Suggestions

I can now advise that the support team have responded to me as follows.

"Thanks for coming back to us I.G.P,

We've checked the post that was removed and can't find fault with it at all, so i'm afraid it was removed in error. I'm so sorry about that I.G.P., please accept my sincere apologies. I can assure you that training has been addressed over this issue to ensure that further errors such as this won't happen again.

Again I.G.P., i'm truly sorry for this mistake. If there's anything else I can help you with, please don't hesitate to let me know.

Kind Regards, "


My thanks to them for looking into it and as far as I am concerned, the matter is closed.

However, I hope that the recommendations to improve the quality and content of abuse advice messages to members, especially the suggestion to include details of the message involved and brief reason for removal, are taken on board by GR management.

I'm appalled at what has been written here and on the other three threads mentioned and I await with interest a better response from Genes.

I did post on BMW's thread and was unhappy with pop ups but didn't R & R it even though I thought he shouldn't have 'advertised' it.

Genes must surely accept that other sites have records that aren't available here, so why can't they be mentioned.

I complained about the search facility for the British Newspapers which was useless if you knew when & which paper you needed. Didn't get anywhere with them!

Edit: took too long - crossed with IGP's post

One wonders how many others were removed in error? What about jax's post for which she received a very nasty message threatening her with expulsion?

Also, a post of mine was removed many months ago because I had quoted a message that I received from Genes. I was told that was against the rules. However it now seems acceptable as evidenced by this thread.

Whooosh!
Three threads listed - one locked - two vapourised!

I have been vapourised! Ouch! :-S


As there was no reply to Sylvia from Phil, I started a thread addressed to Estelle asking for a response.


Well, we received a response but I am not sure it covers all the issues raised.

Like IGP I also hope that the management are taking the comments and recommendations on board.


Cx.

I too have received a reply to my email, for which many thanks, I have asked for further clarification though

I dont do emails I get confused can you contact GR through here instead? I am not having a warning for nothing.

I do not need to know what post it was I was up in the early hours of the morning when it happened

Why cant GR pm me?

jax

Good morning / afternoon, everyone


I thank everyone for replying to this thread, although I am sorry that Maureen's (GlitterBaby) thread was locked .......... and NOT MERGED WITH THIS THREAD as asked by JoyKM.



Estelle .................

I thank you for responding, although I note that it took you until 2 pm in the afternoon

......... but I am NOT impressed by your response.


You trivialised the matter, and did not, to my mind, address the issue.


"we are sorry if the actions of the abuse team have upset some members."

MANY members were very upset , and appalled at the actions of the GR staff member responsible.


"We use a system where we use set responses and these do not include details of the post reported. However, should anyone wish to know which post it was they can always contact the support team as a record of reported posts is kept."

In other words .... you use a computer-generated programme .................... which is not, and never has been, member-friendly.

........ and I know of very few people who have ever been able to get a response from Support as to which post was removed, and, most importantly, WHY it as removed. I never have been able to!

The response always seems to be "we are unable to do this".


"If you do want urgent responses we would always suggest you contact our support team as all emails are answered within 24 hours and often much quicker."

Please do not lie to us.

All emails are NOT answered within 24 hours ............... members, including myself, have waited DAYS fro a reply. Plus, emails sent after 4 pm on Friday (8 am my time) are NEVER ever responded to until Monday at the very least.

Added to which, I had to take out another email address in order to be able to email GR, as your server for some reason will not accept contact from my server.

Attempting to contact support through Contact Us on the site is useless .......... I have often thought that messages to GR just go into the atmosphere or are vapourised.


And now I see that 1 of the threads for which I posted an url, has been removed.

Was that by GR?? If so, why??




In short, I am still angry, distressed and appalled at what has happened.


..... and the GR responses on this thread have done NOTHING to make me feel any better, or feel that the problem will be resolved.




sylvia

GR


Another point

You responded on FB, as follows:-

Hi everyone, thank you for all your feedback and comments about our message boards and our request review system. We have responded to a thread on the Suggestions board and addressed all the points that have been raised. We have now deleted all of the posts on here as there was a lot of repetition. If you would like a more personal reply then please contact our support team - [email protected].



you did not ask me if you could delete my thread and postings.

................ that smells of dictatorship.

There may well have been repetition ............... but that repetition expressed the feelings of members.



and you have NOT addressed any of the points or the concerns expressed.



sylvia
an extremely unhappy member

"We use a system where we use set responses and these do not include details of the post reported. However, should anyone wish to know which post it was they can always contact the support team as a record of reported posts is kept."

Surely it wouldn't take more than 30 seconds to copy and paste the offending post? At the very least, it would ensure that the post has been read properly by a GR employee before being deleted........who may then decide that its removal was not necessary.

A secondary result would be that the 'offending' poster will then know what s/he had written, and be able to avoid 'transgressing' in the future.

If you tell a child 5 hours later that 'you've been naughty'; they won't have the faintest idea what you are talking about. You have to explain/remind them. (Not that there is any implication that posting members are children!)

I agree with everything that you have said, Sylvia.

I am not happy with the response from Genes. Not only did it contain untruths, it didn't answer the basic questions that need to be addressed.

Are we or are we not allowed to:

1. Mention other sites i.e. Ancestry, Rootsweb,Curious Fox etc.

2. Post the url's for these sites. (You made it easier to post a link and click on it but are we allowed to do so?)

3. Quote a message sent to us by Genes. (I had a post removed by Genes because I did so but others seem to be allowed.)

4. Make derogatory comments about using the records on Genes.

The thread that was deleted was my own, titled CAREFUL, FOLKS

http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards.page/board/genealogy_chat/thread/1289084


I started that as a warning to people to be careful as to what they posted, but then it gradually developed as people realised that seemingly innocent postings had been removed.



WHY WAS THAT THREAD REMOVED?



I am going to have to go to my other email address to email Support and see if I can get a decent response.



This situation is going from bad to worse.



sylvia

I have now emailed Support .................


and mentioned in the email that Estelle had assured us that emails were always answered within 24 hours, or sooner

and that she had also said that Support will provide an answer as to why a post or thread has been removed.



I wonder how soon I will hear, and what they will say????????????





sylvia

I, for one, will be very interested to hear Genes excuse for deleting your "Careful Folks" thread. I wonder what rule you broke there? I'm sure they'll think of one.

I managed to send an email to support with a lot of losing my temper as I cannot get on with emails :-D

I suppose I was one of the lucky ones being up all night to see my so called offending post reported, others have not got a clue.

Like you Sylvia I do not keep to UK time and it would be nice to see the posts on FB and on here which have now been deleted

jax

Ja..x

but we did see most of the posts that were deleted on Monday night! :-D


....... and my initial response was that it was the mystery R&R'er who appears at somewhat regular intervals, during the overnight period, and requests reviews.


There is a pattern, and certain people and topics are usually targeted.


GR jumps to their song!


helped by a computer-generated programme that just needs a key tapped to actiivate.

I swear that most of the posts marked as R&R are not read by a real live person .................... whoever is on duty just accepts blindly that if one person has ticked then there must be something


I also am coming to believe that our friendly mystery person has more than one identity on this site, and uses all of those identities to make it seem as if several people are R&R'ing.


Sick person



and stupid GR for not actually reading R&R'd posts to make sure that the review and removal IS accurate.



Of course, all this happens overnight

Most people do not even see the posts in the first place, so have no idea what has been R&R'd





and I'm suffering badly from paranoia!



sylvia

There are still questions to be answered here

I too am annoyed that the Post on the Genealogy Chat Board has been removed.
I work on a Policy that whilst I might not necessarily agree with everything that is said, I woould defend a person's rights to say it.
It seems that GR are working as a Dictatorship by trying to surpress the truth. .

Has GRs Policy changed in what is allowed to be posted?

Is it the intention to Police the Boards more closely in future?

In other words, have the Goal Posts moved?

If so, please explain exactly what the "offences" were so that we can all avoid transgressing.

What will happen with reported posts in future?

Presumably the Mystery reporter(s) is/are free to strike again. What guarantees are offered that posts are prperly reviewed?

One of the Posts reported has now been proved to have been without cause. What about the others?

Is the method of reviewing posts going to be altered so that there is a proper Appeal Process rather than Genes acting as Judge and Jury?

Will the 3 Strikes and you'r out Policy be immediately rescinded?

Come on GR ........ WAKE UP!

Nudging up for GR

jax, have you received a reply yet? (of apology, hopefully).

No not yet Joy

I did'nt send it till late so I don't expect anything till tomorrow. Maybe they will list all my other reported posts I have had, that meant they had to give me a warning this time

jax