What sort of information do you want?

[Pam Downes]

The following is the perfect example of one of my pet hates. A typical message posted on an genealogical mailing list. Names and places changed to protect the innocent, but otherwise copied verbatim.
"I have a Jonathan Smith born abt.1840/50 Believed to be born in Clogsthorpe, Clogshire. Would appreciate any information on this one."
One of these days that sort of vague query will elicit the reply -
'1.6.1871. Got up at cock crow. Had bread and water for breakfast. Mother had again failed to iron him a shirt for work. Hoped for curry and chips for tea. Fat chance. Went to bed 8.30 because there was nothing on the telly'.
B-G Forum members you have been warned! :D
Pam

[Mythology]

"... any information ..."

He was male. ;)

(Keeping it short because I'm on dial-up at the moment)

[Pam Downes]

"... any information ..."

He was male. ;)

(Keeping it short because I'm on dial-up at the moment)
Trust me to forget the obvious. :D

(Off topic - Welcome back, Myth. Hope the move went OK.)
Pam

[Davran]

To be fair, I don't think some people know what info is available when they first start out on the family history journey. Perhaps, also, they are frightened of burdening others with too much info before they know if someone can help them. Some people are also not very good at typing so they do as little as possible!!

I have to agree, though, that it is frustrating and I often can't be bothered to reply if there isn't much to get your teeth into.;)

[Neil Wilson]

I do a few family history fairs and you all ways get the ones who think you can do their tree from just their surname!!! They think that all current information is available, on line or disk and in truth, they haven't even started their research. Then we have the task of explaining how to start and this will put off the idle ones and the interested one will then have an idea of what is involved and where to start.

Neil

[DebbieAnn]

I've been actively working on my family tree for over 31 years, and spent many, many thousands of dollars traveling to archives, sending for certificates, and paying for various on-line yearly subscriptions to get the information I need, in addition to all the kind souls who have helped by answering my queries when they could for free. What I despise are distant relatives, and especially even more distant relatives-by-marriage who expect me to give them a complete copy of all my family research, so they can add it to theirs and submit it to various on-line agencies, making it look like they've done all the meticulous research on that part of the tree, crediting me with only the occasional supplemental note. |banghead| And then I discover they're submitting it to a particular religious organization for baptism purposes!!! |soapbox|

I STILL get requests from one individual I've been pointedly ignoring for years...

But, yes, I also find it frustrating to be faced with an amiguous request that is impossible to fill without further details which the requester must have some information about. It's like pulling teeth to get them to reveal it, though...

Ah, well, guess I'm just out-of-sorts today...

Debbie

[Mythology]

Another short message as a result of some further research I did yesterday. ;)

"born abt.1840/50 ... Would appreciate any information ..."

He's dead. :)

[Pam Downes]

Another short message as a result of some further research I did yesterday. ;)

"born abt.1840/50 ... Would appreciate any information ..."

He's dead. :)
|bowdown|
Have you checked in the Guinness Book of Records to make sure that he's not listed as the UK's oldest man?
Pam

[Geoffers]

The following is the perfect example of one of my pet hates. A typical message posted on an genealogical mailing list. Names and places changed to protect the innocent, but otherwise copied verbatim.
"I have a Jonathan Smith born abt.1840/50 Believed to be born in Clogsthorpe, Clogshire. Would appreciate any information on this one."
Hello Pam
I used to get a lot of messages as a result of the NTA web-site. One once read, "Could you send me everything you have on WRIGHT."

I was particularly cheesed off at this fairly ludicrous message, so I replied with a single word, "wrong."

Geoffers

[Burrow Digger]

me - Lets see - Born about 1840/50 - well is he in the 1841 or 1851 census records??

them - What are those??

me - They're umm census records??

them - So where do I find those online??

me - You can buy them from a (certain online) website

them - Oh I dont want to buy anything. I thought this stuff was all online for free?

me - well some of it might be but you'll have to look for it.

them - so where do I look?

me - I dont feel up to telling you where to look, right now. I have a headache.

BD

[Pam Downes]

Hello Pam
I used to get a lot of messages as a result of the NTA web-site. One once read, "Could you send me everything you have on WRIGHT."
I was particularly cheesed off at this fairly ludicrous message, so I replied with a single word, "wrong."
GeoffersAs they were too thick to realise that all the info was on the site anyway, I rather think the comment would have been wasted on the recipient :)
It was all Andy's fault. He made it very difficult to negotiate the site. First of all your have to click on surnames, then the alpha letter you want, then you have to scroll down the page to the name, then click, etc etc. That sort of thing is very time-consuming, and is likely to cause brain-strain and RSI. As well as apoplexy when it's realised that not all PRs have been transcribed for all villages. :D
Sadly, I suspect that very few messages contained the words 'thank you'.
Pam

[Pam Downes]

me - Lets see - Born about 1840/50 - well is he in the 1841 or 1851 census records??
them - What are those??
me - They're umm census records??
them - So where do I find those online??
me - You can buy them from a (certain online) website
them - Oh I dont want to buy anything. I thought this stuff was all online for free?
me - well some of it might be but you'll have to look for it.
them - so where do I look?
me - I dont feel up to telling you where to look, right now. I have a headache. Oh, I can just imagine writing those as actual replies. One sentence at a time. Can you imagine the look on the recipient's face when he receives these replies which give him as much information as he originally gave? Absolutely classic BD |biggrin|
Pam

[Clive Blackaby]

I do a few family history fairs and you all ways get the ones who think you can do their tree from just their surname!!! They think that all current information is available, on line or disk and in truth, they haven't even started their research. Then we have the task of explaining how to start and this will put off the idle ones and the interested one will then have an idea of what is involved and where to start.

Neil
But of course it IS, surely ... I could name you several people who can do this in half an hour, for a small fee, say £50. For an extra 50 you can have a hand-painted shield with your coat of arms and for a bit more they'll weave up a piece of your family tartan as well.

Won't they ??? ;)

[Neil Wilson]

But of course it IS, surely ... I could name you several people who can do this in half an hour, for a small fee, say £50. For an extra 50 you can have a hand-painted shield with your coat of arms and for a bit more they'll weave up a piece of your family tartan as well.

Won't they ??? ;)Nice one Clive
:D
But these people don't want to pay, everything is free, isn't it!!
Time = £30 per hour
paper = £1 per sheet
Ink (Black) £0.5 per sheet
Ink (colour) £0.90 per sheet
Internet time = £0.30 per hour
Wear and tear on PC = priceless
for everything else there is Mastercard
(For those living outside of the UK, this is taken 'tongue and cheek' from a TV advert for Mastercard)
|cheers|

[susan-w]

They think that all current information is available, on line or disk
Actually, I’m coming to the conclusion that everything really IS available on the internet. ;) ;)

Not so long ago, I spent hours at the British Library, searching for info on an ancestor who had lived out in India. I finally found his will from 1805, spent ages transcribing it, came home and slumped infront of the computer.

I happened to browse the National Archives wills site, looking for another relative – and there was another copy of the damned will, downloadable at less than the cost of my trip into London! (He had assets in England - I didn't realise that at the time...)

Cheers
Sue (rapidly getting RSI!)

[HelenVSmith]

Hi


Yes the ones who post please tell me all can be annoying although in their defence many don't know any better. (and I can sympathise with the Smith bit as that is my name)

The ones who are my most disliked are the ones who ask something and you go to the trouble of looking something up and they reply "But I knew that!" So why the *** did you ask for it?

Of course there are also the ones who you never hear from again after you have found out something from them.

Just as well there are lots of nice people (such as 99.99999% of the list) who make it all worthwhile.
thing up and they reply "But I knew that!" So why the *** did you ask for it?</P>
Of course there are also the ones who you never hear from again after you have found out something from them.

Just as well there are lots of nice people (such as 99.99999% of the list) who make it all worthwhile.

helen

[Bengie]

I suppose it's no good asking if any of you know Fred then?

[John]

I suppose it's no good asking if any of you know Fred then?
No, but the person I've just responded to on another forum probably does--- Hey, I've added 600 names to my tree in the last week--- I wish I could work that fast cos I'm sure I'm related to genghis khan and moses.

John

[Mythology]

Fred is trying to get in touch with you, but sent the mail to me instead! ;)

http://www.bgf.talbot-roots.org.uk/fred.png

Darn it - I expect it was the pre-Moses addition to the tree, and silly me has deleted it. :D

[janbooth]

Well, this discussion has really cheered me up on a cold, miserably wet morning in Cheshire and given me the biggest laugh I have had all week!!! As the saying goes "there's nowt so queer as folk". However, for the most part I have gained an awful lot from the contacts I have made on the mailing lists and forums I belong to (although there are always exceptions!!) and discovered previously unknown relations so long may they live - warts and all!!

[GeoffD]

Wear and tear on PC = priceless
for everything else there is Mastercard
(For those living outside of the UK, this is taken 'tongue and cheek' from a TV advert for Mastercard)
|cheers|

Don't worry, I think that is a world-wide campaign.
|moon| to Mastercard