General Chat

but it's appealing to the same 'instant gratification' as Springer and Kyle's reunion shows I feel ? I'm not saying that it isn't satisfying to think it's a happy ending and they all live happily ever after ...but it's not 'real'...it's edited within an inch of its life as witnessed by the over long pause while the camera man zooms in on Davina's earnest look, cue 'do you want to see a photo?" ... and there's not a dry eye in the house.

I would have liked to see one at least of the programmes dedicated to advice and sources of info, and HOW to go about finding people and then approaching them, and taking things slowly.

Its not a show, its a programe and not aired in front of a live audience, of events filmed over a period of time,the parts seen by the viewer are done with full agreement of all parties,,,,,,,,whys, where and what arent entered into fully and only skims the surface of whats gone on behind the scenes in many weeks of preperation.

its cant be in anyway compared to the dross that JK and Springer doll out.

JKM,,
~~~~~

IT does give a text update on the present situation in each case,but the only people a viewer sees is mainly 4 people, 2 who its about and the 2 presenters,,,,its not recorded in a tv studio....the nitty gritty is not shown the viewer.

I have not watched it; I have not wanted to see it.

I have read about it - in television programme guides, and on genes reunited's page on facebook. I have felt uneasy, I think that is the right word. I am sure that it is good to have answers, it must be wonderful to have happy outcomes. However, from what I have read, it does seem to give the impression that all is wonderful and evermore shall be so. Then people post in find living relatives board hoping to find someone quickly.

I think that people should be told that the results of searches are not always as the searcher would wish for. Also, I think that procedures that were used should be described.

I can't see it, of course, being in one of those foreign countries, but I've been given an opinion by someone whose opinion I respect:

"It's awfull!"

Tabloid television, from what I can tell.

The sort of thing that Jerry Springer would have reveled in, on US television. Is Jeremy Kyle sort of a rough equivalent? A show where people's lives are picked over and judged by an audience of vultures. Whether the audience is cheering or jeering, they're still vultures.

The only reason I care is the effect it has had on this site.

Advertising the show and using it as a marketing tool for the site, i.e. for selling "memberships", seems to be the owner corporation's single focus these days.

The site doesn't function, in technical terms -- there is some new (or old) technical problem every single day. The discussion boards system is prehistoric, the privacy protection is appallingly negligent, etc. etc.

And the site is functiong less and less in content terms -- people are being sucked in and trapped into the "Living Relatives" board where they will get no help from other members, even when what they're really after is family history help, because most of us lose the will to live just looking at those posts.

The Find Ancestors board has slowed to a crawl, the new boards structure has done nothing to stem the flow of help requests to inappropriate boards with the foreseeable multiple posting, and morale among us usual suspects is reaching a nadir.

Can I blame it all on finding lost families?

Well, on its sponsor, anyhow. And I do.

I guess sometimes people don't really want a close relationship - they just want answers. Either they get the answers and drift apart or they don't get answers and it continues to cause animosity.

Sue

I mentioned something similar a couple of weeks ago. To be honest I feel a bit like a curtain twitcher.

I know of two people who traced their birth familys, both adopted under completely different circumstances and both have completely different lifestyles although they are friends. One was encouraged by the other to trace their birth mothes..

All went well for both of them for a while but contact dwindled over time for seperate reasons.

I suppose it was a good outcome for both of them in the end because in both cases "gohsts" were laid to rest.

I've not watched any of them either, don't really go for sentimental stuff. However It makes you realise how easily people can be 'lost', and how important it is to try to keep in touch, even if it's only a Christmas card every year.

We haven't watched it at all either, so you are not alone Anninglos.

I have to admit to not watching it at all, it just didn't appeal to me.

'Long Lost Family'?

Whilst I love to see the happiness of the people involved, I get this little nagging voice that says...'Yes but, father disappeared, he had time to find his son/daughter before this, and make it 'right''.

I own it is in part because I have a son who doesn't see his father and I do wonder if in the future there may be a reunion, which will 'skim over' all the years in between as if nothing had ever gone 'wrong'.

Maybe it's just me being overly sceptical tonight lol, I know it CAN work out well from someone close, but by the same token I know someone who found a birth parent and there was really no 'connection' and they drifted apart again.