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
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
American Local History Network (ALHN)
http://www.rootsquest.com/~amhisnet
Johnson County, TN Genealogy
http://www.tiac.net/users/mkatzman/jct/johnmain.html
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