To Cheri and Doug, I don't usually respond to this type of mail, but I feel compelled to add a different perspective. My husband and I started working on my genealogy in 2007. Since I am a big user of the internet I went on line and started looking at any and every lead to my Azorean genealogies. One of the first sites I found was yours, Doug. It sounded very promising, but then as I looked further... nothing was ever added. You suggested we submit photos that you said you would post... but none other than yours seemed to make it on your pages (I sent photos of my great grandparents but never found them on your site). As I continued my researching I found the Azores GenWeb page which I found very useful. You, of course, were on there, but I found more sites also. I found a whole community who were willing to help new interested people find their ancestors. To me, that is what Cheri and others have done on this this site. For the most part, we are simply people interested in our genealogy and we have a common interest, the Azores. The help that I have received on this site is invaluable. Although I have only met a handful of the listers on this site, I consider many my friends. Doug, for you to expound your expertise in such a way that all others should revere your wisdom is beyond the scope of this site. I believe we on a whole, enjoy the camaraderie of our heritage and like the people of the Azores, enjoy the Saudades of the Islands. Tish
On Sat, May 17, 2014 at 9:14 PM, <p...@dholmes.com> wrote: > Cheri, > > Since you wrote this to the entire list, I'll respond in the same way. > > Of all the people I recently met after my posting about Pico and Terceira > ancestors, I will let them speak up if they want. There is not one single > one of them that has a single thing to object to. Since I won't violate > their privacy, I'll encourage them to either write and respond on this list > or to you privately. That will be all the speaking I need to do on my > behalf. > > As to DNA fund raising, there is probably no one better qualified to do > the research for Pico and Terceira than myself. It's because of how I > approach the subject. Unlike all the published genealogists who pick > particular lines that interest them, which tend to be the wealthiest or > most famous, I try and do include everyone. Even slaves, expostos, etc, > into my database and for this reason it's the most complete in the world. > So taking a person's line from the most recent to the most distant is often > just a few minutes, because I might have done the research years ago. And > so using this to my advantage, I can selectively find ancestral lines from > end of the line to present day with the end goal of getting a person to do > the test, at the same time furthering my knowledge of these people from > Pico and Terceira that I have devoted myself to for over two decades so far. > > Frankly, I am probably your biggest promoter of DNA testing and it's > really amazing you find something to gripe about. But I suppose when you > had a bad day recently and acted like a school master telling a child to do > this or that and I didn't play your game, that was the last thing you said > to me until now. > > By the way, most of those who wrote me said they didn't have much to > contribute, but enjoy what I write about. One said they didn't know why but > you filtered their message and prevented their question from being asked. > So I'm am helping that person myself. > > It would not surprise me if after this message hits the list (IF you let > it hit the list) that you unsubscribe me. I already started participating > less because of your attitude. But it's your list that you started when the > old Rootsweb Azores List was taken over by some guy that started to act > similarly to what you are now doing. So it would not surprise me if this > marks the beginning of the decline here. > > But I think the decent folks on the list don't want to witness what you > are trying to create with me. > > As for me, I won't comment again about this, even if you insist. > > Doug da Rocha Holmes > Sacramento, California > Pico & Terceira Genealogist > 916-550-1618 > www.dholmes.com > > > -------- Original Message -------- > Subject: [AZORES-Genealogy] List membership, posts, researchers for > hire, DNA fundraising > From: Cheri Mello <gfsche...@gmail.com> > Date: Sat, May 17, 2014 8:22 pm > To: Azores Genealogy <Azores@googlegroups.com> > > Doug, > > I've posted from time to time how many subscribers are on this list. > Anyone can find that number by going out to the Web board/Forum board and > clicking the "About" link. The only reason I mention it is to make people > aware that they are emailing 1200 people, some of whom are still working or > have limited time on their hands. The list is active with genealogy posts > (sometimes 20 in a day) and I would like the posts to be meaningful for the > 1200 subscribers. Reading a single post that says "Thanks!" is imposing on > people's time and is not meaningful nor helpful in someone's genealogical > search. > > After teaching kids and teenagers math and then adults DNA and genealogy, > I know how it works. Teach something. You get questions from some of the > audience (class) at the end. People (even kids) raise their hand and ask > questions. The vast majority take the information that was presented and > walk away with it. Then there are the few people that come up and ask a > question in private. Same thing with this list. The vast majority of > people read, take the information, and walk away with it. Some people > raise their hand (post) their question for all to see. And a few email > privately to ask a question. > > Since your last post, I've received a number of emails about the > underlying intent of that post. You'll give people a gift who email you? > Geez, you're sounding like a used car salesman! All of us who have been > into this awhile know you do research for hire. It's posted on the Azores > GenWeb for all to see along with the list of other researchers for hire. > And when someone asks for a researcher for hire, I post that link. So if > you are drumming up business, just say so. But to bribe people with a > gift....sounds like those time share things where you sit for 3 hours and > listen to their spiel for the "gift" at the end. And we all know that many > of those things are shady. I'm sure you don't want to be known as the > "shady" genealogist! > > And the DNA offer? Sorry to tell you this, but we've already been doing > fundraising. We've raised funds for certain lines that we wanted tested > and the money was put into the General Fund at FTDNA. Basically an escrow > account. That way, I don't have to handle the money and try to keep track > of it. Money can create problems. Just giving money to one person with no > backing....I prefer the fiduciary set up that FTDNA has. And it was nice > having it there in another project I manage. People contributed money > towards a kit and then they decided not to pursue that line. FTDNA knew > who donated what and refunded it all back. Seriously, people are going to > send you money and for all we know, you're using it to buy something you've > been eyeballing! > > Cheri Mello > Listowner, Azores-Gen > Researching: Vila Franca, Ponta Garca, Ribeira Quente, Ribeira das > Tainhas, Achada > > -- > For options, such as changing to List, Digest, Abridged, or No Mail > (vacation) mode, log into your Google account and visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/Azores. Click in the blue area on the > right that says "Join this group" and it will take you to "Edit my > membership." > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Azores Genealogy" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to azores+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/azores. > -- sfig Researching Island: Santa Maria Freguesia: Santa Barbara -- For options, such as changing to List, Digest, Abridged, or No Mail (vacation) mode, log into your Google account and visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Azores. Click in the blue area on the right that says "Join this group" and it will take you to "Edit my membership." --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Azores Genealogy" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to azores+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/azores.
