In the 1960s I published a small-circulation family newsletter. The format was 11"x17" offset paper, printed on both sides by a professional offset printer that knew how to make halftones from my photographs.

He insisted on printing up more copies of each issue than I needed. I saved half the extra copies in my closet. Ten years later, one relative asked for a complete set of 11 issues. Ten years later, the same person asked for whatever extras I had, because he wanted to give them out at a big family reunion.

On a small operation, it would be hazardous to your mental health to try to derive satisfaction from your relatives paying you for your newsletter, or participating in any way. Just do it.

Now, my opinion of online newsletters: I am distrustful of Internet sites being around for the long haul. First of all, there's the dot.com crash where hundreds if not thousands of firms went out of business. I can't figure out how some Intenet sites derive their profit. From these banner ads I don't look at? From the obnoxious pop-up ads I close as quickly as possible? From selling my e-mail address?

If I can't see how they make their profit I get distrustful. Maybe they are losing money and will one day pull the plug and the site will no longer be accessible. Some people are thrilled that they can back up their data online for free at special sites offering "virtual disks." I don't trust that as a permanent solution to the backup problem.

What happens to thousands of our queries? Will the site some day charge us to read our own content? Will they erase it all? They have that right, don't they?

It would be a good idea to have paper copies of genealogical material and newsletters.

Reg Niles
RegNMINiles@cs.com