To all people in the lists...
Again and again I feel frustrated when I don't get an answer to my emails.
In a German list I found a very nice hint:
...CAPITALIZE always each FamilyName (not FirstName) appearing in your text by the first time .....
...ie. Peter POMMERENING got married to Bertha Luise HOLLBERG. One son immigrated to the USA. He married Jane MYERS of Oskosh, WI..
while Wilhelm Pommerening never immigrated......
Please ask yourself, whereto your eyes will focus when reading an email? The answer is: to words VARYING FROM STANDARD, to a DIFFERENT or UNUSUAL APPEARANCE. (Don't use colours, italics or bold face as not all users have the ability).
In the lists there are lots of researchers receiving up to 100 emails a day. Do you really beleave that they all read what you have put down, and if so, do they than have time left to answer? I beleave not. Meanwhile I have raised my hit rate extremly by using the above hint.
When I look for a MAIN NAME in a family, I just put the FamilyName appearing the first time in capital letters. The same procedure when I look for PLACE NAMENS.
I learned that some people in the USA use capitalization of names only if they want to express if/that the person is something negative???....You may explaine to me please. Here in Germany this does not apply and as I know in other European countries neither. We are living in a global world and use Internet therefor things should be done more professional helping all of us in Europe, the U.S.A and R.O.W.
Let me hear about your view of this subject?
Rgds
Uwe G. (POMMERENING)
I search for POMMERENING, BRANDT, DONNER, DOERR.
i have never heard that capitalizing a name indicates anything negative.
To me, it is just to stress the name, word, or place.b I'm from southern
USA.
Kathy
The negative in capitalizing is in computer useage, it is considered shouting to type in caps. Something akin to yelling at a person.
However, I always learned to use all caps for book titles and quotes for magazine and article titles. On the computer, I'm a bit uneasy doing this because I feel sure that someone is going to consider that I am shouting at them.
Probably seeing only a name capitalized should only bring out the name from the rest of the type, and, I think it is acceptable to do that on the genealogy lists and message boards. That seems to be the preferred way of doing things. Some people may not be aware of that rule. I think it is typing in all caps that is objectional, not just typing in a name in caps.
I think that, regarding not getting answers, there just may not be anyone on the list who has any information on the subject or name that is being asked for. Or, there may not be anyone subscribed, at that time, who can help with that particular information. Going to many surname lists, area lists, message boards, county gen web sites, etc. seem to help me. If one group can't help, perhaps another can.
Also, you just have to be patient. Someone, much later, may respond to what you have asked, when they find that your message matches something they have.
I've found messages in 2006 dating back to 1998 that I could relate to. But, by the time I find them, often the e-mail address changed and my messages to that person bounce. That's pretty frustrating, too. And, as frustrating as that is, my ISP was recently sold and all our e-mail adresses are being changed. Now, I'm having to try to figure out where all the places are where I have posted things, as well as all the people in my address book, and groups I have joined, so that I can try to change my e-mail address, and not be one of those people who are hoping for results, but my e-mail might be bouncing! I finally got most of my address book done, except for the lists and groups, but I can't figure out how to change it on Yahoo.
Cecelia in Texas, USA