Genealogy Chat

A refreshing comment - InspectorGreenPen seems to the only person to get it.

IGP,
As I see it GR don't need to monitor the boards because the board police
does the job for them.

Gai, it might well be the case that in an ideal world GR should monitor the boards but the fact is they don't.

"Remember, these boards are provided by us, but not controlled by us. We do not pre-screen or actively monitor material contributed by Members and are not responsible for the behaviour or conduct of Members or the content they post on the site. We trust our Members to point out anything that does not conform to these guidelines by using the 'Report as Abuse' button."

This is the link to Paul's thread that I'm talking about.

http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards/board/genealogy_chat/thread/1322420

Absolutely, NanaSue.

e.g. " Please refrain from advertising any businesses, competitor or other, on the Genes Reunited Message Boards.

and

Please do not use the service for any business or commercial or charitable purpose, or to promote any alternative commercial service."!

And it is not just that alternative competitor services are promoted, there is also the likelihood that some members keen to berate GR's record service have never had any direct experience of it, so any opinions they might have are based on hearsay.

Paul's thread, if memory serves, was to let other's know that the other site had free access to records this past weekend.

When it was posted, it was believed to be *all* records, although it later transpired to be for 1901 and 1911 census. The free access was until 01 April so it's over now.

If GR decided that Paul's thread should go because he asked for an Ancestry
lookup then so be it.

But it should be up to GR to monitor the boards themselves and not rely on the
board police.

Don't you think the problem is the public promotion of Ancestry by name or request of search from Ancestry that is the issue. It is another commercial company and competitor. GR does have it's own set of records.

I can't see the problem if helpers find stuff without naming the source of the info. ;-) ;-) ;-)

<3.

Elaine, Christina and Janna


................ on behalf of myself, and the other helpers .................


thank you for the thank yous :-D


We all enjoy helping!!


I think one reason we might be faster than you is that we do not use the GR records ................... I think that applies to all the helpers.

We all have subs in other sites, and have also found free sites while doing our own researches.

Most of us joined GR before the site carried any records, and didn't need to upgrade in order to use them after that happened.

Most of us also still find other sites much better, and see no point in upgrading.

Most of us only have the Standard membership .................... and often only because we want to be able to post on the Boards, thus allowing us to keep up with friends, and to help others.



sylvia

Thanks Ken. :-)

Free access only seems to be to the 1901 and 1911 censuses, for all the Bank Holiday weekend.

Ditto that

Yes Elaine, they are very helpful. When I first started using the Community Boards I was so green I didn't have a clue what I was doing.

Others members were so helpful with look ups and advise on what other sites to use, even giving me step by step tutorials on how to use my lap top!

I also try to help a little if I can. And team work can often find what one person searching alone has missed.

So to reiterate Elaine's sentiments, thanks to everyone who has helped me. :-D :-D :-D

People on here are so helpful,aren't they Christina? I have had plenty help myself.

Have also tried to help others,but by the time I find something out,I've been beaten to it,by someone with a lot more information than me!

I really don't know how they do it....I can search for something for weeks and weeks and get nothing....ask for help on here,and have even MORE info than I asked for(very helpful,too!),in a matter of minutes.

To everyone who has helped me,I can't thank you enough!

Elaine.
<3

Thanks for that mgnv. I was hoping for all the censuses (just being greedy I suppose) ;-)

Off to nudge up a thread on Find Ancestors to see if a fellow member will do another look up for me. :-)

Christina(Lancs) - no it's not all records - just 1901/11 censuses, Fri thru Mon (UK time).

There are two - one on Subscription Details (renewal) and one on Credit Details (Credit Top Up)

I have unchecked the automatic renewal now. ;-)

So to save money you have to have a plan.

Take Platinum (if that is what you want) - it is offered at the price of £19.95 monthly plan, so renewing each month would mean about £240 a year, compared to 6 monthly plan at £8.33 per month - paid in a lump sum equates to £99.96 per year and the 12 monthly plan at £6.67 comes to £80.04 for the year, so on the face of it Platinum 12 months is better value.

However, if you purchase credits 50 cost £5 (so each credit is 10p) - but they have to be used in 30 days. If you buy 200 credits they cost £17.95 (so just under 9p each credit) - on the face of it 200 are better value - and you have 90 days to use them.

So depending on what you want to do, how much time in a "block" you spend researching - and how quickly credits use up on each 'view' , it might, for some members be better to go for a MONTH of monthly Platinum at £19.95 rather than 200 credits. The downside is you have to use that Plantinum unlimited access in a month as opposed to having 90 days for 200 credits (or 66 and a bit for each of 3 months).

So it depends on what you want to do, want to see and when you can do the research - or a bulk of it.

This has been how it has worked for me. I joined GR in 2005 and other sites because I could. I ordered some certs from GRO. Then came to a halt. Last year I decided to get back to my research. I had joined a site with records (didn't know which was best) in January and was busily searching GR Member Trees, but could not understand why my messages were sitting as drafts. I asked Genes and found out I needed to pay, but continued searching and creating messages to other members. Then in May 2012 I paid to become a Standard Member - and sent my messages, received some and waiting for some responses. I have until May - then I will decide whether to renew, if it is worth the fee. I find the suggestions and thinking of other GR members when it comes to searching helps me to look at information from different angles - they see things I don't always consider - valuable to me.

So I have to decide where I can get / try to get my information. How much time in a specific period I can focus on my research. My sub to the other site has expired - so now I am collating what I might want to look at - and then I will see if I can rejoin, maybe when there is an offer on - or perhaps when I receive a 'please come back' email. Lots of sites let you search for free anyway.

So what am I saying? I calculate the cost, see if it is available for free, eliminate as much as possible - and try never to buy a cert that isn't one of mine!

EDIT: I don't do 'automatic' renewals - unless there is a deal in it for me