Genealogy Chat

This tip is really a kind of plea as well. I think it is safe to assume that people who register on this site are actively researching and looking for information. I have been meticulous about responding to every person who has contacted me if only to let them know that the person of interest to them in my tree is not connected to them in the way they hope. It would be so nice if this was reciprocated. I have several ongoing conversations with some really friendly people through this site, so it is not everyone who 'ignores' messages by any means, but it would be so nice if everyone made an effort to keep their email address up to date (if that is the problem) and to respond to each message they get, however briefly. Many thanks to the people who have done that - it is much appreciated and I am enjoying my 'conversations' and the ensuing exchanges of information.

i agree, i have sent several emails to people whom may possibly be connected to my tree and received no reply from some. would it really hurt to spare a few seconds to be polite, stating that there is no connection. penny

Other threads on this board have pointed out that not all emails sent through GenesConn arrive - I have experienced this a few times myself when an initial email from someone trying to contact me has simply not arrived. Now I check my contacts list just to make sure that no messages have dropped through the cracks. So it may not necessarily be a lack of politeness/interest in a failure to respond - but I agree that it is frustrating!

I think (I hope) I have always replied to any contacts as I would always intend to. And sometimes it's useful not to delete contacts on your list too hastily either. The one definite connection I have found so far was someone who was asking about my dad's side and appeared to have no connection at first - I replied and let her know. When I finally found out more info on my dad's side, some two or three months later, I casually checked her tree again "just in case" and realised that she was connected a generation further back. (Angela if you're out there I mean you! :-)) While I didn't find out info further up the tree than I'd already learned of, it was great sharing info and she has been enormously helpful. It's just as well I didn't alienate Angela in the first place by ignoring her!

It did annoy me when I initially started out on the Family History road, that having taken the time to e-mail someone about a possible family connection I would get no reply. I would then send another message, assuming that the message had either disappeared into that vast electronic postroom and was lost or the person had junk mailed it! I usually wait about a week (other possibility for no response, the person could be on holiday) then send another e-mail just in case, hoping for a more favourable response. But if there's no reply after that I tend to leave it, thinking it's more thier lose than mine. I have to stress that this outcome has been rare and the usual response has been very helpful, even if people are saying 'no connection'. Anyone contacing myself always gets a reply, even if its there is a week or two delay - keep disappearing off and can't always get to cyber-cafe to check. I agreed that we shouldn't be put off my a few, when the majority of us are dedicated and wouldn't dream of not answering contacts. Cheers Wendy

I've just remembered one I didn't reply to. It was someone advertising a board which included one of my family names. I didn't reply because it was a plug and it seemed a bit impersonal.