General Chat

It's a game. And games have rules. It is obvious that we all have wildly differing expectations and attitudes about this hobby, on this site. Yet another reason I won't be renewing my sub when it runs out. OC

So right David and Andrea. As in most things in life i do find there does seem, by some, to be a sort of snobbery about this hobby of ours. And, to me, that is what it is - a hobby. Its fun. Its not life and death (well I suppose it is in one way! LOL). For me its the thrill of the chase. So if one person wants to have every certificate and every record ever produced for their tree and another doesn't what has it to do with anyone else? I read the post of Success and thought 'good for them'. Not for one moment did i pass judgement. I dont know the person, I dont know how they got where they have and, frankly, its nothing to do with me. And if the post gives the impression to newbies that this hobby is easy then they will soon find out otherwise. What harm will have been done? Gerry :-))

hi andrea,theres many who struggle to get hot matches,me..........ive done brill,although its slowed down alot now.im running out of family,lol.xxx

Excellent sentiments David, Joy and Joan. Andrea

i agree david,i think thats why were here,to help each other.i was very fortunate that this love lady sent me a folder with all copies of birth certs and church records,etc.

Hi Pat her info was not from someone sharing a tree, its from what GR members on here found for her so i take it nothing has been confirmed. Julie PS i Agree with Joy if a new person was to see that message they would believe it to be so easy

Maybe its just me, But I think most of the fun of it is finding the information myself! I have over 1300 people on my tree (dating back to 1640) and believe me when you have to contend with the amount of different COUNTRIES of birth, it's not easy. However I can honestly say that I have found ALL this information myself and have not rellied on anyone else for any of it. I don't think there's anything wrong with sharing tree's, I just prefer not to. I don't mind sharing my info though! Pat

a year ago after coming to a stand still with my tree,i started hubbys.after 3 months a lovely lady called betty sent me all her info dating back to early 1600s.backing all this up with copies of church records etc.i in return sent her all i had,plus i did journeys to graveyards in my area that were able to be added to this huge family tree.and getting church records etc not for hubbys family,but for her hubbys family.we have just found some more important info out but will do nothing till it can be backed up.so you see these things can happen.xx

Well done and good luck to her. I do hope the lady in question checks the information for herself though. I've recently contacted someone who had my g g grandmother on his tree and all of her descendents. When I asked him what his connection was he gave loads of info he'd had from other people. Unfortunately nothing was checked out and he was no relation to my g g grandmothers family. He had 2 sets of parents for 1 child and a daughter married to her father. I explained as nicely as I could that he should check things out for himself and not rely on the IGI as there are so many mistakes on that. I gave him the parish record transcripts for the names he had mixed up and also the census records with the different families on so he could at least see things for himself. Thankfully he was very grateful for the information and said he had just thought what others had given him must be correct. An easy mistake for someone just setting out on this hobby. Daphne

I think you've made some valid points there Andrea. If the person who posted on success does read the general board - all the very best to you. I am happy to hear of your success xx

Andrea <<If you have nothing nice to say, then son't say anything>> Should we more experienced researchers keep quiet then, when we see new people falling into traps? The tree this lady has hit on, may be one hundred per cent accurate. But by the tone of her posting, she doesn't realise that it may not be. My tree (on one line) goes back to 1334, with absolute proof, and back to 1179 if I care to gloss over a few missing generations. That branch has taken me 35 years to compile, and I took many wrong turnings along the way. If I had given my tree to someone 20 years ago, and they hadn't checked it for themselves then they would be now looking at a rubbish tree, certainly before 1554. Peter's analogy of model railways is a good one - people get pleasure from different levels of accuracy - as long as they are not being duped into thinking the second railway is absolute fact. OC

My point exactly! Everyone does things in different ways, however, it seems acceptable to certain members to mock the ways and means of others - particularly when they were thanking those who had helped them. It is hard for some and not as hard for others but - If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing! Andrea

We are all different and do things in different ways. I do believe that the post could mislead new people to family history research into thinking that it is easy.

... and thine, as ever, Sir Budgie.

GR 'allowing' it?? While it is fantastic that you all like to do your research 'your' way, it does not give you the right to be judgemental of others. I'm sure if the person knew he or she was supposed to have slogged for years and years before he or she could be happy and thankful for help received on this site I am sure that he or she wouldn't have bothered! A less judgemental approach may take the message in the vein in which it was likely intended. Someone who is genuinely grateful for the help that they have received on what, in essence, is supposed to be a site where members share information and help each other. Clearly the person posting is very happy and NOWHERE does it say that the information won't be checked, or indeed that the researcher has been doing so for many years but has just decided to join this site. This thread highlights exactly what is wrong with this board and I need say no more. Andrea

I have been grateful to others for their help, mainly from rootsweb mailing lists and family history societies, but I love to feel the personal sense of achievement, the thrill of the personal find after the searching and seeking. I have only been addicted to this pastime for about eight years, and I just LOVE the personal research - on the internet, at the FRC, at records offices, wandering around cemeteries and churchyards, 'walking in their footsteps'. Personally, I think that, by GR allowing that on the success board, new people reading it could be misled. Happy hunting!

Hi Everyone The lady who put the message on the success board had said people from here had helped her get back to that date, so therefore nothing is confirmed. It took my brother 15 years to get back to 1800 ( partly cos of cost). Hilary Some people are name collecters

I don't know if any of you have ever visited a Model Railway Exhibition? There are layouts of all shapes and sizes. At one end the small station layout, probably no more than ten feet long, which is an exact replica, down to the last fishplate, of the original. The owner has spent years researching historical archives, and even makes sure that the signals at the end of the platform are exactly the same as one in the original 1920 photo taken by his great grandfather that he so cherishes. Everything is hand made from scratch, even down to the trees and bushes that are constructed by hand. It is a one man show apart from his long suffering wife who provides endless cups of tea to keep him going. Visitors actually travel from the other side of the country to view the layout because it is so special and true to life. At the other end of the exhibition is a 50 foot layout manned by 10 enthusiasts which purports to show the entire line between Birmingham and Coventry. Most of what we see has been bought over the counter and is out of the box. The layout is very impressive and also popular with the visitors as well. The know that it is not completely real because the model of the Bullring is only half a scale mile from Coventry Cathedral, but they don't care. They enjoy it. I think you can see my point............................!

Hi, about 10-15 years ago a distant member of my mother's family did her family tree at nightclass and had it drawn up and handed round to all living members. It went away in a drawer. Years later I decided to research my family tree and asked Mum all she could remember. Picked her brains got certificates etc as you do then realised that we had this tree in a cupboard.It all tallied but what a difference in looking at it as these names were real to me and meant something whereas the one handed to me on a plate so to speak had had no meaning at all. I did not realise as I'm new to Genes Reunited (2 weeks) that people pinched trees and collected names or am I just green. I have found a distant cousin this week and thrilled to bits thanks to GU. Hilary.

I agree with Andrea! I get a little peeved, too, with people being accused of name grabbing. It does happen but is not always true. I have thousands of names in my tree - all legitimate and the majority proven by others in our families who have been and are, also doing research. They share their family papers with me. My husband's family are predominantly Swiss. The Swiss archives contain the full family trees of all the prominant families - done by Swiss archivists. I have the complete history of two branches that are lodged in the archives of the University of Berne and these go back to the 1100's. Do I disbelieve these - and spend time and money on certificates? I have spend nearly 50 years and a great deal of money on research but yes - it is possible to find a gold mine now and again.