I hope I am not out of line in sending this message, but I just read my
RootsWeb review and I was appalled at the lack of support that RootsWeb is
receiving. Maybe most of you that subscribe to these lists already support
RootsWeb and I am "preaching to the choir", but in case you aren't, think
about the following:
<quote>
When we launched RootsWeb, we assumed that our users would prefer
to support us as much as they were able, in exchange for a site
open to all, without banners plastered all over everything and
without having resources locked up (as is done at other genealogy
sites), available only for fees on the order of $60 per year.
Instead, people can support RootsWeb for as little as $12 per
year. We thus hoped that a reasonable fraction of our users,
perhaps half of them, would support us in some way. And because
we expected support from the community, we made promises to
projects like USGenWeb that we would freely host them for the
good of the Internet genealogy community.
We have no intention of reneging on those early promises, but it
has been difficult, because the community support we anticipated
has not been there. Although people use the site like crazy,
fewer than 7% of our users have chipped in to keep things going.
The other 93%? Perhaps they're busy, or they're broke, or they
won't pay unless they have to, or they don't think RootsWeb is
useful. Who knows? But it means that RootsWeb has run at a cash
flow loss. In simple terms, Karen Isaacson and Brian Leverich
have donated not only their time as system administrators but a
substantial part of their personal resources to provide the
genealogical community with RootsWeb. The rest of RootsWeb's
staff have also made substantial contributions.
Previously published by RootsWeb Genealogical Data Cooperative,
RootsWeb Review, Vol. 2, No. 18, 5 May 1999. Please visit
RootsWeb's main Web page at <
http://www.rootsweb.com/>.
<end quote>
Just think, as little as $12 per year, that is a dollar a month. Any of us
could afford that. I know I certainly get more that a dollar a month's worth
of info from all the sites available, just the lists provide that much. So
let's all get in there and support Rootsweb.
Anna L. Martin
e.mail ANNALOUM(a)aol.com
==== INDUBOIS Mailing List ====
Holly Timm, listowner - hollyft(a)bright.net
Visit the Dubois County website:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~indubois/
Holly, you made a believer out of me. I am on my way to help
"rootsweb". Thanks for reminding those of us who need and use this
great resource that it is a common effort that will keep it going.
Buddy W. , Pine Bluff, AR