Genealogy Chat

Hi everyone,

Well there seems to have been a lot of activity on the boards over the past weekend. I have been carefully reviewing all reported posts and speaking to our customer support team. There are a couple of things I want to set straight. Part of my role as Community Manager is to get to know our members on the boards, and to make sure the boards are being used appropriately. They are here for your enjoyment, to get help and help others, and to be able to chat about general topics.

If your post is reported to us we will reply with automated responses, although the support team will add in details of your post and details of why they have removed it. We also keep a note of how many times someone has been reported to us and how many times a member reports posts by other people. Different members of the customer support team will review the reported posts and decide whether they should be reinstated or removed, and although we follow strict guidelines, the decision will come down to personal interpretation of these guidelines so there will not always be 100% consistency in the decisions made.

We do not like to ban any members, and instead prefer to have a conversation with the member and see if it is an issue we can overcome. However, we take bullying, offensive language, and general nastiness extremely seriously.

Please think long and hard about the content you post on these boards and if you are reporting a post, think carefully about the reasons why. If we think that a particular person is being targeted by having their posts reported, we will take action against those reporting the posts. We will also not stand for people ‘ganging up’ on any member. Please remember that what you post on these boards is a reflection of yourself and it is how I will get to know you. These boards are here for the enjoyment of everyone, and if we think any individual or group of people are trying to sabotage the enjoyment of these boards for another person, we reserve the right to ban anyone at any time without warning.

Natasha

Hi Natasha and thank you for clarifying GR's position.

One issue which has not been addressed is how GR will deal with a member who goes out of their way to cause discord, distress and general upset amongst the community. Commonly known on the web as a Troll or WUM.

Also, as a matter of interest, if someone posts in their own defense after being baited by another member and this post is then reported, will it be read in context to the whole thread or would it be in that members best interest to include a quotation of the post they are responding to so that the member or staff have a more complete picture of what is really going on?

I ask as I do not wish to fall foul of GR Rules and Guidelines so would welcome your response on this matter.

We look forward to GR's implementation of their OWN statements about how they will deal with those who consistently post offensive comments, and also those who constantly refer threads for no other reason than sheer spite.

Natasha,

Whilst appreciating that you are trying your best I fear that the statement that you have made above will do little to resolve what has become a rather stupid situation.

At this moment there is a thread on this board where the OP's post and 9 other posts from an additional 4 members have been referred for review:

http://www.genesreunited.co.za/boards/board/genealogy_chat/thread/1324422?page=0

Obviously I do not know who has referred those posts or what has been given as the reason(s) as to why they have been referred. I can only surmise that as 3 of the members whose posts have been referred have made a total of over 89,000 previous posts between them that those posters probably have a good sense/knowledge of what is or isn't allowed to be posted. To me it appears likely therefore that some of posts at least may have been referred for purely malicious reasons.

In your statement you say that GR does not like to ban any members. Whilst that may be laudable surely there must come a time when it is appropriate to remove a rotten apple from the barrel before the remaining apples become tainted.

If any society has rules and punishments for breaking those rules but does not apply them then the ultimate result is anarchy.

Jonesey, I second that

Roy

10:27am

The thread that I posted details of at 10:12am has just been deleted entirely.

Who removed it I wonder, the OP or GR?

EDIT: Just realised that as the opening post was still under review then the OP could not have deleted it, only a GR staff member could have deleted it.

Please would you post http://www.genesreunited.co.za/boards/board/genealogy_chat/thread/1324477 on all boards.

Thank you, in anticipation.

Thank you to Natasha for her feedback received this morning.

If the Team can look at the problem with open eyes then I am certain they will reach the right decision.


Edited at 15:54
I feel the Team have already got their blinkers on. Shame really.


Edited again at 23:08
I have read this statement so many times today that I firmly believe that the Team have already made their mind up on some parts ot it and whatever anyone says to the Team about the problems will be ignored. I really hope this does not turn out to be the case.






If you already have this type of proof -

We also keep a note of how many times someone has been reported to us and how many times a member reports posts by other people.


Then surely you have the evidence to take this statement further

If we think that a particular person is being targeted by having their posts reported, we will take action against those reporting the posts. We will also not stand for people ‘ganging up’ on any member.


What I do not understand is that there have been many posts sent for review for no apparent reason other than out of spite. We have all witnessed this happening. So how come the Team do not put back those posts unless a member is being treated differently to other members on this site.

Unhappy to see that things are not really being sorted out

Just to say thank you - now time to move forward.

Just to say thank you for all the support given to me by GR.

It is reassuring to know that GR have been monitoring the situation closely over these last 5 weeks ...

I have had NO problems with ANY person on GR.....I must have missed all this commotion,cos I don't know what its been about. I come on here simply to ask and receive help,and that is what I have been doing,and haven't noticed anything wrong with the postings I've read.

Thankyou once again to anyone who has helped me....your help has been very much appreciated.

Elaine.x

Agree with Elaine.

What has been going on? I thought we were all adults on here!

PEACE K :))

It is about time this thread was unstickied isn't it?

Probably.....!