Genealogists' most hated phrase

[Bellevue]

Today's one, after receiving a message from a very very distant relative " I don't live far from you, shall I pop round for tea?" 

Whats wrong with meeting people?

You need to get out more.

[Hanford]

I don't have a problem with meeting people 
I just have a problem with meeting strangers over the internet


Edited so it doesn't sound too narky 

[Bellevue]

If I made contact with a relative or someone made contact with me. Provided that they are interested in their roots and I don't get the impression that they're a weirdo, then I'm more more than happy to meet up with them.

I would however suggest email as a more convenient method of communication but if they really wanted to meet up and I thought that I might get more info out of them face to face, then so be it. Obviously, if I felt put out or really really didn't want to meet them, then I'd politely put it off.

If I was concerned about being alone with them, then I would meet them in a public space.

[Hanford]

If I made contact with a relative or someone made contact with me. Provided that they are interested in their roots and I don't get the impression that they're a weirdo, then I'm more more than happy to meet up with them.

I would however suggest email as a more convenient method of communication but if they really wanted to meet up and I thought that I might get more info out of them face to face, then so be it. Obviously, if I felt put out or really really didn't want to meet them, then I'd politely put it off.

If I was concerned about being alone with them, then I would meet them in a public space.

The middle bit's a good point.


I dunno, if I was older then maybe I'd feel more open to meeting off the  internet, but at 20, would you really want to meet up with a 40+ year old male who you really aren't closely related to ( 6th cousin removed or something )  and who then asks you to dinner repeatedly? 

 

[Bellevue]

at 20, would you really want to meet up with a 40+ year old male who you really aren't closely related to ( 6th cousin removed or something )  and who then asks you to dinner repeatedly? 

 

The short answer to that is NO.

TBH, I've met up with a few relatives, some were a great great great help, others....well....were just very annoying. I would come away wondering why the hell did they not just email me that  , they could be young too and know how to use the internet. Of course with an older person, meeting up is really your only option.

[Hanford]

The short answer is also what he got too 

I think meeting up with a close relative is fine, but meeting up with a very distant one seems a bit pointless

Hopefully you'll get more of the helpful relatives in future... You never know, you may even get one who offers to take you out for dinner 

[Voirrey]

 

I am a professional genealogist with a business in adjacent to an historic site -
my most hated phrase is - and usually from an American tourist ( sorry to any Americans reading this)

" Of course, I am related to Lord ****** up at the Castle"

at this point my eyes glaze over and I try to slide under my desk.............

[billkent]

This was the one that hurt me the most. 

[Lisajj]

I have been in touch with lots of very distant relatives, luckily so far, none of them have wanted to meet up.
But then, I think most of them are very elderly and don't travel or live on the other side of the world.  I would be very cautious of meeting up with ANYONE who I "met" on the internet.  I would NEVER go on my own.

Lisa