GSDS - Its Function Debbi McKay - Coordinator John Grove - Assistant Coordinator The first question that is usually asked about GSDS is "what is it"? GSDS is the Genealogy Software Distribution System. A system that was created in May of 1991 for the purpose of sharing genealogy related files with other systems, to keep existing files updated, to assist authors of genealogy software in updating existing programs, and to encourage new authors in their creative efforts. The boards involved do *not* have to be Genealogy related. The only requirements of the sysop are: 1) Carry the Genealogy Sysop (GENSYSOP) echo to watch for announcements and changes (if any) to the system in the near or distant future and for network administration. 2) No charge may be made for access to the GSDS file area. This does not include a general charge, where it is required, for access to the full BBS. NOTE: With nearly 50 systems on-line and active, we must consider the costs to all systems involved. Since the majority of these systems do not charge for access, we cannot allow anyone to recover costs using GSDS. 3) The use of TICK (2.0 or above) is the standard method of transmission/reception for these files. 4) Systems in the network must fly the UGSDS flag in the FidoNet nodelist if their respective NC/RC will allow its use. Not all nodes can use this flag due to a FidoNet incongruity. We may, at some time, have to do away with its use all together. The following areas are included: GENEPRG - Genealogy Programs - databases, Census database files, Calendar Creation files, Helpful files, (i.e. Brother's Keeper, Family Scrapbook, Census Research Tool, Cemetery Research Database) GENETXT - Genealogy related Text files - (i.e. GBBS listing, information about family's, catalog information, basic genealogy related text files, not in program format) GENEJEW - Programs and text Files related exclusively to Jewish Genealogy Research. GENEDEMO- Demo files of commercial programs available for the public. GENEFILE- File listings, released monthly, from systems carrying GSDS. You do NOT have to hatch your files listing if you do not desire to do so. GENEPAF - Personal Ancestral File utility files and information. (PAF is a Commercial genealogy database available from the LDS Church) We hope that, in the future, the areas will grow in leaps and bounds just like the system seems to have grown. Presently we are working on a "hub" system basis. You find a "hub" closest to you, and make arrangements to poll this system once a week using an event in your mailer, or your system, depending on what software you are using. CURRENT SYSTEM BACKBONE: (Feeds only to HUBS) Debbi McKay - 1:271/23 * - The Skeleton Closet BBS - Virginia Beach, VA USR Dual Standard (around 10/3/91) John Grove - 1:18/230 - Ancestry TBBS - Sebring, Florida - USR HST DS V32.bis V42.bis Mike Fisher 2:440/50 - Roots (UK!) - Guildford, Surrey, U.K. USR HST MAJOR HUB SITES Kathi Crockett - 1:134/8 - GENERATIONS BBS - Calgary, Alberta. USR HST 14.4 Tom Jones - 1:375/1 - StarScan BBS - Montgomery, Ala. USR HST Dual Standard John Schnake - 1:280/9 * - South of the River BBS - Overland Park, KS USR HST Ron Stalzer - 1:114/22 - Rare Readers BBS - Mesa, AZ. USR HST Bob Banks - 1:271/31 - The SNAP BBS - Norfolk, VA - USR Dual Standard Kevin Snively - 1:116/29 - DAWG BYTE - Nashville, TN - USR HST Charles Simpkinson - 1:104/330 * - Roots Cellar Too! - Littleton, CO. - USR HST Terry Dun - 1:321/152 - SpaceMan North ! - Greenfield, MA. USR HST DS Gary Roth - 1:105/212 - Northwestern Genealogy - Tualatin, Oregon - 9600 V32 (not USR) NOTE: Hub sites in zone 2 are not known at this time due to the non-availability of the GSDS nodelist flag. The people listed above as MAJOR HUB SITES are the people that you will need to contact about GSDS. They are the ones that will direct you to whomever they have that might be a closer call for you, or will provide a direct feed to you. Those indicated with a * are a TMS Hubsite as well, so if you get TMS, or are planning on adding TMS, you will need to contact these people to save you a dime or two. Presently there are only 3 HATCH sites - any software needing to be hatched out into the system must be sent to either John Grove, Debbi McKay, or Mike Fisher. This is a temporary thing. As soon as we find out more information about certain areas, what they have to offer, how often, etc. There are only a couple of exceptions to this situation -- this is the release of the GBBS listing, and of PAF related files, which come from Barbara Bennett in Maryland, and files coming from John LeDuc in Las Vegas, Nevada. In addition, files lists may be hatched into GENEFILE from any point in the system on a monthly basis. This file list must include the Julian date as part of the file name. An example would be XXXXXYYY.ZIP where the XXXXX is unique to the originating system and the YYY is the Julian date. When you become a member of GSDS, you will be required to carry your own weight. If you supply files to another system in the future, you will have to make sure that you poll your hubsite to get the files, to make these files available to those systems underneath you. When you add a system to your area to pick up files, it is imperative that you notify the coordinators via GENSYSOP. so we can keep somewhat of a topology of where the files are going, and who is giving them to the systems. There are very few "real rules" it's just that we would like to maintain this system as a smooth running operation. It was a dream at one time that has become a reality, and we are sure, you, as well as the rest of the people would like to keep this a reality. Future Hopes: In the future, we would like to be distributed similarly to SDS, SDN, PDN, DDS, etc. through a "backbone" distribution like they are. Of course, this would be in the future as GSDS is less than a year old. And for it's young age, we feel that it is something that can benefit each and every system. Not just genealogically related systems, but systems as a whole. We do hope that this has helped in explaining just what GSDS is and, please, do not hesitate to ask questions - we are not afraid to answer them. Debbi McKay John Grove The Skeleton Closet BBS Ancestry TBBS 1:271/23 1:18/230 GSDS Coord. GSDS Assistant Coord.