Mar 22-28 1999

From merope@Radix.Net Mon Mar 22 18:26:36 1999

Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 18:26:34 -0500 (EST)

From: merope <merope@Radix.Net>

To: usgw_all@listbot.com

Subject: Daily Board Show

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On little cat feet...its Your Daily Board Show!

*warning* contains editorial content. Read at your own risk!

Saturday 20 March 1999:

Linda Lewis forwards to her colleagues on the Board a message by Kay Mason

and her rebuttal to several comments made by Kay. Its about the census

mess, as reported yesterday. Among other things Kay states: "The Board is

working on a plan to get rid of those "Other" pages. I'm hoping that it

will work. Please be patient for a while longer... and let them try to

find a solution... (in other words, save your letters to the Board, we

might need them later! [now what do you suppose the Board is cooking up

for us this time? And is this Board I or Board II? I do recommend

reading this message; its too long to post here in it entirety.]

Also worth reading is Brian "To Bed, Both of You, And No Supper"

Leverich's reply to Kay's post, also forwarded to the Board by Linda

Lewis. Its notable mainly for NOT asking for money and for the following:

"I'd prefer RootsWeb's name not be involved in this mess, and any

speculation about what we might or might not do is almost surely

bound to be wrong.

FWIW, RootsWeb did not understand and did not intend for Census-

related material either to appear in the usgenweb.com/net/org domain

or outside of the USGenWeb Archives on our FTP server. To the

extent that the current mess was caused by inattentiveness our part,

we apologize to the community."

[Oooo, sorry Kay, but you lose.] He goes on to describe the threat posed

by the pay-per-view genealogy sites, who are putting up census indexes and

scans rapidly, making the work of volunteer transcribers rapidly useless.

His solutions for the current mess? Some thoughts include: "I don't know

the proper solution to the current Census mess, but it seems to me that

either using Unix symlinks or HTML hyperlinks to implement a one-Archives

/ multiple user views is feasible and probably best for the community.

Alternatively, if folks really can't agree to work together, then another

formula would be to just have two separate transcription projects that

coordinate at least enough that we don't have two sets of transcribers

doing the same county." He wraps up with "The future of free genealogical

resources on the Internet is at stake. We really need to pull together on

this." [A bit hyperbolic, yes, but then he has always had The Fear of

Ancestry, for some reason. Whatever, its a good post, go read it.]

The NC notes he'll call for a vote noon Saturday and then does so, for

Motion 99-6.

A Board member notes that: I would like to ask why it is necessary, since

it is just a restatement of the bylaws. There is no reason for it to be a

part of the motion. What is its purpose?" [reference to the

amendment for motion 99-6]

There's some confusion among Board members as to whether they are voting

on the amendment to motion 99-6 [you know, the one that affirms they'll

follow the bylaws this time] or the amended motion itself. The original

poster of the motion says she's rejected it, so the group should vote on

the amendment, and then vote on the motion.

The groups votes: At the close of the day, there are 8 "aye" votes and 1

"nay" vote for the amendment. There are 5 "aye" votes for the amended

motion, and one general "aye" vote which doesn't specify. If we assume

these are all for the amended motion, this one has passed with 12 "ayes"

so far. [Looks like we have sucessfully retired another Board member, and

gotten a pledge by the Board to follow the bylaws to boot!]

The NC posts the following: "To my knowledge, the Board did not appoint

Linda to the Board. The Board just accepted her as the Tombstone Rep and

I subbed her to the Lists. However, we need to go back and make her

appointment (if you so desire) legal. After we finish with Motion 99-6, I

would entertain a Motion on Linda's appointment to the Board as Tombstone

Rep. If fellow Board members wish her to be unsubbed during that period

of voting - she is aware of this - and is agreeable to being removed if

you so desire."

There is a suggestion to table Motion 99-6 in favor of dealing with

Linda's appointment, but the general consensus is that that is new

business before the Board and 99-6 should be completed first.

[Whew! A busy Saturday for the Board!]

"This above all: to thine own self be true. And it must follow, as the

night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man."

---William Shakespeare

This has been your Daily Board Show.

-Teresa Lindquist

merope@radix.net

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From merope@Radix.Net Tue Mar 23 18:11:08 1999

Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 18:11:03 -0500 (EST)

From: merope <merope@Radix.Net>

Reply-To: merope <merope@Radix.Net>

To: usgw_all@listbot.com

Subject: Daily Board Show

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Fee fi fo fum...its Your Daily Board Show!

*warning* contains editorial content. Read at your own risk!

Sunday 21 March 1999:

Linda posts Brian's reply to Kay's message [I incorrectly reported this as

being posted yesterday. My apologies]

Linda posts a reply to a snippet of a post by Brian Leverich, in which he

suggests moving "Kay's stuff to the archives, BUT leave it as a separate

entity with THEIR own passwords, so the regular archives folks can't mess

with those files." Linda basically agrees, points out the need for good

communication between archives and census file managers, and states: "This

should not set a precedent, however. Other projects within the USGenWeb

Archives, such as the Pensions, and any future ones established by the

Archives, will store the files in the state/county/xxxxx sub-directories."

The NC announces that the amendment motion 99-6 has passed with 12 ayes, 1

no, and 2 not voting and asks the group to vote on the amended motion.

By the close of the day 11 members had voted "aye" on the amended motion

99-6. [so we'll call that one "passed". Bye Jan.]

The Thickening Plot Corner: As some of you may know, back about a month

ago I submitted a FOIA request to the Federal Trade Commission for

information in their files that pertain to our favorite repressive server,

Rootsweb. Today I got notice that my request was denied. Two reasons

are given: one is to protect the privacy of the submitter(s), and the

second is as follows:

"Records that would reveal the existence and focus of nonpublic law

enforcement proceedings being conducted by the Commission are being

withheld where release could reasonably be expected to interfere with

those proceedings." [then specific passages of the FOIA law are cited in

support of the denial.]

Interesting, isn't it? More news as it develops!

"Only very slowly and late have men come to realize that unless freedom is

universal it is only extended privilege."

---Christopher Hill

This has been your Daily Board Show.

-Teresa Lindquist

merope@radix.net

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From merope@Radix.Net Wed Mar 24 19:32:07 1999

Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 19:32:05 -0500 (EST)

From: merope <merope@Radix.Net>

To: usgw_all@listbot.com

Subject: Daily Board Show

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Bombs away...its Your Daily Board Show!

*warning* contains editorial content. Read at your own risk!

Monday 22 March 1999:

The NC posts the final vote tally for the amended Motion 99-6: "Having

reached a quorum, Motion 99-6 passes with 12 ayes - 0 nays - 3 not

voting as of this time..."

Tomorrow's News Today: The Board starts working on appointing a new

Archives Special Project representative; the name of Garnett "Joe" Zsedeny

is forwarded to the Board as the consensus of the Archives volunteers.

[who didn't actually vote on this, I don't think, but then again, no one

objected to him.] Looks like Ginger wants the Tombstone Project rep

matter settled pronto, as she moves to table the motion to appoint Joe.

Blank Check Corner: It appears that RW would like a million dollars.

This is the figure being bandied about "just to host the census images for

one year" on RW, in Brian "*sigh*" Leverich's latest attempt to get close

to your checkbook. In Mr. Leverich's world, "when [people] don't support

RootsWeb they are explicitly choosing to pay $60/year for the Census and

other data at Ancestry or Broderbund." [where DID he learn these incisive

reasoning skills? A correspondence course advertised in the back of a

comic book? Maybe that's where he got his State Coordinator credentials

too.]

For Your Pleasure Corner: Since I've already been accused of "making up"

the info posted yesterday from the FTC, I will scan and post the letter

from the nice folks at the Commission, with an added bonus: Rootsweb's

Fictious Business Name filing. Unfortunately, RW does not appear to have

a business license on file in any of the likely places. I'll let you know

when those are up; it might be a day or two before I have time to sit at

the scanner.

"That you may retain your self-respect, it is better to displease the

people by doing what you know is right, than to temporarily please them by

doing what you know is wrong."

--William J. H. Boetcker

This has been your Daily Board Show.

-Teresa Lindquist

merope@radix.net

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From merope@Radix.Net Thu Mar 25 18:40:45 1999

Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 18:40:44 -0500 (EST)

From: merope <merope@Radix.Net>

Reply-To: merope <merope@Radix.Net>

To: usgw_all@listbot.com

Subject: Daily Board Show

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Partying like its 1999...its Your Daily Board Show!

*warning* contains editorial content. Read at your own risk!

Tuesday 23 March 1999:

A message is forwarded by the NC to the Board noting that it is " the

consensus of the volunteer membership of the Archives Special Project"

that the Board "appoint Garnett "Joe" Zsedeny to fill the position

formerly held by Jan Craven who resigned." They hope the Board will

accede to their wishes.

A board member moves to appoint Joe Zsedney to the position of Archives

Special Project representative. This motion is seconded.

A Board member moves to table this motion "as the matter of Tombstone

Project Representative is still pending and that business should be

concluded prior to this Motion being considered." The motion to table is

seconded.

The NC gives the motion to appoint Joe number 99-7 and asks for a vote on

the motion to table.

A Board member questions the motion to table Joe's appointment, quoting

the bylaws, Art XIII, Section 3, noting that the special projects elect

their representatives. She is corrected by another board member who points

out that replacements for departed Board members are properly covered in

the bylaws under Article VI, Section 8 [don't you love it when the Board

members quote the bylaws at each other?]

A Board members asks: "I am curious how the Advisory Board would go about

appointing someone? Is there any of us here familiar enough with the

Special Projects? Would you appoint someone outside of the special

projects? I can't see how going against their wishes would help the

present situation."

At the end of the day, voting on the motion to table 99-7 is too close to

call with 5 ayes and 3 nays.

Tomorrow's news today: Motion 99-7 is tabled with 9 ayes and 3 nays

received on the motion to table.

Personnel Update Corner: Tim "Wearing Daddy's Shoes" Pierce is apparently

our newest State Coordinator, as evidenced by his recent appearances on a

certain mailing list reserved for SCs and ASCs.

Scavengers Corner: Apparently, some project members, including a

Board member, have been contacted by Ancestry with a proposal to make some

records available in the USGW Archives "available to researchers online".

The proposal was soundly rejected by Linda Lewis. [These records are, of

course, already available to researchers online. Pretty shameless move,

Ancestry]

Like a Terrier Corner: BS Bill, holding dual membership in Board I and

Board II, takes time out of his busy schedule NOT posting Board minutes to

assure a worried project member that contrary to various perceptions

floating about, the Board is not talking about dismantling the Archives,

but "only HOW to store, expand [stressed is preparing for future growth]

and present the "archives" in the Project. The "archives" can only get

bigger and better ... this we must prepare for." The Archives Coordinator

points out "Instead of trying to change the Archives structure, which has

been successful and will continue to be in the current format, the Board

should consider promoting the Archives and soliciting more volunteers." BS

Bill gripes back at her about outdated guidelines, narrow viewpoints, and

wanting to hear from project members without "vested interests". [Well,

there was that 48 hour comment period about two weeks ago. Guess the

message didn't get through.]

"Bad is good, baby! Down with government!"

---The Midnight Bomber What Bombs At Midnight (The Tick)

This has been your Daily Board Show.

-Teresa Lindquist

merope@radix.net

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From merope@Radix.Net Sat Mar 27 07:37:12 1999

Date: Sat, 27 Mar 1999 07:37:11 -0500 (EST)

From: merope <merope@Radix.Net>

Reply-To: merope <merope@Radix.Net>

To: usgw_all@listbot.com

Subject: Daily Board Show

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Better late than never...its Your Daily Board Show!

*warning* contains editorial content. Read at your own risk!

Wednesday 24 March 1999:

Three more Board members vote "aye" to table Motion 99-7.

The NC posts: "The voting period to Table Motion 99-7 has ended with 12

votes cast: 9 - yes 3 - no, not voting - 1, position vacant - 1, position

in question - 1. The motion to Table Motion 99-7 is passed."

Thursday 25 March 1999:

There is no Board-L activity on this date.

The Way We Were Corner: This was dropped off at the office yesterday by a

Mysterious Stranger: It purports to be from IRC chat log of March 19

1998, and presumably <kay> is our own Kay Mason, Scourge of Census II:

"<kay> <named snipped>, when we want to impress people (like on

lists) we sign ourselfs

<kay> Assistant National Coordinator, USGenWeb Archives Census Project"

[What a difference a year makes.]

"One man with courage makes a majority."

--- Andrew Jackson

This has been your Daily Board Show.

-Teresa Lindquist

merope@radix.net

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From merope@Radix.Net Sun Mar 28 17:27:21 1999

Date: Sun, 28 Mar 1999 17:27:20 -0500 (EST)

From: merope <merope@Radix.Net>

To: usgw_all@listbot.com

Subject: Daily Board Show

Message-ID: <Pine.SV4.3.96.990328165847.5904A-100000@saltmine.radix.net>

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The best thing since sliced bread...its Your Daily Board Show!

*warning* contains editorial content. Read at your own risk!

Friday 26 Marych 1999:

There is no Board-L activity on this date.

"There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance."

--Socrates

This has been your Daily Board Show.

-Teresa Lindquist

merope@radix.net

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