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
---------------
Daily Board Show, (c) 1999 by Teresa Lindquist, all rights reserved.
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
----------
Daily Board Show, (c) 1999 by Teresa Lindquist, all rights reserved.
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
---------------
Daily Board Show, (c) 1999 by Teresa Lindquist, all rights reserved.
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
--------------
Daily Board Show, (c) 1999 by Teresa Lindquist, all rights reserved.
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
---------
Daily Board Show, (c) 1999 by Teresa Lindquist, all rights reserved.
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>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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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
----------
Daily Board Show, (c) 1999 by Teresa Lindquist, all rights reserved.