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April 25, 2010

NCGenWeb again


The below was received as a "comment" but we consider it much more than that, and so is presented here. More people like the below brave soul should speak out
. Some USGenWeb leadership believe the way to end corruption within the Project is by sweeping it under the rug. This Blog helps to prove that doing so, means it will come back to haunt you, forever available via a simple Google search.

Mary White


From: Anonymous
Sent: 4/22/2010
Subject: New comment on NCGenWeb Part 5/5

I am a NCGenWeb CC and I was told that I could adopt one of the counties Diane maintained and if I did so that I could copy all of the pages on the site that she has online for it. I couldn't believe that the new State Coordinators would tell me to violate US Copyright Laws, but she (both of them) told me plain as day to copy any page from Diane's site that I wanted to because Tina and Sherri said that it was OK for us to do so.

Can't NC be sued for this? If I was Diane I would hire a lawyer and go after NCGenWeb for violating her copyrights because they are telling us the CC's to copy anything from her sites that we want and that there isn't anything Diane can do, but I read the US Copyright laws and it just isn't true. Diane can sue the pants off anyone that copies her pages and win!

I just can't believe that the National Coordinator is allowing our board to violate United States Laws like that! If the State Coordinators continue to push us CC's to copy Diane's sites I know quite a few of us are going to be quitting the NCGenWeb Project. We have even discussed joining Diane's new project. Looks like she has a nice new one coming along and I am sure she won't push copyright violations, rules or any of the other mess that Katherine and Deloris and especially that Jo Branch is pushing down our throats.

The so called County Site Procedures were voted in in December or January yet every time I go look at them something new has been added or changed without the CC's being made aware of it. I swear the board loves to do stuff behind our backs and we thought it was Diane all along.

Hell, I remember Jo Branch even brought an alias into the NCGenWeb who called themselves IT. Now if some of the CC's didn't put up a stink about that! They kept asking who IT really was and Jo would never say. Well, one person filed a motion to have IT removed so IT quit. Then Jo Branch cussed Diane out for not sticking up for IT. Seems to me since they were after Susan Jones thinking she was an alias that Jo shouldn't have cussed Diane out over IT being an alias does it? Kind of two faced don't you think?

Yes, Diane told me who IT really was after she resigned, and that Jo cussed her out for not sticking up for IT, but little did Jo know, Diane did stick up for IT and had a lot of very nice things to say about IT. But Jo was out to get Diane from day one and any excuse to get on Diane about something she jumped at the chance whether it was true or not.

Jo needs a huge lesson in asking questions first and leaping last. She is such a bitch for the way she did Diane over the IT fiasco!

Looks like the true culprits are really showing their colors now and it wasn't Diane at all! I wish she would have stayed and fought them, there are a lot of us that feel the same way but we are so scared to say anything for fear of being locked out of our sites. You know that is what they were going to do to Diane don't you? Oh yes, they were going to kick her out, take her sites and lock her out of them.

It just isn't fair the way we are being treated or the way she was treated. We are all scared to death to even breathe wrong for fear of being kicked out and locked out of our sites forever since some of them are on "their" server. I wish I had left mine on Rootsweb servers, then I wouldn't have to worry about them getting their hands into my account and locking me out, althought they would probably copy my stuff like they are doing Diane's.

It is bad enough they have the passwords to my accounts which I don't think they should have. Some of us have commented on that, but we are ignored as usual. Just like we were ignored when we spoke up about Diane's term being granfathered in for her regular two year term, we were ignored when we still had questions about the bylaws and they just closed discussions and opened voting. They just LOVE to ignore us!

Shame shame shame on NCGenWeb Board Members! The NCGenWeb Board is a bunch of liars and thieves! Looks like they are laying in the same bed with certain members of the AB! I hope they each get back tenfold what they have dished out. I have even had researchers to email me about how rude the state coordinators have been in replies to emails to them and that they were then blocked so they couldn't respond.

What is the NCGenWeb Board so scared of? Is it the truth? Hmmmm ... kinda makes you think doesn't it?

8 comments:

Diane Siniard said...

Well, I really appreciate everything you had to say here. You are certainly welcome to come and join us over at Trails to the Past and I can assure you there are no bylaws, rules and bs to put up with like at the place you are now. Whenever you are ready drop me an email and let me know. We can get you set right up to join us. I am sure you will have a blast with us. We have a lot of fun in a stress free environment. Give it a try and see what you think.
Good luck to you in whatever you decide to do!
Diane

Anonymous said...

Why do some people join a volunteer organization, one who is committed to providing access to free genealogy resources for researchers, then whine and scream "Mine! Mine! Mine!" when they are dissatisfied and/or want to leave? For Pete's sake, it's not a free web hosting service! What did these selfish people join for in the first place?

Anonymous said...

Maybe some people feel their local project is affiliated with USGenWeb rather than BELONGING to USGenWeb. Just a thought. Some sites could contain material collected BEFORE the affiliation, etc. I can honestly see how folks could feel, if they had been wronged then expected to roll over and hand over their local project - in other words, "fine, get out, but leave us your hard work."

Anonymous said...

I remember the time when all the hysteria over a simple change consisting of a very small banner (a banner approved BY the project I might add) being placed by a free hosting company on project sites came about. It was then excitability and hasty reactions ruled the day as if it was a world-ending dilemma (just look at list archives for all the drama). But with Rootsweb websites, so many coordinators forgot in the heat of the moment, the local coordinator owned their site - it was THEIR local site and under THEIR complete control and in dealing with website issues they dealt with Rootsweb, acting like a hosting company - NOT with any person IN the project who is in the power circle at the moment. And no one in power in the project could take the local site from the local coordinator.

With the excitable (for lack of a better word) nature and lack of control of some in this project along with the fussing, fighting, power plays, retaliation and what not that has gone on, there is no way in hell I would have my hard work placed on a website where the space is under any one person's control IN the project. Considering the project's history of bad things happening to volunteers sometimes (well-documented on archived project lists over the years), I think I would take my chances with a stable commercial company as far away from the project as possible - especially when they offered free hosting in exchange for a small banner. Having that small banner is but a very small price to pay for simple peace of mind.

Anonymous said...

In light of what recently surfaced in relation to the GC, I think this alone proves there MUST be much more transparency in this process, as well as all processes of the project.

Anonymous said...

Secrecy breeds suspicion. No way around it. And from recent revelations, I guess in some cases that suspicion could be warranted. Seriously, if I were a board member, and had one ounce of self respect, I would take a step back, do a little soul searching, and definitely reevaluate my alliances, for the good of the project. It's long past the time that folks bring this project forward with transparency and openness before it's too late. Secrecy and backroom dealing hidden from the members have no place in a well-run professional organization.

Anonymous said...

If any member of the AB breaks the rules and regulations of the project and its committees, how can they possibly judge members in dishing out penalties and punishments for rule infractions?

Anonymous said...

What about project leaders going onto public project lists in a childish back-and-forth sparring match with members? This has got to be an embarrassment to the board and membership as well. Maybe to some it's cheap entertainment on a dull tv night, but to most of the membership one would hope such a childish spectacle would be humiliating to witness.