Please forward to all USGenWeb Project lists.
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To All USGenWeb Project members who host sites on TGN/RW ("RootsWeb"):
TGN/RW ("RootsWeb") has implemented a policy change in which banners are to
be placed on all TGN/RW hosted websites. The USGenWeb Advisory Board
contacted RootsWeb in regard to their plan to install banners on their
webspace and have negotiated a banner specific to The USGenWeb Project that
will be placed on the national pages of The USGenWeb Project. While these
negotiations were ongoing, TGN/RW postponed applying the banners to sites of
the USGenWeb Project to work on the concept of USGenWeb having a custom
banner.
The banner that we have negotiated identifies the USGenWeb Project as being
hosted by RootsWeb and RootsWeb as a community of The Generation Network.
The banners are viewable here:
http://www.usgenweb.com/images/rootswebbanner/default1.jpg [default one]
http://www.usgenweb.com/images/rootswebbanner/default2.jpg [default two]
http://www.usgenweb.com/images/rootswebbanner/default3.jpg [default three]
http://www.usgenweb.com/images/rootswebbanner/custom.jpg [custom to USGenWeb
Project]
RootsWeb intends to begin the placement of the banners beginning on or about
March 15, 2008. The generic/freepages banner will be included on the server
side [TGN/RW], and will not require any involvement from the webmasters.
Any USGenWeb Project site that wishes to have the USGenWeb Project specific
banner instead of the generic/freepages banner will be supplied with code to
insert on their pages in order to cause that banner to show up when their
pages are viewed. The line of code they will provide us is not a
replacement banner. It will simply include a parameter on the page that the
server can read when rendering the banner that will tell it to render the
customized USGenWeb [Project] banner instead of the default one.
The Board has made it very clear to TGN/RW that they should be the ones to
implement the custom banner on Project pages. TGN/RW understands how editing
each individual page could be a concern for account holders with a large
number of pages. Most solutions they have looked at for doing this involve
significant initial or ongoing development or operations work, but they are
still brainstorming to try and find a good solution. They will get back to
the Advisory Board this week after they have been able to investigate
further.
The Advisory Board has strived to maintain a balance of TGN/RW business
needs as our host, while being mindful of the Project's paramount mission
and goal to provide free genealogical data to our visitors and the USGenWeb
Project community as stated in our bylaws.
As National Coordinator, I want to thank all involved for their patience and
input as we have worked to achieve this balance.
In tandem with this, and perhaps more importantly, the Advisory Board is
discussing a hosting agreement with TGN/RW. While that hosting agreement is
confidential in nature, due to business concerns of our host, the Board is
working to insure that the work of our many volunteers and contributors is
protected.
We welcome any of your questions/concerns as we all work together to
finalize this negotiation process.
Tina Vickery
National Coordinator
USGenWeb Project
USGenWeb Project information can be found at:
http://www.usgenweb.com