One important point I am trying to get across is; Are the Rootsweb
surname boards now a venue for open advertising? This was not a
requested advertisement and was posted to an advertisement-posting
free board on Rootsweb (I'm not referring to the banners). That
makes it SPAM!
You wrote: " The message was posted on the HULL/HOLL message boards
at Ancestry, and gatewayed to the subscribers of the equivalent
mailing lists at RootsWeb."
There is no other way to see it unless Rootsweb now has their
surname boards mailing lists open to all advertizing as well.
Correct me if I am mistaken, but I was under the impression that
these boards mailing lists were to be ad free. That having your
name/e-mail address on these Rootsweb surname boards was not an open
invitation for ads. Rita
DNACousins(a)aol.com wrote:
Hello --
I run the GENEALOGY-DNA mailing list at RootsWeb, and I monitor
other mailing lists for mentions of the word DNA. I'm familiar
with the background of the message which concerned Rita (appended
below). James Hull is a subscriber to GENEALOGY-DNA-L, which
addresses many of the technical issues involved in DNA testing,
and he is a volunteer coordinator of the HULL/HOLL surname
project, fully described in the web site he provided in his
message.
The message is not spam, nor was your address "harvested," Rita.
I don't wish to get into the pros and cons of DNA testing for
genealogy here, although I might offer a word of reassurance that
privacy concerns are addressed by many project coordinators, the
method does not involve robbing graves, and the company chosen by
the HULL/HOLL project is not in fact Ancestry, so Ancestry has no
commercial interest in this message.
You can see many examples of surname projects at
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~allpoms/genetics1a.html
Ann Turner DNACousins(a)aol.com
GENEALOGY-DNA List Administrator
ttp://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Miscellaneous/GENEALOGY-DNA.html
-----------------
In a message dated 03/29/02 12:41:41 PM Pacific Standard Time,
ocontogal2000(a)yahoo.com writes:
> Subj:PML Search Result matching (DNA or chromosome* or mtDNA or
> genetic or "Oxford Ancestors") andnot x-loop/GENEALOGY-DNA-L
> Date:03/29/02 12:41:41 PM Pacific Standard Time
> From: ocontogal2000(a)yahoo.com (Rita)
> To: DNACousins(a)aol.com
>
>
>
>
> =
> ===================================================================
>
> A result of your requested PML search. To refine or cancel this
>
> search, please visit
http://pml.rootsweb.com/
>
> ====================================================================
>
> Source: WIGEN-L(a)rootsweb.com
> Subject: [WIGEN-L] Seriously concerned.
>
>
> I walk on thin ice with this, but I am sharing a thread of
> correspondence and my personal concerns about a DNA Spam letter
> I
> have received twice now. The spammer got the addresses right
> from
> the Rootsweb HOLL surname mailing list! I complained to Rootsweb
> and
>
> their reply is here. Then I noticed something very interesting
> on
> the
Ancestry.com Home page - DNA testing advertisements! I have
> serious concerns on both the ethics a selling/using the surname
> board e-mail lists, AND the DNA business! Your DNA is your very
> personal identity and private information, and it is VERY
> valuable
> to many companies both good and bad. There is nothing in either
> the
> spam letter or the Ancestry Page saying who does these tests;
> who
> has access to the results (are they quietly sold, traded to
> other
> concerns once they have the results and sent them to you??). We
> are
> seriously cautioned not to give out our Social Security numbers
> indiscriminately, nor our credit card numbers. Would you hand
> over
> your bank account numbers and stock portfolio? So why give your
> most
>
> personal of data to strangers?? And where do they get our
> ancestors'
>
> DNA info. to link to, robbing graves?? Carpe Deim (seize the
> day?),
> my foot - I say Caveat Emptor (buyer be ware)! Rita - CC Oconto
>
> ROOTSWEB'S REPLY
> A response to your Help Desk message, "SPAM & Gateway," of
> Friday,
> 29 March
> 2002, at 9:26 a.m. follows:
>
> Please revisit the form located at
>
http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/help.cgi
> if you wish to respond.
>
> Thank You!!
>
> The message reads as follows:
>
> -------------------------
>
> Hi,
>
> Send a copy to:
> abuse(a)rootsweb.com
> However, this guy probably changes the email address to match
> the
> list.
> The list admin can add that specific address to their reject
> list to
>
> prevent
> him from doing it again.
> Email:
> HOLL-admin(a)rootsweb.com
>
> D.
>
> ORIGINAL SPAM LETTER
> Subject:{not a subscriber} DNA SURNAME STUDY
> Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2002 07:05:34 -0700
> From: azjrh(a)msn.com
> To: HOLL-L(a)rootsweb.com
>
> This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing
> list.
>
> Message Board URL:
>
>
http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg//Hcj.2ACIB/56
>
> Message Board Post:
>
> ARE YOU RESEARCHING YOUR HOLL/HOHL/HULL FAMILY ROOTS?
> Wouldn't you like to know what the shortest route is to knowing
> where to research YOUR surname
> family? I emphasize YOUR! Family history buffs and
> genealogists
> can trace lines of ancestry
> which can be proven through original records- but are the
> records
> true? DNA testing can help
> determine whether a proven family tree really is accurate or
> not.
> This genetic sampling may
> prove your relation to other families with the same surname.
> YOUR
> genes wonââ¬â¢t give you the
> given name of the ancestor you have in common. This is where the
>
> family historian or
> genealogists can step in and unearth the names, places and
> occupations of the forebears who
> gave you your genes. Why waste time and money wandering when
> you
> have a short cut? The
> shortest distance between YOUR knowing and not knowing is a DNA
> Surname Test. It's only $99 -
> pretty cheap for knowledge. I currently have family sponsors
> who
> will support the cost for
> qualified volunteers. Read about the possibilities at: http!
> :// and then contact me by e-mail to
> discuss YOUR research. Carpe Deim!