Subject:  Internet International Genealogical Society
Resent-Date:  Thu, 15 May 1997 23:48:44 -0700
Resent-From:  rootsweb-help@rootsweb.com
       Date:  Thu, 15 May 1997 23:47:52 -0700
       From:  Brian Leverich 
   Reply-To:  IIGS-INET-L@rootsweb.com
         To:  rootsweb-help@rootsweb.com
         CC:  "Dr. Brian Leverich" 
 Newsgroups:  alt.genealogy, soc.genealogy.computing, soc.genealogy.misc



Hi all -

Based on interest expressed by many folks, RootsWeb would like to
sponsor the creation of a nonprofit Internet International Genealogical
Society with the following mission:

        o To assist in the creation and maintenance of genealogical
          resources on the Internet, by funding selected projects
          using resources obtained through grants, bequests, and
          large donations.

        o To represent the interests of genealogists using the
          Internet, both by providing counsel to organizations
          providing services on the Internet and by lobbying
          organizations and agencies who make decisions which affect
          Internet genealogists.

        o To promote the development of standards, protocols, and
          software for the distribution of genealogical information
          over the Internet.

        o To provide a common social organization for genealogists
          using the Internet, regardless of their specific interests.

We don't have any deep thoughts on the form of organization, but we
do feel strongly that:

        o Membership in the Society should be free, and as a goal we
          should try to enroll virtually all 100,000+ Internet
          genealogists as members.

        o The focus of the Society should be broad and embrace the
          Usenet Newsgroups, the mailing lists both large and small,
          independent Websites, Websites operating in collaboration
          (like USGenWeb), major projects (like the Roots Surname
          List and the USGenWeb Archives), and all other Internet
          genealogical activities.

        o The Society should definitely be international, and we
          should try to keep American genealogists from overwhelming
          the rest of the community by sheer numbers.

        o The organization should be Internet-like, in the sense that
          it should be completely open, flexible, informal, and
          nonhierarchical.  Work will get done by teams who choose to
          address specific issues.

        o The Society should work in collaboration with and support
          of existing genealogical societies, rather than competing
          with them.

After the Society is established, RootsWeb will look to the Society
for recommendations concerning our development program.  As the
Society matures, it may make sense to transfer RootsWeb's assets
from RootsWeb (which is nominally a for-profit business) to the
Society and transfer RootsWeb's membership to the Society as a new
dues-paying class of members.

If you have interest and would like to help in the organization of
the Internet International Genealogical Society, we've set up a
mailing list at RootsWeb.  To subscribe, send the following e-mail:

        To: IIGS-INET-L-request@rootsweb.com
        Subject:

        subscribe

That's e-mail to IIGS-INET-L-request@rootsweb.com containing the
one-word message "subscribe".  Note that "subscribe" must be lower
case, and you must have no signature or other text following the
word.

While anyone is welcome to join the discussion, we now especially
need folks who can help us with setting up a IIGS™ Website, getting
the organization running, and handling the details of registering
us as a nonprofit.

I hope you'll have time to participate -- I think this will be a lot
of fun, and I think we can do a lot to make the resources available
to Internet genealogists grow even faster than they have over the
past decade.  Cheers, B.


--
Dr. Brian Leverich       Co-moderator, soc.genealogy.methods/GENMTD-L
RootsWeb Genealogical Data Cooperative       http://www.rootsweb.com/