Find Ancestors

Hi everyone, we just want to say a big thank you to those of you who have been helping on our look-up threads today. You really have been amazing and we have so many happy customers.
We'll be adding more posts over the next 2 days and any help you can give will be much appreciated.
Kind regards,
The Genes Team.

Please post more info re possible dates and places. Sometimes you were a bit vague, Also could you arrange for posters to hang around for a few minutes to answer questions and respond,

I second that LK.

It's really helpful for those who have been helping out to get fairly rapid feedback so that they can help further.


Also, I do hope that GR are advising potential new members that they need to check for replies by using the My Threads button.


The Watch This button doesn't function well.


Cx.

Cynthia,

The My Threads tab is going to be no good to them initially.... and the threads are all under WDYTYA's control... and there fore not under the new username of the person the thread actually belongs to!

I would also like to know how long these threads will stay 'live'? Will GR delete them after a period of time?

The first day has gone slowly, i agree with the other sentiments here, the poster needs to be encouraged to stick around.

There also needs to be more detail in the posts. The posts could also do with some structure, all the info appears to be in one block with no paragraphs and spacing.

If something is laid out well it's easier to read....


T x

There was also a post trying to find living relatives after a dalliance, I hope there was someone explaining to the young ladies concerned that they cannot just rush in and perhaps devastate unsuspecting relatives with news that their relative has an illegitimate child.

I think you need to appreciate most of us will only advise adoptees to use the proper adoption societies etc. , not give out names and addresses or try to circumnavigate proper channels.

With all the resources that Genes reunited is meant to have, and also the expertise that the WDYTYA team and their extensive resources, I would have thought that there is no need for anyone at the WDYTYA show to ask for help from members on here.

I think it is fantastic that members on here are, and have been so helpfull with enquiries, it is just a pity that Genes Reunited and WDYTYA are not the same.
I often read on here that GR don't even bother to answer messages sent to them when members try to contact them.

Trace, I realise that - but had thought of sending one of my messages to Phil to remind him :-D


I was getting at the fact that if these posters actually join the site, they won't be notified of replies.


Cx


:-D

Foggy.....Totally agree with your sentiments....but what a business plan....!!!

Use "paying members" to achieve their objective of generating more income with the least cost to them.....

I get more cynical by the day.....

Eringobragh 1916,

Exactly..!!!!!

I would also think that the members who generously helped probably got their info from Ancestry, not GR....lol.

Sorry, but I shall not be helping you again. Requests have been insufficiently worded and some requests could have been fulfilled by googling which could have been done by genes reunited staff.

I, also, was concerned about a living relatives request.

I leave it to you, genes reunited staff, to show enquirers how and where to research.

I did'nt help a great deal today just a bit here and there, I prefer to help in the evenings and early hours of the morning.

I think what GR has done is a good idea to attract more people to use the boards, as long as they manage to return and reply to what has been found.

So some of the requests could be found by googling...I cannot understand what the problem is? They are still asking a question, maybe the GR staff did not know the answer?

Did anyone actually receive a "Thankyou" on a particular thread....for the information they found?

found a thank you on this one
http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards.page/board/ancestors/thread/1293183

Yes...one person was thanked profusely for providing info found by the simple expedient of googling

The major snag with this scheme is that the GR staff have no knowledge or understanding of FH research - which means that in spite of the assurances they gave, most of the requests are woefully short of relevant info

And they have little or no concept of the right to privacy of living individuals about whom info is being sought.

Also:
May we have a clear answer on citing sources?

As has been said time and again -not many of us use GR records when doing our research.

Maureen

I'm not expecting to see many thank yous until later ...............


........ the idea was that the people using the laptop at WDYTYA would get onto their own computer at home to see the replies



though I am still not sure how that is supposed to work!


There is a lovely thank you on this one ...............

http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards.page/board/ancestors/thread/1293161



But it most certainly would be good if the requesters could be asked to stay around for a few minutes, up to, say 10 minutes. No need to hog the laptop ...... they could let someone else pose a request, then check back after that


I come late to the boards ........... it is usually 7pm UK time when I first look at the boards .......... so most of the WDYTYA threads have been responded to by UK members.

But i noticed that many, if not most, of the first responses were requests for further information. AND, most of those responses came within 5 minutes.


I also noticed that the amount of information given varied considerably ........... it would be great if the GR staff could ensure that the requester gave, at the very least, the following information .................

name
birth date
place of birth
place where known to live
name(s) of spouse and children, if known
year of death, if known


The Fowkes request was really easy to work with .............. even though we could not find anything! ....... because he gave us relevant information in the OP.

OK, so someone had to look up the 1871 / 1891 Censuses to get the names of spouse and children ........... but one would not expect someone to have that information to hand on a one day trip to an expo.



sylvia

How many of the GR Team actually do research their own family tree?

One or two of the requests could be solved fairly easily if the person bought the necessary certificate - such as a marriage cert.

Are the Team explaining simple things like this to anyone visiting the stall ?

No responses on any in which I participated; included in these was one where the enquirer had a public tree in ancestry - it would have been helpful to have had knowledge of this beforehand.

.......awaiting the years free membership for participating............failing that a cheque will do just fine ;-)