Newsgroups: soc.roots
Date:         Fri, 24 Jul 1992 10:19:24 PDT
Reply-To:     "Karen E. Isaacson" <karen@RAND.ORG>
From:         "Karen E. Isaacson" <karen@RAND.ORG>
Subject:      Next Roots Surname List Deadline: July 31
Comments: To: roots-l@vm1.nodak.edu

The next update to the Roots Surname List will be posted to Roots-L
on August 2 (and migrate to soc.roots soon thereafter.)
Try to get your additions or corrections in to me by July 31.

        Internet:       karen@rand.org
        UUCP:       ...!uunet!rand.org!karen    (maybe!)
        Bitnet:         karen%rand.org@cunyvm
        GEnie:          K.ISAACSON3
        Prodigy:        XRBV26B
        Postal:         Karen Isaacson
                        27991 Caraway Lane
                        Saugus, CA  91350

                                * * * * *

The Roots Surname List is intended to help genealogical researchers
compare and share data.  Readers of roots newsgroups (soc.roots, ROOTS-L,
is there anyone else here?) are welcome to submit surnames they are
researching for inclusion in the Roots Surname List if they are willing to
share their data with others who may be doing parallel research.  These
surname entries should contain enough information so that other
researchers can decide whether a link with their own lines is possible or
probable.  If a link seems promising, you should contact the person who
submitted the surname.  Unless that happened to me, I won't be of much
help.  <grin>  (Note:  The assumption is that you have SOME data to share.
You needn't be on the verge of writing the definitive genealogy for the
family in question.)

Updates to the list are posted the first weekend of each month.  In
addition to new entries, some fraction of the full list is also posted.
(That is, this time I'll post _all_ new or modified entries, plus all
surnames starting with L-M.)  I also store the entire list on the
listserver for ROOTS-L.  To obtain a copy directly from the listserver,
send e-mail to LISTSERV@vm1.nodak.edu or LISTSERV@NDSUVM1, with a
               ^^^^^^^^                  ^^^^^^^^
one-line message that says
GET FAMILY INDEX
The listserver will return by e-mail the names of the files containing the
full, current index.  (The list has been broken up into smaller pieces to
facilitate network transmission.  The INDEX gives the names of the files
you want, which can then be obtained in the same manner as you obtained
the index.) Or you can use anonymous FTP to vm1.nodak.edu (134.129.111.1)
and do CD ROOTS-L then GET FAMILY.INDEX to retrieve the file.

Submitting new entries:
Send new entries to me at one of the addresses listed at the start of this
note.  Entries received by July 31 will be included in the next list.
Entries received after then will be included in the September release.
See below for format information.

For each submitter, I also have one or two lines of address information,
which tell readers how they can reach of the person who submitted the
entry.  The lines for karen (me) are:

karen    Karen Isaacson, karen@rand.org or uunet!randvax!karen  Prodigy: XRBV26B
         27991 Caraway Lane, Saugus, CA  91350                GEnie: K.ISAACSON3

What should the surname entries look like?  Don't worry too much about
format -- I end up reformatting them anyhow for my sort routine.
However, I do request that (all genealogical advice to the contrary)
you NOT put the surnames all in capital letters.  Also, while in the past
I have accepted Tiny Tafels and reformatted them myself, I will no longer
be doing so.  (If you have a Tiny Tafel and want to send it somewhere,
I believe Brian Mavrogeorge, Brian.Mavrogeorge@p0.f30.n125.z1.FIDONET.ORG,
may be able to help.)

Each entry should be on one line, and consist of four parts:
1. The name of the family.
2. The earliest date for which you have information about the family.
   (For instance, the birthdate of the founder of the family,
    or the year he first showed up in America, or whatever).
3. The latest date for which you have information about the family.
  (When the last person with that surname died, skipped town, etc.
   Or "now" if you know people from this line that are still
   around -- yourself, for example.  It's up to you whether a woman
   is considered under her maiden surname, married surname, or both.)
4. The migration of the family.  For instance, if my ancestors
   started out in Virginia, moved to Kentucky, then on to Missouri, this
   would be VA>KY>MO.  If the surname was common, and I still had room
   (remember, all four fields should fit on one line), then I might add
   some county information to further distinguish them:
   OrangeCo,VA>KY>GentryCo,MO.  There is a list of some of the abbreviations
   that are in use.  It is in a file called FAMILY ABBREV, and can be
   obtained in the same manner as FAMILY INDEX, discussed above.
   Or just spell out the location, and I'll put in the proper abbreviation,
   if any.

The Roots Surname Index isn't really computerized, it's just a big file I
text edit. (Of course, I have the computer do the alphabetizing!) So there
aren't any firm restrictions on the presentation of the data, but do try
to use something like the format suggested above and illustrated below.
When I get the entries, I add a tag to the end to show who they belong to
(typically, the login name of the submitter).  This is so you can be found
in the address list.  Or you can add the tags yourself if you want, or if
the default is unappealing.

Here's a (genuine!) sample entry:
Bell         1780  1940 OrangeCo,VA>Anderson&MercerCo,KY>GentryCo,MO karen
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU