This Newsletter is Twelve Years Old!

Boy, the time does fly! Twelve years has slipped by in almost the blink of an eye. It seems like only yesterday that I sent the first e-mail newsletter to about 100 people, mostly members of CompuServe's Genealogy Forums. None of them knew in advance that the newsletter would arrive; I simply mailed it to people who I thought might be interested. In 1996 nobody objected to receiving unsolicited bulk mail; the phrase "spam mail" had not yet been invented. I shudder to think if I did the same thing in today's Internet environment.

In that first newsletter on January 15, 1996, I wrote:

Well, it's started. This newsletter is something that I have been considering for a long time, but I finally decided to "take the plunge." I've subscribed to several other electronic newsletters for some time now and have found them to be valuable. On many occasions I have said to myself, "Someone ought to do a weekly newsletter for genealogy news." One day the light bulb went on, and I decided that perhaps I was that someone.

I hope to collect various bits of information that cross my desk and appear on my screen every week. Some of these items may be considered "news items" concerning events and happenings of interest to computer-owning genealogists. Some other items will be mini press releases about new genealogy software or other products and services that have just become available. I may write a few articles about things that are not genealogy-related but still seem to be of interest to me and probably to the readers. This may include articles about online systems, operating systems or other things that affect many of us.

You will also find editorials and my personal opinions weaving in and out of this newsletter. Hopefully I will be able to clearly identify the information that is a personal opinion.

The expected audience of this newsletter includes anyone in the genealogy business, any genealogy society officers and anyone with an interest in applying computers to help in the research of one's ancestors.

I chose to distribute in electronic format for two reasons: (1.) it's easy, and (2.) it's cheap. In years past I have been an editor of other newsletters that were printed on paper and mailed in the normal manner. The "overhead" associated with that effort was excessive; I spent more time dealing with printers, maintaining addresses of subscribers, handling finances, stuffing envelopes and running to the post office than I did in the actual writing. Today's technology allows for a much faster distribution, and it is done at almost no expense to either the producer or the subscribers. I want to spend my time writing, not running a "newsletter business."

Since the expected readers all own computers and almost all of them use modems regularly, electronic distribution seems to be the most cost-effective route to use. It also is much lower cost than any other distribution mechanism that I know of.

The original plan has been followed rather closely in the twelve years since I wrote those words. The newsletter still consists of "events and happenings of interest to computer-owning genealogists," "mini press releases about new genealogy software or other products and services," and "a few articles about things that are not genealogy-related but still seem to be of interest to me." I have also frequently featured "editorials and my personal opinions."

One thing that has changed is that the newsletter was converted from a weekly publication to a daily effort more than three and a half years ago. I still send weekly "collections" of all the articles by e-mail to all Plus Edition subscribers as well as shorter e-mails to Standard Edition subscribers. I am delighted with the change to a daily format. There is a lot more flexibility when publishing daily and, of course, I can get the news out faster. Reception of the daily edition has been gratifying. The newsletter is now available on the eogn.com web site, using a professional e-publishing platform, complete with RSS news feeds and other technology, all of which make life easier for subscribers as well as myself.

Another feature that I like about the current daily publication is that each article has an attached discussion board where readers can offer comments, corrections, and additional information. The result is a much more interactive newsletter that benefits from readers' expertise. The newsletter originally was a one-way publication: I pushed the data out. Today's version is a two-way publication with immediate feedback from readers.

The 2008 newsletter does differ from one statement I wrote twelve years ago: "Today's technology allows for a much faster distribution, and it is done at almost no expense to either the producer or the subscribers." If I were to re-write that sentence today, I wouldn't use the phrase, "at almost no expense." I would write, "...at lower expense than publishing on paper." Since I wrote the original words twelve years ago, I have received an education in the financial implications of sending bulk e-mails and maintaining web sites, complete with controls of who can access which documents. I now know that it costs thousands of dollars to send tens of thousands of e-mails. There are technical problems as well. Someday I may write an article about "how to get your account canceled when you repeatedly crash your ISP's mail server."

The truth is I did crash mail servers a number of times in the early days of this newsletter. And, yes, I got my account canceled one day by an irate Internet service provider. I was abruptly left with no e-mail service. The Internet service provider discovered that their mail server crashed every week when I mailed this newsletter, so they canceled my account with no warning. I also have encountered significant expenses for hardware, software, web hosting, bulk mailing services, and office expenses. In order to carry on the effort without breaking the piggy bank, I split this newsletter into two versions: a free Standard Edition and a for-pay Plus Edition. At least the newsletter now pays for itself, including paying for a professional grade bulk mail service.

I was amused a while ago when someone sent a message to me that started with the words, "I hope someone on your staff will forward this message to you." After twelve years, my staff remains exactly the same as when I started: myself plus one very talented lady who edits this newsletter every week. I do the up- front work; she then converts my written words into real English. She also functions as a business advisor, confidante, and good friend. She has done this for nearly every newsletter since the very first edition.

Pam has edited nearly every newsletter article despite the travel schedules of both of us; sometimes we both have been in hotel rooms but in different countries. I well remember one week several years ago when I was writing newsletter articles from a hotel room in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and Pam was editing the articles from her hotel room in California. (We both live in Massachusetts.)  In fact, tonight she is in Atlanta, but the newsletter is going out anyway, complete with her edits.

As a computer professional, her travel schedule has been at least as hectic as mine. She and I have passed the proposed newsletter articles back and forth by e-mail time and again. Thanks, Pam. I couldn't do it without you.

In the third issue of this newsletter, I answered questions that a number of people had asked. I wrote:

I hope to issue this [newsletter] every week. ... I reserve the right to change my mind at any time without notice. Also, the first three issues have all been much longer than I originally envisioned. I expect that the average size of the newsletter within a few weeks will be about one half what the first three issues have been. Do not be surprised when you see it shrink in size.

Well, I was wrong. The first three issues averaged about 19,000 bytes of text. The newsletter never did shrink. Instead, the average size of the newsletters continued to grow. The weekly e- mail Plus Edition newsletters of the past year have averaged more than 85,000 bytes each, more than four times the average size of the first three issues. In fact, each newsletter today is bigger than the first four issues combined!

So much for my prognostication!

As several people have mentioned recently, this newsletter continues to grow with more and more articles published every week. In fact, you receive more genealogy-related articles in this newsletter than in any printed magazine. Subscriptions for the Plus Edition of this newsletter also remain less expensive than subscriptions to any of the leading printed genealogy magazines.

In twelve years I have missed only eight weekly editions for vacations, broken arms, hospital stays, airplane accidents, and family emergencies. Yes, I broke both arms one day and still missed only one newsletter as a result! I found typing on a keyboard to be difficult with two arms in casts. The following week I wrote about speech input devices as I dictated that week's newsletter into a microphone connected to my PC. Several months later, I suffered bruises and wrenched my neck severely when I landed my tiny, open cockpit airplane upside down in a treetop and then fell to the ground eighty feet below. Yet I missed only one issue as a result of that mishap.

Over the years I hopefully have become more cautious: I stopped flying tiny airplanes. I am cautious when walking on ice. I also have written more than 6000 weekly newsletters, totaling more than 35 megabytes of text. Someday I really do have to learn how to touch type.

Because of this newsletter, in the past twelve years I have traveled all over the U.S. as well as made multiple trips to Canada, England, Mexico, and to the Caribbean Islands. Because of this newsletter, I have met many enthusiastic genealogists. Because of this newsletter, I have had the opportunity to use great software, to view many excellent web sites, and to play with lots of new gadgets. Because of this newsletter, I have discovered a number of ancestors. I am indeed fortunate and have truly been blessed.

To each person reading today's edition, I want to say one thing: Thank you for being there and for making it possible for me to enjoy three of my hobbies: genealogy, computers, and online systems.

Also, one other sentence I wrote twelve years ago still stands: Suggestions about this newsletter are always welcome.

Comments

[Linda]

Happy 12th birthday, EOGN! I remember the old CompuServe days, and I send hearty thanks for everything you've done from then till now for the genealogical community!

[Jennifer]

To Dick and Pam, - a big thank you for all the efforts and getting much needed + hard to find genealogical information clear across the world.
Jennifer
Israel

[Martin Tolley]

Happy birthday, and thanks for all the work you put in to news gathering and for your well thought through comments and insights. I have subscribed to several RSS genealogy feeds and I'm always interested to see that most of the time you are the quickest with breaking news. I have unsubbed from several genealogy feeds as well after a few weeks because they seem to lack the dedication and purpose of EOGN. Keep up the good work, and best wishes for the next 12, 20, 25, years!

[Cindy]

Happy Birthday! I've been around since almost the beginning too. It has been a joyous ride. You've made a significant contribution to the genealogical community. I really appreciate all your hard work and effort. Thank you so much!

[Jane]

Congratulations on the last twelve years, we have come along way with our methods of genealogical research since then. I was there at the beginning as CompuServe was the only provider I could find in the UK at that time. It was all very new and exciting.

[Chuck BOBO]

Dick, thanks so much for your your many contributions to genealogy and family history research. You got many of us started in the CompuServe days and have guided us as we continued. Of course, we expect at least another 12 years of leadership and guidance from you.

[Virginia Banerjee]

Happy Birthday! Keep it up. I look at your newsletter with my morning tea. So much has happened and is happening...I often find news that I wold otherwise miss. Thank you...both of you.

[Iona Gikderbess]

Happy Birthday Dick and Pam. Don't know what we would do without you. Keep up the good work. Iona

[Kathy Amoroso]

Congrats! I have been receiving your newsletter pretty much since the beginning (so long ago I can't remember) but it has been an invaluable tool in my research and everyday knowledge! Thanks so much!!

[Michele]

Happy Birthday and many more of them. I wasn't one of the early readers to EOGN, just signing-up for your e-mails early last year. But, you have certainly helped me.
Well done Dick and Pam and thank you!!!!!

[theKiwi]

Happy Birthday EOGN.

I've been a subscriber for the newsletter for quite a number of years, but wasn't in at the very earliest times of CompuServe.

Many Happy Returns Dick

Cheers

Roger

[Beverly]

Happy Birthday. You have been a big help with all your information that I could not have acquired with out you. I pass it on to my genealogy group. Thank you.
Bev

[Peg Buckman]

Happy Birthday, EOGN, and thank you Dick and Pat for the many years of useful and many times thought provoking information. I think I've been with you since Compuserve days (and a few different computers). You are doing a wonderful job for all genealogists. Glad I've had the opportunity to meet you at some of the conferences and hope to see you again at some point.
Best wishes for the future.

Peg

[Shirley]

Has it been that long already?!?? Wow, love this newsletter, and vow everytime I read it that I'm going to sign up for the Plus Edition and never get to it. So, for a birthday present that is what I will do.

Happy Birthday and many many more.

[Winona]

I believe, as a member of CompuServe's Genealogy Forums,I was one of the original 100 who received an invitation to subscribe to your Newsletter! Thank you for twelve years of introducing cutting edge technology and genealogical commentary. I could never miss reading your Newsletter, and, following your reviews, trying out this and that technology! I have also enjoyed your presentations at Genealogical Conferences through the years. Happy anniversary and kudos to both you and Pam!

[Terry Mulcahy]

Hi Dick.
Congratulations on the 12th birthday of your newsletter. I've been around since those Tuesday night chats on Compuserve and have been reading these newsletters since you first started sending them to me those many years ago.
You certainly piqued my interest in Geneaogy and attempting to find my Roots. Keep up the good work!! Don't know what we'd do without you.
Terry

[Mary Strovink Daukas]

Hi Dick and Pam,

I remember how happy I was to receive your old newsletters when I retired years ago.
I also remember how disappointed I was when you were required to charge a fee for the Plus Edition because I could not afford it.
I also understood your need for the charge at that time.
Now that you are being sponsored by Footnote is it possible that you might be combining the two editions back to the old format?
Mary

[M]

Wow Happy Birthday and keep up the great work

http://www.looking4kin.com/

[M Freas]

Congratulations. It has been a pleasure reading your text. It was through you that I first learned that the NYG&B was imploding -- at least as far as membership goes. But guess what! I just got a request for membership dues. Not only that, they are still selling lifetime memberships. What think you.

[Bob Tomonto]

Thanks you Dick! I only read one newsletter and yours is it. I wish you and Pam the best of health and fortune for the next twelve years.

Bob Tomonto
Miami, FL

[Betty Beithaupt]

Congratulations, Dick. I can't believe it has been that long since you started this newsletter. I believe I was one of the early recipients on the old CIS forum who received your initial efforts. You have done a magnificent job in maintaining the quality of the information and in sustaining the interest of genealogists of all levels. I'm looking forward to at least another twelve years.
Betty Breithaupt

[Jack Carlson]

Thank you Dick for the bit of history about your welcome newsletter. I seek it each day to learn from it.

[Bob Letson]

Congratulations!! I look forward to the weekly news. You have covered many, many truly important issues in genealogy. For some reason, I have resisted the daily issue. I try to keep incoming mail to a minimum so that I don't get distracted every time I turn around.
Bob

[Bill Hampshire]

Congrats, Dick, on another milestone. I remember the Compuserve days, as well. We all had numbers back then, instead of a screen name. And we had to remember when to use a comma between sets of numbers and when to use a period. It's really amazing how far we have come in just 12 years.

BIll Hampshire

[Francois Malglaive]

Happy birthday from France. I began reading your letters on Compuserve in the early days and I kept dooing it up to now. Although many topics covered are US specific, I remain deeply interested in the way genealogy is developing in US.
With your letter I discovered many things, including TMG software.
Best wishes for a new dozen of years in the future, and may be one day we will meet in a genealogy conference or a cruise.

Francois Malglaive (Versailles, France)

[Betty Schulz]

A Happy and Heartfelt Birthday Greeting to Dick and Pam!!! Thanks so much for all you do for all of us! You are our life line to the newest in the Genealogy World! Hope you celebrate many more milestones with the Blog! You teach us so much! Again-THANKS!
xxBetty Schulz in FL

[Linda Pazics Kleback]

Your newsletter is still my favorite! Thank you for all the information you've shared. Most of what I know about technology in the genealogy world has come from your newsletters.

[Linda Pazics Kleback]

Your newsletter is still my favorite! Thank you for all the information you've shared. Most of what I know about technology in the genealogy world has come from your newsletters.