Genealogy Chat

Is it a coincidence that all of my 'hot' matches that came through this morning, and previous ones now I come to think about it, begin with the first few letters of the alphabet? I married a Clarke and so there are a great number of NotMatches but absolutely none for surnames beginning D or later. Sorry if this is all common knowledge and has been discussed before - I'm fairly new. I'm obviously concerned that given a few Clarkes in my tree and with new people coming onto GR all the time it's never going to get round to my direct family names for matching. Rob Ward

It is not a coincidence, Rob, and a few of us have asked GR to change the way they do them. I would suggest you also contact GR with suggestions for improvements. As things stand Hot Matches are not very useful, though once in a while you will find a proper match in among all the rubbish. Mine have never got past the letter D, yet, by the way. Kate.

Think yourself lucky you may have reached the C's!!!!! Everything you have surmised is correct and in answer to the heading of your post..........They Don't!!! (Well, some people with fairly small trees have found them helpful because they don't get too inundated with a million Allens and Barnes etc) Merry

This is a nuisance for everyone. I have been on the site for over a year now and have only just start getting passed A-H. I updated my year of birth for some of my relatives last time as Bath BMD had just issued an update and I got William Cox born 1847 everwhere in the world last time. If you put an additional character after your more troublesome names it defeats the hotmatch system.

Isn't it annoying that such an excellent site is let done by these annoying problems. I always seem to get five pages so, I'm guessing it starts at A, gets to five pages, thinks 'that'll do ya for the moment' and goes onto the next member. I'll email GR with my moan for what its worth. In the meantime, I guess I should be considering evicting the wife's family. With a John Clarke in there, I have no chance. Thanks Rob

Maybe get a divorce and marry Miss Xavier instead? Merry

I'll put a post for Xaviers on the Trying to Find Board - do they accept requests for wives as well as relatives? Hoping the missus is at work and not reading this Rob

I hope so too (for your sake!) I only ever get 5 pages of 'Baker's - that never come from the same area as mine! I emailed them (GR) & got a standard 'hotmatch' reply that showed that they didn't actually read the mail... so.... I mailed again & got a load of fluff from them that didn't answer my question or justify why they do it like that........ ho hum... When I click on a match I often get the same person showing up to 5 times ie Baker Charles 1842 Huddersfield Baker Charles 1842 Huddersfield Baker Charles 1842 Huddersfield Baker Charles 1842 Huddersfield Baker Charles 1842 Huddersfield as if he was entered 5 times on someone's tree (BTW -my Charles is from Norfolk) moan, moan, grumble, grumble... It's a shame that the thing isn't working properly it could be really good (& WAS really good when I first started & had very few names on my tree)I think they only let you get 5 pages & then it's just your tough luck if you've got Allens or Bakers (or Clarkes!) Thinking out loud - perhaps that's the thing to do - just have a very limited tree on here - just brickwalls then your 5 pages may let you get as far as the Willcocks' & Zidane's. Sarah :-) (no, Zinedine isn't on my tree but it's the only surname I could think of that started with a Z!!)

I think the world and his wife must be descended from a 'Christmas' at some time or other, that's the majority of what I get. They seemed to produce children like they were going out of fashion.