Unless it has changed since yesterday .... it depends on exactly how you
log in as to which view you see. In the URL, there is a snippet of code
that has "an" or "rw", without the quotes. If "an" is there,
you see
Ancestry board view ... if "rw" is there, you get the RootsWeb board
view.
Ray Thigpen wrote:
Tempers are raging over the RootsWeb message boards that were recently
"overhauled" by
Ancestry.com.
And "elections" always seem to fire up tempers.
And if we all look closely,
MyFamily.com is right at the CENTER of this
whole steambox.
I found it interesting today when I went to
Ancestry.com and found this:
"Ancestry.com and
RootsWeb.com are extremely happy to announce our new
integrated message board system"
And yet when I clicked to go to the Message Boards, I saw this:
"Welcome to the Ancestry Message Boards!"
Hello? Why didn't it say Ancestry and RootsWeb Message Boards??
I thought it was a team effort. Obviously
Ancestry.com did NOT choose to
even mention RootsWeb on its "message board" page.
And then we get into the election stuff and find more fire than there is
wood to burn!
Has anyone noticed while all this steam and fire has been flying into our
email boxes, that the USGenWeb ELECTORS have remained silent?? That's
proof
there is an election going on!!! Candidates have to be careful what they
say at such a close time of voters hitting the booths to vote. I find it
very amusing!!
And then if we go back to last summer, June 21, 2000, and read the Press
Release (in part) from My
family.com:
"As part of its ongoing commitment to the genealogical community,
MyFamily.com, Inc. will continue to support volunteer, non-profit
organizations such as The USGenWeb Project (
www.USGenWeb.org)..."
Duh! Hellooooo!!!! Ahem! Who's supporting who??? USGenWeb is
certainly supporting
MyFamily.com. Look what USGenWeb and RootsWeb
brought to the table when the acquisition occurred!!!!!
MyFamily.com got a lot of BANG for its buck when it purchased RootsWeb.
And poor ole USGenWeb was already in place on RootsWeb and just got
sucked right into the deal too.
And then we get an email today saying that we should be laying all the blame
on
MyFamily.com. OOooooops! Ahem!!! Excuse me!!!!!! Helllloooooo!!!!
USGenWeb sat back and just took it all in stride. They say they can't
afford their
own servers and such, and they were just "caught in the middle" when
RootsWeb
got acquired by
MyFamily.com.
USGenWeb is now saying they got the "knife in the back too"... Well, uh...
let's check out USGenWeb a little closer.
Let's go to the USGenWeb Project Bylaws:
Article II. PURPOSE
"The purpose of this organization shall be to gather genealogical and
historical information for free online access by researchers."
Didn't USGenWeb "KNOW" when RootsWeb got bought up by
MyFamily.com
that it was an organization that made big profits from genealogical research
at its
Ancestry.com site??
Why did USGenWeb continue on along with a commercial enterprise? Why
didn't they pull out right then and there??
Article III. STATUS AS AN ORGANIZATION
"The USGenWeb Project, as a group of volunteers participating in a
not-for-profit organization, is considered to be an "Unincorporated
Non-Profit Assocation."
Duh! They refused to cut themselves from an organization that was FOR
PROFIT. How can they (the USGenWeb) claim non-profit status, when they
are in bed with a FOR PROFIT ORGANIZATION??
Isn't the Southern Baptist Convention a non-profit organization?? If
Microsoft bought up the Southern Baptist Convention tomorrow, would everyone
look at
SBC as a non-profit assocation? If they did, me thinks they would be
BLIND.
You can't, in my opinion, be SINGLE --- if you're sleeping in bed with what
has become your COMMON LAW spouse. Helloooo again!!! What's wrong with
this picture??
ARTICLE IV. MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. "The only requirement for membership in The USGenWeb Project
is a desire to assist in gathering and disseminating genealogical and
historical information for free online access by researchers."
Or, in other words, we'd like you go join us in this genealogy effort for
free online access, but by the way, did we tell you that we are tied in with
a
FOR PROFIT ORGANIZATION????
I'm sure USGenWeb will say that they are just getting a free ride on the
RootsWeb/Ancestry.com/MyFamily.com SERVERS!!!! But look at the
"potential business" they are swinging towards the
Ancestry.com site.
Uh, by the way, USGENWEB, how much does
MyFamily.com pay you
each month to "bird-dog" and send business towards their FOR PROFIT
sites?????
Shucks!!! Bill Gates could have beaten the government on his case!! He
should have made his software division a NON-PROFIT entity and yet could
have still been "OWNED" by Microsoft Corporation... C'mon, gimme a
break!!!!!
ARTICLE VI: DUTIES/QUALIFICATIONS OF ADVISORY BOARD
Section 4. "It shall be the responsibility of the Webmaster and the
Advisory Board to ensure that the national website is in compliance with the
stated
bylaws of The USGenWeb Project."
In compliance??? Attaching itself to a FOR PROFIT corporation is in
compliance for a NON-PROFIT organization. Duh! Uh! Helllooooo again!!!!
Okay, I've beat this "horse" enough!!!! Although there are other
sections
of
the BYLAWS that looked inviting to further comment and question in this
document.
Suffice it to say we've got a problem!!!!!!!! I've been doing genealogy
research for
many years. I am grateful to the way ROOTSWEB was handled when it was NOT
owned by
MyFamily.com.
I am not real happy with
MyFamily.com right now. But I have to admit I'm
not real
happy with USGenWeb right now. I believe in its mission and goals... but
not when
it's attached to a FOR-PROFIT organization.
USGenWeb! It's time to make some critical decisions. It's time to detach
yourself
from a FOR-PROFIT corporation. You obviously chose to tie yourself to
ROOTSWEB
when it, too, was a NON PROFIT body. But now that has changed.
It's time for a divorce, USGenWeb!!!! You cannot have a three-some with
Ancestry.com
and
MyFamily.com. Your family of volunteer children does not approve of
your living
arrangements with
Ancestry.com and
MyFamily.com.
Make a choice, USGenWeb!! Otherwise, you may find your children leaving
for a
foster home!!!!!
--------------------
And now I think I've said ENOUGH! I'm sure my mailbox will be jam-packed
tomorrow when
this thing hits cyberspace.
I want to remain a County Coordinator. But I may get kicked out after this
hits the fan!!!
But first, I think we should have a FAMILY meeting.
A family meeting of OUR USGenWeb family of volunteers --- NOT
MyFamily.com!!
And we need to hear from these electors too!!!! We'll we probably won't
until after the
election. Gotta be careful about those election campaign promises.
Submitted in sincerety (and a dash of humor),
Ray Thigpen
County Coordinator
Warren County Georgia
USGenWeb, GAGenWeb, RootsWeb
==== GAGEN Mailing List ====
Regional Coordinators are there to help County Coordinators. Don't
hesitate to contact them should you have any, any question. To find
info on your region visit
http://www.rootsweb.com/~gagenweb/regional.html
--
Thomas Hammack, Jr. (Tom)
Gulfport, Mississippi