My recollection is that TNGenWeb recently had to suspend the Johnson County
coordinators for intemperate and unkind statements here on TNGEN-L.
George of Lincoln
On 30 Jan 99 at 20:53, TNGEN-L(a)rootsweb.com wrote:
Dear Nancy and TNGenWeb Coordinators,
We have redesigned the Johnson County Genealogy page and we have resigned from
the TNGenWeb and the USGenWeb. What with Pam being banned from every list
housed on the rootsweb server, including the TNGen-l (required for TN CCs) and
TNChat lists, she has been unable to either post or receive any messages.
Just to make it clear, the banned four cannot post or receive messages to ANY
list on RW. That means surname or county lists. That also means, if their
pages were on rootsweb (which they're not) they would not be able to FTP
updated pages. I don't know if you're aware of that. As for me the power
supply to my computer fried and I'm waiting for it to be fixed. Until then,
I'm using my old computer and I know once again why I bought a new one.
How many of you who are "list owners" of county and/or surname lists on
Rootsweb are aware someone other than you can sub and unsub people without
your permission or knowledge? And that you can do absolutely nothing to
prevent it?
But, please let me make one thing clear...we KNOW that neither Bridgett or
Nancy did the unsubbing, it was done either by Brian Levrich, owner of
Rootsweb, or he had someone else from Rootsweb do it. On the other hand, a
couple of days after the four were banned, a statement from the Advisory Board
of USGW was made that they backed Brian's actions. Again, no word, no
contact, no nothing. Not even from Bridgett the TNGenWeb State Coordinator
who is also on the USGW Advisory Board. Why not, Bridgett, why not??
Nancy, "tiring" is an understatement. Do you have any idea what its like to
be tried in a public forum for no reason and not be able to defend yourself?
That is exactly what happened to Pam, Carol Dean, Susan Cook and Teresa
Lindquist. Several people, including me, have asked on the ALL list to please
list the exact reasons for their banning. We received no response at all
except negative responses from people who have taken it waaaay beyond anything
resembling the truth! As to being with the "wrong people", I don't know
what
that means or what makes them the "wrong people". Unfortunately most
volunteers don't know what really happened.
As for the buttons on Johnson County page, they are/were meant to make fun of
the whole silly situation. But I guess they can also serve as a warning to
other "list owners". It can happen to them too.
If anyone from TNGen web management or even SE/ME had sent one e-mail to
Pam, to show an ounce of concern over her being banned from project
communication, it might have been a whole lot different.
The banning of the "Rootsweb 4" was for 30 days. At the end of that time,
they MAY be allowed back on a case to case basis. No criteria has been made
as to what they need to do to come back in good stead. They did nothing to
apologize for or to retract. What other choice do Pam and I have but to
resign! And so, Johnson County has resigned from the USGW/TNGenWeb project.
June 1996 was when I started with TNGenWeb and I think my first upload was in
July or August 1996. Pam became Co-Coordinator the following year and I bless
her every day since. The URL for the pages will remain the same since none
are on Rootsweb. The same goes for the Johnson County mail list. The JCT
researchers will not lose. They have always been our first priority. We will
continue on the same course we've been following all this time.
For me its truly sad to see the political direction USGW is going. On the
other hand, incorporating Tennessee should go a long way to taking power away
from the top or wherever its coming from.
Mary Floy and Pam
Mary Floy Katzman
maryfloy(a)mkatzman.tiac.net