Find Ancestors

I am about getting to the end of my tether with these boards, ie, TTF, Records and Tips.

I feel as though I am being slapped in the face by newbies (some of whom have rather old numbers!!) saying don't order us around, be nice to us, stop telling us what to do, don't criticise our spelling, etc

.... just because of the tips and help we have been trying to give to make our life as "helpers" a little easier.


There has been a proliferation of threads and postings on tips threads of this type of thing over the last week.


I'm not trying to take anyone down, or be rude, or issue orders, when I ask for correct spelling of names, or "please give all the information that you have", or please don't ask me to search the Complete Index from 1930 to 1970 when you don't know any more than the name John Smith.

I don't care whether you can spell or not ............. but it sure is anger-making when I've spent hours searching for an ancestor, only to be told "that's not the spelling"

Please please make sure that you spell all names as correctly as you can! The transcribers and census enumerators make our life hard enough without modern additions!


I am trying to be helpful, and to be able to give requesters the help and information they want.


I blame GR for not providing any information on how best to use these boards ..................... and not making it very clear that THEY are not providing the help on them.



I wonder how many of the newbies realise that we are just members like themselves, who are using our experience and expertise, and our subscriptions in varied other sites, to provide help and information?



and that we do like our contributions to their search acknowledged, and a thank you given!




sylvia

Sylvia I know exactly how you feel but fear that the current problem is in fact worse than you think.

We appear to have a small fraction of WUM's on the board who's only function is to run down the hardworking volunteers.

I know how you feel Sylvia and agree with both you and Claire. We have another example on here today of a member running three threads on the same subject. I have posted on each one advising her in the nicest way possible to delete two of them and have also sent her a nicely worded pm explaining what problems such postings cause - no acknowledgement whatsoever - really makes you feel like chucking the towel in, but then it's really nice to get good feedback when you've come up with some good info. We're not asking people to fall at our feet and kiss them, just a thank you is all that's required. Having said all that I really enjoy having a dig around the census boards

Hi Claire

Sorry, what are WUM's?

I do know that there are some people on at the moment that seem to delight in winding people up.

I fully agree with Sylvia on this one.


Victor

When you find a possible as Lizzie or Betsey it must be wrong as her name was Elizabeth etc etc

The ones that annoy me are those that include email addys. Send a pm within 5 mins of the thread appearing and you get no response or you get a reply say thanks for explaining about the Terms & Conditions and two hours later they are still showing their email addy.

WUM - wind up merchants

I can only echo the comments.
I can only look on freebmd but every little helps. Most of the time I am thanked either on the thread or by pm. It's the ones that post then 'disappear' so you don't know if the info you find for them is going in the right direction???

Hi Victor

A WUM is a Wind Up Merchant!

Wow,


thanks for your support. Now I don't feel quite so alone!!


Ann


that's my problem!


I do love a good hunt to find information .... and the satisfaction when it seems that one has been successful, and I love feeling that I am helping someone



sylvia

Claire/Glitter

Dumb or what, grin. Thanks.

Sylvia

Keep at it, there are people out there who want your help and apreciate it.

The chase does give a buzz, also trying to be the first with the info, more often than not I am not quick enough though. Some of you must have part of the persons name already typed in to the search. Ha ha.

Lets just carry on with what we all enjoy, helping others.


Cheers.


Victor

Thanks Victor!



I was just feeling a bit gobsmacked with all that I've read yesterday and today


I was off board for a few days (visitors), and had a lot of reading back to do yesterday. Some of the postings rather shocked me.


I have a longer black list at the moment!!


sylvia

hi Sylvia &Claan
I agree with all you say and more that has not been said !

tracy

I didn't have a black list until yesterday!!!

I've had a change of heart - no blacklist!!!

Hi Sylvia,

Perhaps it's just me... but I've just read the rules for using the various boards under 'Community Summary' and it's not very clear what should be posted where.

I was told by a kind member ages ago that the TTF board should really be used for living rellies, yet people seeking info on rellies from way back when seem to post on here and also on Tips which is a bit confusing.

The same info also goes on the History board although the rules say this board should be for contributing to 'the history of a surname'.

It all means that people put the same request on several boards at the same time and have kind researchers wasting time duplicating information.

I couldn't agree more about not being thanked. I must admit, I don't often manage to help people successfully, but I do try and sometimes I have an epiphany (or an apostrophe as my Nan would probably have said!). You post the information and then no one answers so you have no idea what has happened. There have been two very interesting stories on Tips that I have been dying to hear the end of and nothing more has been heard...

Sue

Sue

it seems to me that GR set up the boards with certain intentions ........ but the members have subverted them!!

TTF does now seem to serve a dual purpose, that of finding both living and dead relatives (and friends).


One other problem is that any posting on a thread on the Surnames board also appears on TTF ..... but without the surname in the header!



I think the thing to realise is that all kinds of postings can appear on all 3 boards (TTF, Tips, and Records), and that the helpers almost always look on all 3 boards ...................... so a request will be seen by at least one person no matter which board it appears on.


I've even seen a few "looking for" psotings on the Success board in recent weeks!!




sylvia

away from the boards for a wee while (more visitors!!)

sylvia have'nt we been saying this for ages

can i just say you all do a good job. Please dont get down hearted because with out all of you that do put alot of time in for us we would not get as much info as we do now.
thank you
Debbie

thanks derek

c.mon Derek - play fair - Ericthered does excellent work on research and is most helpful - I find him neither arrogant nor snooty and I really don't think Sylvia would agree with you either. He gets a bit frustrated like we all do with some of the half-baked threads that people post

I really think you should do the right thing and delete your posting - not helpful in any way