Genealogy Chat

like many of us including myself, we have all experienced the sending of messages to someone we think maybe related to us only never to get a reply. i dont want to go over all the reasons for this as it has been covered before.

but i would like to know your thoughts on an idea i have about this problem. could gr put a notice on an account automatically if it has say been inactive for a year. this way when we think we have a match, we can see if they are an active member before sending a message. if they showed ie.no activity for 3 years, we would probably think before sending a message that is unlikely to be replied to because they are no longer a member.

this would save a lot of time i think and wasted messages.

does anyone else think this is a suggestion that could be implemented, or does anyone else have something similar to offer along these lines.

i will wait and see what comes back on here and then send the suggestion to gr and see what they say.

i just came up with this as when you do click on a member there is nothing to tell you if and when they last used the account and it would be helpful to know.

your thoughts and any suggestions would be welcome
thanks
florece
in the hebrides :-)

Yes! I think it's a wonderful idea. I think they do something similar on Ancestry letting you know if the member has been active in the last 6 months.

thanks margee for your reply.
florence
in the hebrides :-)

This subject has been discussed on the Suggestions board. I have posted the link below because you may find it of interest:-

http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards.page/board/suggestions/thread/1267610

Thanks tooty fruity, have been on and read comments. it seems the solution is not that simple
florence
in the hebrides :-)

My favourite way to know which members are active is to use Search trees.
Once a week or so I check on surnames added within 14 days.
EG
Arthur Wilkins 1919 Chippenham Wiltshire... No Eileen
Phyllis Wilkins 1916 Chippenham Wiltshire... No David
Walter Wilkins 1884 Lyneham, Tockenham, ... No Colin
Sarah Wilkins 1830 Wedhampton, Wiltshir... No Julie
So I know that these four members are using the site.

satnav, that is a great idea, not thought of that.
thanks very much

florence
in the hebrides :-)

Hi

I suggested an auto log out option which will log you after say a month. If you still use this site and log in then it will show up better if used with a last log in message.

Br
DL

I think the dating problem is uncertain because a lot of people (including me) don't log in or out, but get access through a Bookmark or Favourite short cut, so there would be no evidence of when I last visited - I would have been eliminated years ago!

And I think that must also apply to Ancestry - I have often followed up a notification of a new entry by a contact that day, only to read in the notes that that contact hasn't visited for 6 months!

I know Yahoo uses a auto Log Out but a trial period to see if it works wouldn't hurt.

Afterall with all the tinkering latley,one more wont hurt.

Br

DL

Florence


as you know, becazuse I've seen you posting on some of them, we have been through this several times, on several different threads, on Suggestions and on other boards.


There IS no simple answer


I do not log out of this or ay other site

I have my sites in My Favourites, and always enter that way.


There will be no evidence that I have logged in recently ........ on some sites, the last actual log in could be as long as 2 years ago ............... BUT I am on some of those sites (including GR) every day.


I have not updated my tree on GR or on ancestry for many months, if not years ..... so that does not show whether I am active on the site or not


Some people have admitted in the past that they only come on to GR once a year to check .... and they ignore any emails they might get from GR.





................ and don't forget the possibly huge number of poeple who have changed their email addresses and who have not notified GR of that fact ......... so they are not getting any notification.



The only real answer to your problem is I think to keep checking your Sent Messages .......... if the envelopes are still purple, then the person has not opened your message.


If the envelopes are still purple after several months, then it might be that you just have to chalk it ip to possible death, or that the person is inaccessible for whatever reason.




sylvia

Sorry to be a killjoy, but shouldn't this be on the Suggestions board?

Isn't that why GR initiated it?

Perhaps you should have a look at Suggestions. It is becoming quite entertaining.....!

PS the very same subject is at the top of "Suggestions" this very minute.

thanks to all those who gave some ideas. until now i had never looked at suggestions before, i generally stay on chat and general, well as it used to be called.

best just leave well alone i guess. i think i will stop sending messages to poss matches as all of those i have sent in the last 6 months only one was opened and replied, so really not worth the bother.

c'est la vie
florence
in the hebrides

I do sympathise, Florence, and wish there was an answer!

Florence,

I know it has been mentioned before but no harm in repeating it.

If you search for the names that you are interesting using the added within the past 14 days option you stand a much better chance of getting a reply as you know from the start that the member has been updating their tree very recently. I find that doing this I often get a better than 80% response rate.

Please don't stop sending messages, as if you do you will never know what you have missed.

I generally check my sent messages list and if it shows an unopened envelope after, say, 6 months to a year, I delete the message.

I personally don't add to my tree as often as I used to and so if anyone looked for my activity that way, it would give a false reading. I do, however, use the rest of the site quite frequently.

I cannot understand why some people only use one or two of the boards. I

How do you know what is going on if you don't look?

So if you are trying to find details of an ancestor do you post it on Chat ? which would then encourage any new person to do the same.

I remember seeing a post a little while ago on chat from a new person asking for some sort of look up and the poster was advised to post on "Tips" No wonder people post all over the place

This is not in anyway having a go at people but it would be a good idea to have a look around

jax

The Curious Fox website has a facility where you can request an email check. They let you know whether they get any response so if there is a response then at least you can send a PM and know that it will reach their email inbox, and if there isn't you don't need to waste time PMing to a non-existent address. I used the facility last week and Curious Fox confirmed a valid email address within 24 hours.