From: Linda Russell Lewis <cityslic(a)ix.netcom.com>
To: IDGEN-L(a)rootsweb.com <IDGEN-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Date: Saturday, May 09, 1998 10:47 PM
Hi Elaine and all,
Broderbund has nothing to do with this whole situation. The agreement in
discussion was between Rootsweb and Palladium; not Rootsweb and The
USGenWeb Project; not Palladium and The USGenWeb Project.
The USGenWeb Project Archives (Digital Library) and Rootsweb are not the
same, and no agreement Rootsweb signs with any company will affect the
Archives. The Archives will, however, benefit if that agreement means
Rootsweb can buy even more equipment to provide the free space for the
Archives.
The following is a cut and paste from another message that was sent on
another list to which I subscribe. I have removed the author's name, for
privacy reasons.
*Jerry
------------------------------------------------------------
Have you all seen his URL? It got me spitting! Brian says it right
there in black & white.
http://www.uftree.com/UFT/roots/letter/rootsletter.html
In addition to the immediate, tangible benefits of Palladium's
sponsorship,
RootsWeb believes that the joint Palladium-RootsWeb software
development
projects will provide much, much greater benefits to the
genealogical community.
Over time we expect to see the seamless integration of
Ultimate
Family Tree
with the burgeoning genealogical resources on the Internet,
allowing even novice
users to easily find Internet Websites, mailing lists, and
databases where they
can extend and refine their understanding of their
family's
history.
Do you think Rootsweb/Palladium is giving this software away? HA! Brian
sure as heck IS making money off of USGW, he's just not selling it
directly, he's selling the reputation and using that reputation to sell
genealogy programs. <yuck! icky taste in my mouth>
-------------------------------------------
<<I do have a couple of questions. Is there a rule that all
state
archives must be
housed in one location? >>
Since there is no such rule, then upon what grounds was I fired for moving
the files to a more protected server?
*Jerry
There is no such rule. KSGenWeb has an established Archives, and uses
both the USGenWeb Archives and their site at Skyways in Kansas. The
advantage in having the USGenWeb Archives in one location is for the
search engine, and for the benefit of researchers.. making it easier for
them to navigate and find valuable transcribed data. Another reason for
having them all together is for any future moves the Archives might
make. We don't know where we will be or where Rootsweb will be in 5, 10,
25 years from now. Hopefully, The USGenWeb Project will still be the
great genealogy tool that it has become today, in just two years of its
existance. If the USGenWeb Archives were scattered all over the
Internet, on various servers for each state, it would be very difficult
to keep them organized if we had to change servers.
The USGenWeb Archives operate under strict guidelines, moreso than the
loosely connected websites of XXGenWeb's. Where there are few rules for
county coordinators, the Archives have stricter rules that the file
managers must follow, as well as file submitters.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/timetodo.htm
Every file manager, before they are given the "keys" to the Archives for
uploading and maintaining their state or county directory, are required
to read those guidelines and agree to follow them. They are also
required to place a "USGenWeb Notice" on each text file that is
uploaded. This "notice" is for the protection of the file submitter, who
retains ownership of their file, and to prevent any commercial entity
from using the files for profit.
If anyone has any questions about the Archives policy, please feel free
to ask me. We are within a couple days of announcing the new faster
search engine, which will be updated on a daily basis. If a file is
uploaded to the USGenWeb Archives on Monday, the file can be found by
the search engine on Tuesday. This has been my personal goal for the
USGenWeb Archives since it was established in July 1996. What a
wonderful tool for genealogists!
In the whole Archives planning and organization, I have acted as the
"end user", a amateur researcher with an addictive hobby, who wants to
make research as easy as possible. :)
While I have everyone's attention, please visit the USGenWeb Archives
Census Project pages:
http://www.usgenweb.org/census
We are making great progress in getting transcribed census records
online for researchers. Pam Reid has also done wonders with the USGenWeb
Tombstone Transcription Project, and has recruited volunteers across the
country to record tombstone incriptions and place those files in the
USGenWeb Archives.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~cemetery/
Thanks,
Linda
(Nat. Coord. USGenWeb Archives)