FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION:

Can I publicize or mention my book or service in the Forum ?


ANSWER:

Publications by organizations such as the government archives, historical
societies, non-profit genealogical societies, etc., may be described in the
forum. Such organizations have as their primary mission to help preserve and
protect our important historical records. Discussion or announcement of
publications by such groups are not considered to be annoying commercial
advertisements.

Blatant commercial advertisements are generally considered SPAM and are not
allowed in the SCRoots Forum.  But, there are a few non-obtrusive ways that
subscribers can mention their businesses or works in the Forum.

WAY #1. The SCRoots web site (http://members.tripod.com/~SCROOTS) includes a
"Helpers" database where you may announce Lookup and Research Services.
Commercial service announcements are allowed in this database. I intend to
create a similar database dedicated to books and other publications. Keep
checking the web site for that upcoming addition to SCRoots.

WAY #2. It is acceptable to include a SHORT text-only "signature" with contact
information in messages. In the signature you can mention your business, books,
and an URL where the reader can find out more. NO GRAPHICS or attachments are
allowed. Messages from Juno, Hotmail, Iname, Yahoo, etc., already have such an
advertisement tagged on. It is okay to tell a little bit about your business in
the signature lines. But the basic message must be on-topic and appropriate for
the Forum. If this gets out-of-hand or people abuse this privilege, then it may
be reconsidered.

WAY #3. An author of a publication useful for SC genealogist may post a personal
message in the forum about the publication PROVIDED that they comply with the
following. 

 a. The author describes the publication and explains how it is useful in the
study of South Carolina genealogy.

 b. In exchange for this special privilege, the author must offer free lookups
on request for Forum members. This doesn't have to be an open-ended offer that
lasts forever. Consider this the Email equivalent of a book signing where the
author spends a day in a bookstore signing books. Digest subscribers usually get
about one digest per day. To give the Digest readers a chance, the free lookups
offer should be good for at least 48 hours. Or, the author can state that the
offer is limited to the first 50, 75, 100, etc., requests. 

 c. The author must give an email address where the lookup requests should be
sent.

 d. No extraneous commercial advertising is included, no demographic or
marketing information is required from forum members, and other forum policies
are complied with.

The WAY #3 exception given above only applies to authors. Not to publishers,
book dealers, etc. They can use methods 1-2 described above. This exception is
allowed because it can be valuable for the Forum subscribers to have direct
contact with authors. 

There are other Email Forums which are dedicated to announcements of all kinds.
I don't want SCRoots to evolve into an announcements Forum. Announcements are
generally against Forum Policy and should be cleared with me prior to posting,
except as described above. Within reason and common sense of course some
on-topic announcements will always be allowed.

If you have other thoughts on this topic which you would like considered, send
them to me directly.

Steve Coker, Manager
The SC Genealogy Forum
[email protected]

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