To the USGenweb Project:
This letter is very long, but it is all I have to say on the matter at
hand..
I agree with the idea of having a centralized archives but NOT to SOLICIT
information; The archives should be a SECONDARY place where people can do
a massive search of all files. It should be ONLY a repository, and for
special projects, NOT OUT THERE SOLICITING INFORMATION for "Kingdom
building." This would mean that the CC would be the one to send copies of
submissions to the Archives, from the COUNTY pages.. That way if people
somehow do not reach the county first but the Archives, a search can be made
and they can find the files there too. THE ARCHIVES SHOULD HOLD NO DATA
THAT IS NOT ALREADY ON A COUNTY SITE AND SHOULD HOLD NO AUTHORITY OVER
COUNTY PAGES, AND WOULD EXERCISE NO AUTHORITY OVER ANY OTHER PROJECT. As
any EXPERIENCED researcher knows, to begin your search for your ancestors,
you should start in the county, NOT the archives. Our ancestors would
call that "placing the horse before the cart."
I am posting my resignation on the lists, because that is how I first
became aware that I had been approved as the coordinator of the Tazewell
County Virginia USGenweb page- on the VA-L list.
Following is my resignation that I submitted to Volunteers who had submitted
work to me for the Tazewell County USGenweb project home page:
Dear Tazewell County Volunteers,
(This letter is to remain INTACT- not "snipped" nor edited.)
After much prayer and soul searching, I have decided that I >will no longer
maintain the Tazewell County VAGenweb page. I am telling >you, the
volunteers
first, because you are the ones where my loyalty is. I have
>removed my
own
work, including backgrounds and graphics from the >website,
because it
seems
apparent, that the county pages are being eroded and >absorbed
into a
larger data base (the archives) that is controlled by a single >individual.
I do know that in all societies, total control ends in >dictatorship.
All
of the archives pages are on Rootsweb, and Rootsweb is >now a for
profit
corporation. I have read on the "administrative" mail lists >that the
individual who has control over the archives is a paid staff >member of
Rootsweb. I have no idea where it is all leading, and won't >even
speculate
on it.
If you want any corrections or additions made to any of the >work you have
submitted to the Tazewell Home Page since I took it over >the end of
January 2000, please let me know, before I make the >announcement to
officially resign from the USGenweb project. Thanks to the >hard work of
each of you, I am leaving the page with literally hundreds of >files that
were not there previously. None of the work submitted to >me was
transferred
to the "archives." We have a POWERFUL home page,
>because we chose to
share
unselfishly and work together. That is where the REAL >POWER is-
with the
volunteers for the project.
Most of the time, I have felt like a hypocrite taking your >work, because
county coordinators are not allowed freedom of speech to >let volunteers
know the actual politics, so the volunteers can make >INFORMED CHOICES.
Let
the record show, that I did not donate any of your work to >the
"archives."
There are many wonderful, dedicated people in the >USGenweb project who
keep
"hanging in there" but if they speak out, they are
"severed" >from the
project.. I am not going to maintain a "front" website that is >nothing
more than a gateway to someone's personal agenda for >power.
If you share this letter with anyone before I officially resign, I >will
more
than likely be "severed" from the project and locked out of
>the website
that
we have put our hearts and souls into. It has happened to >others
in the
past. If that happens, my bags are packed and I am ready >to go, today,
if
I have to..but I am leaving voluntarily- the only area of the
>project
where
I have a choice.
One of our volunteers summed up my feelings much better >than I could have,
and I will paste the quote here:
"I believe that the little folks do
better without interference and central control and with the >power to
choose for themselves and to control what they themselves >have chosen.
As an Appalachian, I am skeptical about remote control. >When people don't
control what they've produced, they don't own it. Somebody >else chooses
the
program, and the little guy simply displays it. Power always
>rests with
the
one who has the option of choosing."<
(end of quote)
I am choosing to keep my power by leaving the project, but >I will
finish
my
work and place it some where that it will remain intact at a
>"local"
level, and be used for the purpose it was intended- to help >others find
their families of origin.
If I am not kicked out of the project for allowing you to >CHOOSE whether
to
maintain control over your own work, then this letter will be >sent
to all
the USGenweb "administrative" mail lists that I am on, as >my official
resignation and as a protest, that we are not allowed >freedom of speech
nor
the right to know, nor the right to
choose. The entire Ohio Genweb project was threatened >with "severance"
just the other day, because they believe the public has a >right to know
what
is happening and and the right to make choices.
If I have left anyone off this list who submitted work to me, it >was not
intentional, because I do believe everyone has THE RIGHT >TO KNOW and the
RIGHT TO CHOOSE.. I have never seen a more caring >dedicated group of
people anywhere than the Tazewell County VA volunteers.. >Thank you for
your
support and your contributions. Hopefully, I will meet each >of
you at
the
Eastern Gate of Heaven when we leave this old world and >the wheat
will
finally be separated from the chaff.
Dodie Browning
I will be working with Jeff Weaver, who was one of the original
members of
the USGenweb Project. 3 of my personal websites are:
(brand new) Tazewell County VA Genealogy & History
http://www.anzwers.net/free/tazewellcova/
Families of Steel(e)
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ridge/6203/
Logan County WV Ancestors
http://members.tripod.com/famsteel/index.html
Please consider the Tazewell County VAGenweb page as orphaned, as of now.
I have tried to ignore the "politics" , because I do quality work and had
hoped to be an active member of the USGenweb Project in spite of the
"politics". I cannot do quality work under the CONTROL of the archives
and assist them in taking over special projects and the county pages,
which was the heart of the USGenweb project .
Sincerely
Dodie Browning