GR - it gets worse

[Mum44]

Well - Heather - I must stand beside you.   

I agree with everything said about the shortcomings of the site - and yes, it gets worse.

However - like you, Heather, most of my best contacts have come from there.  I now have several 2nd cousins, and quite a few more 3rd and 4th, whom I would never otherwise have known.

Two or three of these have become firm friends, although we haven't yet met.

[downside]

Is anyone going to defend them

I still get the occasional hot match that is 'hot' and I have had some fairly major contacts in the past.

May main concern is their eccentric search results.  I enter a specific search criteria and get some bizarre results that have nothing to do with what I asked for. 

Fuzzy logic or DO I FEEL LUCKY?

I guess I still feel lucky.

[andycand]

Hi
The problem with GR is that there is no way of knowing whether someone you are trying to contact is either still a subscriber or that they still access the site (on Rootschat you can go to their profile and see when they were last on Rootschat). Also, if a former subscriber leaves their tree up but in the meantime changes their email, they won't get messages from someone with a potential match.

Hot Matches sounds a great idea but is almost impossible to work perfectly. At the moment matches only compare name and birth year. Ideally it should also compare birthplace but unfortunately there is no standard format for birthplace. I tend to only look at multiple hot matches.

I put up with GR's shortcomings because I have made some terrific contacts which have made it worthwhile

Andy

[behindthefrogs]

Every time GR updates my hot matches it adds about six pages.  However out of that six pages I usually find one or two genuine matches.  I have well over a hundred cousins most of whom I have found through GR.  My message is keep your tree to the people for whom you want to find out more and use the site for what it gives you.

David

[arkay]

I have to agree with the last few replies.  In two years' GR membership I have made contact with several long-lost and previously unknown distant cousins that have proved really helpful.  I have had my tree "pilfered" a couple of times, but since the info on it is available to the public anyway, why get all hot and bothered about it?  I'm the one who had all the fun sleuthing!  (Just don't put anything on the web that you don't want to share.)

However, I do wish GR would listen to all the negative comments and try to improve their site and service accordingly.  Then they'd have a lot more happy customers.

Arkay

[sula_nebouxii]

I've also had some good contacts from GR, including a cousin of OH's who sent us copies of photos of his 2G Grandmother and G Grandfather 

Their latest hot matches were definitely not -  I had been in touch with this lady before, she is another of OH's cousins, so I was not expecting this

Her tree                     My tree
John Keep                Timothy Beattie
1732                        1878
                              Mooroopna

Elizabeth Hull          George Beattie
                               1888
                                Murchison, Victoria, Australia
 
Catherine Croft         John Beattie
                              1896
                              Murchison, Victoria, Australia
    
Elizabeth Keepe         Edward Beattie
1630                       1900
                               Euroa, Victoria, Australia


There were a few more, but you get the idea ...

There were also correct matches for these 4 and another brother 

Sula

[ymfoster]

I have only put our direct grandparents on GR to save getting all the distant connections & it has proved less of a hassle, but having a common name is a pest 

Yvonne

[sleepybarb]

I 've renewed GR membershio by cheque for 6 months ,this is so I can remove my tree and have one last big search by them.I refuse to pay by credit card,so they cannot just take the money.I have had a few good contacts ,2nd an 3rd cousins.But the hot matches tend to be a big joke.
                           Sleepybarb

[Gadget]

 

It gets better 

I had another communication today so went in and had a look. It told me that i was a 'Free member'   

Went in to my account and changed all the settings to not receive anything and deleted my tree.

Problem solved 

Gadget