QUESTIONS REGARDING NEWSLINE

What is NEWSLINE?

"NEWSLINE" is the name which the Society has given to its own recorded telephone news and information bulletins, which are available 24 hours a day to anyone calling from an ordinary touch tone telephone. The recording is normally updated on the first day of each month and includes all official notices to members, news of the Society together with regular reports on the progress of it’s research projects, membership news, member’s own announcements, notices of forthcoming events, and family history news in general.

How do I call NEWSLINE?

First, key the telephone number 01708-749941, and then, when a continuous tone starts, simply key the extension number 386 and listen to the current recording.

[NB: If calling from outside the UK, you will need to dial 0044 1708 749941, instead of the first number above, except from Australia and America which still do not yet have standard international access codes.]

Is there any limit to the number of times that a member is allowed to use the "Noticeboard" feature on NEWSLINE?

No, provided that the contents are relevant to family history and are not for any commercial purpose. However, please note that there is often a waiting list for its use, which can be up to several months long.

Why can’t I get through to NEWSLINE from my phone, whilst everyone else seems to experience little or no difficulty in reaching it?

The Society has a modern electronic switchboard that is designed for both fully automatic working and for fast connection using tone dialling. Consequently it is unable to accept calls made from old-type rotary dial phones or calls made through an operator.

I’ve only recently joined the Rayment Society and would like to know if it is possible to hear any of the "NEWSLINE" bulletins recorded before the current one?

I’m sorry but these are normally erased at the end of each month. It is, however, hoped to make transcripts and to add them to an on-line database.

For how long has NEWSLINE been operating?

The first experimental edition of NEWSLINE went on line in July 1994. This proved to be an immediate success, as judged by the comments that were received in the first few months of its operation, and so the decision was taken, in the autumn of that year, to further develop the service and to make it permanent.

Are there any plans to convert the NEWSLINE recordings to a menu driven system?

The idea was considered some time ago, but was rejected on the grounds of the high cost that would be involved in the installation of the necessary computer equipment.

Is NEWSLINE available for use by non-members?

Yes, it’s available to be called from anywhere in the world, by anyone with a tone-dialling telephone. In fact it would be technically quite difficult to restrict access to members only, since this would probably entail the use of some sort of password system, the administration of which would no doubt involve the Society in a lot of extra work.

Why is it that all of the items featured on "Noticeboard" never seem to include a contact address or a telephone number?

It is the current policy of the Society not to include contact information on "Noticeboard" but instead to oblige callers to contact us in the first instance. This enables the Society to filter information and thus keep track of new family connections as they are discovered. In addition, by doing this, we are kept in a much better position to be able to judge the effectiveness of any particular notice, and to act upon the necessary research. Yet another reason is that many female members have indicated that they do not wish to advertise their telephone numbers on a recording which can be accessed by the public.

Members with access to e-mail facilities are encouraged to send both new postings and all of their replies to the messages appearing on "Noticeboard" to:

Why do members occasionally have to wait for such a long period before their requests for help and offers of assistance appear on NEWSLINE’s "Noticeboard"?

Due to the continuing popularity of the "Noticeboard" feature since it’s introduction in August 1996, there is now frequently a backlog of several months, as a result of the decision taken to place a limit of six entries per edition. This limit, which was announced on NEWSLINE in September 1996, had to be instituted because of the need to keep each of the NEWSLINE recordings to a reasonable length, since it was discovered that a number of calls to it were being made from overseas.

What time of day are the monthly NEWSLINE recordings changed?

Since the July 1996 edition of NEWSLINE, when the practice of regularly changing the recordings on the same day of each month was first introduced, the updated bulletins have normally been on line from about 8 am on the first day of the month.

Can I have a transcript of the NEWSLINE bulletin posted to me regularly each month?

The main reason for the introduction of the telephone Newsline facility was to provide a means whereby information could be rapidly disseminated without the Society having to incur substantial postal and printing costs. In recent years this has been almost totally eclipsed by a huge expansion in use of the Internet but, for those overseas members still without access to the Internet, arrangements have been made for hard copy to be despatched by post.

What is the success rate for messages posted on the "Noticeboard" section of NEWSLINE?

Assuming that success is measured by the number of messages to which a reply is received, the current figure is running at about 17%. However, with the imminent availability of an on-line archive of old messages, this figure is expected to rise substantially.

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