On Oct 8, 2007, at 3:31 PM, Tina S. Vickery wrote:
Sandy, I notice you still haven't sent your summation to the
group
on the
recent topics. I hope you choose to do so.
Tina
INCORPORATION as a non profit and IRS tax-exempt status under 501(c)(3):
I firmly support both, and have done so from the beginning of this
project (and I've been part of USGWP since the formation of the
NCGenWeb Project.)
First, the USGW Project must decide its MISSION. Our "Mission" is
what we DO. It should be visionary and evoke passion. It must capture
the imagination by putting into words and action that which otherwise
would remain an impossible dream. This is how stay focused, foster
support, put aside personal concerns and "give it up" for the cause.
At present, we do not have a "mission." Someone has said we have a
"goal" within our bylaws, but goals aren't missions, goals merely
*feed* missions.
Here's my idea for a good mission statement for the USGWP,
"To create and maintain the nation’s largest free genealogical
database and research assistance project, publicly available to all
people at no charge on the world wide web."
How much more American can you get? These are OUR records; the public
records of our national heritage! And if NARA and our other
government agencies won't put them online at no fee as they should,
then by jove, we will! :)
If you can get behind that statement; if you can find it in your soul
to be moved to action; then you've got a mission statement that
works. It should be reasonably short, visionary, aim high, and
motivate. If that one doesn't do it for you, keep working on it till
you create one that does.
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BANNERS/ Mastheads & Branding of USGW NATIONAL web site pages:
The only banner on the web pages of the USGenWeb Project should be
our own star spangled banner championing OUR mission!
We ARE the champion of free genealogy online and we should be proud!
We should shout our cause - and NOT TGN's - from the rooftops of
cyberspace!
The banner of the for-profit genealogical enterprise of TGN is NOT
our banner, and is the very *opposite* of our mission!
If it IS our banner, then I submit this project's mission has become
that of TGN: to make profits from genealogists!
Indeed, it is TGN's commercial, for-profit existence that serves to
create the biggest need for our project. Absent our "mission,"
genealogists are left helpless with no option but to pay for research.
Rootsweb and TGN represent ALL that this project is not! We should
not want their banner.
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BANNERS/ Mastheads & Branding of STATE project sites, COUNTY sites, &
SPECIAL projects sites:
All "tribes" have leaders, and such is the case with the "tribe"
known as the USGenWeb Project. Good leaders do not lead the tribe to
a watering hole, and abandon it to care only for their leader selves
when the water turns foul or evaporates.
The tribal leaders of the USGenWeb Project have long led, indeed
encouraged, the project membership to use the banner and ad-free web
space made available at no fee by Rootsweb. Indeed, Rootsweb itself
has from its beginnings touted its no-fee web space as superior to
the alternatives because it has been banner and ad free.
Well, Rootsweb's owners (TGN) are now changing the terms of that
offer, and it is long past time to bid the profiteers adieu.
The USGWP tribal leaders who brought us here have a continuing
obligation to lead the whole tribe to alternative web space.
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LOCATION of county, state and other project websites:
It has long been the policy of the project to allow county
coordinators and state projects "free choice" in web site hosting.
I'm all for free choice, but I believe there are occasions when
"qualifying" those choices is appropriate. I believe it is entirely
appropriate and desirable in this case that the choices of web space
be "qualified" by specifying that no project web pages may carry
advertising or banners unless *pre-authorized* by the policies of the
national USGWP.
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EMAIL Lists/ QUERY methods/ any other "resources" employed by and/or
made available by the USGWP or any of its parts:
I believe all such resources should be "owned" by the USGW Project
and operated by members of the project in a manner which ensures no
unauthorized commercial benefit ensues. Any commercial benefit which
the USGW Project might authorize should be transparent, and arranged
within the constraints placed upon incorporated non profits holding
tax exempt status under 501(c)(3). In addition, I believe the USGWP
should place prominent notices to the public whenever it directs
researchers to commercial services which are not part of the USGenWeb
Project.
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CURRENT misleading statements re: "non profit" status of USGWP and
its parts and Rootsweb:
I believe various statements on web sites within the USGWP (including
some national site pages, and various state, county and special
projects web pages) carry misleading and/or false statements
concerning the nature of, and the operations of, the USGenWeb Project
and/or Rootsweb. A means of identifying and correcting &/or removing
these statements should be launched immediately.
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COPYRIGHT
I believe the USGW Project, and all of its members, should "abide" by
US laws regarding copyright, however I do not believe this Project,
nor any part or member within it, should interject itself or
themselves into matters of copyright dispute between other parties.
Copyright dispute is a matter of civil law. For an outside party to
choose to interject itself into perceived potential or existing
copyright disputes is inappropriate and may create unnecessary hard
feelings, and possibly legal exposure. Under U.S. law, it is left
solely up to the entity claiming a particular copyright to become
aware of incidents of possible infringement, and to pursue remedy as
available under law. This country has no such thing as "copyright
police." This project should not assume such a role.
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CONTROL of the USGenWeb Project:
I believe "control" of the nature and operations of the USGenWeb
Project is, and should remain, vested in the project's full
membership. I believe our organization's bylaws and operating
policies should reflect this.
In my view, the issue of "control" is as old as the USGWP and,
frankly, has served as a very divisive and destructive element. We
need to get over it, and our for-profit competitive "mode." Non
profits form *alliances* with other non profits holding similar
missions. Successful non profits not only know how to, they proceed
to attract others with a passion for their mission, foster
cooperation to accomplish their mission, and garner broad and deep
support for their mission. Successful non profits are simply this:
selfless.
For 10+ years the USGenWeb Project has CHOSEN not to be a non profit.
The time is overdue to become one or forget about it.
-Sandy
CC, Vance Co, NCGenWeb