Genealogy Chat

Is anyone else not happy with the Contact Centre system? I can understand that Genes Reunited need to protect your identity when first contacted by someone but you used to receive the actual message with an EMail address and so were then abke to contact the person direct. I was away from home for a few days recently. I received notifications of messages but I was unable to read the messages because I was only connecting briefly to download EMail. I would prefer an option to be able to receive the full message rather than just a notification. Also to have the EMail address of the person contacting me so I can reply direct. I often send an extra of my tree to the person contacting me and this is much easier when sending direct than allowing Genes Reunited system to mangle the formatting. Martin

Yes, I agree it's annoying...... I had an automatic email from someone I contacted who I think is a family member. They sent a message back via genes asking to see my tree...... Th message from genes said to either click to allow or if i wanted to see more surnames from their tree or find out more to go to my contact centre........ but WHERE IS THE CONTACT CENTRE? I can't find it....... maybe i'm just thick! Frustrated G

I also do not like the default setting that allows people access to you my tree when I send them an initial message (not sure if it is still the case). It is better to have the full address because I have often found with Genes Reunited that I have had very promising messages from someone but then nothing further. With an EMail address you can at least try contacting direct. "Contact Centre" is just the name that Genes Reunited use on your Home Page for access to your Messages Inbox. Martin

Martin, I don't think it automatically gives them access to your tree. You have to click to allow access. None of my contacts have ever been given access automatically. I imagine they introduced the new message format because of complaints that the email address was given to the receiver, but speaking personally, I have to agree with you - I hate it! Carole

It is also another way for GR to get more money as non paying members cannot now get emails direct. So, if you contact someone that is not a paid up member, they cannot reply unless they pay their subs. Those of us who have paid up wait and wait for replies that we will never get. I think that we should know, when we want to contact someone, if they are paid up or not. If they are not, we might as well not bother contacting them, as it is a waste of time. Don't think I will bother to renew my subscription next time unless there are major changes. Nesta

Thanks for your comments on this. I would like to take this opportunity to clarify that non paying members CAN read and reply to messages. You do not have to be upgraded for this. There are security reasons for clicking through to the site to read messages. And we also realised that some email providers were blocking our reply to message buttons. These combined lead to the decision. We hope this doesn't cause to much of an inconvenience and that the overall improvements to site are a benefit to you. Very best, Michelle

Having read that "non paying members CAN read and reply to messages. You do not have to be upgraded for this.", I am becoming concerned as to what the £7-50 membership is actually for, and wondering what is the point of re-subscribing when my membership runs out in April. I would be pleased to be told the advantage of paying, or disadvantages of not paying. Thank you. Joy

Reply to Michelle In simple terms: Personally, I find the new system to be a pain in the proverbials compared to the previous arrangement when direct contact could be made.

Michelle - also, I agree with Brian, "the new system to be a pain" - because, as I have said in a message in feedback, one can block incoming emails if one does not want to receive them, but with the new system they just appear in messages in the site and can appear again from people, whether you want them or not. Joy

However, I am finding it quite useful! I can keep much better track of contacts and why I/they contacted. If I want to send more details I just ask them to send their email. This way I don't have an Outlook express box full of people who I'm not sure why they contacted me! Anne

Added by Carole Button GC on 15/09/2004 18:45:51 Martin, I don't think it automatically gives them access to your tree. You have to click to allow access. None of my contacts have ever been given access automatically. If you make an initial contact to someone from Names Summary, i.e. not using Send Reply, then the default is to allow then to view your tree. You have to remember to untick the box. It does not happen if I click on your name to send you a message. Martin

I think, on balance, I prefer to be able to choose whether or not to give out my e-mail address when sharing info, so that aspect of the change seems OK to me. That thing about not having your personal e-mail full of unwanted GR contacts seems reasonable, too. I've just checked: you have to un-tick the "allow access" button when sending a contact message via the New Names list if you don't want to open your tree to someone who may have nothing to do with your family. Given that the first contact is purely speculative, I think that's a bit iffy. Christine

YES ITS DRIVING ME MAD !! - can't even put your own e-mail address in without adding spaces and brackets and splitting up words like ya hoo etc. We were quite adequately protected before, now once you have contact and want to keep in touch its a right pain - AND it doesn't set out your message as you type it, it all gets bundled up together in one lump! - AND I don't want all and sundry seeing my tree if I forget to click a box. Maz. XX

Yes - those lumpy messages are definitely a backward step. Not everyone bothers too much with punctuation, so if they also lace the message with text-speak the lack of paragraph-spaces makes it unreadable. Christine

Agree with all you are saying but I did reply to a message giving my email address without brackets and it was obviously received OK as the person (from NZ) emailed me personally this morning.

ROOTSWEB manage to have a box you tick if you want to display your EMail address so I can't see why GenesREunited can't do something similar. Martin

I used to have a lot of problems with GC mail going astray or into my junk box, but this is no better. Ideally, I would like to know that my mail has got there, and that it's been picked up, then I can stop wondering about whether it's not been read yet, or someone just isn't replying, or if it even arrived in the first place. There's nothing worse than offering to share what you have with someone, only to never get a reply and not know why! I too do NOT want to have to remember to block a new contact's access to my tree; surely it should be the other way round? I should be checking a box to say Yes they can look, not uncheck it to say No. As for the paragraphing, don't get me started on that or on the text stuff. I know it's fashionable nowadays to abbreviate everything, miss out punctuation and not worry about spelling, but it just makes me so cross! Carole

I'm having the same problem at the moment. I have been contacted by someone who I know is related but giving him access to my tree wont help, we all know how difficult it is to navigate trees on GR especially large ones. Also some of the info I want to give him is not on my GR tree. All I want to do is give him my email address and he is trying to do the same, with no luck at all. Have just replied again using spaces etc. Dont hold your breath!!!!!!!! Do GR want to help us with this hobby or just make huge profits? Michelle I would like an answer for this question, have emailed GR direct, still waiting. Margaret

I agree - Geneseunited does leave a lot to be desired. Having been a paid-up member since 25 July 2004 I am still unable to access anything on the site with the exception of the message boards. I've sent countless emails and have had just 2 replies, both promising assistance which never eventuates. If I use a different name to register I am able to search, but then get the request for payment when I try to contact anyone. I wonder just how long it takes to get assistance from the Support Team.

I have had replies from GenesReunited in the past but they do seem reluctant to act on any suggestions or complaints. There have been complaints about the difficulty in passing EMail addresses and URLs since when they started. It is very popular in the family history online world to knock ancestrty but at least you can pass EMail addresses and URLs on their message boards and lists. Also they they do not corrupt the text so you can past e things without them ending up unintelligible. Their MyFamily site allows the posting of family trees and is far superior to the system used by GenesReunited. I have stayed with GenesREunited because it attracts a lot of people new to family history so there is a good chance of making contact with some distant branch of my tree. The trouble is that many of these newscomers don't then reply to messages. I found someone with the same surname from the same town as me and was hoping to find out who they were descended from. But I have never been able to get any more information or eply out of them. Very frustrating! Martin