Suggestions

Right at the top of this page it says:-


Suggestions

This board is for you to add your suggestions for changes you would like to see made to Genes Reunited. We will be unable to respond to each post individually, but we will be checking the suggestions regularly and taking your suggestions on board.

Underneath that there is a Sticky post which says:-

"....prefix thread titles with ENH, BUG, CMT, QST to idicate type..."

What do we get out of 20 postings on page one:- 4 have the prefix BUG: the remaining 16 have no prefix at all.....!

Then we go to Genealogy Chat, which says:-

**PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

and if you bother to click on that:-

"This is the Genealogy chat message board. This is where you can come and chat with other members about all things related to family history and researching.

Please do not post your look-up requests on this board as they will be removed. If you have a look-up request please post it on either the Find Ancestors message board or the Find Living Relatives message board....."

So, what do we get:- Around half the postings on page one asking for Find Ancestors.....!

So, come one Suggesters, how do we sort this once and for all?

I think that when you post an initial topic there should be a sub menu which asks what your query is eg are you looking for living, ancestors, advice, improvements to the site, bug etc. And depending on what is ticked then the post is automatically put on the correct board.

That's an excellent idea TootyFruity.

I suppose it would still be open to deliberate misuse but it would cut out most of the genuine mistakes in board selection.

IGP


It's simple


people simply do NOT read the Board Guidelines!


when did you first read the guidelines on this site?


before you posted the very first time? After the 10th, 20th or whatever posting?

Or only after being told to read the Guidelines by someone else?



I ask that very seriously ........ I did not read the Guidelines before my first posting back in April 2004, BUT I had been reading the boards for several days before I ventured to post, and had worked out for myself which board to use.



sylvia

I appreciate that not everyone thinks to read the guidelines
( like not reading the instructions for the new dvd player etc lol ) but it still beats me why someone posts on General when they are looking for someone, they only have to read the board titles...it can't be made much clearer than

"Find Ancestors,
Find Living Relatives " !

Why should anyone read the guidelines for this board...when they dont for the others??

When anyone dares to mention something is on the wrong board or this is a duplicate ect ww3 breaks out

I think there have been a few threads about this and it seems some people cannot see any harm in it.....so be it post where you like it seems

Heading now prefixed to meet proposed standards.....!

On a serious note, though, it does beg the question as to why we have different boards different purposes - which everyone seems to think is a good idea, when questioned - only to see people posting where they like.

I think it comes down to the fact that those of us who use the boards regularly, especially to help others, see that different boards with different purposes do indeed make a great deal of sense


posts move rapidly on General Chat or Genealogy Chat, and are soon lost in a morass of unrelated topics.


BUT those who do not read guidelines, who are new to the board, or who do not usually offer help, do not see the purpose, and so post wherever they think fit.


And, of course, there is also a group of long-time members who think we are all board police for even daring to suggest that certain posts should be on certain boards ....... they go around telling people "go ahead, post wherever you want"!



sylvia

Ginnie

you are not missing anything!


It was only in Phil's thread saying it would be part of the house-cleaning


But I think several people have decided to start prefixing titles

................ in fact, thinking about it, I can't see any other way than to have the originator of the thread adding the prefix.

A computer program to do it automatically wouldn't really be able to make sense of all the vagaries of humans writing titles

and setting up new boards dedicated to each prefix would just lead to another sort of mess!



so may be those who are adding prefizes already have just jumped the gun!




sylvia

I can confirm, categorically, that a high proportion of new members do not read ANYTHING before they post on any of the boards!


I say this because of the high number of replies I receive in response to the messages I send out re how to return to your thread.


Many of these replies go along the lines of.....



"Thank you, I didn't have a clue about the procedure "



.......and a hundred variations thereof!




That well know phrase containing the words 'horse' and 'water' comes to mind.


:-D :-D :-D :-D

"Therefore, as an exercise so that I can identify that I have reviewed all threads, I am going to

(a) prefix thread titles with ENH, BUG, CMT, QST to idicate type - (I hope to implement a topic type selection in a later release)"

This suggests to me that Phil intended to prefix threads so that he can identify which ones he has reviewed. I don't see a request for members to use prefixes.

None taken IGP :-(

I too thought the prefixes were going to be added by Phil.

I personally did not understand what the prefixes meant and there will be plenty of others who would not understand them either.

Some have enough trouble starting a thread let alone adding something technical to it

jax

How about anyone who has a post count of zero having the rules displayed and having to tick boxes to say they understand the rules of the board, in a similar fashion to the agreement to T&Cs that you have to do when installing new software.

:-)

Not many read all the guidelines,which is why I suggested a short introductory video with commentary covering the main points on how to navigate the boards, tree building, record viewing etc that would have to be viewed when newly entering the site ?

and how many would watch that video?


I reckon most would skip it


and it might well also drive people away.




sylvia

I dont quite follow that ? I find show and tell works well

Maybe get Davina to present it ?

I'd concur that the prefixes were going to be implemented by Phil, himself, once he has read the thread - not for opening posters to do for themselves.

He says "I am going to....." in his stickied thread.

Consider it the equivalent Phil or his staff signing the thread to acknowledge it has been read and taken note of. The Prefixes will make it easier for them to categorise the comments.

Goodness knows how GR can get people to post on the 'correct' board. It seems mean to RR ones blatantly in the 'wrong' place. A request for guidance about a topic/search on Genealogy chat might be the 'correct; place for it to start with, but then it naturally evolves into a look up, which ought be rights to be on FLR or FA.

How about we let the headache of who should do what where and how, to the site owners? After all, do we not pay them enough to do so?

None of us should be telling anyone to do anything....tis not up to us....we shouldn't be getting ourselves into such knots over the why's and wherefores.
Tis nowt to do with us......If we don't like what we see or what is being done.....Then we should get in touch with GR and complain......Maybe they will do something.....maybe not......but whatever.......It is not for us to sort out.

As it is, while it remains down to members to try and direct people to the right place, it leads to several outcomes

that new posters get given good advice in a friendly manner
that new posters get given good advice in a curt manner
that new posters get given incorrect advice ( in either manner)
that old members are accused of 'policing' when they give good advice (in either manner)

that GR gives inadequate advice and sits back and counts the pennies it is saving while its helpers take the flak ( in either manner lol).

lol Susan, you posted as I was typing....

*What Susan said* :-D