A discussion list for anyone with an interest in Cuban Genealogy

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Welcome

We welcome all newcomers to the CUBA-L genealogy discussion list. Before you post your first message, however, we strongly suggest that you carefully read the following paragraphs and wait till you receive several messages so you can get a better idea of how the list runs.

Rules of Use

Rules

1. THIS LIST IS FOR DISCUSSION OF CUBAN GENEALOGY TOPICS ONLY! - Discussions of access to Cuban genealogy information both within and outside of Cuba are welcome. Discussion of historical topics as they relate to Cuban genealogy are also welcome. Political propaganda, and discussions of present-day social and political conditions in Cuba, however, are prohibited. Such discussions inflame passions, take up bandwidth and are not really relevant to Cuban genealogy. You should post these topics on the soc.culture.cuba Internet discussion list.

2. Administrative messages, including any complaints, suggestions or subscription related matters should be sent to and NOT TO THE LIST.

3. DON'T SEND ANY COMMERCIAL MESSAGES - This includes any messages offering merchandise and/or services.

4. DON'T SEND ANY "SPAM" MESSAGES - This includes commercial messages, petitions and messages in favor or against any cause, regardless of its merit.

5. DON'T SEND ANY ATTACHED FILES - This includes signature "V-cards", digital photos, "GEDCOM" files, "ZIP" files or any other type of file attached to your message. They will not be transmitted.

6. DON'T SEND VIRUS WARNINGS TO THE LIST. - It does not matter whether you think it is real or a hoax nor how important you think it is. This is a Rootsweb policy.

7. DON'T FORWARD ANY CHAIN LETTERS TO THE LIST.

8. DON'T USE HTML OR RTF ("rich text format") FORMAT IN YOUR MESSAGES TO THE LIST. Your message, including signature, must be in PLAIN TEXT or it will be rejected.

9. DON'T SEND THE SAME MESSAGE TO MULTIPLE LISTS USING THE "To:" OR "Cc:" HEADERS.

10. DON'T INSULT, ATTACK OR "FLAME" OTHER MEMBERS OF THE LIST, EVEN PRIVATELY. Private disagreements sometimes become public and find their way to the list.

11. DON'T SWEAR OR USE OBSCENITY IN YOUR MESSAGE.

12. DON'T USE THE E-MAIL ADDRESSES OF OTHER SUBSCRIBERS TO SEND THEM PETITIONS OR COMMERCIAL MESSAGES.

Advice

Be specific

To obtain the best results, please be as specific as possible in your message. Always include relevant names, places and dates. Instead of just saying "looking for data on my grandfather" say something like "looking for data on my grandfather, Jose Lopez, who owned a grocery in Matanzas in the late 1800's..." If you are looking for several individuals which are not related, consider posting separate messages for each individual.

Don't post information on living individuals

Respect the privacy of living individuals. If you connect with someone who wishes to exchange informationon living individuals, do it over private e-mail and not on the list. Do not post private telephone numbers or addresses.

Consider posting a surname query instead

If your message is requesting information about a specific surname or individual, you might consider posting a query in our Cuban Surname Query Board. Board queries are indexed and archived by surname so that researchers around the world can easily find messages related to a given surname. All messages posted to the Cuban Surname Query Board, after review, are also passed to the CUBA-L list (this sometimes can pose a problem when a CUBA-L reader replies to the message on the CUBA-L list rather than by posting a follow up query in the Cuban Surname Query Board).

Configure your "spam" filter to accept messages from the CUBA-L administrator

Make certain that your e-mail system will accept messages from the CUBA-L administrator in case there are any problems and we need to reach you.

List Operation

You should be aware that all Rootsweb lists operate according to the following rules:

• IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION - All accepted messages are distributed to the list subscribers immediately and cannot be recalled. To be accepted, messages must be sent to the list address, originate from an authorized list subscriber and not fall into one of the special categories described below.

• ALL MESSAGES ARE MONITORED - All messages, including bounced messages, are monitored by the list administrator. The list administrator is expected to take appropriate action for any violation of the list rules, to maintain the list discussions within the appropriate subject matter of the list and to solve any problems.

• NO "SPAM" MESSAGES ARE FORWARDED - Rootsweb intercepts all unsolicited bulk e-mail messages (commonly referred to as "spam") and prevents them from being posted on the list. Rootsweb has a zero tolerance policy on "spam" and will notify the ISP and any mail relay services used by the originator of any "spam" mail. In many cases this will result in cancellation of the ISP account of the originator of the "spam".

• MESSAGES ARE ALLOWED ONLY FROM SUBSCRIBERS - Only messages from subscribers can be posted on the list. This means that messages must be sent to the list from the same e-mail address that was originally subscribed. If you change your e-mail address please unsubscribe your old address and subscribe your new address. If you have any subscription problems please contact the list administrator at

  .

  PLEASE DO NOT SEND ANY SUBSCRIPTION OR ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGES TO THE LIST.

• NO FILE ATTACHMENTS ARE FORWARDED - Rootsweb does not distribute any file attachments through the lists. This is done to eliminate the possibility of distributing viruses to the list subscribers. If you receive a message which contains an attachment and appears to come from the list DELETE THE MESSAGE AND THE ATTACHMENT IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT OPENING IT - you can be assured that the message did not really come from the list, but that the "From:" line has been forged.

• MESSAGES ARE ONLY ACCEPTED IN PLAIN TEXT - Rootsweb does not distribute messages in HTML (web page) format or in any fancy font, color or style word processor format. This is done because many mail clients can't handle such messages.

• VIRUS WARNINGS ARE NOT DISTRIBUTED - Rootsweb does not distribute messages containing virus warnings, whether real or hoaxes. This is done to reduce unnecessary traffic on the lists. Note that since Rootsweb does not distribute file attachments, viruses cannot be distributed by the list. For the latest detailed information on viruses please visit the Symantec AntiVirus Research Center.

• MESSAGES WITH A BLANK "SUBJECT:" LINE ARE NOT DISTRIBUTED - Rootsweb does not distribute messages with a blank "Subject:" line.

• MESSAGES CONTAINING THE WORDS "SUBSCRIBE" OR "UNSUBSCRIBE" IN THE "SUBJECT:" LINE ARE NOT DISTRIBUTED - Rootsweb intercepts messages containing the words "subscribe" or "unsubscribe" in the "Subject:" line and passes them to the subscription address. Avoid the use of these words in the "Subject" line when you are composing a message.

• THERE IS A MESSAGE SIZE LIMIT - Messages are limited in size to 10K Bytes. Larger messages will not be distributed and will instead be returned to you with an error message.

• LIMIT IN NUMBER OF BOUNCED MESSAGES - If messages from the list to your e-mail address bounce more than a certain number of times, for example due to your mailbox being full, your e-mail address will be automatically unsubscribed. If you are going on vacation, it is best to unsubscribe before you go and subscribe again when you return.

• YOUR REPLIES AUTOMATICALLY ARE SENT TO THE ENTIRE LIST - Currently, when you reply to a message from the list, the reply gets automatically sent to the entire list. Please do not use the "REPLY" button when you only intend to reply to the author of the message. You must "copy" and "paste" the author's address to your "TO:" line in order to reply privately. Be careful not to include personal information or messages of a private nature in your replies. Always look at the "TO:" line and review all the places where your message is going.

Courtesy Guidelines

We strive to make the CUBA-L list a useful and pleasant experience. Newcomers ("Newbies" in Internet slang) should be aware that certain courtesy rules are expected from all Internet list subscribers. Here is a list of the most common list courtesy rules applicable to the CUBA-L list:

• ALWAYS UPDATE THE "SUBJECT:" LINE - When you reply to a message PLEASE update the "Subject:" line of your reply to reflect the topic of your reply. This is particularly important if you are replying to a list DIGEST, where the "Subject:" line is typically "CUBA-L DIGEST # XXX" and is unrelated to the subject matter. Many of your fellow readers are subscribed to several lists and check though hundreds of e-mail messages every day. Many only look at the "Subject:" lines to select messages of interest. If you don't update the "Subject:" line to reflect the subject of your message, some readers may never select your message and thus be unaware of your request for help or the information you are providing. Also, the Rootsweb automatic archiver will be unable to archive your message topic, and others in the future will be unable to retrieve your message by topic.

• EXTRACT ONLY THE IMPORTANT LINES FROM THE ORIGINAL MESSAGE - When replying to a message, include only the most important lines of the previous message and delete all the rest. Assume all subscribers have read the previous message and only need a reminder of the specific question or topic that you are replying to. This prevents unnecessary repetition of the same message over and over. If you are subscribed to the CUBA-D list, please DO NOT transmit the entire digest when you are just replying to one of the messages.

• IF POSSIBLE POST BOTH IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH - The vast majority of readers of CUBA-L are located in the United States. We therefore prefer postings in the English language. We have, however, many readers outside the US who do not speak English, so postings in Spanish are also permitted. If you are bilingual, you are encouraged to post in BOTH English and Spanish so that all subscribers can read your message.

• NO CAPS - Using capital letters in the entire message is the e-mail equivalent of shouting and is considered bad manners. If you have a legitimate reason for using caps, such as poor eyesight, be sure to let people know. Otherwise you will be branded as an inconsiderate person.

• ALWAYS BE COURTEOUS - Our readers represent a wide cross section of age, background, education, sensitivity and genealogical experience. Please be patient and tolerant of others. If there is someone or something bothering you please contact the list administrator at . Please do not air your complaints on the list.

• SEND THANK YOU MESSAGES PRIVATELY - Frequently someone on the list will post a fact or answer a question of interest to you. Please be considerate to other list subscribers and send your thanks via private e-mail and not to the entire list.

How to Subscribe

To subscribe to the CUBA-L list:

1. Send an e-mail to:

2. Type just the word subscribe as the subject and in the body of the e-mail (be sure to spell it exactly as shown - this goes directly to a computer, not a human being).

3. Do not include any other words. Do not include a signature (this might confuse the list server computer).

   If you would like to subscribe in "Digest" mode, first subscribe following the above instructions, then send a simple e-mail request IN A SEPARATE MESSAGE to the same address. This message will be handled by a human (the list administrator). (The content is the same for both modes - in digest mode you will receive one large e-mail with several messages instead of an e-mail every time someone submits a message to the list)

When you subscribe you will receive an e-mail welcome message describing the rules governing the list and instructions on how to unsubscribe and how to send messages to the list.

There is no charge for subscribing. Your only obligation is to abide by the rules of the list.

How to Unsubscribe

To unsubscribe from the list:

1. Send an e-mail to:

   THIS E-MAIL MUST BE SENT FROM THE SAME E-MAIL ACCOUNT THAT YOU SUBSCRIBED!

   DO NOT SEND UNSUBSCRIBE MESSAGES TO THE LIST ADDRESS!

2. Type just the word unsubscribe as the subject and in the body of the e-mail (be sure to spell it exactly as shown - this goes to a computer, not a human being).

3. Do not include any other words. Do not include a signature (this just confuses the computer).

4. If your e-mail account has changed and you are unable to send this message from your old account, or if you need help unsubscribing, send a separate e-mail describing the problem to the list administrator at: . Please indicate both the old and the new address if your account has changed. Please do not send administrative messages to the list address!.

How to Change your Address

To change your e-mail address simply:

1. Send a subscribe message from your new address to - NOT TO THE LIST!

2. Send an unsubscribe message from your old address to - NOT TO THE LIST!

If you are unable to send a message from your old address because it has been discontinued, please send a message to briefly explaining the problem and giving your old e-mail address. We will then unsubscribe you manually.

How to Post Messages

To post messages to the list:

1. You must be subscribed to the list before you can post any messages (this is to prevent undesired third party or commercial "spam" messages to be distributed to the list).

2. SEND MESSAGES FOR POSTING TO:

   PLEASE BE SURE TO READ AND UNDERSTAND ALL THE RULES OF THE CUBA-L LIST BEFORE POSTING ANY MESSAGES TO THE LIST. VIOLATION OF THESE RULES MAY PERMANENTLY BAR YOU FROM EVER POSTING MESSAGES IN THE FUTURE.

We suggest you post all surname (last name) queries in our Cuban Surname Bulletin Board, not in the CUBA-L list.. Surname queries are automatically archived and indexed by surname and can be edited or removed at the request of the poster. Currently all surname queries are automatically forwarded to the CUBA-L list.

How to Browse the Archive of Previous Messages

To browse all the archived messages previously sent to the CUBA-L list click the following link:

CUBA-L Archives

How to Search for Names or Subjects

To search for a particular name or subject in messages previously sent to the CUBA-L list click the following link:

Search CUBA-L

To search for a particular name in the archives of ALL the Rootsweb lists click the following link:

Search all Rootsweb Lists

Where to Post Other Topics

For other Cuba topics unrelated to genealogy please use the soc.culture.cuba Internet newsgroup mailing list.