True that you can't keep people out without password protecting it, 
but typically people won't find your site unless you advertise 
somewhere.  Believe me, I've set up a couple of sites and monitored 
the activity and the only people that accessed the site were those 
that I gave the URL to.  One site was for a family reunion and 
another was for my daughter's girl scout troop.  People were not 
exactly flocking to those sites.

I don't know if you read the bottom of the info page on genealogical 
society pages, but here is what it says:

"IMPORTANT: After you have your site up and operational, please send 
the URL of your homepage to websites@.... The Websites 
Webmaster will add you to the Guest Pages Index at RootsWeb, which 
should help increase the amount of traffic your page receives." 

The above implies that unless we give Rootsweb the URL to our site we 
would not be added to their index.  That means that doing a search on 
the Rootsweb pages would not find our site.  The only people who 
would be able to find the site are those who know the URL (us 
members).  I did think about keeping non-members out and don't think 
this would be a problem.

Maria


--- In ranchos@yahoogroups.com, Joseph Puentes <makas@n...> wrote:
> 
> 
> Arturo Ramos wrote:
> 
> >The problem with everybody hosting data on their own sites is that 
it
> >is not possible to make it freely available to members and keep it
> >from being accessible to the public in general.
> >
> yup
> 
> >  The Rootsweb web
> >space is simply to put up informational information.  I don't think
> >they have facilities to have member-restricted file access, etc.  
They
> >don't allow any scripts--only static pages on the site...
> >
> >Though, Joseph, it would probably be worthwhile putting up a page 
for
> >our group there that then leads people back here so that we can 
use it
> >to possibly recruit new members.
> >
> I'm not wanting to wholesale attract rootsweb people. We are 95 
members 
> strong. We could be 150 strong in 6 months if 1/2 of us picked one 
or 
> two people to recruit from rootsweb who gave the strong impression 
of 
> being very very serious. None of this "do you know Maria Garcia 
from 
> Zacatecas? If so send me her whole genealogy. . .thanks in advance" 
kind 
> of people.
> 
> >
> >Would people be willing to do a site on a donation basis?
> >
> you mean two sites? I would be willing to donate $20 a year. You 
build, 
> moderate,  and webmaster the site and copy the info out of the 
Ranchos2 
> files area and of course add your own.  Those that want to have 
dual 
> memberships can join. That way as we start growing bigger and 
bigger and 
> bigger the infrastructure for the new group would be laid and the 
> transition to that group only would be less painful. If we see what 
you 
> create and its not to our liking well people always have the option 
not 
> to join.  I firmly believe that a group can be created with the 
same 
> format that we have now, tell me Arturo, Am I right? We'd be able 
to 
> message each other and archive the messages. we'd be able to have a 
file 
> area, we'd basically have everything we have now except much much 
much 
> more file space to put things. We really do need to start looking 
to the 
> future.  .  .me estoy haciendo viejito, es tiempo hacer lugar para 
los 
> jovenes.
> 
> joseph

I agree with John and Steven.  Free web space is available 
elsewhere.  One such site is Rootsweb.  For individual accounts see:  
http://accounts.rootsweb.com/index.cgi?op=show&page=freagree.htm

They also have an option for genealogical societies (such as ours) 
that will give you free space to operate a website.  See:  
http://accounts.rootsweb.com/index.cgi?op=show&page=gensoc.htm

If Joseph agrees to be the webmaster this would be a good option for 
us.

Another option is your own Internet Service Provider.  Most allow you 
a certain amount of space to host your own site, but I know some 
people might be less technical and find this to be more challenging.

Maria
 
--- In ranchos@yahoogroups.com, Joseph Puentes <makas@n...> wrote:
> 
> 
> John Gonzalez wrote:
> 
> >I believe that if a fee is required to participate in this group, 
it 
> >will be the end of this group as we know it.  Once you start 
charging, 
> >the members will become more demanding in regards as to what 
materials 
> >they can, and can not  post on this site. Control will be 
lost...Think 
> >about it.
> >
> >If we put our heads together, I am sure we can come up with a 
> >solution.  I am 100% against ANY fees because of the reason 
mentioned 
> >above.
> >
> Another member wrote me privately and said that the answer is that 
those 
> that want more controll to modify their own folders should ask me 
to 
> remove their work off of the Ranchos site and then they could 
upload it 
> to one of the many many free sites and then just link to it in the 
links 
> area of the group. This would relieve the files area of the 
pressure its 
> under and I could open it again.
> 
> joseph
> 
> ps: You're right John. We can come up with a free 
solution.  .  .but if 
> to many really really want more control then that freedom will cost 
you 
> some cambio ($).
> 
> >
> >Just my grain of salt...
> >
> >John Gonzalez
> >Wildomar CA.  
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > 
> >Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> > 
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >  
> >

The problem with everybody hosting data on their own sites is that it
is not possible to make it freely available to members and keep it
from being accessible to the public in general.  The Rootsweb web
space is simply to put up informational information.  I don't think
they have facilities to have member-restricted file access, etc.  They
don't allow any scripts--only static pages on the site...

Though, Joseph, it would probably be worthwhile putting up a page for
our group there that then leads people back here so that we can use it
to possibly recruit new members.

Would people be willing to do a site on a donation basis?

--- In ranchos@yahoogroups.com, "readysetgo95814" <nena@a...> wrote:
> I agree with John and Steven.  Free web space is available 
> elsewhere.  One such site is Rootsweb.  For individual accounts see:  
> http://accounts.rootsweb.com/index.cgi?op=show&page=freagree.htm
> 
> They also have an option for genealogical societies (such as ours) 
> that will give you free space to operate a website.  See:  
> http://accounts.rootsweb.com/index.cgi?op=show&page=gensoc.htm
> 
> If Joseph agrees to be the webmaster this would be a good option for 
> us.
> 
> Another option is your own Internet Service Provider.  Most allow you 
> a certain amount of space to host your own site, but I know some 
> people might be less technical and find this to be more challenging.
> 
> Maria
>  
> --- In ranchos@yahoogroups.com, Joseph Puentes <makas@n...> wrote:
> > 
> > 
> > John Gonzalez wrote:
> > 
> > >I believe that if a fee is required to participate in this group, 
> it 
> > >will be the end of this group as we know it.  Once you start 
> charging, 
> > >the members will become more demanding in regards as to what 
> materials 
> > >they can, and can not  post on this site. Control will be 
> lost...Think 
> > >about it.
> > >
> > >If we put our heads together, I am sure we can come up with a 
> > >solution.  I am 100% against ANY fees because of the reason 
> mentioned 
> > >above.
> > >
> > Another member wrote me privately and said that the answer is that 
> those 
> > that want more controll to modify their own folders should ask me 
> to 
> > remove their work off of the Ranchos site and then they could 
> upload it 
> > to one of the many many free sites and then just link to it in the 
> links 
> > area of the group. This would relieve the files area of the 
> pressure its 
> > under and I could open it again.
> > 
> > joseph
> > 
> > ps: You're right John. We can come up with a free 
> solution.  .  .but if 
> > to many really really want more control then that freedom will cost 
> you 
> > some cambio ($).
> > 
> > >
> > >Just my grain of salt...
> > >
> > >John Gonzalez
> > >Wildomar CA.  
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > 
> > >Yahoo! Groups Links
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > 
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >  
> > >