General Chat

i have 54 messages that have not been answered Why.

lots of people have left the site

or maybe some have died or become ill

Only those you haven't had an answer from can tell you why. :-S

Have they been opened?

Suzanne ...........


first check to see if your messages have been opened


Click on Messages

Click on Sent


What is to the left of the name of the person you sent the message to?


If there is a green envelope ..................... the message has not been opened


If there is a blank space ................... they have opened the message


If there is a green arrow .................. they have sent a reply to you.



Reasons for people not replying include the following ................


1. They have changed their email address and not notified GR of the change ............... so the messages are floating around somewhere in the ether.

PLUS ............. they no longer come on to the site (for reasons, see below), so they do not see the indication next to Messages that shows they have new messages


2. They joined on a impulse, and are no longer interested in GR .............. so they never come on site, and junk all emails from GR


3. They have died or are incapacitated so are unable to come on site.

They did not give the site information (ie, site name and password) so no family member or friend can come on and either continue the work or delete the tree. BUT the email address has been changed or closed so no one sees the GR message


4. They are just not interested in contact with other members.

The tree on this site has always been free, and was considered to be one of the best family tree building programs around, so many people joined as a free member just to have a good place to build their tree, and want no other contacts.


5. It may depend on the message you sent ..................... if you just said "Open Your Tree to me" or "May I have access to your tree", and nothing more, then many people will ignore the message.



Most members are like me ..................... we want to know who a contact is interested in, we want to establish that there is indeed a connection, and then we will send you some information on the branch that immediately concerns that connection. Nothing else.

We never open our trees to any one.


I admit that I have on occasion totally ignore the automatic message that GR suggests you may send.




On the other hand .............. it has been known for people to get a reply after 1 or 2 years :-)

One member once said that he only came on GR every 2 years or so ......... and then he answered pms.





remember ..................... no-one can force anyone to respond



and GR never removes any trees from the site.


It is up to the member to do that ......... or a friend or family member to whom s/he has entrusted the site name and password, and asked that the tree be removed

Yes it is very frustrating when your messages go unanswered. I am investigating the family name of Dickinson and have a number of matches with the tree of someone called Roger Dickinson. He read the first message I sent him but didn't reply. He hasn't even read any of my other messages. I really feel that he could help me with my tree if only he would reply.

I have messages that have been opened, and haven't received a reply.

Annoying.