road because people in this Project had
helped me and I wanted to return their generosity to the
Project Community. I had always been a Volunteer at
something, and this just felt right. It feels to good to
share, and to share with family even better and if you look
at this in the way that I do, we are all cousins, we just
haven't proved the connection yet.
I am a bit obsessive, I, through some stroke of luck (good
or bad), fate or divine intervention, have come up with a
job that helps with my Volunteering with this Project... I
have become the "Ancient Records Coordinator" for the
Alachua County (FL) Clerk of the Courts Office. I took a
pay cut to take the job, a substantial one. But then again,
I am much richer than I could be with money. (There does
have to be money here somewhere to keep our information
online) My loyalties lie with Genealogy and History and the
researchers that are out there looking for connections.
We CAN work together, if we want to... I want to...
Thanks for listening Cousins,
Jim Powell Jr
Waldo, FL
Goodbye "Bones" (Dr. McCoy) DeForest Kelley.
Family Homepage:
Http://www.afn.org/~afn03098/
Coordinator of Henderson County KyGenweb Page
Http://www.rootsweb.com/~kyhender/
Coordinator of Gilchrist County FLGenWeb Page
Http://www.rootsweb.com/~flgilchr/
Coordinator of Alachua County FLGenWeb Page
Http://www.rootsweb.com/~flalachu/
Coordinator of Bradford County FLGenWeb Page
Http://www.rootsweb.com/~flbradfo/
Assistant State Coordinator FLGenWeb
Ancient Records Coordinator / Alachua County, FL, Clerk of
the Courts Office