There reasons as to why a discussion group on Yahoo or Google can be considered orphaned are diverse. The owner could have died, simply gone missing, or someone could have stolen control of the group through deception, theft, etc. If the situation can be resolved, the key is to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the service (Yahoo, Google, whatever) the wishes of those within the group as to who the owner should be. In every situation where such a resolution has occurred, a preponderance of the documentation of those wishes existed within the group itself. The exact process used has varied, but those are some of the most common successful practices.

Some other tips heard from those involved:

1. Use specific keywords within the subject lines for all message postings on the situation. This will certainly help the supervising service agency locate message posts from members, which will probably be made over an extended period.
2. Within all message posts to everyone involved, be civil, polite, patient, and persistent!
3. Set reasonable deadlines for actions to occur, but stick to them. The more important an action is, the more time those involved should be given.

Here is the break down on a suggested course of action that has worked. Adapting it for the situation involved is highly recommended!

1. In situations where the group owner has gone missing, document attempts to reach the listed owner for a group. Yahoo provides a special address for reaching the owner of a group on the home page for each group. Google’s is a bit harder to find, but start on the group home page. Click on the
   ‘about group’ link, and then the link for ‘send e-mail to owner.’ Within the message, give the owner a decent timeframe to respond. Post copies of your correspondence into the group itself, along with any responses received.
2. Assuming all attempts to reach the owner have failed or the owner has stated they no longer wish to manage the group, a notice calling for candidates for the owner position is next. (Unless the group was ‘stolen’ from the present owner.) Be sure to set a deadline for when this call for candidates will end. Ask each person to post a short statement as to why he or she should be elected owner. They can describe their qualifications for the job, or explain what sort of future they see for the group itself.
3. If someone within the group has access to polling functions, conducting voting amongst candidates in this manner. As an alternative, ask members to cast their votes in the group itself. Note that this will remove any possibility of a ‘secret ballot.’ Someone will have to act as the vote counter, posting a daily tally of votes to date for each candidate.
4. Setting a deadline for voting to be completed by is vital! An active group should have the voting finished sooner than a more laid-back type. A deadline of two to four weeks is quite reasonable, and should be included in the first notice about voting and within any reminders about voting.
5. Once the voting period has ended, post another notice in the group stating this and announcing the winning candidate.

At this point, a fair amount of documentation as to the wishes of the group members should now exist within it. Below are some ideas for how to notify the service agency involved about what has occurred. A reminder, again, about patience and persistence is in order! If unhappy with the response (or lack thereof), contact them again.

Yahoo’s Message Boards for Yahoo Group’s Technical
Issues

Yahoo Group’s Abuse and Help Forms

Google Group’s policy statement on owner
restorations

Please note that the above links are not under the author's control and may change at any time. Feel free to post additional ideas for where people can go for help in comments!