RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => Topic started by: Maryvera on Friday 03 November 06 23:38 GMT (UK)
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This is a plea to posters on all Boards to indicate as clearly as possible in the Subject Line what they are looking for.
Subject Titles like "Why can't I find auntie Lil? "or "Looking for Birth Certificate" and even worse " Frustrated" do not encourage me to look to see if I might be able to help. Please give, at the very least, a surname, date and place in your subject line.
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Hi Maryvera
don't forget some of these people are new and maybe don't know how to compose what they actually want in the short space.I do find it amusing at times though when i see things like "Has anyone seen ????? ?????" then go on to say she was living in ????? with her husband in 188? where did she go, and don't have any other information at all. The replies i could give to that would fill a funny book.
"I would help but my time travel passport has run out: ;D ;D
The subject should also be on P.M subject line, they get left till the last with me if there isn't one "Subject: No Subject.
You do have to have patients and understanding,and you defiantly need a sense of humour in this job ;D
Celia
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I'd have to say that if a subject line says 'can't find' or 'really fed up' or similar it makes me look to see if I can help. I've certainly been at the point where this kind of heading would sum up the frustration I feel and so can sympathise with others in the same position.
It's personal choice at the end of the day - if you don't like what the subject line says you don't have to look.
;)
Susan
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I think exactness is important on certain boards - especially the Techinal help board. If someone posts a vague thread or topic then you can spend ages trying to find out what there problem is.
downside
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I think Soocat and downside are both right.
A catchy subject heading makes you look but it can be frustrating if you're not sure what information is being asked for or what the poster has already.
CAPITAL LETTERS for surnames really help.
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Oh yes it would be lovely if every look up read "looking for"
Fred Boghouses 36 Head b Red Plant Occ Martian
Mabel Boghouses 35 wife b " " " Martian wife
10 kids all ages and birthplaces listed in order
Father Fred Boghouses b 1830....
Mother Mary " ...........
GG Boghouses.....
Dream on baby............
Easy I agree..........but me I like the thrill of the chase ;D
+ I have got time on my hands to do this
Joe
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but me I like the thrill of the chase ;D
Joe
The thrill of the chase - that could be the RootsChat motto!
JULIAN
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Oh yes it would be lovely if every look up read "looking for"
Fred Boghouses 36 Head b Red Plant Occ Martian
Mabel Boghouses 35 wife b " " " Martian wife
10 kids all ages and birthplaces listed in order
Father Fred Boghouses b 1830....
Mother Mary " ...........
GG Boghouses.....
Dream on baby............
Easy I agree..........but me I like the thrill of the chase ;D
+ I have got time on my hands to do this
Joe
Exactly Joe!
I tend to look at 'unread posts since your last visit' and see where there have been no responses. If I have some info to offer, then I try to help those postings. Otherwise, I look on those boards where I have an interest and again look for those with few replies.
Subject descriptions do help but the question is the most important - and I try to understand and help even if it's a difficult one.
Gadget
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A catchy subject heading makes you look but it can be frustrating if you're not sure what information is being asked for or what the poster has already.
Hear hear!!! You can the best heading in the world but if you don't ask clearly what you are after nobody can help you.
Kerry
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I am usually drawn to the posts with the slightly vague headings like 'Can anyone help?' or 'I'm frustrated' etc, rather than those with a specific subject.
I do not have access to any info other than the free ones, so cannot help with the specific ones like 'Fred Boghouse in Toytown in 1851"
But I am willing to throw in suggestions, ideas etc based on experience, as to how folks might find different ways to approach problems. And I do have plenty of time at present, so I am willing to look through indexes quarter by quarter for people, even though they could do it themselves as it is free.
What I find frustrating is the posts that read along the lines of ' I would like to find more about Fred Bloggs who was born in about 1862, and might have married a Freda, and may have had one or two children'
There seem to be an increasing number of them. Please put WHAT you are wanting to find out - are you working back or forwards - is it his parents or his children you would be most interested in. Also, put all you do know about him - to have come across him in the first place you must have some definite info! And finaly put where you have looked already - have you actually tried to find a more definite birth date, have you looked for him in the censuses? Are you a complete novice who would welcome advise on how to do these basics, or have you exhausted the basics with no results?
Sorry - I do go on!!!
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;D ;D ;D
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I must agree with those who argue for an explicit subject line. I know quite a bit about the Halifax district of West Yorkshire, and would be immediately attracted to topics such as
Smith, Brighouse 1891
or even
Lookup Brighouse
and the like [even though I don't have facilities to Look things up], but I would certainly ignore the vague and trendy
Help wanted
even when it appears in Unread Since my Last Visit lists.
And even when people are new, can they not go back and amend their heading to something useful at a later time?
Dolly
[always ready to moan, especially about poor spelling and grammar]
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I really did not expect my posting to generate so many replies!
Clearly, we searchers after family history, are all very different in our approaches to this absorbing and time hungry pursuit. Unfortunately some of us may have less time than others to spend on the RootsChat message boards.
I am relieved to know that I am not the only one who prefers a direct, specific approach from the subject line entered onto the Boards.
Would that I had time enough to peruse all the unspecified and "vague" queries I have followed, thinking that I could perhaps help, only to find them way outside my own area of interest or knowledge.
Good Luck to anyone using the site and Many Thanks to those who have responded to my own requests for help and information.
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Hi Maryvera
One of the things we love on Rootschat is a good debate without it turning into world war 3 like it does on other sites and we all have different ways of seeing and doing things and that is what makes Rootschat so popular and successful and long may it stay this way :)
Joe ;)
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Hi Maryvera
One of the things we love on Rootschat is a good debate without it turning into world war 3 like it does on other sites and we all have different ways of seeing and doing things and that is what makes Rootschat so popular and successful and long may it stay this way :)
Joe ;)
Very well said Joe - it seems we like to differ - and not only that but we agree to differ - and that is rare in any philosophy language or endeavour ;D ;D
Trish
PS I do like to investigate the ones that say "Can't find grandma" - perhaps I spend too much time in the past :) :)
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Call me old fashioned, but what bugs me is the lack of a simple 'PLEASE' in some postings for assistance. Most Chatters are courteous though, with a 'please' and 'thank you'.
Grumpy Old Irene
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Sometimes, if the query has never had an answer, I do p.m. them to suggest changing the subject line to something that will catch a certain researcher's eye...some have found that a plea does work, as proven above ;) However, I agree that if there are already a dozen requests for the same person, and then a "Where are they?" or "frustrated" subject line for the very same people search can be really frustrating.... as then new researchers waste resources on something already rehashed and rehashed... :P :P :P
But, we'll live...and they'll learn, as time passes :D J.J.
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ozchook, we must have posted at the same time...Hmmmm, I have always liked the thank you replies and hopefully remembered to say thanks often, myself...but don't know that I've ever said or expected a please....
It is a forrum, after all, and these are "queries", so not so sure that would be a requirement...? ? :-\ J.J. ;D
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...but don't know that I've ever said or expected a please....
It is a forrum, after all, and these are "queries", so not so sure that would be a requirement...? ?
I dont understand why RootsChat being a Forum would negate the need for common courtesy.... does one do this in everyday life - I think not ?
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No but it is courteous to say thank you to someone who has helped you or at least it used to be....
Kerry
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I don`t really mind whats in the subject line - I just love the challenge! ;D
I have to own up to feeling its quite an acheivement if I`ve beaten 40,000 other lightening fast Rootschatters to be the first to post a reply!! Probably not really in the spirit of things here, but sometimes the competative side of my nature gets the better of me! ::)
The one thing I have found myself doing lately is checking the "last posts" of the person asking the question. I have noticed there are a few individuals who seem to post a huge amount of requests without ever helping anyone else out or even joining in any general discussions like this one.
These individuals seem very polite and hugely grateful but if its only ever a one way street I feel very annoyed. >:(
sheddyg
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There will always be givers and takers in this world.
Hopefully some of the takers will become givers as they become more knowledgable family historians.
But some will just take and run.
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But then I'm one of the ones who hardly ever asked for help these days, because I'm ticking over gently without really doing much in depth family history at the moment, but boy can I talk!!!!!!
Discussions like this and answering other's requests.
But give it a few months and I might get back into the family history and the requests will go up again.
Kerry :) :)
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Hi kerry
I think you reach a stage in your research where what is needed is hours pouring over parish records and the like - and I tend to feel it's not really something you can ask someone else to do for you - hence like you I don't have many requests at the minute.
But if there's anyone out there who feels the need to do indepth studies of parish registers ;D ;D do please contact me!
Otherwise I keep saving for the trip
I also think, if you have to complain about how folks do/don't ask their questions, then it's probably better to stay away from answering any that annoy you. I seem to get a "hit" from finding the answer - if I get a thank you (which I usually do) that is an added bonus ;D
Trish
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Hi Trish
I so agree with you! Trouble is I've now got 4 Counties to visit to see the necessary parish registers and I don't know which one to start with first. It's not so much the saving of the trip which is the problem for me, I'm just a little bit closer than you I think!!! but it's the planning the jouneys and finding the time.
The hit I get from helping someone with their request keeps me going until I am able to get some answers to my conundrums :) :) :)
Kerry
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Good points made and advice given in the last 5 posts I feel.
Especially agree with sheddyg
Theres also some 'givers' on here whose style could be a bit less abrupt to requestors, especially people new to Family History....
I will refrain from using smilies in this post as they seem to be misinterpreted by some ....
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I could suggest a couple of counties Kerry ;D ;D I think I have about 8 in England plus 4 in Scotland & I am just too scared to think about Ireland. (One of my Irish ancestors gives a different county of birth on each document he had to complete :( ). For unknown reasons I don't seem to have any Welsh ancestors
Trish
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You should be so lucky, Trish :)
I'll let you have some of my Jones lines. Like you, I'm terrified of the Irish lines. I've not had a really good lead at all there.
Meanwhile, like you and the rest, I'll go on lookng for others. Subject line or no subject line. I'm an addict :)
Gadget
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My Irish connection is Corles or Corlis Baldwin born 1791 Ireland and Esther ?? born 1786 Cork. How on earth do I get started with that.
Anyway back to subject - I think sometimes we get to hung up on the technicalities when at the end of the day it is the content of the messages that is really important. As someone has said if you open up a message to look and can't help, close it and go and have a look at another one.
Gadget, I'm an addict too. There I said it!!!!
Kerry
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Quote from Kerryb:
I think sometimes we get to hung up on the technicalities when at the end of the day
it is the content of the messages that is really important.
As someone has said if you open up a message to look and can't help,
close it and go and have a look at another one.
I think that sums up this whole thread very nicely, and is a good place to say . . .
"Enough of all this, let's get back to work" :)
This topic is now closed.