Genealogy Chat

Been on this site 4 months now-
Why do the names I have listed whilst building my tree, NOT appear on the general listing when searched, with the millions of other names on this site?
Followed all instructions on the site.
Don't get hot matches or email queries from other users-unless I contact them first.
Beginning to think this is a waste of a membership fee.
Thanks
Mike

Welcome to the boards Michael

The strength of this site is with its membership - we are always willing to help out if you get stuck.

For some strange reason, your own entries on your tree don't show up when you search 'all members tree'. If they aren't on anyone elses, then you are the first to include them!

Many people have joined then lost interest in continuing their research. They aren't going to be actively looking for new connections.
Although you haven't mentioned it, a sizeable percentage of members could have died, be too ill to be able to access their tree, or have changed their day-to-day email address but not updated their account here. Unless requested to by a surviving relative, GR never deleted a dormant account.

It is possible to be a Free member and use the site to host a Tree. Free members aren't able to instigate messages but can reply to them. May be some of your contacts are of that ilk?

Michael,

Hover over "Relatives" (at the top of the screen) and click "Surname summary". This will bring up a column listing that shows every surname in your tree with the number of times that it appears, and the number of times that it appears in all other trees.

This is irrespective of dates of birth.

In the (unlikely) event that no other tree has any of your surnames, there should be zeros all down the column headed "matches in other family trees".

Just checked my own tree.

I have one record for a surname that I know only appears on one other tree, and the two entries are indeed 1 and 1
So if that other member deletes her tree, my list would read 1 and 0.

If you search for anyone in your tree including yourself, you will not see it..... But anyone else looking will.... Including anyone you have listed as hidden as still living.

Although I have been on this site for almost 5 years now... I have only once had a genuine enquiry about my tree.... She was a name collector, so that was the end of that.

I know a couple of my aunts and a cousin have small trees on here, none have tried to contact.... Probably because they are free members and cannot

Maybe the "Search all member trees" should be renamed as "Search trees of all other members"?

Michael,

It would assist me if you revised some of your post.
What exactly is it that you were expecting/hoping to happen on this site?

Quote from Jax
"Although I have been on this site for almost 5 years now... I have only once had a genuine enquiry about my tree.... . "

I think that probably sums up how useful the GR site is........
Michael

Quote from Inky1
"It would assist me if you revised some of your post.
What exactly is it that you were expecting/hoping to happen on this site?"

Having noticed that some of my very near relatives are listed on this site-
and have also been listed in my own tree, I would have thought that there
may have been some contact from other members of this site.
I was very disappointed to find MYSELF listed on this site twice without my permission. Even my parents are listed on here by someone I have never heard of!
I had to contact GR to get my name removed.
I would never list a living person without their permission.
Although I am new to this site, I am not new to genealogy-been doing it for 25 years,started before the internet was invented. All my research is still done by back up visits to actual record offices, libraries- etc.

Michael

Michael,

If you either use the search facility or simply browse though posts you will come upon many references to the fact that one should not enter 'living persons' without their express agreement. But the GR 'rule' is flouted. However, the only time GR can take action is if a member brings it to their attention.

On your tree: clicking the 'View' for tree matches to your own name. Are those matches which were obviously you (same location for place birth eg 'Yorkshire', 'Kensington', 'Nile Place', etc.) still there? Or have GR got them taken off?

That aside. Note that those other members that have the same records as you just may not know it. Many folk switch off Hot Match, Trumps, etc. So only get the occasional message on the Home screen - and that message itself is very random. (There are threads on that). Also, and I am being charitable here, it may have been a perfectly innocent action in that they have no interest other than to get as many distant relatives into their tree as they can find.

Of the other trees that I have access to, the largest has today 39,194 records. No way can that member - a third cousin once removed - keep tabs on all the records. My tree is much smaller than that, however I too cannot keep tabs. But I manage to add a few records on a fairly regular basis. And for every new record, I do check to see if any other member has the same record.

Note also that some members have their prime tree elsewhere and simply import a gedcom here. Possibly in the hope that other members will contact them?

Quote from Michael

'I think that probably sums up how useful the GR site is........ '

I have had 2 illegitimate grandchildren of a great-aunt's husband contact me. I did not know they existed.

Explained why someone did not inherit.

Definitely worth it

(And neither grandchild knew of the existence of the other one)

What did you expect when you joined?

You can hardly blame GR if other members choose not to contact you.

And for most members, the usefulness of GR has nothing whatsoever to do with contacting relatives

On another tack, I don't have a tree on GR, as I don't think the site is secure, and from comments on the boards, I know that many others don't

I've only recently received replies to messages that I sent out about 2 years ago. Some people don't come on here very often. It pays to be patient.

Quote from Jaqueline

"And for most members, the usefulness of GR has nothing whatsoever to do with contacting relatives"

With respect-I never said anywhere in this thread that I was trying to contact relatives!

There's a 'c' in my name!!!!!!!!

'With respect' usually means entirely the opposite..................

Perhaps, at some stage, you will enlighten us as to what you are hoping for. I'm not the only one who can't work it out.

"Don't get hot matches or email queries from other users-unless I contact them first." would seem to suggest you are hoping to communicate :-S

If it really matters to anyone you can show your names as well as others. Just create a second account.
Arthur Cave 1914 Salisbury Wiltshire ... Yes Thelma
Arthur Cave 1914 Salisbury, Wiltshire... No Arthur
Arthur Cave 1914 Salisbury Wiltshire ... No Claire
Arthur Cave 1914 Salisbury ... No Elizabeth