JewishGen.org Discussion Group FAQs

What is the JewishGen.org Discussion Group?

The JewishGen.org Discussion Group unites thousands of Jewish genealogical researchers worldwide as they research their family history, search for relatives, and share information, ideas, methods, tips, techniques, and resources. The JewishGen.org Discussion Group makes it easy, quick, and fun, to connect with others around the world. 

Is it Secure? 

Yes. JewishGen is using a state of the art platform with the most contemporary security standards. JewishGen will never share member information with third parties.

How is the New JewishGen.org Discussion Group better than the old one?

Our old Discussion List platform was woefully antiquated. Among its many challenges: it was not secure, it required messages to be sent in Plain Text, did not support accented characters or languages other than English, could not display links or images, and had archives that were not mobile-friendly.

This new platform that JewishGen is using is a scalable, and sustainable solution, and allows us to engage with JewishGen members throughout the world. It offers a simple and intuitive interface for both members and moderators, more powerful tools, and more secure archives (which are easily accessible on mobile devices, and which also block out personal email addresses to the public).

I am a JewishGen member, why do I have to create a separate account for the Discussion Group?

As we continue to modernize our platform, we are trying to ensure that everything meets contemporary security standards. In the future, we plan hope to have one single sign-in page.

I like how the current lists work. Will I still be able to send/receive emails of posts (and/or digests)?

Yes. In terms of functionality, the group will operate the same for people who like to participate with email. People can still send a message to an email address (in this case, main@groups.JewishGen.org), and receive a daily digest of postings, or individual emails. In addition, Members can also receive a daily summary of topics, and then choose which topics they would like to read about it.  However, in addition to email, there is the additional functionality of being able to read/post messages utilizing our online forum (https://groups.jewishgen.org).

Does this new system require plain-text?

No. 

Can I post images, accented characters, different colors/font sizes, non-latin characters?

Yes.

Can I categorize a message? For example, if my message is related to Polish, or Ukraine research, can I indicate as such?

Yes! Our new platform allows members to use “Hashtags.” Messages can then be sorted, and searched, based upon how they are categorized. Another advantage is that members can “mute” any conversations they are not interested in, by simply indicating they are not interested in a particular “hashtag.”

Will all posts be archived?

Yes. 

Can I still search though old messages?

Yes. All the messages are accessible and searchable going back to 1998. 

What if I have questions or need assistance using the new Group?

Send your questions to: support@JewishGen.org

How do I access the Group’s webpage?

Follow this link: https://groups.jewishgen.org/g/main

So just to be sure - this new group will allow us to post from our mobile phones, includes images, accented characters, and non-latin characters, and does not require plain text?

Correct!

Will there be any ads or annoying pop-ups?

No.

Will the current guidelines change?

Yes. While posts will be moderated to ensure civility, and that there is nothing posted that is inappropriate (or completely unrelated to genealogy), we will be trying to create an online community of people who regulate themselves, much as they do (very successfully) on Jewish Genealogy Portal on Facebook. 

What are the new guidelines?

There are just a few simple rules & guidelines to follow, which you can read here:https://groups.jewishgen.org/g/main/guidelines

Thank you in advance for contributing to this amazing online community!

If you have any questions, or suggestions, please email support@JewishGen.org.

Sincerely,

The JewishGen.org Team