FORUMS

Message Boards/Forums & Mailing Lists

Mailing lists and message boards are two resources that offer incredible opportunities for beginning researchers as well as the veteran family historians.So why both lists and boards? While there are many similarities, there are differences and occasions when one or both will best suit your research needs. Both mailing lists and message boards can be found for a vast array of surnames, localities, and topics and are completely free to use. Each forum provides an opportunity to post a query or data to learn or share information, make contact with fellow researchers, or help others by making data publicly available to all. Both offer browsing and searching of posted messages.Mailing lists are an e-mail forum for discussion among a group of researchers who subscribe to a list. Some list subscribers have e-mail capabilities, but not Web access. Those on a mailing list receive all messages posted to a list by others. The fact that you must subscribe to (join) a list in order to post or receive messages from it encourages serious researchers and makes them relatively immune to spam and other undesirable content.Mailing lists function more "in the moment" than message boards do. The "real-time" discussion on a list often includes queries and responses on a specific thread until all aspects of the initial query have been thoroughly answered or covered.One valuable tool to aid mailing list subscribers in viewing message board posts is the "gateway," which makes board posts available on a corresponding list with a link to permit replying on the board. The boards that makes use of the gateway option carry a yellow highlighted notation to that effect as well as a yellow envelope icon.Message/Bulletin boards require Web access in order to search, browse, or post a message. Also, anyone can post on a message board whether he is a serious researcher writing about an ancestral line or someone with only a passing interest in the subject. Data such as wills, deeds, obituaries, or biographical information can be recorded by anyone -- regardless of whether they have any connection to, or interest in, the individuals about whom they are posting.Message boards operate more as a repository so that future visitors may respond -- weeks, months, or even years later. Boards are a great place to archive data. Additionally, the boards have a wider audience due to their searchability through RootsWeb or Ancestry's interface, meaning a greater number of researchers will probably see your message on a board than on a list. However, most "experts" or "locals" are subscribed to the lists in their areas of major research or geographic area. Not all mailing list subscribers check message boards.Messages found on all message boards and most mailing lists are searchable, but a major difference between the two is that the boards are searchable on a global basis while list archives are searchable on a list by list and year-by-year basis. Both archives are both browseable on an individual basis. Anyone can search or browse boards and lists.For many lists and boards gatewaying provides the best of both worlds by playing to the strengths of both the message board and mailing list forums. Utilize both lists and boards to get the max out of your researches. And, don't just post once and wait for answers. Remember to give help as well as ask for it -- that's what these forums are all about.Bulletin Boards are a great part of genealogy on the internet. You can post a message about the surnames or regions you're researching. And you can read others' posts as well! Helpful Hint: Please don't use a subject heading such as "family research". Please try to be more specific, such as "Researching village of Husiatyn" or "Surnames: Szklar/Shklar & Dutka". This is successful strategy sure to yield better results than the mysterious generalizations.

MAILING LISTS

CAN-TUGG. A mailing list for the discussion and sharing of information regarding the activities of the Toronto (Canada) Ukrainian Genealogy Group (TUGG) and genealogical resources applicable to Ukrainian genealogical research. To subscribe send "subscribe" to can-tugg-l-request@rootsweb.com (mail mode) or can-tugg-d-request@rootsweb.com (digest mode).

Ukraine Mailing Lists
http://www.rootsweb.com/~jfuller/gen_mail_country-ukr.html

RootsWeb Mailing Lists - http://lists.rootsweb.com/

MESSAGE BOARDS/FORUMS

http://genforum.genealogy.com/ukraine/ - Ukraine Genealogy

ForumUkrainian Bulletin Board at Ancestry.comhttp://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/board/an/localities.eeurope.ukraine (broken down by Ukrainian oblast)

Polish Bulletin Board at Ancestry.com - http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/board/an/localities.ceeurope.poland(broken down by Polish region)

Ukraine.com - http://www.ukraine.com/forums/forumdisplay.php3?forumid=15
Good board for replies, especially by Hannia who's knowledge of surnames is vast.

http://genforum.genealogy.com/poland/ - Polish Board at Genealogy.com

Ukraine Message Boards
http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/board/an/localities.eeurope.ukraine

RootsWeb Message Boards - http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/script/main/rw

Ukraine WorldGenWeb - http://www.rootsweb.com/~ukrwgw/ - Research tips, history and links.

Ukrainian Linguistic Resources
http://lingresua.tripod.com/online/
Searchable translating dictionary and tools for learning the language—it even has sound bites of common Ukrainian phrases.

Uke Geanalogy Board - http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/board/an/localities.eeurope.ukraine
Great board where you can post by Oblast as well.

The UKRGENSOCIETY http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Genealogical_Societies/UKRGENSOCIETY.html - mail list is one of the Ukrainian Genealogical Society's family of tools and resources for the genealogist conducting research into their Ukrainian roots.

UKRAINIAN OBLAST BOARDS http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec?htx=board&r=rw&p=localities.eeurope.ukraine lists the Ukrainian message boards, by Oblast, hosted at Rootsweb.com/Ancestry.com.

UKRAINIAN GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY http://www.rootsweb.com/~ukrgs/ugs_maillist.html - message board created expressly for UGS members and visitors. Message board is for posting of UGS information and for anyone to post their queries, resources, or exchange information. Basically, an open message board. Messages posted on this board automatically submitted to UKRGENSOCIETY mail list.

UKRAINIAN IMMIGRANTS TO THE US http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec?htx=board&r=rw&p=topics.immigration.us.ukranian message board pertaining to researching your Ukrainian ancestors who immigrated to the US.

UKRAINIAN IMMIGRANTS TO CANADA http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec?htx=board&r=rw&p=topics.immigration.canada.ukrainian - message board requested from Rootsweb, similar to the Ukrainian Immigrants to the US message board.

GENERAL UKRAINIAN MESSAGE BOARD http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec?htx=board&r=rw&p=localities.eeurope.ukraine.general - a subboard of the Ukrainian message boards on Rootsweb/Ancestry.

BUKOVINA MESSAGE BOARD http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec?htx=board&r=rw&p=localities.ceeurope.histreg.bukovina - messages posted on this board also appear on the Austro-Hungarian mail list.

GALICIAN MESSAGE BOARD http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec?htx=board&r=rw&p=localities.ceeurope.histreg.galicia - messages posted on this board also appear on the Austro-Hungarian mail list.

SLOVAKIAN MESSAGE BOARDS http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec?htx=board&r=rw&p=localities.ceeurope.slovakia - list of all of the Slovakian message boards hosted at Rootsweb.com/Ancestry.com.

SLOVAK ROOTS -http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SLOVAK-ROOTS/ - message board for researching your Slovak Roots.

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