General Chat

Thank you all for your input and thank you for the oar Gwynne :-D

Nicely put TW

Morning all!

On reading through this thread I think the ONLY solution is proper moderation where a member of staff can move a thread to the appropriate place. When doing so, a short message can be left on the original thread to replace the text, stating where it has been move to. Thats what other sites do, and it does work.

Here, we get members effectively policing the boards and being very dictatorial towards those who have posted on a board that is perhaps not the best place to post. Those members and others reading it then become offended by some attitudes and less help is sought in the proper place anyway, if at all, and a viscious circle occurs.

Though I havent been a paid member for several months until this week, I have looked in from time to time, and have seen for myself the aggressive manner in which some 'offenders' who were only asking for a bit of help, were spoken to, by self appointed 'moderators', who really should concentrate their efforts into giving that help, not lambasting people for getting it a bit wrong. It's no big deal in the grand scheme of things, but it IS a big deal to have someone point you in the direction of which brick to knock out of your wall.

*sticks oar in*

I think that if you are looking for something specific, like a family on census or a baptism, it's probably better to use the boards where the experts lurk and thus where you are more likely to get an answer.

However, if you're chatting on a thread here I don't see what the problem is with asking friends for non-specific advice, maybe another take on your brick wall could be useful, and the input of others could set you on another course.

I have subs to various genealogy sites and I used to try to help out on the old tips and records boards many moons ago but I don't have much patience and got irritated by the same things that helpers complain about now so my solution was to stop trying and leave it to those who enjoyed it.

Let's hope the new management give more guidance to newbies about where they are likely to get help. But I hope they don't start imposing strict rules. We are all here because we like genealogy, so why shouldn't we discuss it on the chat board?

Gwynne

Berona. Don't be afraid to ask for help . The only thing I would ask is that keep one family in one thread to avoid helpers doing duplicate searches for the background information. Just edit the title to more info reqd or update . There are many members only too happy to help.

Good morning Berona

Well I am subscribed up to the eyeballs, so if you see me about and need some help...just let me know

:-)

I gave up asking for help a long time ago when I was helping another member and asked about her ancestors. Months before, she had asked about the generation following the one I wanted info on.

I received a dressing down from a very bossy person who must have been keeping records of queries. They told me how I wasted their 'their' time asking questions which had been asked before. They also gave the impression that they owned the site and made the rules.

That was the last for me. I really think some people should take a holiday some time to get their perspective in order.

Now now

Let's keep it nice ladeez :-)

Oh I have to thank you for reminding me of that, I remember, it was from something I got from an aunt of mine who had moved to America, a book about Ginny the doll. I never understood it really ! the family in the book were all dolls ... I was just too young to understand the makebelieve inside the makebelieve ... but that is where that comes from, the Ginny book ... I have it in a box in the loft somewhere and maybe this weekend I will go and hunt it up ...

it was Ginny's 'secret'

oh dear Kay???? I was just looking at an old thread ... checking my old ones when I came back ... there was someone saying

hoped some-one would explain it to me, which has now happened thanks to 'chrissiex'

it made me feel good to see that, I was sorry I missed it back when I let me sub expire ... I like to think that my 'posting attitude' is ... I don't know 'helpful' I think ... maybe I just don' t 'look for the bad' when I read the 'help' boards ...

Where did that come from ? I remember my dad reading it to me, or maybe it was in a Disney movie when I was little :-D

open your heart
open your mind
look for the good
and that' s what you' ll find !

I try to do that. :-)

Oh Chrissie ,,

you must have seen if not then perhaps your posting attitude is the same and so wouldnt find it odd..........

Of course it didn't :-P

I am off to bed in a mo (tablets taken on time for once).

I'll phone you tomorrow when you are conscious ;-)

lol

Cheek........It never crossed my mind :-D

nudge for Susan cos she is nearly there :-D :-D

yes ...afraid they sometimes come over from other boards and start a ruckus :-) not on, is it?

It all comes down to the language used Kay???? as to whether or not the good intention comes across in a positive or negative way. Hopefully when GR have progressed to having the ability to move threads to the correct board then this will no longer be an issue.

oh Kay???? who are these awful people ? when I was posting on the 'help' boards a few months ago I don' t think I saw them ......... or is it on this 'chat' board that it happens ? a lot ?

I never looked at the 'chat' boards so I don' t know, did lots of people put their help requests there ?

is 'pc' perfect correctness ? :-S

There is a whole difference to be being adhered to and being slammed againt the wall of board by pc brigade of perfect correctness,,,,,

"...the GR Mascot " - I used to be tips board joint mascot :)

I think that the boards need to be clearly defined and there purpose adhered to because otherwise there would be no point to having multiple boards. Everything would just be a mishmash.

You can still have fun and chat and as Chrissiex says you can always post on the appropriate board and invite your friends to contribute. But with too much chat the factual information can be lost so maybe someone could do a summary of the actual fact at the end.

I do agree though that over the past couple of years some of the magic seems to have gone.

evening susanwivnumbers :-D